Wisconsin @ Ohio St. preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 10, 2019 ) Wisconsin 73, Ohio St. 67

Fifth-ranked Ohio State enters a new calendar year after suffering two stinging losses at the end of 2018. As the Buckeyes prepare to face Wisconsin on Friday night in a Big Ten game at sold-out Value City Arena, they'll do so with a non-conference loss to No. 17 West Virginia fresh in their minds and without their second leading rebounder.

Coach Chris Holtmann confirmed Thursday that Kyle Young will not be available after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix this week. The 6-foot-8 junior forward vomited before and after Ohio State's 67-59 loss to West Virginia on Sunday in Cleveland but managed to grab 11 rebounds in 22 minutes. His absence against Wisconsin will place more of a burden on junior forward Kaleb Wesson, the Buckeyes' other veteran inside presence who averages a team-leading nine rebounds per game. One of the players he'll face is Ohio State transfer Micah Potter, a 6-10 junior who recently became eligible and has contributed to Wisconsin's three-game winning streak in his first action in more than a year.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT WISCONSIN (8-5, 1-1 Big Ten): After a slow start to the season, the Badgers have won four of their last five games, including victories over Indiana and Tennessee. Nate Reuvers, a 6-11 forward, leads the team in scoring (14.7 points per game) and rebounding (5.4). Ohio native D'Mitrik Trice is the only other player averaging in double figures (10.6 points) for a typical tough-minded Wisconsin team limiting opponents to 60.5 points per game.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten): A rash of 71 turnovers in the past four games that culminated with 22 in the loss to West Virginia concern Holtmann. Kaleb Wesson, D.J. Carton, Andre Wesson and CJ Walker have combined for 52 turnovers during that span and Wisconsin will undoubtedly try to exploit Ohio State's carelessness with tenacious defense. But the miscues haven't stopped the Buckeyes from ranking in the top 10 nationally in field-goal and 3-point shooting and also in scoring defense.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Carton struggled against West Virginia in one of the worst games of the freshman's career, scoring three points and making 1-of-5 shots from the field while committing five turnovers after he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 23.

2. Potter returns to Value City Arena for the first time since leaving Ohio State at the start of the 2018-19 season after sitting out a year to satisfy NCAA transfer requirements.

3. All five Wisconsin losses and both of Ohio State's have come away from home.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 69, Wisconsin 67