The red hot No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers host the No. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes in The Barn for another top 25, B1G showdown
TV Schedule: Sunday, January 3rd, 5:30 PM ET. B1G Network
Arena: Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Over the last few weeks, the B1G has made a real case for the best conference in college basketball. As nine of the teams in their conference currently sit in the top 25 and eleven teams are currently projected to make the NCAA tournament come March. The conference has proven to have no easy games and the climb to B1G supremacy could also affect your national ranking.
Tomorrow is no exception, as the Ohio State Buckeyes (8-2) and Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-2) look to build on their already impressive resumes and carve a path to win the regular season B1G crown. Currently, both teams sit at .500 in the conference (2-2) but in a season surrounded by uncertainty no game, especially a conference matchup, can be taken for granted.
Ohio State has been hovering in the bottom of the top twenty-five for weeks. After a big win at home against a scorching hot Rutgers team, the Buckeyes fell by one to another B1G foe in Northwestern. Bouncing back recently with a blowout against Nebraska, the team looks to carry their positive momentum into the New Year.
For as good as the team has been at home they have struggled on the road going 1-2 and their game against the Golden Gophers in The Barn should be no different. As previously mentioned in their matchup against Rutgers, Ohio State has a deep roster that puts in a distributed scoring effort. Yet, even though this is the case the team leans on EJ Liddell, Kyle Young, and Duane Washington Jr. to close in crunch time.
In their win against the Scarlet Knights, all three players scored more than fifteen points and were the main reason the team won the game. It is clear that EJ Liddell is their star and workhorse but the supporting cast he has around them, which is highlighted by Washington Jr. and Young could be the difference between leaving Minnesota with a win or falling to 2-3 in the B1G.
Minnesota has a slightly more top-heavy rotation with a majority of their scoring coming from their starting five. The Golden Gophers also tout a guard in Marcus Carr who is averaging over 22 points a game this year and is the main offensive driver. Minnesota has been quiet in the B1G, until recently when they shot up into the top 25 after picking up wins against St. Louis, #10 Iowa, and #17 Michigan State.
As the team continues to build their tournament resume on the back of their starting five and Carr, it will be important for them to also move up the conference standings. It truly feels like the conference is up for the taking this year and another statement win against Ohio State could be exactly what the team needs to keep their momentum moving forward.
Two major swing factors in this game will be bench production and limiting the opposing team’s star. Washington Jr. and Carr are set to matchup in, what could be, the tipping point for their team in edging out a victory.
If Washington Jr. is able to keep Carr in check while also breaking out and helping pack a scoring punch with Liddell, Ohio State should be able to put their road woes behind them. However, if Carr and company are able to do isolate Liddell and keep Washington Jr. on an island the outcome of the game could look very different.
Additionally, while both teams have what feels like a deep rotation, their starting lineups have been carrying them in the majority of games this season. If either bench is able to step up, as Ohio State’s did in their win against Nebraska, what is expected to be a close game could become an unexpected blowout.
Ohio State has proven that they can pick up quality wins within their conference. They are a team that is battle-tested, has a star with a solid supporting cast, and has been proven to end hot streaks of conference rivals. However, Minnesota is poised to pick up another quality win at home. Carr has the ability to get his team a bucket when necessary, scoring 22 a game he has no problem creating offense for himself and others (touting 6.2 APG).
Even though Minnesota depends on Carr more than the Buckeyes depend on Liddell I can’t seem to bring myself to go against the hot hand. Factor in Ohio State’s struggles on the road, even though it is a small sample size, and this feels like a closely contested Minnesota win.
Prediction: Minnesota 78 – Ohio State 73