Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports Penn State travels to Columbus to face an Ohio State team rich in talent, but short on experience. Who: Ohio State Buckeyes (12-8, 4-3) When: Monday, 7:00 p.m. ET Where: Value City Arena TV: BTN KenPom Rank: 78 Vegas Line: Ohio State -8.5 Enemy Blog: Land Grant Holy Land Penn State will find itself in another “winnable game, better opponent” situation against Ohio State on Monday night. The Buckeyes have been the definition of inconsistent this season. They beat Kentucky on a neutral floor, yet they lost to Louisiana Tech and UT-Arlington at home. They reeled off three wins to start the Big Ten season, then have lost in blowout fashion to the better teams in the Big Ten. Ohio State has the talent to compete with anyone in the Big Ten, but that talent is young, which leads to these inconsistent results. Scouting The Opposition Unlike the previous opponents Penn State has faced so far, Ohio State is full of youth. Leading the charge is Marc Loving, the only significant contributor with junior eligibility or higher. Loving is averaging 13.7 points per game and has an 48.9 eFG%, but he’s not the most effective player on Ohio State’s roster. That honor goes to Kam Williams, who is shooting 49.2% from three this season. The perimeter-challenged Lions will need to keep Williams at bay if they don’t want to find themselves in a huge hole early. The good news is that Ohio State as a team is only shooting 33.9% from three, so if they are able to keep the ball out of Williams’ hands while avoiding fouls inside, Penn State will have a much easier time keeping pace with the Buckeyes. What To Watch For Ohio State is a team that likes to push the tempo…
Continue Reading: Penn State Basketball Preview: The Nittany Lions Travel to Ohio State
