‘Probably one of the ugliest games I’ve ever covered at Assembly Hall’
IndyStar IU Insider Zach Osterman tries to make sense of the Hoosiers’ blowout loss to Illinois at home.
Indiana basketball visits Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. This matchup offers the question: Is it better to keep losing by 2 points, or by 25?
The Hoosiers (13-5, 4-3 Big Ten) have been blown out two games in a row, prompting a rebellion among fans. Coach Mike Woodson and players are preaching patience, but IU is decidedly on the outside looking in for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Hoosiers could desperately use Malik Reneau (14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals), who has missed almost all of the last five games with a knee injury.
The Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4) have come painfully close to winning their last two games, falling by a basket to Oregon and Wisconsin. They beat Minnesota in double overtime before that. Bruce Thronton has been OSU’s driving force, averaging 16.7 points in conference play. Meechie Johnson, who started the first 10 games, has been on personal leave.
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Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Ohio State 79-69
Things have taken an ugly turn in the last week for the Hoosiers, who now need a good road result to rebound from consecutive thumpings at Iowa and against Illinois. Ohio State is a strange team, talented and well-rated by metrics but losers of a lot of close games. So much of this game feels like it will be defined by how Indiana manages Buckeyes point guard Bruce Thornton.
8 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Ohio State a 77.9% chance of winning.
Through Jan. 14
(with 2024-25 season averages)
Jan. 11: Iowa 85, Indiana 60
Jan. 14: Illinois 94, Indiana 69
Fri., Jan. 17: at Ohio State, 8 p.m., Fox
Wed., Jan 22: at Northwestern, 7 p.m., BTN
Sun., Jan. 26: vs. Maryland, noon, CBS
Jan. 9: Oregon 73, Ohio State 71
Jan. 14: Wisconsin 70, Ohio State 68
Fri., Jan. 17: vs. Indiana, 8 p.m., Fox
Tues., Jan. 21: at Purdue, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
Mon., Jan. 27: vs. Iowa, 8 p.m, FS1
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