Penn State will host Ohio State tonight in the final home game of the regular season. It has been a nightmare of a season for the Nittany Lions, but they will have a chance to ruin the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament aspirations with an upset win tonight.
How to Watch
Who: Ohio State Buckeyes
NET Ranking (PSU): 34 (125)
Kenpom Ranking (PSU): 34 (129)
When: Wednesday, March 4
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, PA
Time: 7:30pm
TV: Peacock
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Line: Ohio State -7.5 (DraftKings)
Opponent Preview
Bruce
Thornton has been the go-to player for Ohio State all season, leading the team in points (20 PPG), assists (3.7 APG), and steals (1.2 SPG). John Mobley Jr (15.3 PPG), Devin Royal (14), and Christoph Tilly (11.1) are all double-digit scorers for the Buckeyes, but this is not an overly deep Ohio State team. Bench players make up just 26% of the minutes for Ohio State this season, which ranks 319th in the NCAA and 16th in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes are very good at making 2-point field goals, making free throws, and handling the basketball, all three of which present issues for a Penn State defense that has struggled all season. Ohio State is streaky at shooting the three but hit 10 of its 25 three-point attempts in the first meeting.
At 18-11, Ohio State is squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. Most projections have the Buckeyes as one of the last four teams in the tournament. An 82-74 win over Purdue on Sunday gave the Buckeyes a signature Quad 1 win to point to, but a loss to Penn State would likely undo some of that momentum.
What to Watch For
- Senior Night- Josh Reed is the lone senior on this Penn State roster, but he has been the most impactful player. He is poised for a strong effort in his final home game.
- Slow Tempo- Both of these teams average under 68 possessions per game, below the NCAA average. A slower tempo means less margin for error for Ohio State if the Nittany Lions have a hot shooting night.
- Silver Linings- As horrible a season it has been for Penn State, the potential for playing spoiler is still intriguing.
Prediction
Penn State has been a better team at home for most of conference play, including a solid upset of Iowa on Saturday. Though Ohio State is clearly a better team on both sides of the ball, they have been inconsistent and may overlook Penn State coming off the big win over Purdue. It should be a competitive game, but as we saw in the first meeting, Ohio State will make enough plays at the end to get the win.
Ohio State 81, Penn State 75
