Coming up: Purdue and Michigan State

Where: Value City Arena

When: 9 p.m. Tuesday and 6 p.m. Saturday

TV: ESPN Radio: WBNS-FM/AM (97.1/1460)

The week that was

The gantlet that is Ohio State’s schedule down the stretch of the Big Ten season began on Saturday, where even its best teams of the past decade had come to die. Finally, the Buckeyes flipped the script at Wisconsin and buried those memories with a 58-52 victory, their first at the Kohl Center since a 53-51 victory on Jan. 13, 2000. The victory also kept them alone in first place in the Big Ten and gave coach Thad Matta 20 victories for the 12th time in as many seasons as a head coach.

The week ahead

Only four home games remain for Ohio State, and two come this week, including a showdown against Michigan State on Saturday in which first place, or at least a share of it, could be on the line again. Before then, though, the Buckeyes and Spartans have to lock up midweek home victories over Purdue and Penn State, respectively. Purdue has won three of five conference road games, against Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern, but no team has finished within 15 points of Ohio State this season at Value City Arena. By this time next week, the Buckeyes could be at least two games clear in the loss column of every other team in the Big Ten.

How good are they?

It is not a vintage Wisconsin team, laying as many bricks as it did. But it was the Kohl Center, the Badgers’ tempo kept the score close and for the first time in nearly a month, the Buckeyes had their mettle tested in a hostile environment. They persevered this time and collected their first road victory of the season over a top-50 team in the Rating Percentage Index. With Kentucky and Syracuse winning big, Ohio State should remain third in the polls this week. The Buckeyes also remain first in the Pomeroy efficiency ratings and moved up to fourth yesterday in the Rating Percentage Index, behind Syracuse, Duke and Baylor.

Who’s/what’s hot?

Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan and his players said they had open shots that didn’t go in. Regardless, the Badgers were forced to take nearly half of them from outside the three-point arc and made 5 of 27, and the nation’s most efficient defense strengthened its hold on No. 1. Ohio State is allowing 77.6 points per 100 possessions; the next best, Wisconsin, is allowing 82. Since allowing a season-high 79 points in a loss at Illinois, the Buckeyes have held five opponents to an average of 52.6. Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas dominated Wisconsin inside, combining for 40 points and 16 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end. It was the 11th time in his career Sullinger (24-10) has put up at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Ohio State made better than 80 percent of its free throws for the second game in a row against a ranked opponent while allowing the opponent to barely toe the line. The Buckeyes made a combined 28 of 34 in victories over the Wolverines and the Badgers, who combined to make 6 of 7.

Who’s/what’s not?

One lingering question is when — or if — the Buckeyes’ unpredictable perimeter shooting will catch up to them. So far, it hasn’t because they have been so proficient scoring close to the basket, as they were on Saturday, as well as scoring off their defense. But is the time coming when they will need William Buford or Lenzelle Smith Jr. to win a game for them from distance? Maybe Buford’s late three-pointer against the Badgers will change his luck. Meanwhile, the annual armchair quarterbacking of Matta wearing out his starters resumed when he rode four of them the entire second half at Wisconsin, giving only Smith a four-minute breather. Thomas said Matta knew they were tired as the Badgers cut a seven-point lead to one but preached “toughness” to them during timeouts. “That’s part of the game,” Thomas said. “We had to pick it up. It was a mindset.”

The Sully watch

Ryan said he did not double-team on Sullinger because he was wary of Ohio State’s ability to make three-point shots. “Some of those teams that doubled him paid big time,” he said. Sullinger was grateful. “I don’t think I’ve seen single coverage since the first game of the season my freshman year,” he said. “When I (saw) that, I kind of got excited and decided to go to work.” Sullinger made 6 of 8 shots in the first half. In the second, “they decided to front the post,” he said, “and they had a lot of back-side help, so it was very tough for our guards to deliver the pass.” Thomas was the beneficiary and took advantage with two second-chance putbacks on the back side. He made 4 of 6 shots after halftime. “If you want to double me, or rotate a guy to box me out, Deshaun is always going to be the free one,” Sullinger said, “and he’s a ball-attractor. He always attracts the ball.”

Outside the lines

Matta took advantage of his team’s midweek bye to get some face time with recruits, specifically 2014 point guard JaQuan Lyle of Evansville, Ind. Lyle visited campus Jan. 29 to see the victory over Michigan and received a scholarship offer from Matta, who then traveled to Lyle’s high school the next day to see him practice. Meanwhile, with two scholarships to dangle for the 2012 class, Matta’s list, for now at least, might be down to one: big man Tony Parker of Lithonia, Ga. The other consideration, forward Amile Jefferson of Philadelphia, was reported last week to be deciding between Duke and North Carolina State, with Duke the likely winner.

Quotable

“Heck, no, my brother did not get a win here. I’m going to rub this in his face after I shower.” — Sullinger, speaking of oldest brother J.J., who was 0-3 at Wisconsin as an Ohio State player and was in the arena on Saturday to see the worm turn

bbaptist@dispatch.com