Both the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines are still in a lot of trouble when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament. Big Blue is probably on the right side of the bubble at this point, while Ohio State is firmly on the outside looking in.
There's still a lot of basketball left to be played between now and when these rivals go to war with each other on February 16, but it's clear that this game is going to be of utmost importance to both clubs.
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SEASON IN REVIEW: MICHIGAN
Michigan has struggled on the road in conference play, losing to both Iowa and Purdue. However, it does have a victory at Illinois, and this is probably the most comparable game on the docket.
The good news is that Caris LeVert should be back in the fold by the time the middle of February rolls around. He's the real key cog in this lineup in all facets. He averages 17.6 points, 5.4 boards and 5.2 assists per game, and he plays lockdown defense as well.
At 6-foot-7, he's a de facto point forward, and he commands someone with size and speed to match up with him.
With LeVert out of the fold, Duncan Robinson has stepped up to be the leading scorer of this team. He's averaging 12.1 points per game, but he's really done a lot of good work driving with the rock to the basket.
The Wolverines are still incredibly efficient offensively, shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from three-point land. The end result is 77.8 points per game, but there's certainly a concern about playing against top flight competition on the road with Big Blue good for just 68.6 points per game when in the visitor’s role to date.
SEASON IN REVIEW: OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes badly need to turn the corner at some point. Every time they run into one of these tourney teams from the Big Ten, they seem to end up getting all of their momentum destroyed. Ohio State has already been beaten by 25 by Indiana and 35 by Maryland.
The Bucks have a great win under their belt against Kentucky, and they've covered a ton of games at home at 7-4-1 ATS.
The problem Ohio State has had thus far is on the offensive end of the floor. The team averages just 71.9 points per game, and a lot of the problems have come in huge games. Take out the game against Rutgers in which the Buckeyes scored 94 points, and what's left is a team averaging just 68.6 points per game in conference play.
The good news is that the injury list is clear at this point. The Buckeyes only have nine players in their rotation of any note whatsoever, and it's clear that the starting five has to stay intact to have a shot at pulling this mild upset.
Marc Loving is the team's most consistent and experienced player. He's averaging 13.9 points per game this year, but that's probably a bit of a disappointment in relation to what was expected. He'll have to step it up in this game for Ohio State to protect its house.
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