Ohio State swapped one flashy freshman point guard for another and this year’s youngster gets a chance to see how he and the Buckeyes match up with the class of the Big Ten. Gone from OSU is D’Angelo Russell, off to pursue the riches in the NBA after one year. JaQuan Lyle could soon be following in Russell’s footsteps after posting a triple-double his last time out.
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HOW THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Michigan forged a blueprint on how to beat Maryland in a 70-67 win on Tuesday, and expect Ohio State to study up. The Wolverines played without their leading scorer, rebounder and assist leader, who happens to be the same person – Caris LeVert – making the outcome that much more surprising.
Rendering Melo Trimble a non-factor was key for Michigan and should be a priority for the Buckeyes. Deadly accurate shooting and few turnovers will also help, but Ohio State shouldn’t count on Trimble and Rasheed Salaimon having another off-night.
And that’s where JaQuan Lyle comes into play. The freshman often has had his skills mentioned in the same breath as lottery pick and former Buckeye D’Angelo Russell. Now their names are linked forever. Lyle joined Russell as the only freshman in OSU history to record a triple-double when he went for 23 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over Rutgers on Wednesday. The Buckeyes also used a balanced scoring attack with five others chipping in double-figures.
Much of the same but at a higher level is needed from Ohio State. A.J. Harris was tasked with stopping Rutgers’ Corey Sanders in the second half, holding the Scarlett Knights’ leading scorer to just three points over the final 20 minutes. He’ll be asked to do the same to Trimble. Beating Rutgers is one thing, but taking on the No. 3 Terps on the road is entirely different.
HOW THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Terrapins have plenty of balance as evidenced by their rise to the No. 3 ranking in the country. But as we saw on Tuesday, when Trimble is contained, so is Maryland. Three days after hitting a game-winning three-pointer to beat Wisconsin, Trimble was held to two points and the Terps were upset by Michigan.
What makes Maryland so good and what will give opponents nightmares throughout the course of the season is their balance. Maryland is the only Big Ten school with five players averaging in double figures. Because all five starters have led the team in scoring in at least one game, if the opposition tries to stop one player, others are ready to step in.
Trimble and Sulaimon complement each other well in the backcourt with freshman Diamond Stone and Robert Carter doing the dirty work down low. Then there’s Jake Layman, a 6-foot-9 swingman who can toss daggers from the arc. Everyone is allowed to have a bad day at some point and the Terps experienced theirs Tuesday.
Maryland will be tested more late in games, that’s what happens in the daunting Big Ten. And the Terps need a go-to guy down the stretch. Trimble is that guy and he needs to step up and be that guy.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The crowd at Xfinity Center will be treated to two of the top guards in the country when Trimble and Lyle go head-to-head. All five Maryland starters average in double-figure points and their balance among that group will give OSU headaches. One area where the Terps are painfully thin is depth. All the starters, except for Stone, average more than 25 minutes per game and only Jared Nickens is above 20 off the bench. Ohio State has a longer bench and will try to exploit that advantage. That strategy could backfire, however, because there is a significant drop-off in talent. It’s hard to imagine Trimble, the conference’s preseason player of the year, having another off-night like he did in Tuesday’s loss. Despite his career-low two points, the Terps had a chance to get a conference win on the road and they came up just short. That tells us a lot about this team. A return home will help out as well.
Maryland 72, Ohio State 67
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