Spartans resume Big Ten play and begin 2025 in Columbus
Despite a rather lackluster win against Western Michigan and Dwayne Stephens, the Spartans still closed the 2024 portion of their schedule at 11-2, including 2-0 in the conference, and on a six game win streak.
MSU will take the streak on the road to Columbus, OH on Friday for an 8 PM tip against Ohio State. The game will be televised on Fox.
The Buckeyes come in at 9-4, 1-1 in the Big Ten, and on a three game win streak of their own. Their most impressive win came recently, on December 21, against then #4 Kentucky. Ohio State dismantled the Wildcats 85-65 in Madison Square Garden behind 30 points from junior guard Bruce Thornton. The 6’-2” Thornton leads OSU with 17.4 points per game and shoots 55.8%, including a very impressive 49% on three pointers.
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Thornton gets help from sophomore forward Devin Royal and freshman guard John Mobley Jr. Royal is a former top 50 recruit who is averaging 14.8 points per game. Royal is also the Buckeyes’ top rebounder at 7.5 per game. Mobley Jr. scores 12.2 and shoots 48% from beyond the arc so the Spartans’ three point defense will need to be strong on Friday.
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Seven footer Aaron Bradshaw is probably OSU’s top interior threat. The sophomore transfer from Kentucky scores just over nine points in 22 minutes per game.
While the win against Kentucky showed what Ohio State is capable of, they have been a bit inconsistent so far. They opened the season with an 80-72 win against then #19 Texas but fell by 14 to Texas A&M the following week. OSU opened conference play with an 83-59 loss at Maryland before rebounding to defeat Rutgers at home, 80-66. One week after Rutgers, the Buckeyes were blown out by #2 Auburn 91-53 before responding with their three game win streak, including the victory over Kentucky.
The teams are very equal scoring-wise. The Spartans score 82 per game while giving up 67.1 while Ohio State is 82.8 – 69.8. Ohio State shoots it a little better (50.5% – 47.6%) but MSU has an advantage on the boards (42 – 35.5) and assists (18.2 – 14.8). Both teams have been decent at protecting possessions with Ohio State turning it over 10.5 times per game while MSU averages 12.2. The Spartans probably won’t be able to afford the 17 giveaways they had against Western when they venture to Columbus.
Ohio State is led by Jake Diebler, who took over for Chris Holtmann when Holtmann was let go during the season last February. Diebler went 6-2 as the interim coach, including a win over MSU last year. His first game after Holtmann was fired was a win against #2 Purdue. Diebler’s interim tag was removed after the 2024 Big Ten tournament and OSU advanced to the NIT quarterfinals last season.
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Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center is probably not known as one of the Big Ten’s most hostile venues but Diebler’s teams have scored some very big wins during his short tenure leading the Buckeyes. Michigan State will have to rebound from the Western Michigan performance and return to form to come away with a win here. A victory in Columbus means a chance to go on a pretty good run to start 2025. After OSU, the Spartans have a road game at Northwestern in between home games against Washington and Penn State before Illinois comes to the Breslin Center on January 19.