It’s scarlet on scarlet to open full-time Big Ten play for Ohio State.
Rutgers
scarlet Knights
On Wednesday night, the Scarlet and Gray will meet the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, a program head coach Steve Pikiell has taken from a 30-year NCAA Tournament drought and brought to back-to-back tourneys in 2021 and 2022. Rutgers just missed the dance last year with a 19-15 record.
The Scarlet Knights are off to an 8-4 start to their 2023-24 campaign. A season-opening defeat at the hands of Princeton and a 19-point shellacking by Wake Forest serve as the biggest blemishes in their loss column, though they do hold a Power 5 win over Seton Hall.
"A really good, tough-minded Rutgers team," Chris Holtmann said. "They are a tough, tough-minded, physical, great length across the board. So it will be a great challenge."
Need to Know
Stingy, multiple defense
Rutgers is 15th nationally in points allowed per 100 possessions and it can roll through various schemes to slow opposing attacks down. Its interior defense is particularly effective as the Scarlet Knights collect 5.9 blocked shots per game, 11th-most in the country.
"They change defenses, so we're gonna see a combination of different defenses and they're really good at all of them," Holtmann said. "They press, which can take you out of things. Their press does a good job of being disruptive, yet at the same time shortening the shot clock, making it a situation where you're working with a limited shot clock."
Off on offense
That No. 15 defensive rating nationally contrasts with an offense that is rated 305th for the Scarlet Knights, scoring just 98.5 points per 100 possessions. The Buckeyes will be the far more prolific attack on the court, ranking 33rd at 116.1 points per 100 trips down the floor.
Only two Rutgers players average at least nine points per game and none average 13 or more. The Scarlet Knights are 345th in two-point shooting percentage and 326th from three-point range, so if the Buckeyes can play with pace and build a lead, it’s going to be hard for their opponents to assemble a run.
Three Important Buckeyes
Jamison Battle
Strong shooting from the perimeter is a surefire way to break through a defense like Rutgers’, and Battle has been the Buckeyes’ best perimeter threat so far. Hitting at least five triples in back-to-back games entering Wednesday, Battle is shooting a team-high 42.5% from outside and making a team-high 2.8 threes per game.
Bruce Thornton
Ohio State will need its star point guard and team galvanizer on point as conference play hits its full swing. He’s on a 10-game streak of scoring in double figures, though he barely cleared that mark in his last two contests, scoring 11 points against both New Orleans and West Virginia and shooting a combined 38.1% from the field, bringing his team-high season average down to 16.9 points per game.
Scotty Middleton
Circling back to shooting, the freshman Middleton is Ohio State’s top sharpshooter off the bench (40.7%) and another player who can create his own shot against a disciplined defense that might demand it.
Three Notable Scarlet Knights
Clifford Omoruyi
| No. | Player | Position | Height | Weight | 2023-24 Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Noah Fernandes | G | 5-11 | 180 | 8.3 PPG, 1.3 SPG |
| 0 | Derek Simpson | G | 6-3 | 165 | 8.9 PPG, 3.0 APG |
| 5 | Aundre Hyatt | F | 6-6 | 235 | 12.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG |
| 3 | Mawot Mag | F | 6-7 | 216 | 6.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG |
| 11 | Clifford Omoruyi | C | 6-11 | 240 | 11.4 PPG, 3.4 BPG |
Omoruyi not only paces the Big Ten but is third in the entire country in blocks per game with 3.4. He also leads Rutgers in rebounding with 9.1 boards per game and is second on the squad in points per game at 11.4. The 6-11 center from Nigeria will go up against another 6-11 center from Nigeria in Ohio State’s Felix Okpara.
Aundre Hyatt
Hyatt is the Scarlet Knights’ top scorer (12.3 points per game) and most efficient 3-point threat (36.2% from distance). More than half of his scoring comes from behind the arc, as the 6-6 forward hits just 38.8% of his shots overall.
Noah Fernandes
No less than nine players have started a game for Rutgers this year as it has rolled through various opening lineups to try and get the best matchups on the floor. Fernandes is the third of three players who have started every game, joining Hyatt and Omoruyi, and provides some playmaking in the backcourt with 2.4 assists per game. His 1.3 steals per contest also contribute to the Scarlet Knights’ defensive identity.
How It Plays Out
Line: Ohio State -9.5, O/U 133
It’s time for Ohio State to find its full form. The Buckeyes have the talent and depth to open January with a conference victory at home if their shotmakers can knock down a few tough ones.
Prediction: Ohio State 65, Rutgers 58
