The Ohio State basketball program is hoping to bounce back from a loss against TTUN on Friday. That game showed them be competitive until the last seven minutes of the game. That win would have taken them off the bubble and given them a season-defining win.
Instead, they are now taking a losing streak into Monday night's game against Penn State. It is extremely cold and snowy in Columbus, and the city is digging out of a foot of snow. Despite the weather conditions, the game will still be played at 7 pm ET.
While there might not be many fans in attendance because of the weather, the Ohio State Buckeyes are still hoping to get a win. Unfortunately for them, they will be without two key players in the rotation for this matchup with the Nittany Lions.
The Ohio State basketball team to be without Christoph Tilly and Gabe Cupps
Starting center Christoph Tilly will not play in this game. It's unclear why Tilly will not play in the game, but he will sit out. Gabe Cupps, the sixth man for the Buckeyes, is also out of this game for undisclosed reasons. That means the rotation will shrink even further.
Ohio State is already without Brandon Noel after he suffered a foot injury. This means that the bench will be even weaker for Ohio State. Ivan Njegovan will likely start at center in place of Tilly. Collin White is in line to get more minutes with Cupps out, and so is Taison Chatman.
Puff Johnson could see more minutes in this game after seeing his first action of the year against TTUN. The Buckeyes need someone who can score off the bench, as they have yet to find someone who can reliably do that. That will be even more important in this game.
The Buckeyes can't afford a loss against Penn State, as they are already hanging on the bubble by a thread.