Before every Ohio State men’s basketball game, Connor Lemons gets you ready for that day’s action with key stats, players to know, and prevalent storylines for that day’s game on the “Good Hoops Morning” podcast.
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Ohio State Buckeyesat No. 15 Michigan State Spartans| KenPom predicts: Michigan State by 9
Game Date/Time: Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
TV: CBS
Radio: 97.1 FM/ 971thefan.com
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (17-9, 9-6) travels north on Sunday afternoon to take on Tom Izzo’s 15th-ranked Michigan State Spartans (21-5, 11-4). Both teams have gone 2-2 over their previous four games. Michigan State is looking to cement itself in the top-four of the Big Ten and earn the new, coveted “triple bye” in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State is on the hunt for its first Quad-1 win of the season — which for now is the biggest mark against the NCAA Tournament resume.
As of Saturday, Ohio State was listed as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament according to Bracket Matrix. A win over the Spartans would assuredly leapfrog them over several teams, but the Buckeyes have also only won in East Lansing once in the last decade. Ironically, that was two years ago, with Dale Bonner’s prayer at the buzzer stunning the green and white faithful on February 25, 2024.
Second-leading scorer John Mobley Jr. has not been ruled out yet for Sunday’s game. The sophomore is averaging 15.1 points per game, but has missed Ohio State’s last two games as he recovers from hand surgery from an injury suffered during Ohio State’s win over USC 10 days ago.
Connor’s prediction: No. 15 Michigan State 74, Ohio State 70
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