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Previewing No. 22 Ohio State’s match with tough Nebraska

By Willie Lutz

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 20: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on from the sideline in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during their game at Madison Square Garden on January 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 20: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on from the sideline in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during their game at Madison Square Garden on January 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Back at home, the Buckeyes hot streak is on the line against a Huskers team capable of chaos.

Last week, Ohio State grabbed a pair of tough wins away from Columbus against Northwestern and Minnesota. Tonight, the Buckeyes start the first of four straight home games against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. On the line is Ohio State’s perfect 8-0 record in the Big Ten.

Despite not exactly being known for basketball, Nebraska is off to an impressive start in conference play. With a 14-7 record overall, the Cornhuskers are 5-3 in conference, including a 72-52 victory over No. 23 Michigan over the weekend.

For Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes, it’s going to mean consistency is key. Since the dawning of Big Ten play, Ohio State needs the first ten minutes to rediscover how to score a basketball. This factor almost haunted them against Minnesota, who led 20-10 at the 11:01 mark in the first half.

Nebraska’s leading scorer and offensive catalyst James Palmer Jr’s performance will have a lot to do with the outcome of this game. The junior guard averages 15.8 points, scoring 19 in their win over the Wolverines on Saturday.

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However, no matter how tough the Cornhuskers team might be, it’s all for nothing if they can’t score the basketball. They rank 195th in the country, averaging 73.4 points per game, while the Buckeye defense ranks 48th in the country, allowing just 66.2 points per game.

This game is yet again a scoring mismatch in favor of Ohio State.

As it has been throughout the season, if Keita Bates-Diop gets going early and often, this is likely another win for the Buckeyes. Bates-Diop struggled at times in last week’s wins but seemed to find his rhythm late against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. However, even if he struggles offensively, he’ll still be able to utilize the skills accompanying an out-of-this-world 88.8 defensive rating.

Next: Ryan Day to Tennessee and Ed Warinner at Michigan?

Nebraska has a hard enough time scoring the basketball against normal teams, so Ohio State will be a true test of their offense. Tonight’s tip-off is set for 8 PM at the Schottenstein Center and on the Big Ten Network.

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