Ohio State sings “Carmen Ohio” after the Ohio State-Michigan State game Thursday. Ohio State won 80-69. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
The regular season comes to a close Sunday, and the Buckeyes will have their rival awaiting them.
No. 23 Ohio State (19-9, 12-7 Big Ten) will end its stretch of seven games in 15 days against Michigan. For the first time in two seasons, fans will both attend “The Game” in Columbus and Senior Day celebration.
Amid the atmosphere surrounding Sunday’s game, head coach Chris Holtmann still anticipates a challenge to finish the regular season.
“Got a big weekend ahead of us with Senior Day and playing a really good Michigan team,” Holtmann said. “I know we’re going to get the best version of a really talented, gifted, well-coached Michigan team.”
Michigan (16-13, 10-9 Big Ten) will be without head coach Juwan Howard, who was suspended the remainder of the regular season for violating the Big Ten Conference’s Sportsmanship Policy due to an altercation at then-No. 15 Wisconsin Feb. 20.
Associate head coach Phil Martelli will guide the Wolverines who hold the No. 2 scoring defense and No. 4 scoring offense in the conference, averaging 75.8 points per game while holding opponents to 65.1.
Four players average double figures on Michigan’s roster, and graduate guard Eli Brooks is second with 12.1 points per game but leads the Wolverines with a 39 percent clip from 3-point range and 29 steals. They’ve gone 4-4 over their last eight games, including an 82-71 loss against No. 24 Iowa Thursday.
Brooks had a team-high 17 points and game-best three 3-pointers against Ohio State Feb. 12. Freshman guard Malaki Branham was held to just six points on 3-of-7 shooting against the Wolverines, and Holtmann said Branham will need to adjust to Brooks in their second meeting.
“Brooks is a good player. He’s got a tremendous motor and he’s in incredible shape,” Holtmann said. “It’s a big matchup for Malaki. I do think there have been times where he’s struggled defensively that’s affected his offense or vice versa, but I think he’s growing in that area.”
Holtmann said the statuses of forwards sophomore Zed Key and graduate Kyle Young are still to be determined after the former suffered an ankle injury at Maryland Sunday and the latter is in concussion protocol.
The potential absences of two of the Buckeyes’ post presences means graduate forward Joey Brunk will play more minutes down low against Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson. The 6-foot-11 Brunk scored a season-high 18 points against Michigan State Thursday but will have a greater challenge in the 7-foot-1 Dickinson.
“Joey performed really well,” Holtmann said. “He’s guarding a terrific player in Hunter Dickinson, and I think that’s going to be a tremendous challenge for him as well as our team.”
Graduate guard Jamari Wheeler also struck heat against the Spartans, nailing four 3-pointers in the first half to tie his career high. He finished with 16 points, which also tied a season high.
Over his last three games, Wheeler is shooting 57.1 percent. Junior forward E.J. Liddell said he’s noticed the Penn State transfer becoming more comfortable before taking a shot.
“I’m just happy he shot the ball, didn’t hesitate and just stepped into it and shot it,” Liddell said. “When he just steps up and shoots the ball, I think it’s good most of the time.”
Before defeating Michigan State, the Buckeyes fell flat in back-to-back losses in which lapses from both their offensive and defensive efficiencies — in addition to fatigue, according to Holtmann — took them out of the game.
Against the Spartans, Ohio State didn’t allow Michigan State to pull within single digits in the second half and shot 54.7 percent, its best in 12 games.
Nonetheless, Holtmann said the focus is on staying in tune defensively in addition to holding an edge on the glass, which the Buckeyes were outdone by Michigan State 30-26 in rebounds.
“It’s still really, really important and going to be an indicator of how we perform in these last string of games. It’s going to be about that end and rebounding,” Holtmann said. “We have to continue to take strides on that every day.”
The Buckeyes plan to honor captain forwards senior Justin Ahrens, Liddell and Young in addition to Brunk and graduate guards Cedric Russell, Jimmy Sotos and Wheeler. Six student-managers will also receive recognition for Senior Day.
“You could probably even change the title of a day because technically it’s not Senior Day. It’s almost, ‘Hey, we’re honoring these guys who will be playing at home for the last time,’” Holtmann said. “You feel grateful for the kind of people they’ve been in our program.”
“The Game” will resume on the hardwood from the Schottenstein Center at 12:30 p.m. Sunday and will be televised on Fox.
