The IU men’s basketball team is riding high after their blowout victory over No. 13 Maryland on Thursday. That win moved them up to a tie for the Big Ten lead at 5-1 in conference play, something nobody predicted.
But how did they do it? Well, making 15-of-22 three pointers helps… But beyond that, IU shut down Maryland’s most dynamic player – freshman guard Melo Trimble.
The versatile Trimble was held to just three points in the first half and finished with 10 points, one assist, and no rebounds. To put those numbers in perspective, IU sophomore forward and former bench player Collin Hartman had those numbers in the first 15 minutes of the game.
The Hoosiers will have to shut down a similarly talented young star when they travel to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. That player is freshman guard D’Angelo Russell.
With apologies to Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, and Cardale Jones, Russell is the best passer in Columbus. Vines and gifs of Russell’s circus-like backdoor dimes have circulated Twitter in recent weeks.
But as great as his court vision is, Russell truly excels as a scorer.
Any Hoosier fans who made the Maryland game the second act of a Big Ten doubleheader saw Russell drop 33 points on a Northwestern team gunning for an upset.
Russell averages 19.3 points per game, second in the Big Ten, and has hit more three pointers than anyone else in the conference. He’s a weapon.
Russell will be the first Big Ten player to come off the draft board this season. Yes, even before Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky. Russell’s upside is just too great. He has the potential to be a Damian Lillard-type player in the Association.
But of course, nobody cares about that right now. Both teams are focused on the game ahead of them. IU beat Ohio State just a couple weeks ago. At the time, that was somewhat of an upset.
A lot has changed since then.
That victory was the first of four straight for the Hoosiers, but Ohio State hasn’t looked particularly great. They followed up a win against Michigan with a loss to Iowa and a narrow victory over a weak Northwestern team.
However, it’s difficult to sweep almost anyone in the Big Ten, let alone a team like Ohio State. Sure, the Buckeyes are in a down year, but they’re looking for revenge. Plus, they’ve only lost once in Value City Arena this season.
IU has been very impressive lately – maybe too impressive. I’m not saying the Hoosiers are getting overconfident. But it’s important that this team play like they have something to prove. They need to feel underrated.
I think we’ll see a similar game to the one in Bloomington. I hope to see the Big Ten’s two best freshmen go shot-for-shot. And I desperately want to see IU’s junior forward Troy Williams and Ohio State’s senior forward Sam Thompson prove who’s the better dunker.
But, Ohio State is going to pull this one out at home. Right now, the Hoosiers are atop the conference standings and sitting pretty. Ohio State is just 4-3 in conference play and has tournament expectations. This isn’t a must-win for them, but it’s more important for the Buckeyes than the Hoosiers.
My Prediction: IU 65 – Ohio State 67
Casey Krajewski is 8-1 in predictions this year
