Ohio State is back on the road.
The No. 22 Buckeyes are off to Champaign for their first rematch with No. 15 Illinois since losing the Big Ten tournament final against the Fighting Illini in overtime last season.
Here's what you need to know ahead of Thursday's 9 p.m. tip-off.
Tip Time Information
No. 22 Ohio State (17-7, 10-5 Big Ten) at No. 15 Illinois (19-7, 12-4 Big Ten)
WHEN: 9 p.m. ET
WHERE: State Farm Center; Champaign, Illinois
TV: Fox Sports 1
RADIO: Ohio State Radio Network from Learfield
SERIES: Illinois leads 108-80
KenPom Prediction: Illinois 74, Ohio State 69
Starting Lineups
By the Numbers
Three storylines to watch
Stopping Kofi Cockburn
You really can only do so much against Kofi Cockburn.
Chris Holtmann knows that, seeing a tremendous player as the anchor of Illinois, seeing his ability as a two-point finisher and as a rim-runner, creating help situations just by touching the ball.
“You are trying to keep a body on him as much as possible,” Holtmann said. “All in all, he’s a guy you are not going to expect… he’s going to get some of his and you try as much as possible just to make him work.”
Ohio State has made him work in the past.
As a freshman against the Buckeyes, Cockburn, averaging 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, scored only six points with three rebounds.
In three games against Ohio State last year, including the Big Ten tournament final, he was a bit more himself, averaging 14.3 points and 8.7 per game, shooting 66.7% from the field. In those three games, the Illinois center who made 55.3% of his attempts at the free-throw line shot 30.4% on foul shots.
For Holtmann, he’s encouraging his players with what has worked against Cockburn in the past: using positioning to make him work in and around the paint and hoping for the best, doing the best they can against the 7-footer, who is averaging career highs in points per game (21.7) and rebounds per game (11.2),
Cockburn’s not the only player to plan for
Illinois is old.
Very old, according to Holtmann, starting four senior guards, including three with at least four years of experience: Trent Frazier, Jacob Grandison and Da’Monte Williams.
The Ohio State head coach sees Frazier as being as important as any player on the Fighting Illini’s roster, averaging over 12 points per game with over two 3-point makes each contest. He’s as big of an offensive playmaker as he’s been, averaging a career-high four assists per game.
In his first year with Illinois, Utah transfer Alfonso Plummer has also been incredibly aggressive offensively, attempting over seven 3s per game along with 14.7 points each contest, shooting 42.7% from the floor.
Defensively, the experience has paid off, especially in conference play. Illinois allows 67.6 points per game with opponents shooting 41.5% from the field: second-best in the conference. Opposing offenses have only made 45.3% of shots inside the 3-point line against the Fighting Illini, second-best in the Big Ten.
With Cockburn as the anchor and experienced guards to work with, Illinois has found a lot of success, currently sitting tied for second place in the Big Ten with a 12-4 record in conference play.
“There’s a reason why there’s a lot of really good teams in our league, a lot of really good teams and they are right there for sure,” Holtmann said.
Ohio State has something to play for
Ohio State is feeling the pressure too.
The Buckeyes sit in fourth place in the Big Ten standings behind four-loss Purdue, Wisconsin and Illinois with five games to go.
According to KenPom, who has Ohio State winning all of its remaining regular-season games except on the road at Illinois, the Buckeyes are projected to finish fourth in the conference, earning that bye and starting its tournament in the quarterfinal.
But whether it’s seeding in the conference tournament or for a bubble spot in the NCAA Tournament, Holtmann knows every team Ohio State faces has something to play for, something his team has embraced.
“I give our guys a lot of credit,” Holtmann said. “They understand, they have played college basketball, they understand the ebbs and flows in games. It’s not like an 11-point lead at the 10-minute mark is safe and secure and you can kind of go ahead and start the car. They realize it’s very much about continuing to play possession-by-possession. I think we have identified some areas we have to continue to work on and keep focused on that.”
Holtmann knows his players are aware of where the Buckeyes are in the overall picture of the Big Ten standings, but that he’s trying to reel them in, focusing on the nuts and bolts and that the rest will take care of itself.
That’s all Eugene Brown III is focused on: what he and the rest of his teammates can control in the final five-game stretch of the 2021-22 regular season.
“The competition’s still going to be there, it’s going to be a competitive game,” Brown said. “Kofi, he’s a beast, but we have players they have to worry about too. It’s going to be a great game and I’m excited to get this stretch underway.”
Scarlet and Gray Report's prediction
This game is going to be decided in the paint.
Facing Cockburn, one of the best centers in the country, Ohio State already has a mismatch, pitting 6-foot-8 forwards against a 7-footer. Even if Ohio State uses 6-foot-11 Joey Brunk in spurts, the Fighting Illini will likely do what it always does: build its offense around Cockburn and see how the opponent responds.
This is an Ohio State team that has struggled with defensive rebounding as of late, something it will not be able to afford on the road. If, somehow, the Buckeyes were able to silence Cockburn, they will still have to face a defense that has conference opponents shooting 41.5% from the field and 32% from 3, both top-four in the Big Ten.
Malaki Branham's on a roll and E.J. Liddell is looking to respond after getting hot when the Buckeyes needed him to against Indiana. But the odds seem to be stacked against Ohio State on the road Thursday night.
No. 15 Illinois 75, No. 22 Ohio State 71
