The 11-9 Ohio State basketball team remains on the road as they seek a victory. After falling to Illinois on Tuesday, they will make their way to Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Their matchup with Indiana is set to tip-off at 8:00 pm ET with live coverage on FOX.

Buckeye Preview:

The Ohio State basketball team had an early lead in the game following a quick start from Bruce Sensabaugh. However, once Illinois got rolling, they didn’t look back. For much of the game the Buckeyes struggled to hang within single digits, ultimately falling by 9.

Brice Sensabaugh and Justice Sueing were the lone Buckeyes in double figures. Brice gave the Bucks 14 points on a poor shooting night of 5-13. Justice added his 13, boosted by a garbage time 3-point make.

Outside these two the scoring was shared amongst the team as offense again felt like a challenge for this team. After big games from Roddy Gayle and “Ice” Likekele against Iowa they couldn’t replicate those performances.

Overall, the Buckeyes struggled to hang with the Illinois and showed the glaring weakness of offensive inconsistency. It is essential for Holtmann to get this group playing more together and with a sense of urgency. The potential for an NCAA berth lessens with each loss.

A Look at the Hoosiers:

The Hoosiers are 14-6 and coming off a late game, nail-biting, victory over Minnesota. They sit at 5-4 in conference play, right on the edge of the top-4 grouping.

The projected lineup:

Trey Galloway (G)

Jalen Hood-Schifino (G)

Miller Kopp (F)

Race Thompson (F)

Trayce Jackson-Davis (C)

The Hoosier offense is centered around the dominant force and double-double master, Trayce Jackson-Davis. After choosing to stay another year at Indiana, the senior forward only continues to sharpen his game and impress scouts. He is averaging 19.7 points per game to go along with 10.8 rebounds. He is coming off a 25 points, 21 board game in which he also recorded 6 blocks. Attempting to slow him down must be the Buckeyes’ primary goal.

Like the Buckeyes, Indiana also has a freshman that can fill it up. Hood-Schifino is averaging 12.1 points per game and is the team’s second leading scorer. He has been in a bit of a funk lately failing to break double digits his last 2 games. However, he did drop 33 against Northwestern earlier this month.

Outside these two major scoring threats, Indiana looks to its other 3 starters for maturity and consistency. Thompson and Kopp are 2 experienced Big Ten dudes that know how to play the game. The same can be said of Junior Trey Galloway who is shooting 50% from long distance.

The Hoosiers rely on a dominant post presence and the experience of upperclassmen to get the job done.

Expectations:

The Buckeyes starting lineup (based off last outing):

Isaac Likekele (G)

Sean McNeil (G)

Bruce Thornton (G)

Bruce Sensabaugh (F)

Zed Key (C)

The Buckeyes are facing an uphill battle heading into Assembly Hall after getting dominated by Illinois.

The play of Zed Key has to be better if the Buckeyes are to stand a chance. His presence inside could slow Jackson-Davis and free up the Buckeye shooters.

Ultimately, if this team puts out efforts similar to Illinois and the games in their 5-game losing streak, they likely don’t win. Holtmann has to get this squad clicking on all cylinders, maximum effort on both ends for a full 40 minutes.

The Hoosiers are 4.5 point favorite and I think behind the scoring and rebounding of Jackson-Davis they’ll easily cover this.

Final: 81-72, Indiana

Featured Image: Ron Johnson, USA Today