Ohio State suffered its first loss of the season on Thanksgiving night in Portland, Ore., when the Buckeyes were pummeled by No. 17 Gonzaga, 86-59.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford (3-3) | Moda Center | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
Less than 24 hours later, the Buckeyes have a chance to get back into the win column, as Ohio State draws Stanford in the second round of the PK80 Invitational.
The Cardinal is coming off of a 108-87 loss to No. 7 Florida in their first-round game, which saw Stanford trail by as many as 38 to the Gators.
Opponent Breakdown
Two of Stanford's three losses have come to top-10 teams (North Carolina, Florida), but the third loss came at home to Eastern Washington.
The Cardinal enter the matchup with Ohio State off of a brutal loss to Florida in which the Gators made 15 of 22 shots from three-point range. Stanford has struggled on defense at times this season, allowing an average of 78.7 points per contest.
Statistically, the Cardinal is led by forward Reid Travis, who is averaging 21.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Travis can both stretch the floor and hit from long range or play inside and draw fouls. He converted on 10 of 11 free throws in a loss to Florida.
Guard Isaac White is Stanford's top three-point shooter, as he is shooting 42.4 percent from deep through six games this season. Underneath, Stanford is led by forward Michael Humphrey, who averages nine boards per game.
Buckeye Breakdown
The Buckeyes were without sophomore center Micah Potter against Gonzaga on Thursday, after Potter suffered a sprained ankle in a win over Northeastern on Sunday.
Freshman forward Kaleb Wesson stepped in for Potter and scored 10 points in his first start as a Buckeye, but fouled out with just more than five minutes to play against the Bulldogs as Ohio State's only true post presence.
Heading into the tournament, head coach Chris Holtmann hinted at Potter being available to play against the Bulldogs and that the ankle injury would not set him back too far. There is still a chance Potter could return to the lineup, but if not, Wesson would likely get the nod underneath for the second straight game.
Freshman Kyle Young played an extended role against Gonzaga, giving Holtmann 12 minutes, but scored just one point in the loss.
Doing his best to help out in the post in the loss to Gonzaga was Jae'Sean Tate, who scored nine of his 12 points in the second half against the Bulldogs. Tate converted on five of 11 shots from the floor against the Zags and added four rebounds against the taller opponent.
For the third straight game, freshman Musa Jallow started for Ohio State as redshirt senior Kam Williams came off the bench. Jallow got off to a fast start against Gonzaga, but failed to score in the second half while Williams chipped in a pair of three-pointers.
Point guard C.J. Jackson chipped in 12 points against Gonzaga, but converted on just one of his last eight shots in the loss.
How It Will Play Out
As of early Friday morning, Ohio State was ranked No. 74 in Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical rating system, while the Cardinal checked in at No. 77.
Both teams are coming off of poor defensive performances in which the opposing team shot a high percentage from long range. The eye test says Ohio State is slightly more athletic, while neither team has much depth.
If Ohio State gets Potter back at 80 percent or better health, the Buckeyes could hold an advantage. If not, the Cardinal, might earn an edge playing in the Pacific time zone.
Prediction: Ohio State 71, Stanford 67
