Ohio State basketball deserves fans’ attention
By Ryan Stano
The Ohio State University will always be a football school, but that doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t also pay attention to the Ohio State basketball team. Especially this year.
Even though football will always be the number one sport that Buckeye fans follow, this basketball team deserves attention too. They are ranked 15th in the country and look like they could be one of the best teams in the Big Ten Conference.
Chris Holtmann has done a fantastic job of keeping this team competitive year after year since he took the job in 2017. This Buckeye team has the chance to be the best one he’s coached. It’s not even because they have superstars; Holtmann is just that good of a coach.
E.J. Liddell is the best player this team has by far. His presence in the low post gives this team its attitude. Liddell averages 14.3 points per game, which is second only to Duane Washington. Liddell is still the most important player on this team and the most important one in tonight’s game.
Liddell was not available for the first meeting between these two teams because of mono. Without him, the Buckeyes couldn’t stop Purdue in the post or score effectively themselves. Expect something different tonight.
Game prediction: Ohio State 75 Purdue 69
Liddell is the difference this time around and Ohio State keeps up their hot three-point shooting. They shot it well in their win against Illinois and should do the same tonight at home. They have shown that the lack of depth in the backcourt isn’t an issue.
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If you haven’t checked out much of the Ohio State basketball team, I encourage you to do so now that football is over. They’re a fun squad to watch.