Maryland men’s basketball had a week’s rest before its 30-point loss to No. 12 Purdue on Sunday. It shouldn’t get used to that.
The Terps are slated for six games in the next 17 days and seven in the next 21. That stretch kicks off at Xfinity Center Thursday night against Ohio State.
Tip off is scheduled at 8:30 p.m., and the game will air on Fox Sports 1.
Ohio State Buckeyes (14-7, 6-5 Big Ten)
2024-25 record: 17-15, 9-11 Big Ten
A few times over the past 15 years, Ohio State has come close to breaking through as a program. While it’s not
quite there at the moment, the Buckeyes have certainly taken steps in the right direction since head coach Jake Diebler took over as an interim in the 2023-24 season.
Diebler retained his top three players from a season ago. His squad appears in a place similar to where it was ahead of last February’s meeting, when it upset the then-No. 18 Terps on a last-second 3-pointer. Ohio State comes to College Park needing some momentum as losers of two of its last three — with the one win being by six points over Penn State.
Players to watch
Bruce Thornton, senior guard, 6-foot-2, No. 2 — Thornton delivered that game-winning shot a year ago, and he’s just as explosive in 2025-26. The two-time All-Big Ten forward is averaging new career highs in points (19.5) and rebounds (5.3) per game while adding 3.6 assists a contest. He also paces the conference in playtime (36.5 minutes per game).
John Mobley Jr., sophomore guard, 6-foot-2, No. 0 — The sharpshooting guard’s sophomore campaign isn’t quite what some expected out of the top-50 recruit two classes ago, but he’s still a pain for defenses to handle — and still shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc with 15.8 points per game.
Christoph Tilly, senior center, 7-foot-0, No. 13 — The Germany native transferred to Ohio State after three strong years at Santa Clara. While he started off the year strong, he’s lost some form in the depth of conference play. Ohio State is a different team when Tilly’s at his best, and he’ll have a chance to shine against a smaller Maryland lineup.
Strength
Shooting efficiency inside the arc. Outside of Mobley, the Buckeyes aren’t a very good 3-point team. But bring those shots closer, and they’re one of the best shooting teams in the country — their 59.5% 2-point percentage is top-20 in Division I and their 78.8% free throw percentage is top-10.
Weakness
Defensive creation. The Buckeyes’ 82.2 points per game is a commendable number, especially considering they get very few extra possessions to score on. Ohio State is second-to-last in both steals (5.0) and blocks (2.4) per game in the Big Ten.
Three things to watch
1. Right the ship. Maryland’s last two games resulted in, respectively, the program’s biggest loss since 1944 and the program’s biggest-ever loss at Xfinity Center. Those both came against top-15 opponents, which Ohio State is not. But the Terps are desperately in need of some good basketball.
2. Can Andre Mills keep it up? Mills was explosive against No. 12 Purdue, recording a career-high 18 points and being one of the few Terps to string together a solid defensive outing. Ohio State possesses a good guard group, but having Mills show more signs of development would bode very well for the months — and seasons — ahead.
3. Buckeyes are away from home. Ohio State’s success falls off a cliff away from Columbus — it’s 10-2 at home and 4-5 otherwise. Xfinity Center may not be as filled out for a Thursday night game as it was for a ranked Sunday matinee, but that crowd will certainly be a factor.
