BOOM
Former Duke forward Sean Stewart, a five-star recruit in the 2023 class, commits to Ohio State.
If Ohio State fans thought Penn State’s crowd was raucous during the Nittany Lions’ 18-point second-half comeback win over the Buckeyes on Dec. 9, just wait until they take the floor in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday.
Indiana
Hoosiers
Indiana’s home crowd is as hostile as they come, providing a strong challenge for Ohio State off its tight 76-72 win over Rutgers to open full-time conference play on Wednesday.
Back on a four-game winning streak following the aforementioned loss to Penn State – their only true road game of the season entering Saturday – a win for the Buckeyes would both help keep their momentum rolling and prove they can finish the job in enemy territory.
“(I’m watching) the purpose we play with, the readiness that we play with,” Holtmann said. “We all know what that environment is, Assembly Hall. It’s a good team ... so it’s gonna be a great test. They’re a good team, it’s a tremendous environment, Saturday night, it’s gonna be sold out. So we just need to have a real readiness in preparation and a readiness in play.”
Need to Know
Another physical frontcourt
Ohio State just got through dealing with Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi, one of the nation’s top shot blockers. The Big Ten has a longstanding tradition of physical, intimidating forwards and that trend will continue for the Buckeyes against the Hoosiers’ starting trio down low.
Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware stand 6-8, 6-9 and 7-0 respectively. They combine to score 41.1 of Indiana’s 75.9 points per game and 18.8 of its 35.9 rebounds per contest. The trio also dish out 6.7 assists per game, sharing the ball with teammates.
“It’s been impressive,” Ohio State assistant Jake Diebler said. “You look at their assist numbers between (Ware and Reneau), they’re really high. They’re really good at protecting the rim, so their impact is felt on both sides of the ball. We’ve got to limit their paint catches, their paint attempts because they’re efficient in there.”
Scared to go outside
Only two of D-I college basketball’s 362 teams attempt fewer three-pointers per game than Indiana. The Hoosiers loft just 14.5 perimeter shots rimward per contest, making 33.5% of those attempts to rank 194th nationally in three-point field goal percentage.
Defensive deficiencies
Despite its collective size, Indiana doesn’t tend to keep offenses pinned down. The Hoosiers rank 275th nationally in points allowed per 100 possessions at 105.1.
That’s mainly due to shoddy perimeter defense. Opponents make 34.9% of their three-pointers against Indiana, a rate against that is 289th in college basketball defensively. Likely due to the Hoosiers’ size on the interior, their opponents put up the 21st-most three-point attempts against them as well.
Three Important Buckeyes
Felix Okpara
Ohio State’s center is going to play a big role in containing Ware and Reneau down low. While his defense has been a big benefit to the Buckeyes overall with 2.2 blocks per game, Okpara had issues slowing down another high-scoring Big Ten big in Minnesota’s Dawson Garcia, who racked up 36 points against OSU on Dec. 3
Zed Key
With all the size Indiana presents, there’s a chance that Key starts or at least plays a more significant role alongside Okpara as a bigger, stronger power forward. Such a change could bump Jamison Battle to the small forward position and result in a more rotational role for Evan Mahaffey. It’s a lineup that’s been floated by Ohio State coaches previously but thus far has only seen the floor for a handful of minutes. But Indiana’s interior-oriented offense and, again, its size could make it a viable strategy.
“You live for these moments and these challenges,” Key said. “You don’t want every game to be easy, that’s why the Big Ten is the Big Ten. It’s good teams day in and day out. So I’m excited for this game and we’re excited as a team.”
Jamison Battle
Battle’s been on a tear as a shooter, becoming the first Buckeye to hit at least five threes in three consecutive games since Jon Diebler did it four times in a row in 2009. It only took him five attempts against Rutgers as he started a perfect 5-for-5 en route to a 6-for-9 finish from downtown. He paces the Big Ten in three-point shooting at 44.7%.
Three Notable Hoosiers
| No. | Player | Position | Height | Weight | 2023-24 Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Xavier Johnson | G | 6-3 | 200 | 9.0 PPG, 2.4 APG |
| 32 | Trey Galloway | G | 6-5 | 205 | 10.9 PPG, 3.4 APG |
| 21 | Mackenzie Mgbako | F | 6-8 | 217 | 9.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG |
| 5 | Malik Reneau | F | 6-9 | 233 | 16.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG |
| 1 | Kel'el Ware | C | 7-0 | 242 | 15.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG |
Kel’el Ware
Indiana’s 7-foot center sets the tone for its entire team. Ware’s 15.3 points per game are second on the squad but he far and away leads the Hoosiers in rebounds and blocks per game at nine and 1.5.
Malik Reneau
Playing right alongside Ware at the power forward position, Reneau is Indiana’s top scoring threat, leading the team in both points per game (16.1) and field goal percentage (58.8%). He’s got the ability to hit shots from the perimeter too, hitting 47.6% of his tries from range, even if he only attempts 1.5 per game.
Trey Galloway
As backcourt players go, Galloway is probably the most important for Indiana. He joins Ware and Reneau as the last of the Hoosiers’ double-figure scorers at 10.9 points per game and leads the squad’s playmaking efforts with 3.4 assists per contest.
How It Plays Out
Line: Ohio State -2, O/U 148.5
Ohio State’s experience and leadership are such that I don’t believe they’re a team destined to be bad on the road. The Buckeyes are a more complete team than Indiana, and I think that ultimately proves out despite the typical hiccups that come with a conference game.
Prediction: Ohio State 81, Indiana 74
