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Ohio State basketball to take on Minnesota in Big Ten Tourney

By Ryan Stano

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann watches from the bench during Sunday's NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference men's basketball game against the Michigan State Spartans at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio on January 31, 2021. Ohio State won the game 79-62.Ceb Osu Mbk Msu Bjp 31
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann watches from the bench during Sunday's NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference men's basketball game against the Michigan State Spartans at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio on January 31, 2021. Ohio State won the game 79-62.Ceb Osu Mbk Msu Bjp 31 /
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The Ohio State basketball team will take on Minnesota for the second time this season, as they will face off in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Even though the Ohio State basketball team had a slide to end the regular season, losing four straight games, they still got a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State was to take on the winner of the Minnesota/Northwestern first-round game.

We now know who that opponent is. Ohio State will be taking on Minnesota for the second time this season. The first matchup did not go so well for the Buckeyes, as they got blown out 77-60 early in the Big Ten schedule. It was the first time Ohio State got punched in the mouth.

Ohio State primarily lost because of a terrible shooting display. They shot an ungodly 31% from the field and a paltry 26% from three. They just couldn’t put the ball in the basket. They even missed 6 free throws in this game too. It was just overall a bad performance.

If they want to change the result this time around, they have to move the ball better. The Buckeyes need contributions from more players than just E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington. They need to have a more even shot distribution among their starting five.

Defense shouldn’t be an issue for Ohio State in this game. Minnesota was barely able to score 50 in their first-round matchup against Northwestern. The shooting will be different for the Buckeyes in cavernous Lucas Oil Stadium, but they should adjust to it pretty quickly.

Game Prediction: Ohio State 72 Minnesota 58

If there was ever a game where Ohio State would turn their season around, this would be it. Minnesota doesn’t have a big man that can take advantage of the Buckeyes’ lack of size. I expect them to shoot much better than they did in the first matchup.I also expect Marcus Carr to be held under wraps. He was only 3-12 in the first game. Something similar might be coming on Thursday.

Next. Ohio State's most intriguing position battle is at QB. dark

Ohio State will be playing Minnesota at approximately 2 pm on Thursday on BTN.

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