Three Things Ohio State Basketball Must Do to Beat Wisconsin

Ohio State faces Wisconsin today in a Big Ten showdown. Here are three keys the Buckeyes must execute to secure a road win.

Jan 26, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Taison Chatman (3) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes (14–6) travel to Madison to face the Wisconsin Badgers (15–6) in what shapes up to be an evenly matched Big Ten showdown.

In Ohio State’s last outing, the Buckeyes were without starting center Christoph Tilly and sixth man Gabe Cupps. Head coach Jake Diebler said on his radio show he has not been made aware of either player being unavailable today, signaling both could return to the lineup.

With key pieces expected back in the mix, here are three things Ohio State needs to do to take down the Badgers.

Show second-half resilience

Second-half consistency has been a season-long challenge for the Buckeyes.

Against Michigan, Ohio State battled through nine ties before wearing down late and falling by 12. A similar pattern emerged in the win over Penn State, when the Buckeyes built an 18-point halftime lead but allowed the Nittany Lions to cut the deficit to one in the second half.

One area where Wisconsin has shown an edge is late-game execution. The Badgers are the only team to defeat Michigan this season, handing the Wolverines their lone loss as they sit at 20–1 overall. Wisconsin has also proven it can flip momentum after halftime, erasing an 18-point deficit against Minnesota and coming away with the win.

Ohio State will need to stay composed after halftime, limit turnovers, and maintain offensive flow to avoid letting momentum swing.

Produce offense off the bench

With Cupps sidelined against Penn State, Taison Chatman delivered a breakout performance, scoring a career-high 11 points. That showing could earn him extended minutes moving forward.

Ivan Njegovan, who started in place of Tilly earlier this week, is likely to return to a bench role and will need to provide physicality in the paint. Njegovan scored eight points against Penn State and will need to deliver a similar impact today.

Consistent bench scoring will be critical in a road environment.

Contest Wisconsin’s three-point shooting

Wisconsin is one of the Big Ten’s more dangerous perimeter teams, shooting nearly 35% from three-point range.

Ohio State will need to close out aggressively and force the Badgers into tougher looks inside. Limiting clean perimeter opportunities will be key, especially against guard John Blackwell, who leads Wisconsin in three-point attempts and is shooting 37.9% from deep this season.

Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.