Ohio St. @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 14, 2019 ) Indiana 75, Ohio St. 79

Ohio State needs a win to avoid a 1-4 start in the Big Ten when it visits Indiana on Saturday. The No. 12 Buckeyes have dropped three straight games since beating Kentucky last month, including a 67-55 loss Tuesday at No. 14 Maryland, and the Hoosiers ended a two-game skid Wednesday with a 66-62 victory over Northwestern.

Indiana and Ohio State each have played at Maryland in the past week, with the Hoosiers losing 75-59 last Saturday in College Park. Two of Ohio State's three Big Ten losses have come on the road and Indiana has gone 10-1 on its home court this season, but third-year Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann has yet to lose to the Hoosiers in four previous meetings. One of the keys for Ohio State could be not letting Indiana get to the free throw line, where the Hoosiers lead the nation in attempts (26.5 per game) and makes (18.8). Possibly making the challenge more difficult for Ohio State is the uncertain status of forward Kyle Young, who is recovering from an appendectomy and considered a game-time decision. The Buckeyes' rough patch started when Young played through pain in a Dec. 30 loss to No. 17 West Virginia and subsequently missed the next two games after the surgery.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: FOX

ABOUT OHIO STATE (11-4, 1-3 Big Ten): Without Young, Kaleb Wesson has shouldered the load for the Buckeyes, but it's clear that he needs some help. The 6-foot-9 junior remains a force, averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds and shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. Guard Duane Washington, the team's second-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game, hasn't been the same shooter that he was early in the season, making seven of his last 25 3-point attempts, and starting guard Luther Muhammad is shooting a lackluster 38.8 percent from the field and averaging 6.7 points.

ABOUT INDIANA (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten): The Hoosiers have won each of their two Big Ten home games but were forced to rally to get past Northwestern and coach Archie Miller hinted at rotation changes after the game. Miller has used 11 players in games, but is likely to shorten his bench while looking for more consistency, focus and toughness from a team that has been prone to turnovers (16 versus Northwestern). Freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana's leading scorer, finished with 21 against Northwestern, Justin Smith added 18 points, six steals and three blocked shots and Joey Brunk grabbed 12 rebounds, but Devonte Green went 0-for-6 from the field and the Hoosiers shot just 37 percent for the game.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Ohio State has remained among the nation's defensive leaders through its losing streak, ranking fourth in opponents' field goal percentage (36.3) and 11th in points allowed (58.9 points per game).

2. Ohio State freshman point guard D.J. Carton, averaging 10 points per game, made his first career start Tuesday and finished with 14 points in 29 minutes.

3. Green scored a career-high 26 points for Indiana in a Big Ten Tournament victory over Ohio State last season.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 62, Indiana 59