When Ohio State and Maryland last matched up on Jan. 8, the Buckeyes possessed the better win percentage of the two.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| #21 Maryland (20-9, 11-7 B1G) | Schottenstein Center | 7 p.m. | BTN |
A lot has changed since then.
Maryland handed Ohio State its second straight loss at the time, and the Buckeyes dropped 12 of their next 13 games after that. On the other hand, the Terps have only lost four games since taking on Ohio State and now sit at No. 21 in the AP poll after knocking off ranked Indiana, Purdue and Northwestern teams since Jan. 31.
But Ohio State might have found some mojo after a 72-60 win over Illinois to end a nine-game losing streak on Sunday, and the Buckeyes believe they can parlay that momentum into another home win on Wednesday.
“We're all gonna celebrate because we got the dub today, and tomorrow we're back at it. We gotta keep that same mentality, the same hunger we had before to get the win against a good Maryland team,” Bruce Thornton said Sunday. “So I feel like we have a good mindset, good prep work with the coaching staff, and with the players getting in work and shots like that. So I feel like, we come with that mentality, I feel like we'll be good against Maryland.”
Significant seeding implications for the Big Ten Tournament still hang in the balance for Maryland, while Ohio State is simply trying to close out the regular season on a positive note. Wednesday’s 7 p.m. matchup will test which side’s motivation reigns supreme at the Schottenstein Center.
Need to Know
Small ball
The past two games have proven Ohio State can have success against Big Ten teams without Zed Key and even without any true center on the floor for the Buckeyes. Felix Okpara only played eight minutes against Illinois, but Ohio State still managed to outrebound the Illini – one of the best rebounding teams in the Big Ten – by 12 boards. The Buckeyes even outscored Illinois 46-28 in the paint, taking advantage of smaller lineups that prioritized speed and versatility. With Key out and Okpara limited with foul trouble in the first matchup this season, the Terps had a clear edge inside. But perhaps the Buckeyes have gotten more comfortable with that style of play since the Jan. 8 loss.
“I give Zed a lot of credit for kind of playing through his injury, but in some ways, it probably wasn’t great for him and might not have been great for us, even,” Chris Holtmann said Monday.” Just because it was so hard for him to play the way he’s played. So I think we’ve had to limit (the rotation) a little bit and go smaller. That’s made us maybe a little bit faster, just a little bit more athletic, a little bit more mobile, and that’s been good to see.”
Senior day at the Schott
Wednesday will be Ohio State’s final home game of the season, which means the program's seniors will be honored before the contest. All three Buckeyes to receive recognition didn’t start their career at Ohio State but will finish their collegiate tenure in scarlet and gray. Justice Sueing has spent the past four seasons with the Buckeyes, while Sean McNeil and Isaac Likekele, who each transferred into the program ahead of 2022-23, will join in the honor at the Schott.
Terps have plenty to play for
Ohio State no longer has any chance at upward mobility in the Big Ten standings, but the same isn’t true for the Terrapins. One of four teams with an 11-7 record in conference play, Maryland could actually still earn a piece of the regular season Big Ten championship if it wins out and receives help from other teams. If the Terps lose both of their final games, they could fall as low as eighth or ninth in the Big Ten, depending on other results. Maryland can’t coast through its final regular-season contests if it hopes to have a favorable seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which makes Wednesday’s game all the more important for the Terps.
Three Important Buckeyes
Bruce Thornton
The freshman point guard continues to surge late in the season. After scoring 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting in a close loss to Penn State last week, Thornton was even more efficient against Illinois, leading the Buckeyes to victory with a team-high 20 points on 8-for-11 from the field. Thornton converted an and-one with 3:57 to play that put Ohio State back up double digits and sealed Illinois’ fate down the stretch, and the first-year floor general will enter Wednesday’s matchup red hot as a result.
Brice Sensabaugh
Before Thornton’s clutch play against the Illini, Sensabaugh helped swing the momentum back in the Buckeyes’ favor with back-to-back buckets in the final six minutes. Sensabaugh provided the dunk of the year for Ohio State by posterizing Matthew Mayer in transition before nailing a jumper the next time down to increase the Buckeye lead to seven points. In the past four games, Sensabaugh averaged 17.5 points per game on 51.9% shooting as he continues to prove that his brief slump in early February is a thing of the past.
BRICE SENSABAUGH POSTER.pic.twitter.com/6P5AcMk8Qq
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 26, 2023
Oh, and the first 1,000 fans to show up at the Schott will get free posters of Sensabaugh's dunk mentioned above.
Justice Sueing
Sueing snapped his longest single-digit scoring streak of the season (four games) on Sunday when he dropped 14 to help the Buckeyes beat Illinois. The sixth-year forward also tied his career high with 11 rebounds, which Thornton credited for refueling the Buckeye offense after a dry spell early in the second half. On Wednesday, Sueing will be the longest-tenured OSU player recognized at senior day, having spent four years in the program since transferring from California ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Three Important Terrapins
Jahmir Young
| Player | Position | Height | Weight | Season Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAHMIR YOUNG | G | 6-2 | 185 | 16.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG |
| DONALD CAREY | G | 6-5 | 187 | 6.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG |
| HAKIM HART | G | 6-6 | 200 | 12 PPG, 4.4 APG |
| DONTA SCOTT | F | 6-7 | 225 | 11.7 PPG, 6 RPG |
| JULIAN REESE | F | 6-9 | 230 | 11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG |
After scoring a season-high 30 points in the first matchup with the Buckeyes, Young hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. The Charlotte transfer has put up at least 10 points in each of the past 15 games, and he’s averaged 17.7 points in the 13 since last locking horns with the scarlet and gray. Ohio State allowed the 6-foot-2 guard to pull down 11 boards (including six offensive rebounds) in the first matchup, and the Buckeyes can’t overlook him as a rebounding threat in the second contest.
Hakim Hart
The 6-foot-6 senior guard has been up and down in 2022-23, but Hart’s amid one of the most consistent stretches of the season over the past six games. Maryland’s second-leading scorer averaged 15.3 points on 52.5% shooting and 48.1% from 3-point range to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in that period, in which the Terps have gone 4-2. Hart shot just 3-for-10 in the first game against Ohio State but has been significantly more efficient on a regular basis as of late.
Julian Reese
Maryland’s starting five-man could either exploit or be exploited by Ohio State’s smaller lineup on Sunday. Reese and the Terps had success against the Buckeyes in the absence of Key in the last meeting, and the 6-foot-9 forward’s past eight performances represent his best stretch of the season. Reese averaged 13.4 points on 60.8% shooting and 9.1 rebounds in those eight games, including a 21-point outing against Minnesota on Feb 22. Reese could make life difficult for the likes of Eugene Brown and Isaac Likekele, should they have to guard him in an Okpara-less lineup on Wednesday.
How it Plays Out
Line: Maryland -1.5, O/U: 137
I’m cautious to put too much stock into one win, but the Buckeyes have shown gradual improvement in the past two games, which gives me a reason to believe we could see a second straight victorious performance on Wednesday – especially if Ohio State shows up on the glass as it did three days ago.
Prediction: Ohio State 72, Maryland 69
