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Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes slide in Week 11 Big Ten power rankings

By Shayne Nissen

PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 09: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the second half a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 9, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers defeated Ohio State 64-61. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 09: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the second half a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 9, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers defeated Ohio State 64-61. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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BOISE, ID – MARCH 17: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID – MARCH 17: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The Ohio State Buckeyes continued their abysmal restart to Big Ten season with a loss to Maryland at home on Friday. Their 12-1 start to the season seems like a distant memory now as they just have not been able to get it going since leading Michigan State by 7 at the half a couple of weeks ago.

In past games, you could blame the losses on the fact that Kaleb Wesson couldn’t stay out of foul trouble. But now it has become pretty clear that the real problem lies in the fact that the Ohio State doesn’t have a consistent scorer outside of Wesson.

Opponents know this too as every time the ball gets dished to him in the post he is being swarmed by double and triple teams. The Buckeyes need to get it together fast as they take on the Purdue Boilermakers at home on Wednesday, then the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday.

Losses in both of those games are going to make it hard for Ohio State to claw their way back into contention for the NCAA tournament.

In probably the most shocking game of the Big Ten season so far, the Minnesota Gophers got absolutely obliterated on the road by the now 5-13 Illinois Illini by an embarrassing score of 95-68. It didn’t get much better for them after that.

I almost had to call Minnesota Santa Claus, because with a loss to Penn State the Gophers would have gifted a win to the only two teams without one coming into week 11. Fortunately, they spared themselves some dignity with a 65-64 victory over the Nittany Lions.

Minnesota will need to pick themselves up fast as they play Michigan and Iowa in week 12.

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