5 Things to Know About Purdue Basketball's Next Opponent — Ohio State Buckeyes
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On Sunday afternoon, No. 8 Purdue heads to Columbus for a showdown with Ohio State. Both teams are coming off losses and will try to improve their conference record with a win.
Purdue is trying to secure the best seed possible for the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are attempting to carve out a spot in the March Madness field.
Here's a look at the Buckeyes ahead of Sunday's showdown.
Thornton among top Big Ten scorers
Bruce Thornton ranks among the top five in scoring in the Big Ten this season, averaging 20 points per game. He is the heart and soul of Ohio State's offense, capable of scoring at every level on the floor.
Throughout his career, Thornton has been one of the top scorers in college basketball. He has a good mid-range game, can get to the cup and also hits the three-point shot at a 38% clip. The senior also has a 54% field goal percentage on the year.
In a 66-60 loss to Michigan State, Thornton scored 32 of Ohio State's points. He's eclipsed the 30-point mark three times this year, including a season-high of 38 against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Not a lot of depth
Ohio State has some really skilled players, but it's not one of the deepest teams in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have four players averaging double-figure scoring totals, led by Thornton. John Mobley Jr. averages15.1, Devin Royal adds 14.1 and Christoph Tilley scores 11.3 points per game.
The Buckeyes have relied on Taison Chatman, Gabe Cupps, Puff Johnson and Ivan Njegovan, but none are averaging more than 4.3 points off the bench. None of those players are averaging more than 12.5 minutes per game off the bench, either.
At times, Ohio State has trouble late in games because its starters have to log so many minutes on the floor.
Will send opponents to the line
Purdue isn't a team that attacks the rim or draws a lot of contact, but Ohio State is a team susceptible to fouling. The Buckeyes average 18 fouls per game this season, an average that ranks 219th in college basketball. Opponents are also averaging 20.3 free throw attempts per game.
Tilly and Bynum have been guilty of picking up a lot of those fouls this season, averaging 5.7 fouls per game combined. It allows opponents to get easy opportunities to get points at the charity stripe, and also challenges Ohio State's depth.
The Boilermakers haven't lived at the free throw line much this year, but its' a weakness they could expose on Sunday.
Diebler is 2-0 vs. Purdue
Diebler really won over fans in Columbus when he led Ohio State to a thrilling victory over Purdue in 2024, his first game ever as a head coach. On that day, the Buckeyes upset No. 2 Purdue 73-69, a monumental victory for the then-interim leader.
Last year, Diebler took his team into Mackey Arena and left with a 73-70 win. The Buckeyes were one of just two teams to be the Boilermakers on their home floor last season. Ohio State overcame a 16-point first-half deficit.
In other words, Diebler has had the "secret sauce" to taking down the Boilers over the last two years. Purdue may have a lot of advantages, but this is no easy game in Columbus.
Several single-digit losses
Ohio State enters Sunday's game with a 17-11 record, but this is a team that has battled most of its opponents down to the wire. Seven of the Buckeyes' losses have been decided by single digits and five by six points or fewer.
Diebler's team doesn't get blown out a lot. This is also a squad that is still in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Buckeyes have already notched a quality win over Wisconsin, but could use another with a victory over Purdue.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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