Ohio State senior forward Kyle Young (25) goes in for a layup at the net during the Ohio State-Iowa game on Feb. 28. Ohio State lost 57-73. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
As the postseason approaches in just under a week, Ohio State has one last top-five challenge to close the season.
The No. 7 Buckeyes (18-7, 12-7) look to end their three-game slide in their season finale against red-hot No. 4 Illinois (19-6, 15-4). As the top-five matchup falls on senior day, redshirt senior guard CJ Walker said Saturday’s contest will be an emotional affair in more ways than one.
“Just being in this moment, it’s just really good for me and I’m just really grateful that I can be in the situation that I can play in front of family, play for this staff and for my teammates. So, it’s just a really big moment for me,” Walker said. “I’m just ready to play and I’m ready to win. It’s a really big game against a really good team, I’m just ready to win.”
The Illini enter the season finale as winners of 10 of their last 11 games and coming off their biggest win of the season — a 76-53 win over No. 2 Michigan at the Crisler Center.
The Illini’s success has come in the absence of its leading scorer, junior guard Ayo Dosunmu. Averaging 21 points to go along with 5.3 assists per game, the Chicago native has missed each of Illinois’ last three contests with a facial injury.
In the Jan. 16 meeting with Ohio State, Dosunmu dropped 22 points and tallied five assists in the Buckeyes’ 87-81 win in Champaign, Illinois.
“They’re a legit national title contender, and I think everybody kinda anticipated that in a season with Ayo (Dosunmu) and Kofi (Cockburn) returning and then really good players around them,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “Guys have really stepped up in Ayo’s absence.”
Although Dosunmu’s status remains up in the air, the Illini have another star in sophomore center Kofi Cockburn. The Jamaican native is a dangerous presence on the block and in the paint, averaging 17.5 points per game while collecting a conference-best 9.8 rebounds per game.
Despite producing 15 points on 100 percent from the field and 11 rebounds in their first meeting, Cockburn was frustrated all night with constant double- and triple-teams from Buckeye defenders.
With another battle against the 7-foot-tall Cockburn, Holtmann said the Illini big man creates a unique challenge for the Buckeye defense.
“He’s so good at catching deep and pivoting without the use of a dribble and he’s so big that if you play behind him, he can turn and score. But if you front him, they can throw it over the top,” Holtmann said. “He’s as physical as anybody that I’ve coached against and he also plays in a physical way, so I think you just have to be ready for the kind of battle that’s gonna be night -in, -night -out.”
Cockburn and Dosunmu are supported by a trio of talented guards in senior Trent Frazier and freshmen Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller — who produce a combined 27.7 points per game.
Frazier is also one of the best perimeter defenders in the conference — tallying 1.4 steals per game.
Although emphasizing a focus on Saturday’s game, the result of Ohio State’s third top-10 matchup in its last four games could play a role in the Buckeyes’ seeding Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
With a win against the Illini, a loss by either Iowa or Purdue will put the Buckeyes inside the top four of the Big Ten standings and give them a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
A quality win against the Illini would also bolster the resume of an Ohio State team that fell out of the No. 1 seed discussion due to its losing streak.
Despite the seeding implications, Holtmann said it is important to not get lost in the ramifications of the game — something he hinted at as a potential cause for the slide.
“We wanted to talk big picture, but maybe in some ways there was too much conversation about big pictures, was my thought,” Holtmann said. “And if so, that’s on me.”
The season’s conclusion is also met with senior day at the Schottenstein Center as the Buckeyes will look to send Walker and senior forward Kyle Young out with a bang.
Holtmann confirmed that Saturday will be Walker’s final home game as a Buckeye, while Young will make his decision on his extra year of eligibility in the weeks following the season.
As the Buckeyes will potentially lose two of their primary leaders, Holtmann said the duo were excellent representations of the Ohio State program.
“Those are two guys that represent everything about this program that we want our guys to represent,” Holtmann said. “They are tremendous people, terrific competitors and have really led this team in a unique season, led it in a really special way.”
Although recognizing the significance of the festivities that will take place around the game, Holtmann emphasized that his team will need to be prepared to play for 40 minutes.
“Our guys aren’t unaware, they understand everything and they understand it’s senior day and all that goes in that,” Holtmann said. “We know we’re going to get a tremendous performance from Illinois, not only in the fact that they’re playing well but having beat them — we’re one of the few teams who have beat them. So, we’re going to get a tremendous performance from them. We’re going to have to play, I believe, as well as we’ve played all year.”
