Ohio State graduate guard Cedric Russell (2) looks to make a shot behind the arc during the Ohio State-IUPUI game Jan. 18. Ohio State won 83-37. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
After playing four of their last five games on the road, the Buckeyes will return for three games in Columbus, where they remain the Big Ten’s lone undefeated team at home.
No. 18 Ohio State (15-6, 8-4 Big Ten) owns an unblemished 10-0 record at the Schottenstein Center, and Minnesota will take the latest crack at dethroning the Buckeyes in the arena where they average about 79 points per game.
In fact, Ohio State will host six of its final eight regular season games, with the additions of two rescheduled contests against Iowa for Saturday and Nebraska March 1. Head coach Chris Holtmann said it’s “give and take” to schedule eight games in 19 days as the Buckeyes will keep an eye on their physical toll ahead of the Big Ten Tournament.
“Not necessarily an ideal time to play any of these games with a compressed schedule. You’d like to have ample rest and preparation,” Holtmann said. “The reality is we want to get those games in, certainly home games, for our fans to be able to see.”
Nonetheless, the Golden Gophers (12-10, 3-10 Big Ten) will play seven games between Tuesday and the conference tournament March 9. They snapped their five-game losing skid Saturday with a 76-70 victory over Penn State behind a season-high 22 points from redshirt senior forward Eric Curry and a double-double by senior guard Payton Willis.
Minnesota and Ohio State met earlier this season when the Buckeyes prevailed 75-64 Jan. 27. The Golden Gophers didn’t have the presence of Curry, however, as he dealt with an ankle injury. Assistant coach Ryan Pedon said Curry, who stands 6-foot-9, has changed the energy of Minnesota.
“Eric Curry is a big key for their team on both sides of the basketball. Not only with his size and physicality, but his experience as well,” Pedon said. “With him back, it’s a really different look on the interior. We’ll have to be ready to match his effort.”
Curry is Minnesota’s leader with 14 blocks and second with an average of 6.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Jamison Battle and Willis average more than 16 points apiece, and both are within the top 10 scorers in the conference.
The Golden Gophers shoot 45 percent from the field, and their 36.7 percent clip from 3-point distance is fourth-best in the Big Ten. However, Minnesota allows opponents to shoot 44.6 percent from the field, which is worst in the conference, but Holtmann said it’ll present a new challenge from last month.
“I think one thing you have to be aware of is you can’t relax. You have to have an appropriate approach,” Holtmann said. “It’s a different Minnesota team that we’ll play, but I know our guys look forward to the challenge.”
The Buckeyes rose to the challenge of playing against their rival, Michigan, Saturday to bounce back from an upset loss at Rutgers Wednesday. They shot 50 percent for the second time in five games and never trailed in the second half.
Junior forward E.J. Liddell extended his streak to 32 games featuring double-figure scoring with 28 points. He also pulled in five rebounds and swatted three blocks for the first time in eight games, and Pedon said Liddell has grown into much more of a complete basketball player than just a scorer.
“He values the team at a high level. It’s been fun to watch as a coach because he’s impacted the game and has impacted our winning in so many different ways,” Pedon said. “It’s been a joy to watch him.”
Graduate guard Cedric Russell complemented Liddell off the bench behind 12 points on 62.5 percent shooting, which was his most efficient outing since Jan. 9 at Northwestern.
Russell played a season-high 24 minutes against the Wolverines and went 2-for-2 beyond the arc. Since transferring from Louisiana, Pedon said the 6-foot-2 guard has become an important piece of Ohio State’s puzzle.
“He’s not phased by the moment at all. Some of those shots he’s made in the games, he’s made them; he’s been crucial,” Pedon said. “There are certain games we would not have won without him.”
Staring at a gauntlet of games in a small period of time, Ohio State must search for ways to stay fresh. Holtmann said he’s seen the Buckeyes become more of a “player-owned” team because of their leadership, and Pedon said he’s watched them grow.
“We challenged our guys with that,” Pedon said. “They’re tired of hearing coaches after four or five months saying some of the same things over and over, so when the players can take ahold of practices a little bit more, it becomes a player-led team.”
Tipoff between the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers Tuesday is at 8:30 p.m. Big Ten Network will broadcast.
