Men's basketball: Ohio State-Illinois preview
OHIO STATE VS. ILLINOIS
7 tonight
• Where: Value City Arena
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: WBNS AM/FM (1460/97.1)
• Records: Ohio State 22-5 overall, 10-4 Big Ten; Illinois 16-11, 5-9
• Matchup to watch: Despite Illinois guard Brandon Paul scoring 43 points, Jared Sullinger said Ohio State’s loss to the Fighting Illini on Jan. 10 was “on me.” Sullinger scored 21 points but, like a lot of Buckeyes, was a defensive liability as Illinois center Meyers Leonard ran him ragged up and down the court. Look for the Illini to try to do the same tonight, and see how Sullinger handles it.
• Notable: Ohio State is No. 8 in the Associated Press media poll and No. 9 in the ESPN- USA Today coaches poll. . . . The Buckeyes are 10-4 vs. the Illini under coach Thad Matta, including 5-1 at home. . . . Illinois’ five-game losing streak is its longest since 2008. . . . Paul is averaging 18.2 points in Big Ten games, and his 34 three-pointers are one fewer than league leader John Shurna of Northwestern.
• Next: Wisconsin, 4 p.m. Sunday, Value City Arena
— Bob Baptist
bbaptist@dispatch.com
| Rosters | |||||
| Ohio State | |||||
| NO | PLAYER | Pos. | Ht. | Yr. | Pts. |
| 0 | Jared Sullinger* | F/C | 6-9 | So. | 17.5 |
| 1 | Deshaun Thomas* | F | 6-7 | So. | 14.6 |
| 2 | Jordan Sibert | G | 6-4 | So. | 3.1 |
| 3 | Shannon Scott | G | 6-1 | Fr. | 1.4 |
| 4 | Aaron Craft* | G | 6-2 | So. | 8.1 |
| 10 | LaQuinton Ross | G | 6-8 | Fr. | 1.8 |
| 12 | Sam Thompson | G | 6-7 | Fr. | 2.6 |
| 15 | J.D. Weatherspoon | F | 6-6 | So. | 3.8 |
| 23 | Amir Williams | C | 6-10 | Fr. | 1.9 |
| 30 | Evan Ravenel | F | 6-8 | Jr. | 4.0 |
| 32 | Lenzelle Smith Jr.* | G | 6-4 | So. | 6.0 |
| 44 | William Buford* | G | 6-6 | Sr. | 15.0 |
| 55 | Trey McDonald | C | 6-8 | Fr. | 0.0 |
| Illinois | |||||
| NO | PLAYER | Pos. | Ht. | Yr. | Pts. |
| 0 | Sam Maniscalco | G | 6-0 | Sr. | 1.6 |
| 1 | D.J. Richardson* | G | 6-3 | Jr. | 10.0 |
| 2 | Joseph Bertrand | G | 6-5 | So. | 8.6 |
| 3 | Brandon Paul* | G | 6-4 | Jr. | 18.2 |
| 12 | Meyers Leonard* | C | 7-1 | So. | 12.4 |
| 13 | Tracy Abrams* | G | 6-1 | Fr. | 5.6 |
| 15 | Mike Shaw | F | 6-8 | Fr. | 0.4 |
| 20 | Myke Henry | G/F | 6-6 | Fr. | 3.6 |
| 23 | Ibby Djimde | F/C | 6-8 | Fr. | 0.0 |
| 25 | Jean Selus | G | 6-2 | Sr. | 0.0 |
| 32 | Nnanna Egwu | F/C | 6-11 | Fr. | 1.2 |
| 43 | Tyler Griffey* | F | 6-8 | Jr. | 3.3 |
| 44 | Kevin Berardini | G | 6-0 | So. | 0.0 |
