Scarlet and Game
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Ohio State basketball needs to match physicality level of Rutgers

By Jacob Rhymer

DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 30: Zed Key #23 of the Ohio State Buckeyes moves the ball against Dereck Lively II #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 30, 2022 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 30: Zed Key #23 of the Ohio State Buckeyes moves the ball against Dereck Lively II #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 30, 2022 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State basketball team opens up their Big Ten play tonight with a home game against Rutgers. In order for the Buckeyes to get an early win in conference play they are going to need to match the physicality level of the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers is coming off a huge upset win over Indiana this past Saturday, beating the favorite to win the Big Ten by 15 points. It was a close game throughout until the Scarlet Knights went on a 17-0 run in the middle part of the second half and Indiana couldn’t dig themselves out of the hole.

A main part of the run by Rutgers was their physical play on both ends of the floor. They’re a very solid defensive team. They held the Hoosiers to 48 points on Saturday. For an Indiana team that averages over 80 points per game, the defensive effort by the Scarlet Knights was nothing short of impressive.

Rutgers also likes to disrupt the opposing team’s offensive game plan by forcing a lot of turnovers. They got Indiana to turn it over 14 times on Saturday. It’s vital for the Ohio State basketball team that they limit their turnovers and stay strong with the ball on the perimeter.

That was one of the main issues for the Buckeyes in the failed comeback attempt against Duke. The defensive pressure on the perimeter by Duke proved it was too much for Ohio State. That can’t happen again tonight if the Buckeyes want to open up Big Ten play with a win.

The Scarlet Knights are a tough and experienced team. Zed Key is going to have his hands full down low battling with Clifford Omoruyi who is playing like one of the best centers in the Big Ten. They also returned elite wing Caleb McConnell who lit it up against Indiana, going for 16 points and 10 rebounds. I think we see Justice Sueing taking on the challenge of guarding him tonight.

The bottom line is the Buckeyes are going to have to be the tougher team tonight if they want to start on a positive note in conference play. They can’t turn it over and they need to be aggressive on the glass. Rutgers is a solid team and they are going to challenge Ohio State tonight in their Big Ten opener.

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Tonight’s game against Rutgers is set for a 7:00 PM tip from Value City Arena. If you aren’t going to the game you’ll be able to watch it on ESPN2.

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