Ohio State @ Minnesota preview
Williams Arena
Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2024 ) Ohio St. 79, Minnesota 88
In the wake of a loss, Ohio State coach Jake Diebler gathered his players for a film session.
But Diebler wanted to do more than just point out the Buckeyes' mistakes. He also wanted to show them how well they played at times.
Diebler wants to see additional highlights when Ohio State visits Minnesota for a Big Ten Conference matchup on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Ohio State (9-5, 1-2 Big Ten) is looking for its first conference win on the road this season, while Minnesota (8-6, 0-3) is eager to snap its three-game skid in league action.
"I'm not too worried about our confidence, necessarily," Diebler said. "The film works both ways. It can drive home and reiterate the things you do well, and we need to keep growing in those areas. We've got to do them more.
"We've got to be more consistent, especially against Big Ten teams."
The Buckeyes have four players with double-digit scoring averages as they prepare to head north. Bruce Thornton is the team's top scorer with 16.9 points per game on 54.3 percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Devin Royal (14.3 points per game), John Mobley Jr. (11.9) and Micah Parrish (10.1) round out the top four scorers for Ohio State.
Minnesota is led by Dawson Garcia, who is averaging team highs of 19.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Mike Mitchell Jr. (12.0 points per game) and Lu'Cye Patterson (10.0) have also headlined the offensive attack.
Golden Gophers coach Ben Johnson wants his players to stay focused and tune out any criticism surrounding the fact that Minnesota is the last team in the Big Ten without a conference victory.
"There's always going to be a certain narrative," Johnson said. "You can find negativity and outside noise regardless of the situation. It can't impact our approach every single day."
--Field Level Media