Ohio State Heads to Ann Arbor for Rivalry Showdown Against No. 3 Michigan

Ohio State is fresh off an overtime win against Minnesota as they head to Ann Arbor to face the No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines tonight.

The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them. The Wolverines—who are 16–1 on the season—are an elite defensive team that will likely force Ohio State into some tough shots.

Their 7'3" center Aday Mara leads the Big Ten in blocks and will make it tough for Ohio State to score in the paint. The Buckeyes’ true seven-footer Christoph Tilly will have a tough matchup with Mara and can’t afford to foul out like he did in overtime against the Golden Gophers.

The absence of 6'8" Brandon Noel could be felt even more tonight, as he remains out indefinitely with injury. Amare Bynum, who took just one shot in Ohio State’s last game, and Ivan Njegovan will be required to play meaningful minutes without defensive breakdowns.

Instead of relying on inside buckets, the Buckeyes will need to utilize their long-range shot, which John Mobley Jr. has excelled at in Ohio State’s last two outings. Mobley Jr., who can typically score regardless of whether he’s set or closely defended, made five three-pointers against Minnesota and six threes against UCLA.

Bruce Thornton has also been impactful from behind the arc and will need to be again tonight. He’s second on the team in made threes and is shooting the same percentage as Mobley Jr. at 41.4%.

Michigan likes to run a fast-paced offense, but that may actually benefit Ohio State. The Buckeyes tend to play their best basketball with constant movement, though they have shown a tendency to go on scoring spurts—explosive stretches followed by stagnant periods without a field goal—something that burned them against Minnesota during a five-minute field goal drought.

What Jake Diebler said before Michigan game

Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler agreed those stretches can’t happen tonight, saying it comes down to movement, taking care of the ball and crashing the offensive glass. He added that his team has prepared to the best of its ability for the challenge ahead.

Instead of agreeing that this is just like any other game, Diebler has leaned into the rivalry. “Make no mistake … this game means a little bit more,” Diebler said.

Ohio State and Michigan face off tonight, Friday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. in Ann Arbor. This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Buckeyes and Wolverines.