What to expect: Ohio State – Inside the Hall

Indiana will look to snap a four-game dropping streak when it takes on Ohio State on Monday night at Worth Metropolis Enviornment in Columbus. The Buckeyes are 16-7 total and 9-5 in Huge Ten play. Ohio State misplaced its most up-to-date sport 75-62 on Saturday to Iowa in Columbus.

Monday’s sport is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET tip on FS1:

Indiana was 16-5 when it beat Maryland 68-55 on Jan. 29 in College Park. The Hoosiers appeared primed for this system’s first NCAA event look since 2016.

Indiana is now simply 16-9 and is as soon as once more on the bubble. With simply 5 common season video games to go, the Hoosiers no margin for error after struggling 4 straight losses.

And the remaining schedule is tough. Indiana’s remaining street video games are in opposition to Ohio State, Minnesota and Purdue with dwelling video games in opposition to Maryland and Rutgers. Three of these groups – Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers – are at the moment within the prime 5 of the Huge Ten standings.

Up first is a visit to Columbus and an opportunity for a season sweep of Ohio State. Indiana gained the primary assembly between the 2 groups 67-51 back on Jan. 6 in Bloomington.

THE FIRST MEETING

Indiana beat Ohio State in early January with a terrific defensive efficiency. The Hoosiers held the Buckeyes to solely 51 factors (.75 PPP). It was Indiana’s finest defensive efficiency up to now in league play. The efficiency was significantly notable as a result of Ohio State entered the sport with the nation’s eighth-best offense in accordance with KenPom.

An enormous purpose for Indiana’s success within the first assembly was the defensive work Race Thompson did on EJ Liddell. The 6-foot-7 ahead scored solely 11 factors, his second-lowest output of the season. He was simply 3-of-12 from the sector in 32 minutes.

Indiana additionally dominated the paint within the first matchup, scoring 38 factors within the paint in comparison with simply 10 for Ohio State.

“They definitely managed the paint, each offensively and defensively, actually,” Chris Holtmann mentioned following the sport.

Indiana blocked six Ohio State photographs – 5 of these blocks got here from Trayce Jackson-Davis – and held Ohio State to only 32 p.c taking pictures on 2-point discipline targets.

Not like a number of video games in current weeks the place it has been unable to shut video games, Indiana was terrific down the stretch in opposition to Ohio State at Meeting Corridor. The Hoosiers used a 9-0 run late that turned a four-point result in a 13-point cushion with simply 3:20 to play.

TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW

(Stats at the moment are for convention video games solely. Numbers are via Saturday’s video games.)

Ohio State enters Monday’s sport with the ninth-best offense within the nation and 91st ranked protection, in accordance with KenPom.

In Huge Ten video games, Ohio State leads the convention in 2-point discipline aim proportion (53.6), is fourth in 3-point taking pictures proportion (36.4) and is third in free throw proportion (75.2).

Indiana has the nation’s seventeenth finest protection, per KenPom, however ranks simply a hundred and fifteenth nationally in offensive effectivity.

Pretty much as good because the protection has been for the Hoosiers – first within the league in convention play – the bottoming out of the offense has been a significant purpose Indiana has dropped 4 straight. Solely Nebraska has a worse offense than IU in convention video games. Indiana is thirteenth within the league in 3-point discipline aim proportion, twelfth in 2-point discipline aim proportion and thirteenth in free throw proportion.

“Now we have been strong defensively, however currently we now have not been in a position to make photographs,” Mike Woodson mentioned Saturday. “Now we have to maintain working at it. Now we have to maintain taking pictures in observe and doing the issues that may hopefully get us over the hump. That’s the secret.”

Indiana has not scored greater than some extent per possession in 5 straight video games and the Hoosiers have scored .871 factors per possession or fewer in three of their final 4.

The current struggles of Xavier Johnson (11-of-42 from the sector over his final 4 video games) coupled with the continued absence of Rob Phinisee have put steady strain on Jackson-Davis and Thompson to hold IU’s offense. If Johnson doesn’t get away of his hunch or guys like Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart don’t begin making perimeter photographs, Indiana goes to must be excellent defensively to win video games.

WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO

Ohio State hadn’t misplaced at dwelling all season till Saturday’s sport in opposition to Iowa. The Buckeyes are 11-1 at Worth Metropolis Enviornment and are nonetheless only a sport again within the loss column of the convention standings.

The Pomeroy projection is Ohio State by seven with only a 29 p.c probability of an IU victory. The Sagarin numbers like Ohio State by 5.5.

Monday’s sport is pivotal for Indiana and if the Hoosiers can’t pull off the upset, it’ll flip the next three video games (Maryland, at Minnesota, Rutgers) into must-haves for this system’s NCAA event at-large hopes.

“Now we have 5 video games to go and I believe we nonetheless management our personal future,” Woodson mentioned. “It’s not like each sport that we now have performed we now have not competed in. Now we have been in each sport. We simply haven’t been in a position to shut and that’s type of disturbing. I put that on myself because the coach as a result of it’s my job to get them over the hump.”

Filed to: Ohio State Buckeyes