The No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes host the Iowa Hawkeyes at Value City Arena in Columbus today on FOX at 2:30 pm ET.

Buckeye Recap:

Ohio State moved to 16-6 overall, 9-4 in conference play, following a 25-point victory over Minnesota on Tuesday. However, this game was very much a tale of two halves for a Buckeye team that trailed by two at the break. The first half was marred by poor shooting, turnovers, and no second chance opportunities, a combination that has often led to losses for this team. Head coach Chris Holtmann must have put together some half-time speech because his team played with a completely different energy out of the break, out scoring their opponent by 27 in the 2nd half.

EJ Liddell led the team in scoring adding 16 points and securing 10 rebounds. In the second straight game without Meechie Johnson, Jamari Wheeler and Cedric Russell continued to step up. Wheeler added 13 while hitting 3 triples, and Russell added 9 of his own.

Who is Iowa?:

The Hawkeyes currently hold a record of 17-8 and sit at 8th in the conference standings. They are coming off a home loss to Michigan on Thursday, in which their play was very uncharacteristic. For the Hawkeyes, their early turnover woes and inability to make the three-point shot were too much to overcome.

It is no secret that the Hawkeye’s offense is led by sophomore forward Keegan Murray. He leads the conference in scoring averaging just over 23 points per game. His contributions are essential to the conference’s leading offense that averages 83.8 per game. Other key contributors for the Hawkeyes are Patrick McCaffery and Jordan Bohannon, both of whom add over 10 points per game and are known for lights out shooting from long distance.

What to expect:

After a 16-day postponement due to a winter storm that prevented Iowa from making the trip to Columbus, this game will finally happen.

The Hawkeyes will enter Columbus with stifled momentum, after a dominating three game stretch ended abruptly with their loss to Michigan. Obviously, the matchup between Murray and Liddell is important for both teams. Expect Iowa to get the ball into Murray’s hands early and often to try and get him in a rhythm. It will be important for them to cut back the turnovers and make more of their shots from beyond the arc if they wish to penetrate the Buckeye defense.

For Ohio State, it appears that Meechie Johnson will be available after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. He may not return to the starting role but he adds depth to the Ohio State guard group. It is important for Liddell and the Buckeyes to avoid one of their slow starts, as playing catch up against the league’s best offense is a recipe for disaster. The good news for the Buckeyes is that their defense has caused many teams trouble, limiting Keegan Murray and forcing Iowa into tough shots will be the goal. A win would mean moving to 12-0 at home for the first time in nearly nine years, so the stakes remain high.

Injury News:

-Justice Sueing: No update to his status

Gabe’s Guess:

-Ohio State is a 5-point favorite at home, where they are currently 11- 0. Although, slowing down Murray and that offense is no easy task. This will likely play out as a closely contested game for much of the afternoon, but Ohio State’s defense and poise at home should be the difference

Final: 82-77, Ohio State

How to watch:

Catch all the action at 2:30 pm ET on FOX

Featured Image: Joseph Maiorana, USA Today Sports