by In their opening game of the Big Ten Tournament, the tenth-seeded Ohio State men’s basketball team defeated #7 seed Iowa, 90-78. The victory marks the second straight year that the Buckeyes have eliminated the Hawkeyes in the annual single-elimination tournament and it is also the fifth time in the last six years (excluding 2020 when the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19) that Ohio State has qualified for the quarterfinals.
Ohio State, riding the momentum of four straight victories, got off to a hot start, leading 10-2 on a pair of threes from the leading scorer on the season, Bruce Thornton, before Iowa was forced to call a timeout. The Hawkeyes were then able to even the score at 15, but were unable to take the lead at any point in the contest. The Buckeyes’ depth was crucial in the latter segments of the first half as the bench had 23 points in the opening period and were led by Scotty Middleton with 11. Those 23 bench points outscored the starters’ 20, and Ohio State took a 43-38 lead into halftime.
The second half represented an increased maturity from the Buckeyes as they had multiple blown leads late in games during their losing streak earlier in the year. However, they held strong against Iowa and were able to pull out the victory. Jamison Battle, who went scoreless in the first half, exploded for 23 points in the second half, including going 9/9 from the free throw line and sinking a pair of threes. Iowa was able to whittle the lead down to three early in the half, but that was as close as they could get before Ohio State pulled away. Aside from Battle’s 23 and Middleton’s 11, Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. were in double figures as well with 14 and 11, respectively. Thornton also contributed nine assists with only one turnover and he will have to continue to be a facilitator if the Buckeyes offense is to flow smoothly. The bench also built off their strong start, finishing with 37 points. 23 of those came from the contributions of Zed Key, Devin Royal, and Dale Bonner, who have all enjoyed increased success as of late.
For Iowa, it was once again the defense that let them down. The Hawkeyes’ 155th best defense in terms of defensive efficiency via KenPom struggled to contain the Buckeyes all game, and it’s very hard to win in college basketball if you give up 90 points. Their offense wasn’t terrible, as leading scorer Payton Sandfort put in 19 points but was limited by foul trouble. Tony Perkins and Ben Krikke each scored 13 and Owen Freeman had 10 points with nine rebounds in the losing effort.
With the win, the Buckeyes will now move on to face second-seeded Illinois tonight at 6:30 P.M. While Iowa was a worthy foe, the Fighting Illini are a significantly better opponent, as they are ranked 13th in the AP Poll and have already defeated the Buckeyes in Columbus once this year.
If Ohio State is to slow down a highly efficient Illinois offense (fourth in the country per KenPom), they’ll have to stop or at least slow down the Illini’s leading scorer, Terrence Shannon Jr. The combo guard is having a spectacular season, averaging 21.6 points per game and could be on pace to make an All-American team if he can end the year on a high note. He would be a surefire pick to earn a spot on one of the prestigious teams if a rape allegation didn’t sideline him for about a month earlier in the season. Shannon is not the only Illinois player that the Buckeyes must limit, however, as Marcus Domask has proven time and again that he is more than capable of a big night. The 6’6’’ graduate transfer has scored over 30 points three times this season and poured in 23 in Illinois’s win over the Buckeyes earlier in the year. Forwards Coleman Hawkins and Quincy Guerrier each average in double figures as well and their ability to shoot from behind the three-point line will be a step above Iowa’s post-oriented bigs.
As far as Ohio State’s outlook for the NCAA Tournament goes, the win against Iowa was a major step in the right direction. However, it still might not be good enough. According to Joe Lunardi’s bracketology on ESPN, the Buckeyes are still in the ‘Next Four Out’ tier. They appear to need a marquee win to sneak into the field, and luckily for them, a win over Illinois tonight should give them just that. The quarterfinal matchup will provide Ohio State with an opportunity to pick up an elusive Quad 1 victory that can put their resume over the top. If the Buckeyes can pull off the upset, they’ll face either Nebraska or Indiana in the semifinals, but if they lose, their season is likely over.
