The Ohio State basketball team improved to 10-3 on the season with a convincing road win over Northwestern. However, tonight, they will face their biggest test so far this season. The Buckeyes host #1 Purdue at 7:00 pm ET, with coverage in Fox Sports 1.

Buckeye Preview:

The Buckeyes went into Evanston on New Year’s Day and dominated the Wildcats. There was no slow start on this night as Ohio State jumped out to an early 34-8 lead and never looked back.

Brice Sensabaugh had another solid scoring night, leading the team with 18 points and 8 rebounds. This performance earned him Big Ten Freshmen of the Week for the third consecutive week. The mock draft rumblings have certainly began swirling as Sensabaugh has shown himself to be an elite scorer. As his defense continues to improve and Chris Holtmann gives him more freedom, the hype is sure to grow.

Justice Sueing, Sean McNeil, and Zed Key also found themselves in double figures at the end of the night. Zed was able to tally another double-double with 11 points and 11 boards. Justice continues to attack the basket, adding 13 points to go along with 6 boards and 5 assists. McNeil found his stroke, knocking down 3-5 from long distance.

This team continues to improve game to game and is showing their ability to develop under Holtmann. The talent and depth are certainly there for this Buckeye team to make a legitimate run at the Big Ten title.

A Look at the Boilermakers:

The Boilermakers have had a spectacular start to their season, at 13-1. However, they did just receive that first loss on Monday to Rutgers at home. So for the second straight season Rutgers has defeated Purdue after the Boilermakers earned the #1 ranking.

The projected lineup:

Braden Smith (G)

Fletcher Loyer (G)

Ethan Morton (G)

Caleb Furst (F)

Zach Edey (C)

Seemingly every year Matt Painter puts together a squad that dominates in the Big Ten and could compete for a National Championship. This year is no different, as Painter and his team have been rolling, aside from their recent speedbump on Monday.

The pillar of this team is none other than the physical specimen, Zach Edey. He is literally the pillar of the team, standing 7’4” and 285 lbs, and is a dominant presence on both ends of the floor. He is averaging a double-double with 21.7 points and 13.4 rebounds. His success and dominance typically lead this team to wins. Slowing him down is surely the number one goal on any opposing scouting report.

True freshman Fletcher Loyer has burst onto the scene for Purdue. He is the second leading scorer at 12.1 points per game and knocks down nearly 40% of his 3 point attempts. Aside from Loyer and Edey the rest of the scoring is a collective effort, as Painter’s teams often are. Mason Gillis and Brandon Newman are able to come off the bench and go get a bucket.

The Boilermakers will hope to get back on track, likely playing with a chip on their shoulder after getting upset at home on Monday.

Expectations:

The Buckeyes starting lineup should be the same:

Brice Sensabaugh (G)

Sean McNeil (G)

Bruce Thornton (G)

Justice Sueing (G)

Zed Key (F)

The Buckeyes are fully healthy, as Eugene Brown III and Isaac “Ice” Likekele have both returned.

The Buckeyes have been stellar at home early on this season, with a record of 7-0. In order to continue this, they will need to slow down Edey, as “stopping” him is nearly impossible. A collective effort from guys like Key, Okpara, and Sueing will be important to get Edey out of position and force tough looks. On the other hand, the Buckeyes must take care of the basketball and score consistently. Letting Purdue go on any runs caused by scoring droughts could be the kiss of death. Ultimately, I believe Holtmann has built a talented group with tons of potential. An upset of the #1 team in Columbus, why not?

The Buckeyes are a 1.5 points favorite and have a 69.7 chance to win according to ESPN Analytics. I like the Buckeyes in an epic battle, down to the wire.

Score Prediction: 81-79, Ohio State

Featured image via: ESPN