Indiana men’s basketball will honor eight seniors during its senior day on Saturday in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The festivities will follow a rematch against Ohio State that could very likely determine the way those same veteran Hoosiers’ farewell season ends.
A win will secure Indiana a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament and could even be the final checkmark on its NCAA Tournament resume. A loss would likely drop the Hoosiers below the at-large bid line and force them to go on a deep run in the conference tournament to claw back above it.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had Indiana among the “Last Four In” and the Buckeyes receiving one of the “Last Four Byes” in his latest projection. Saturday afternoon’s regular season finale will have major NCAA Tournament implications for both sides.
The Hoosiers defeated Ohio State 77-76 in an overtime thriller Jan. 17 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and will look to match that result when they face off once more in Bloomington. Indiana has won four straight against the Buckeyes.
Meet the Buckeyes
Ohio State's season contains a roller coaster of results. In his first year at the helm, head coach Jake Diebler has led the Buckeyes to multiple statement wins. They routed the then-No. 4 University of Kentucky by 20 points Dec. 21 and upset then-No. 11 Purdue on Jan. 21 at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
However, that level of high-caliber play has been anything but consistent throughout Ohio State’s season. The Buckeyes lost to Maryland 83-59 in their conference opener Dec. 4 and — more recently — were blown out on their home floor in a 70-49 defeat to Northwestern on Feb. 20
Fortunately for Diebler’s squad, its marquee wins have overshadowed its defeats in most metrics. Ohio State is 35th in the NET rankings despite its 17-13 record. For comparison, Indiana is ranked 55th — 20 spots below the Buckeyes — despite having one extra win with an 18-12 record.
Junior guard Bruce Thornton is the focal point of Ohio State’s offense and averages team highs in points (17.8 per game), assists (4.5 per game) and 3-point percentage (43.2%). Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. provides the Buckeyes with a sharpshooting scoring threat and averages 2.5 3-pointers per game — the most in the Big Ten.
The Scarlet and Gray average a conference-most 19.7 fouls per game, a statistic that stems from their aggressive defensive approach. Indiana shot just 42.2% from the field against Ohio State in their previous matchup, the third-lowest percentage it’s had in a win this season.
The Hoosiers take a step back
Indiana saw its three-game win streak screech to a halt last time out with a 73-64 loss to Oregon on Tuesday. Despite leading with less than two minutes remaining, the Hoosiers allowed the Ducks to close the game on a 10-0 run. Their inability to secure a Quad 1 win on the road only makes their matchup against the Buckeyes even more crucial.
One key for Indiana will be addressing fundamental errors that arose in the loss to Oregon. The Ducks shot just 6 for 25 from the 3-point but overcame their shooting woes with the help of 23 second-chance points.
The Hoosiers failed to box out and paid the price.
Getting senior forward Luke Goode involved in the offense will be equally important for Indiana. Goode finished with 6 points against Oregon but struggled to find his rhythm after early foul trouble.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native had his best showing of the season in the Hoosiers’ previous matchup with Ohio State, finishing with a career-high 23 points. Goode’s 4-for-7 showing from beyond the arc included the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime.
Goode — in his first season with Indiana after transferring from Illinois — will be among the eight Indiana players honored after Saturday’s game.
The odds say...
Indiana has a 52.3% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.
Broadcast information
Saturday’s game will tip off at 3:45 p.m. and be televised on CBS with Spero Dedes as the play-by-play announcer alongside color analyst Jim Spanarkel.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
