Purdue has the size, Ohio State has the history
Ohio State faces a tall task when the Buckeyes play host to No. 15 Purdue on Thursday night at Value City Arena in Columbus.
Literally, and a tall task in many ways.
Not only does Purdue's frontcourt of 6-foot-9 Caleb Swanigan and 7-2 Isaac Haas tower over the Buckeyes' frontcourt, the Boilermakers statistically are better than the Buckeyes in almost every category.
But the Boilermakers have won only once in 14 trips to Value City Arena. The Buckeyes have won four straight in Columbus against the Boilermakers.
As they say, the game's not played on paper, it's played on the field, or in this case on the court, and despite the statistical advantage, Purdue's coach Matt Painter doesn't need to be reminded of that.
Purdue (12-3, 1-1 Big Ten) had its seven-game winning streak snapped on Sunday when the Minnesota Gophers posted a 91-82 overtime road victory despite Swanigan dropping 28 points and grabbing 22 rebounds.
Purdue fell behind early and scrambled in the second half to get back in the game. Swanigan sent the game into overtime with four seconds left in regulation. Minnesota used an 11-0 run early in overtime to pull away and win at Purdue for the first time since 2005.
"Minnesota did everything well early, and they got into a nice rhythm," Painter said. "It felt like we were down 10 or 12 at the half, but we were fortunate to be down only three. Their guards played very well, but we made defensive mistakes as the game wore on.
"It's also a real shame that Swanigan gets 28 and 22 and that doesn't lead to a win."
Swanigan now has four 20-20 games this season as he builds a solid All-America resume. He's a matchup nightmare for most teams, and the Buckeyes are no different.
Swanigan and Haas often overshadow Vince Edwards, but the 6-8 forward completes one of the most dynamic frontcourts in the nation by posting 12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Guard Dakota Mathias has taken a significant step forward averaging just under 10 points per game. Painter has integrated freshman guard Carsen Edwards into the lineup and he has paid dividends with under 11 points a game.
Freshman Micah Potter and 7-footer Trevor Thompson will be faced with the tall task of trying to control Swanigan (18.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg) and Haas (13.9 ppg). The Boilermakers' offense is humming to the tune of 84.5 points (20th in the country), 40.3 rebounds (31st) and 20.3 assists (second).
Ohio State (10-4, 0-1) opened Big Ten play dropping a 75-70 decision to Illinois, a team they had defeated six straight times. The loss was Ohio State's third of the season by less than five points.
JaQuan Lyle scored 26 points, 18 in the second half, to lead the Buckeyes out of a double-digit first-half hole. Lyle took over five minutes into the second half and scored 16 straight OSU points to put the Buckeyes up 58-57 with 8:35 to play.
But as quickly as Lyle provided a spark, the magic vanished. Enigmatic senior forward Marc Loving and junior guard Kam Williams added 10 points apiece.
Loving and Williams are capable of huge offensive games if they get off to a good start. Their first few shots must fall, otherwise confidence becomes a factor.
The Buckeyes' defense -- ranked 35th, allowing only 63.9 points per game -- will have to play much better against a Boilermakers offense that's one of the best in the nation.
The schedule makers didn't do the Buckeyes any favors. Ohio State hits the road next week to play Minnesota and Wisconsin. Waiting in the wings is the always dangerous Michigan State.
"Right now, we're 0-1 in the Big Ten and it's definitely something that we need: a win under our belt," Loving said. "There's not really much after that. We need to get a win."
Ohio State coach Thad Matta said the Buckeyes need to shoot better and pay attention to detail if they have a chance to pull off the upset and avoid going 0-2 to start conference play.
"We have to play better than we played the other night and when you're playing a team like Purdue -- I think they're really, really good -- we've got to do all the little things and we've got to do all the little things for 40 minutes."
Jae'Sean Tate is the heart and soul of the Buckeyes and at 6-4 might just cause some trouble for the taller Boilermakers. Tate, who leads the Buckeyes in scoring at 13.9 ppg, is one of two Power 5 Conference players 6-4 or shorter averaging more than six rebounds per game (Markelle Fultz from Washington is averaging 6.2). Overall, Tate is tied for 11th nationally among players 6-4 or shorter with 6.9 rebounds per game.
Four other players average double figures, giving Matta plenty of balance.
Before playing Minnesota, Purdue welcomed back fifth-year senior guard Spike Albrecht after the one-time Michigan player missed seven games. His return gives the Boilermakers some much-needed experience at the guard position.
He played nine minutes on Sunday and is expected to see more playing time on Thursday.
