Indiana vs. Ohio State: 2019 Big Ten Tournament game preview, TV schedule

Indiana and Ohio State are two Big Ten teams squarely on the bubble. Who advances in the conference tournament and who’ll be nervous on Selection Sunday?

The most important game for bubble consideration in maybe the whole country will take place on Thursday when Indiana and Ohio State square off in the Big Ten Tournament. Both teams were 8-12 in conference. Ohio State is the 8 seed and Indiana is the 9 seed because of the head to head tiebreaker.

The importance of this game

Aside from getting a chance to advance in the Big Ten tournament, this game is super important for the NCAA selection committee. Both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers find themselves squarely on the bubble at this time. Experts say that the winner will most likely  get an at-large bid while the loser may find themselves in the N.I.T.

Last time they played

Ohio State won at Indiana 55-52 on February 10th, in what was an ugly contest. Romeo Langford led the Hoosiers with 15 points while Andre Wesson dropped in 15 for the Buckeyes.

Trending in different directions

When Indiana lost a heartbreaker at Iowa on February 22nd, they sat at 4-12 in conference and seemed to be out of contention for an at-large bid. However, the Hoosiers turned their fortunes around by winning four straight games including a victory over Michigan State, to propel themselves back on the bubble.

Conversely, Ohio State was considered a lock for an at-large bid but after dropping three of four including a 35 point loss to Purdue, the Buckeyes are now on the bubble. A big part of that has been the suspension of Kaleb Wesson who has missed the past three games for a violation of team rules. However, Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann said the sophomore big man will be back in the lineup for the Indiana game.

Three things to watch

1. Wesson v Morgan

Both teams rely heavily on their steady post players. Juwan Morgan finished the season averaging 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while Kaleb Wesson averaged a similar 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds. Both teams love to utilize them in the post, getting them touches early and often. If one of the forwards gets in foul trouble, it could swing the game tremendously.

Morgan only scored three points the last time they played, but expect him to be better this time around. He’s scored over 20 in back to back games. It remains to be seen how effective Wesson will be since this is his first game back. But with the season on the line, I bet the Buckeyes go to him early to get him in rhythm

2. Can Romeo Langford have his March moment?

The Hoosiers star freshman has had a very solid season thus far averaging 16.7 points per game and being selected to second team All-Big Ten. However, he did have a handful of off games where teams were able to deny him easily and hold him to under 10 points.

Needless to say the Hoosiers are going to need a strong outing out of the shooting guard from New Albany. Langford needs to be aggressive from the tip and attack the basket using his length if Indiana wants to win. Langford has been a below average three-point shooter, so it’s crucial he does not settle for jumpers.

Romeo is already somewhat of a cult hero in the state of Indiana so if he can do something special in the Big Ten Tournament, it will only increase his allure.

3. Which role players step up?

Both of these teams rely heavily on their role players. The Buckeyes, who lack explosiveness from the guard position, will rely on Andre Wesson, Luther Muhammad, and Duane Washington to give them a jolt. They have struggled as of late but with Kaleb Wesson back in the lineup, they can go back to playing off of him. Keep an eye on freshman wing Justin Ahrens. He only played one minute in the victory at Indiana, but has played very well recently. He nailed six three pointers to score a career high 29 points against Iowa a few games back.

The Hoosiers are going to need Rob Phinisee and Devonte Green to create out of the backcourt. Green is averaging 10.3 points per game during their win streak and needs to hit threes for this Indiana team that struggles to do so. Phinisee will be asked to create when Morgan or Langford sits. It will be a big task for the freshman point guard but I think he is ready.

The winner of this game will take on Michigan State at 11:30 (central time) on Friday morning.