The No.2-seeded Michigan State Spartans (26-5) and Ohio State Buckeyes (20-12) meet in the third round of the Big 10 tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Action begins at 6:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and can be seen on BTN.
The Spartans come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Ohio State 91-76 in their last matchup. Denzel Valentine was a key piece, recording his ninth double-double of the season with 27 points and 13 assists. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-75 win against Penn State in the 2. JaQuan Lyle claimed his second double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Bryn Forbes has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Spartans. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 5.4 three-pointers. Marc Loving has upped his play for the Buckeyes. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 20.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal, 1.0 block, and 2.4 three-pointers.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a matchup of two heavyweights. Michigan State’s sharp-shooting offense is ranked eighth in the nation in that metric at 56.5%, while Ohio State is 29th-best in the nation at making opponents miss (46.5%).
The Spartans have emerged victorious in both games against the Buckeyes this year, including a 91-76 win the last time these two teams met. Valentine finished with 27 points and 13 assists.
Notes
The Michigan State Spartans have the fourth-best offensive rating in the nation (119.7). The Ohio State Buckeyes have a defensive rating of 99.4 (ranked 45th).
The Ohio State Buckeyes average 68.1 possessions per game and 1.041 points per possession. The Michigan State Spartans earn fewer possessions with 67.4, but they score more points with 1.197.
The Michigan State Spartans have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the country with an eFG% of 56.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the Ohio State Buckeyes are winless with a 0-5 record.
The Michigan State Spartans average 21.0 three point attempts per game, and the Ohio State Buckeyes attempt 18.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Michigan State is 19-2 and Ohio State is 9-5.
The second-ranked team in the category, Michigan State has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.76 this season. Ohio State ranks outside the top 100 at 282nd with an A/TO of .90.
Michigan State ranks 64th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Ohio State ranks 48th.
The Ohio State Buckeyes make an average of 5.6 steals per game. When the Michigan State Spartans give up 5 or more steals, they are a superb 15-3.
