The Ohio State basketball team is in desperate need of a win. After suffering an embarrassing loss against Northwestern at home, they are firmly on the bubble. They need to win out in order make sure that they can make the NCAA Tournament. Any more losses could knock them out.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes will take on UCLA. It's unfortunate that the Ohio State Buckeyes have found themselves in a position where they have no wiggle room. Ohio State might not be taking on the Bruins at full strength. They will be missing Aaron Bradshaw for this game.
Bradshaw hasn't been much of a factor in the lineup so far this season. He has only grabbed more than four rebounds three times this season. The Buckeyes haven't been able to use him as well as they thought they would. He might not be the only player they could be without.
The Ohio State basketball team could be without key players vs. UCLA
Both Sean Stewart and John Mobley Jr. could also be out of this game. They are both listed as questionable. Stewart is the only guy on the roster who can grab boards consistently. If they are without him and Stewart, that could mean that Ivan Njegovan will get extended minutes.
If they don't have Mobley Jr., that's a bigger loss. The Buckeyes need his offense, even if he hasn't been very efficient lately. He's one of the few guys they have that can get hot from beyond the arc. Ohio State needs him out there as much as possible.
UCLA is sixth in the Big Ten standings, so they are a good team. If Ohio State can find a way to win this game without these guys, that would give them a lot of confidence. Jake Diebler is going to have his hands full if he's missing three rotation guys for this game.
Diebler is trying to figure out how to coach more consistently. The team looked terrible against Northwestern. They need a complete 180 from that performance on Thursday. If they can get it, they have a shot to get off the bubble.