OHIO STATE SEEKS AN END TO ITS ROAD LOSING STREAK AGAINST MICHIGAN
It’s hard to call any game a must-win when a college basketball team is 12-4 in January, but Ohio State’s game at Michigan on Monday feels as close to a must-win as a game can be under those circumstances.
Fresh off back-to-back losses at Indiana and at home against No. 15 Wisconsin, any momentum the Buckeyes gained in November and December would be completely gone with a third straight loss.
A defeat in Ann Arbor would also extend Ohio State’s road losing streak to 12 games dating back to last season. All of this is exacerbated by the fact that the Wolverines haven’t been a good team this season, opening with a 6-10 record including losses to Memphis, Long Beach State and McNeese. They have a 1-4 record in Big Ten play.
If it’s not a must-win, it’s at least a game the Buckeyes should win, even if it projects to be another raucous conference environment in Michigan’s first home game since the football team won the national championship.
Still, the approach of the Buckeyes remains even-keeled heading into their road showdown with their archrival.
“Anywhere that you go in the Big Ten, it’s gonna be a good environment,” Ohio State assistant coach Jack Owens said. “You’ve gotta play for 40 minutes, but we do expect a good crowd and also some things when you go on the road. But at the same time, it’s about our play, no matter what.”
NEED TO KNOW
SWISS CHEESE DEFENSE
The top source of Michigan’s trepidations this season has been its defense. The Wolverines allow 108.6 points per 100 possessions, 319th out of 362 teams in D-1 college basketball. They also let teams hit 35.5% of their three-point attempts, which is 310th nationally, and rank outside the top 300 in turnovers forced.
SHARPSHOOTERS
One thing Michigan does well is shoot the ball. The Wolverines rank 37th nationally in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down 37.4% of their attempts from beyond the arc. They rank 55th in shooting percentage overall at 47.6%.
