Ohio State vs. Minnesota Preview
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (AP) – Ohio State has experienced some challenges maintaining its unbeaten record in its past two games, but prevailed with help from Jared Sullinger.
The top-ranked Buckeyes might need more contributions from their star freshman as they face some potentially difficult road games over the next two weeks, beginning with Sunday’s matchup against No. 18 Minnesota.
Ohio State (23-0) is off to its second-longest undefeated start in 112 seasons and is 10-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1961-62, one season after it started 27-0. However, the Buckeyes had to hold off Northwestern for a 58-57 road win Jan. 29 and rally in the second half Thursday night for a 62-53 home win over rival Michigan.
Current college basketball odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made Ohio State -5.5 point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against Minnesota. Current college basketball public betting information shows that 79% of more than 597 bets for this game have been placed on Ohio State -5.5.
Sullinger, who had 21 points against the Wildcats, had 19 with 15 rebounds Thursday for his 10th double-double and his 12th consecutive game scoring in double figures. William Buford was the only other Ohio State player to score more than nine points with 13.
The Buckeyes might need a little more help to remain the nation’s only unbeaten team through their upcoming stretch. After facing the Golden Gophers, they head to No. 19 Wisconsin on Saturday, with a visit to No. 11 Purdue looming Feb. 20.
Wisconsin and Purdue are both unbeaten at home, while Minnesota (16-6, 5-5) is 11-1. Ohio State has won its past four road games by an average of just 3.7 points.
“We just want to keep our undefeated record, and we know (Minnesota is) going to give us its best shot. We have to come out and play hard,” Buford said. “They play really hard, and they have a big lineup. We have to be ready for that.”
The Gophers enter this matchup hoping to avoid a season-high third straight loss and still struggling to find their rhythm without starting point guard Al Nolen.
In its first game after Nolen broke his right foot, Minnesota topped Northwestern 81-70 at home, but it has averaged 59.0 points – 13.0 below its season average – in losses at Purdue and Indiana.
In the 60-57 defeat to the Hoosiers on Wednesday night, the Gophers shot a season-low 37.0 percent. Leading scorer Blake Hoffarber (14.1 ppg) had 15 points but missed eight of 12 shots.
“You’ve got to set the tone and we didn’t do that,” coach Tubby Smith said. “We weren’t doing any of the little things. They were outworking us and outhustling us, simple as that.”
Smith’s team nearly outperformed Ohio State in Columbus on Jan. 9, but its furious comeback from an 18-point second-half deficit fell short in a 67-64 defeat. The Gophers got within three with 45 seconds left but missed three straight shots, including a 3-pointer from Austin Hollins just before the buzzer.
Minnesota’s Trevor Mbakwe, the Big Ten’s leading rebounder (10.5 per game) ahead of Sullinger (10.1), had 16 points and 12 boards in that game. The Ohio State freshman finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Buckeyes senior David Lighty had a game-best 19 points before fouling out with 2:30 left.
The Gophers’ loss was their third straight to the Buckeyes, but they’ve won three consecutive matchups at Williams Arena. Hoffarber made seven 3-pointers while scoring a career-high 27 points in last season’s 73-62 victory there but has scored a combined 17 over the past three overall meetings.
Lighty, meanwhile, has scored 39 points in the last two matchups and averaged 16.3 points on 60.5 percent shooting in the last four.
Ohio State leads the series 79-49 but Minnesota has a 33-29 edge at home.
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