The No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes hit the road for a tough matchup with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights live from Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway on BTN at 7:00 pm ET.

Buckeye Recap:

The Buckeyes now sit at 14-5 and 4^th in the conference with a 7-3 record, after their win over Maryland on Sunday. The Buckeyes played their most complete game, from the opening tip to the final buzzer, defeating the Terrapins by a score of 82-67.

After pulling out to a 13 point lead at the half, they would expand this to 22 before Maryland would catch fire from the field. Despite the efforts of the Terps, who pulled to within 11, the Buckeyes countered every run never allowing Maryland to pull to within single digits.

EJ Liddell led the way for the Buckeyes with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while his teammate Zed Key added an efficient 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting. Guard Justin Ahrens also appeared to find his shooting stroke again following a lengthy slump, knocking down four of his seven attempts from long distance, good for 14 points of his own.

Who is Rutgers?:

The Scarlet Knights are 13-9 on the season and sit in 7^th in the Big Ten with a record of 7-5 in conference play. However, the Knights are not a team to sleep on, especially at home where they have defeated Michigan State, Iowa, Michigan, and Purdue who was number 1 at the time. They are led in scoring by their talented Guard/Forward hybrid Ron Harper, who adds nearly 16 points per night. Other key contributors are Guard Geo Baker and Center Clifford Omoruyi who both add just over 11 points per game.

The Scarlet Knight’s style of play differs from that of the Buckeyes in that they operate at one of the slowest tempos in the country while boasting one of the toughest defenses in the conference. They are perfectly content with taking teams out of a rhythm and forcing their low possession, low scoring style of play on the game.

What to expect:

The Buckeyes will look to avoid being added to the list of ranked teams knocked off in the RAC this season, which includes previously #1 Purdue and #13 Michigan State. It will be important for the Buckeyes to keep all their offensive momentum from the last game, including the three-point shot which has been absent in most of their losses. If the Buckeyes can force Rutgers out of their style of play they will have the upper hand as scoring doesn’t come at a premium for the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers looks to upset yet another conference opponent and solidify the RAC as a scary place to play as well as build their resume towards another NCAA Tournament berth. Look for the Scarlet Knights to be tenacious on defense, getting in the grill of the Ohio State guards and forcing the Buckeyes to work for every basket. Clifford Omoruyi could be a huge factor for Rutgers; he didn’t appear in either matchup last season so the Buckeyes aren’t familiar with him beyond what they’ve seen on tape. His size could present important advantages on the glass and in the low post while adding another scoring option against a stout Ohio State defense.

Injury News:

-Chris Holtmann declared that Seth Towns will miss the remainder of the season with a lingering back injury, another tough break for the Harvard transfer who will now miss three full seasons of college basketball.

-Eugene Brown remains a game-time decision due to a toe injury that kept him out of the contest with Maryland.

Prediction:

-Ohio State is a 2.5-point favorite, despite playing on the road and with Rutgers’ upset history and home record of 11-2. This could easily be a trap game for the Buckeyes, who have some confidence coming off their last win, however, I believe they squeak it out.

Final: 70-68, Ohio State

How to watch:

Catch all the action at 7:00 pm ET on BTN

Featured Image: AP Photo