Ohio State benefited from a bye in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament, but the sixth-seeded Buckeyes will enter Thursday night’s second-round game against Penn State in Indianapolis banged up nonetheless. Co-captain Kyle Young remains out with a concussion he suffered during the regular-season stretch run, while Zed Key (ankle) will be a game-time decision after aggravating on Sunday an injury that sidelined him the previous two games. Although Meechie Johnson is expected to return from an ankle injury to offer depth to the backcourt, Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann acknowledges “certainly we’d like to be healthier and also playing a little bit better.” The Buckeyes (19-10) will aim to reverse the trend against the 11th-seeded Nittany Lions (13-16), who are coming off Wednesday’s 60-51 first-round win against Minnesota. Ohio State closed the regular season with three losses in four games — all against unranked foes — but Holtmann…
Continue Reading: Ohio State ailing entering its Big Ten Tourney opener vs. Penn State
