The Ohio State Buckeyes look to rebound from a stunning loss against West Virginia University, less than one week ago, as they take on the Wisconsin Badgers.
TV Schedule: Friday, January 3rd, 2019 / 7:00PM EST / FS1
Location: Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio
In a season full of upsets, the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team was the latest victim. The Buckeyes led the majority of their game against the West Virginia Mountaineers but could not regain the lead in the final three and a half minutes. At halftime, Ohio State led by nine. However, they proceeded to have one of their sloppiest games and halves in recent memory. Ohio State committed 25 personal fouls, 22 turnovers and was held to just 59 points – all season lows.
This is an important game for the Buckeyes because of the results of their last four games. Ohio State lost to Minnesota, beat SE Missouri and Kentucky but faltered against West Virginia. This is a chance for the Buckeyes to show their resilience and come out firing on all cylinders against Wisconsin to restore faith in their team as a solid title contender.
Wisconsin recently closed its non-conference schedule by destroying Rider University this week. At 8-5 with some questionable losses, the Badgers need this win to pad their resume as they head into conference play and post-season play. They will need all junior forward Nate Reuvers has and more. Reuvers is averaging 14.7 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Badgers will need Reuvers around 20 points and 10 rebounds to have a chance against the Buckeyes. D’Mitrik Trice is the Badgers’ three-point threat. He has shot 38.6% from beyond the arc this season on five attempts per game. Trice needs to take a few more shots from three and make a few.
The strength of Wisconsin is their defense. It is truly a team effort with no real standout defensive stars in the major statistical categories. Wisconsin has held its opponents 60.5 points per game which is good for 25th in the nation.
This game comes down to two things; Ohio State’s ability to bounce back after a tough four-game stretch and Wisconsin’s ability to continue their stifling team defense. Ohio State has more talent and more experience. Their team will be ready to play in their first conference game of the new year and they will eliminate the sloppiness of their last game.
Prediction: Ohio State 77, Wisconsin, 70