William & Mary @ Ohio St. preview

Ohio State hopes to gain some momentum from a huge comeback win over a Big Ten rival when it hosts dangerous William & Mary on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference contest. The Buckeyes recorded their first comeback of 20 or more points since the 2007 NCAA Tournament on Monday as they rallied to defeat Michigan 71-62 to start the league season with two victories.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Ohio State senior guard Kam Williams told reporters after the win. “In the past years I don’t think we understood what it takes to overcome a hole like that. … I feel like we can achieve anything, we just have to keep winning every possession because the team that wins the most possessions, wins the game.” The Buckeyes, who opened the Big Ten season with a 25-point win at Wisconsin, boast four players scoring at least 11 points per game and junior forward Keita Bates-Diop is nearly averaging a double-double. Bates-Diop has scored at least 16 in nine of 10 games and averages 17.4 points to go along with 9.9 rebounds while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. Ohio State will have to shoot it well in its first-ever meeting against William & Mary, which has won five in a row after defeating George Mason 77-70 on Wednesday and connects on 50.8 percent from the field - 47.3 from behind the arc.

TV: Noon ET, Big Ten Network Plus

ABOUT WILLIAM & MARY (6-2): The Tribe from the Colonial Athletic Association have some experienced players in key roles, but are led in scoring by a trio of sophomores. Nathan Knight, a 6-10 forward, averages 20.3 after scoring in 27 against George Mason and chips in the 8.6 rebounds while Matt Milon had 22 on Wednesday to improve to 15.0 points per game - just ahead of fellow guard Justin Pierce (14.4 points, 9.5 boards). Connor Burchfield contributes 13.1 points per game and fellow senior guard David Cohn runs the show with 7.1 assists per contest.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (7-3): Senior forward Jae’Sean Tate raised his game with the start of the Big Ten season, draining 13-of-19 from the field and averaging 15 points against Wisconsin and Michigan. Tate is averaging 13.3 points on 55.4 percent shooting from the field overall and junior guard C.J. Jackson (13.2) is close behind after scoring 17 versus Michigan with six rebounds and four assists. Forward Kaleb Wesson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday after averaging 17 points in two games, but managed just eight that night on 1-of-4 shooting.

TIP-INS

1. Ohio State freshman F Kyle Young scored 15 points in the last three games combined after managing seven in his first six contests.

2. William & Mary also shoots it well from the free-throw line, connecting on 80.9 percent overall after draining 15-of-17 against George Mason.

3. The Buckeyes went 3-3 during a 12-day, six-game stretch before having four days off coming into Saturday’s contest.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 76, William & Mary 72