Ohio State will get one key player in its rotation back Saturday against Michigan State while the status of another remains unknown.
Sophomore forward Marc Loving, who has missed the team's previous three games due to a suspension for unknown reasons, will return to the court against the Spartans, head coach Thad Matta confirmed Friday. Senior starting center Anthony Lee remains questionable with a nagging groin injury.
Loving, the second-leading scorer for the 23rd-ranked Buckeyes and the nation's top 3-point shooter, has not played since tying his career-high with 19 points against Maryland on Jan. 29. Ohio State has gone 2-1 in his absence.
Loving had been practicing with the team during his suspension, but did not play in any games. In his absence, Matta has been pleased with the strides his team has made.
"I think from the standpoint that with his absence, I’ve seen this team get better," Matta said. "We also know this, Marc definitely makes us a better team when he’s out there playing.”
Lee, who replaced Amir Williams in the Buckeyes' starting lineup Jan. 22 against Northwestern, did not play in Ohio State's 75-55 win over Penn State on Wednesday. He's suffering from a lingering groin injury.
"He was in the weight room with me, but I don’t know if he’s going to be able to go or not," Matta said.
Notes:
- Matta said he's still not sure how much or what role Loving will play against the Spartans. "Now, where does he come back and fit in? Hopefully like he did in the Maryland game," he said. "I don’t know if he will, but I think from the standpoint of I like the strides everybody on this team has made in his absence."
- Matta said Loving's attitude has remained positive despite the suspension. "I think attitude-wise he’s been very good," Matta said. "He’s been with us every step of the way except for games."
- Matta said this year's Michigan State team, despite being just 16-8 and 7-4 in the Big Ten, resembles a typical Tom Izzo-coached team. "Watching them on tape it looks like my 11th year of looking at the exact same Michigan State-type of basketball team.”
- In Loving's absence, Keita Bates-Diop has filled in nicely. "I saw it as an opportunity with Marc out. I wanted to step up and play well and I did," Bates-Diop said. "Having Marc back it just makes us a better team and makes us a deeper team so we should be good moving forward.”
- Ohio State's seniors have played at the Breslin Center a few times, but the freshmen have not experienced the crazed environment that is The Izzone. “It ranks definitely in the top in the Big Ten. Their student section can get pretty loud," senior center Amir Williams said of the atmosphere. "When they score their first basket the arena goes crazy, they start popping things and throwing things in the air."
