Ohio State can’t save its season on Sunday.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State (15-9, 7-6 B1G) | Schottenstein Center | 1 p.m. | CBS |
But a win sure would relieve some of the tension that’s built up over the 22 days since its last victory.
Riding its second five-game losing streak since the start of 2023, the Buckeyes host an ever-competitive Michigan State program that’s had its own ups and downs in recent weeks. The Spartans suffered four defeats in a six-game stretch before edging out Maryland in a five-point win on Tuesday. Unlike Ohio State, though, Tom Izzo and company are still a projected NCAA Tournament team and have three ranked wins on their résumé.
Izzo’s become something of a mentor to Chris Holtmann over the past few years, and his advice has never been more important as the Buckeye coach deals with the worst stretch of his tenure in Columbus. But that won’t stop Michigan State from trying to hand Ohio State its longest losing streak of the season on Sunday, even though it opened as an underdog for the 1 p.m. tilt at the Schottenstein Center.
“We haven’t been through a stretch like this, and when I haven’t been through a stretch like this, really dating back to my first or second year as a head coach, you are leaning on guys that might be able to just give you a different perspective,” Holtmann said. “Tom has been phenomenal.”
Need to Know
MSU stellar at shooting, defending the 3
Michigan State slots in one spot above Ohio State as the third-best 3-point shooting team in the Big Ten (37.3%), and the Buckeyes are fresh off a game in which they surrendered 12 3-point makes to Northwestern. Just as prevalent in this matchup is the manner in which the Spartans defend the 3-point line. Michigan State is No. 1 in the conference in opponent 3-point percentage (29.4%), which may not bode well for a Buckeye team that went 1-for-14 from the 3-point line on Thursday. Only two teams have managed to hit as many as nine 3-pointers against the Spartans since the start of December.
Success against Sparty at the Schott
Michigan State may hold an official 73-59 edge over Ohio State in the all-time series, but the Buckeyes have gotten the better of recent meetings at the Schottenstein Center. Ohio State beat the Spartans, 80-69, in the programs’ lone matchup last season, and also defeated Michigan State in Columbus in a 17-point blowout on Jan. 31, 2021. Ohio State has actually won nine of the past 16 contests against MSU at the Schott, and will look to add to that total on Sunday. That pursuit is aided by the fact that the Spartans have lost their last four road games in a row.
Ball security
Ohio State’s 15 turnovers against Northwestern were its second most since mid-December, and the Wildcats scored 16 points off giveaways by the Buckeyes, who only lost the game by six. Sensabaugh and Sean McNeil both had four turnovers apiece while Sueing had three turnovers of his own against Northwestern. Just two games prior, Ohio State turned the ball over 16 times against Michigan, which may have made the difference in another single-digit defeat. Before Thursday, Ohio State limited its turnovers to eight or fewer in three games out of four, and the Buckeyes must get back on a similar track if they hope to get over the hump this weekend.
Three Important Buckeyes
Brice Sensabaugh
Removed from the starting lineup for the second straight game, Sensabaugh tied his fewest minutes played since November (16) and tied his lowest-scoring performance of the season (four) on 1-for-8 shooting against Northwestern. Chris Holtmann said “it just was the rotation” that led to Sensabaugh’s reduced role, but the freshman has knocked down just 22.7% of his shots in the past two games in which he’s come off the bench.
“Brice is a freshman. He's being guarded by the best player, guys,” Holtmann said. “Like, this is not an easy thing for a kid. he wasn't guarded always by the best player early in the year. He's being guarded by the best player now. Freshmen have moments, we'll help him the best we can. The young man's fighting hard, give him credit. He's allowed to have an off shooting night, we'll find ways to put him in better positions.”
Justice Sueing
One silver lining from the Northwestern loss was the improved performance of Sueing, whose 19 points were the most he’d scored in more than a month. The sixth-year forward hit seven of his 11 shot attempts, pulled down eight boards and spearheaded Ohio State’s late comeback effort. It didn’t pay off in the end, but Sueing’s exploits were a positive sign for the Buckeyes nonetheless.
Bruce Thornton
Thornton’s 22-point game against Michigan wasn’t just a one-off anomaly. The freshman point guard followed it up with a rock-solid 12-point performance on 5-for-9 shooting and three assists in Thursday’s loss to Northwestern. After the game, Thornton admitted that losing games has grown tiresome, but perhaps his uptick in production will help the Buckeyes break through on Sunday.
“Getting this feeling game after game after game, it's human nature you're gonna get frustrated,” Thornton said. “You're gonna get like, ‘I'm tired of this’ to a point. But until we figure out how to do the small things, nothing's gonna get past us.”
Three Important Spartans
Tyson Walker
| Player | Position | Height | Weight | Season Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TYSON WALKER | G | 6-0 | 162 | 13.9 PPG, 2.6 APG |
| JADEN AKINS | G | 6-4 | 180 | 8.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG |
| A.J. HOGGARD | G | 6-3 | 220 | 12.3 PPG, 5.8 APG |
| JOEY HAUSER | F | 6-9 | 220 | 13.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG |
| MADY SISSOKO | C | 6-9 | 235 | 5.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG |
A second-year Spartan who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Northeastern, Walker’s hit his stride at Michigan State. The 6-foot guard is MSU’s leading scorer with an average of 13.9 points per game, and he’s a 41.6% 3-point marksman. While he’s been relatively quiet in Michigan State’s last three losses, Walker’s only a few weeks removed from a 30-point performance against the No. 1 team in the country.
Joey Hauser
The fifth-year senior forward is enjoying a career year with the Spartans. Never previously a double-digit scorer for an entire season at either Marquette or Michigan State, Hauser’s averaging 13.3 points per game and knocking down 41% of his 3-point attempts as a 6-foot-9 forward. Hauser is fresh off a 20-point performance on Tuesday and could also give the Buckeyes trouble on the glass with his team-leading average of 7.1 rebounds per game.
A.J. Hoggard
In 10.3 more minutes per game as a junior, Hoggard has upped his scoring production by 5.3 points in 2022-23. The 6-foot-3 guard has grown into a full-time starter for the Spartans, and beyond his 12.3 points per game, Hoggard’s 5.8 assists lead all Michigan State players. Hoggard has scored in only single digits in three of the Spartans’ last four games but scored 20 points two Sundays ago against top-ranked Purdue.
How It Plays Out
Line: OSU -3.5, O/U: 137.5
Simply put, it’s hard to pick Ohio State to win a game until it proves itself capable of doing so again. Michigan State hasn’t played lights out as of late, but that may not hinder it from handing the Buckeyes another home loss on Sunday.
Prediction: Michigan State 72, Ohio State 66
