How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball vs. Ohio State: Preview, Breakdown, Streaming

The Nebraska men’s basketball is in the awkward position of being on the outside and looking in.

The Huskers’ NCAA Tournament hopes took a major hit Saturday afternoon in a 67-65 loss to Minnesota at home, which even puts NU on the brink of missing its own conference tournament. It was a valiant comeback from Nebraska – who was down by 19 at one point – but it continued a frustrating trend of the Huskers digging themselves out of big holes.

Brice Williams and Juwan Gary each scored a game-high 21 points while Connor Essegian added 11 points for NU’s three double-digit scorers. The Gophers leaned on its stellar three-point shooting at Pinnacle Bank Arena where it went 10-for-21 Saturday afternoon compared to Nebraska’s 4-for-17 showing.

The Huskers’ NCAA Tournament chances aren’t dead by any means, but they need to win the last two regular season games before making a run at the Big Ten tournament. That starts with a visit to Columbus to take on an Ohio State team who’s lost three of its last four.

Here’s all you need to know as Nebraska hits the road to face the Buckeyes Tuesday night.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: Nebraska (17-12, 7-11 B1G) at Ohio State (16-13, 8-10 B1G)
When: Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Where: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Time: 8 p.m. CST
Watch: Peacock
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Feb 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler yells to his players during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Ohio State Scout

Head Coach: Jake Diebler | 2nd Season at Ohio State and as HC | 24-16 (.600) at Ohio State & Career HC Record | Previous assistant at Ohio State, Vanderbilt and Valparaiso.

2023-2024 Record: 22-14 (9-11 B1G, T-9th) | 1x All-B1G Third Team, 1x Honorable Mention | L, 79-77 to Georgia in NIT Quarterfinals.

All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 21-8 (Feb. 9, 2025 last matchup, 79-71 Nebraska).

Key Returners: Bruce Thornton, G, Jr. | Devin Royal, F, Soph. | Evan Mahaffey, G, Jr.

Outlook: After being the interim head coach last season following the firing of Chris Holtmann, Jake Diebler was elevated to the full-time head coach role over the offseason at Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished 8-3 in Diebler’s last 11 games of the 2023-2024 season which has turned into a 16-13 record in his first full season.

The Buckeyes only returned three core players from last year’s squad, but that includes leading scorer Bruce Thorton who’s increased his production this season to a team-leading 17.4 PPG – which is eighth in the conference. Devin Royal played in all games last season off the bench, but he grabbed a starting role for his sophomore year where he’s averaging 13.3 PPG and a team-high 6.9 RPG.

Ohio State's Bruce Thornton (2) dapps up the rest of his teammates after they gain the foul on January 30, 2025 | Taj Falconer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The exodus of players forced Diebler to attack the transfer portal. 6-foot-6 guard Micah Parrish has made the biggest impact with 12.7 PPG. He came over from San Diego State after spending his junior and senior seasons with the Aztecs. Meechie Johnson Jr. averages more than nine points per contest after pouring in over 13 PPG over his last two seasons at South Carolina.

Forwards Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart bring impressive pedigrees to Columbus. Bradshaw was the No. 2 recruit in the 2023 class and spent his freshman season at Kentucky. For Stewart, he was also a five-star recruit and was a freshman at Duke before transferring to Ohio State. However, freshman recruit John Mobley Jr. has been the biggest addition. The 6-foot-1 four-star was ranked No. 43 overall in this class and has put in 13.1 PPG for third on the team.

The Buckeyes are strong from beyond the arc with a 37.5% from deep, which is third-highest in the Big Ten. Thornton leads that effort for OSU with a 43.9 three-point percentage in 123 attempts while Mobley Jr. has shot over 40% from a team-high 176 shots.

It’s a massive game for both teams as they duel each other while on the bubble. The winner gets a much-needed win to boost its resume while the other gets handed a massive blow to its postseason aspirations. Despite its victory last time out at home, it’s hard to see Nebraska snap a three-game losing streak on the road against a team that’s going to be as desperate as they are. Give me the Buckeyes in a game that sees them pull away late.

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