Tipoff: Michigan State at Ohio State
•What: MSU at Ohio State
•When: 1:30 p.m. today
•Where: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
•TV/Radio: CBS / Spartan Sports Network, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM.
•Records/Rankings: MSU is 12-6 overall, 4-1 in the Big Ten and unranked. Ohio State is 10-7, 0-4 and also unranked.
•Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 536-211 in his 22nd season, all with the Spartans. Ohio State — Thad Matta is 432-146 in 17 seasons, including 330-115 is 13 seasons with the Buckeyes.
•Series: MSU leads 72-57 all-time and has won five straight over the last two seasons.
MSU
Pos. | Name | PPG |
C (44) | Nick Ward (6-8) | 13.6 |
F (22) | Miles Bridges (6-7) | 14.5 |
G (14) | Eron Harris (6-3) | 12.4 |
G (1) | Joshua Langford (6-5) | 6.2 |
G (11) | Tum Tum Nairn (5-10) | 4.3 |
Ohio State
Pos. | Name | PPG |
C (32) | Trevor Thompson (7-0) | 10.7 |
F (2) | Marc Loving (6-8) | 11.2 |
F (1) | Jae’Sean Tate (6-4) | 14.2 |
F (13) | JaQuan Lyle (6-5) | 11.7 |
G (15) | Kam Williams (6-2) | 10.4 |
•MSU update: The Spartans are coming off arguably their most impressive performance of the season — a 65-47 home thumping of Minnesota. MSU won with defense, rebounding and the resurgence of freshman star Miles Bridges, who scored 16 first-half points and resembled himself for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain at Duke in late November. The Spartans went away from their four-freshman starting lineup, starting Tum Tum Nairn at point guard over Cassius Winston in an effort to avoid another slow start. It seemed to work. Bridges wasn’t the only freshman to find his game. Joshua Langford scored 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting, creating off the dribble, getting to his spots and hitting shots.
Avoiding 'dumb mistakes' a key for Spartans' Nick Ward in Ohio return
•Ohio State update: The Buckeyes’ season began well — six straight wins and a second-half lead at Virginia on Nov. 30. Ohio State wound up losing that game, 63-61. Then a week later lost at home to Florida Atlantic. It’s been all hard luck since, including an 0-4 Big Ten start, with two of those losses close, and a season-ending injury to junior Keita Bates-Diop. The Buckeyes have talent and a fair amount of experience. They don’t have much outside shooting, however, hitting less than 33 percent of their 3-point shots, second-worst in the Big ten. But their struggles are somewhat puzzling considering the roster.
Improving stamina is last hurdle in return for Spartans' Miles Bridges
•About the matchup: It’s hard to know where the Buckeyes heads are. Will they play with desperation against MSU? Or is this a team with poor chemistry that’s giving in to a tough start. The Bates-Diop injury hurts. But this is still a squad with the sort of length and athletes that often give the Spartans trouble. Jae’Sean Tate is terrific player and glue-guy leader, which makes Ohio State’s struggles all the more surprising. It’ll be interesting to see the crowd for this one. Ohio State is not a diehard hoops fan base, its arena doesn’t have much natural atmosphere and there were plenty empty seats for their last home game against Purdue.
•Prediction: After being blown out and showing little effort at Wisconsin Thursday, my hunch is Ohio State plays desperate and embarrassed. Still, this is a flawed team, now shorthanded and the Spartans are feeling good about themselves. If Bridges continues to make strides and the Spartans don’t yawn through the first five minutes, they’re the better team. But this will be close.
» Make it: MSU 77, Ohio State 73
— Graham Couch