Game Day Essentials:
Indiana (18-12, 9-10) at Ohio State (19-11, 11-8)
- Tip Time: 5:30 p.m. ET, Saturday
- Location: Value City Arena (19,049), Columbus, Ohio
- Television: FOX: Gus Johnson, Jimmy Jackson
- Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
- Stream: Fox Sports
- Point Spread: Ohio State is around an 4.5-point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: Ohio State 78 Indiana 73
- History: Indiana leads, 114-88
- Last Meeting: Indiana 66 OSU 60 (2025)
- Tickets (via our StubHub affiliate link)
Latest bracketology: IU basketball at Ohio State looks like an NCAA Tournament play-in game
Ohio State’s Jake Diebler
Jake Diebler was named the program’s 15th head coach on March 17, 2024.
The 2025-26 season is Diebler’s 10th season at Ohio State. He was a video coordinator with the program from 2014-16 and then returned as an assistant coach prior to the 2019-20 season. He was promoted to associate head coach before the 2021-22 season, was named interim head coach on Feb. 14, 2024 and then head coach on March 17, 2024.
As a player at Valparaiso, Diebler ranked among the Horizon League Top 10 in a trio of categories as a senior, finishing fourth in minutes played (33.8/game), sixth in 3-pointers made (1.8/game) and eighth in steals (1.3/game). He finished his Crusader career 10th with 130 career steals and 16th all-time at Valpo with 229 career assists.
2024-Present — Ohio State Head Coach
2024 – (11 games) Ohio State Interim Head Coach
2022-2024 – (2 years) Ohio State Associate Head Coach
2019-2022 – (3 years) Ohio State Assistant Coach
2016-2019 – (3 years) Vanderbilt Assistant Coach
2013-2016 – (3 years) Ohio State Video Coordinator
2011-2013 – (2 years) Valparaiso Assistant Coach
2010-2011 – (1 year) Valparaiso Director of Operations
2009-2010 – (1 year) Valparaiso Graduate Assistant
Ohio State’s results and roster
Ohio State’s game notes (via OSU Athletics)
- The program will honor its seniors prior to the game — including players Brandon Noel, Christoph Tilly and superstar Bruce Thornton.
- The Hoosiers have won the last five meetings in the series, including the last two games in Columbus. The last four meetings have all been decided by six points or less, which includes a one-point overtime win for Indiana in the teams’ last meeting in Columbus last January.
- The Buckeyes can finish anywhere between 7-9 in the Big Ten standings based on the outcome of this weekend’s games. A win on Saturday and the Buckeyes earn a double-bye in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and will either be the No. 7 or No. 8 seed. A loss, coupled with an Iowa win, would drop the Buckeyes to the No. 9 seed and they would open the tournament on Wednesday.
- The Buckeyes are coming off a dominant 94-62 victory on the road on Wednesday over Penn State. The Buckeyes shot 66.7 percent from the floor and was a remarkable 16-of-23 from beyond the arc (69.6 percent). John Mobley Jr. made a career-best 8-of-9 three-point attempts and tied his career-high with 28 points. Bruce Thornton was 7-of-8 from the floor and finished with 18 points.
- The 16 three-pointers were the most the Buckeyes have made in a 40 minute Big Ten road game in program history. The 66.7 shooting percentage was the best in a Big Ten road game since Dec. 2, 2017 and the 32-point margin of victory was the best in a Big Ten road game since a 34-point win at Nebraska 2012.
- Bruce Thornton is the man of the hour. He enters his senior night just 12 points away passing Dennis Hopson (1984-87) for the most points in program history. Thornton has scored 2,085 career points. He is averaging a career-best 19.9 ppg this season.
- Mobley Jr. has made 16 three-pointers in the last three games since returning from a finger injury. He is leading the Big Ten and is 12th nationally at 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. Despite missing three games, Mobley’s 86 three-pointers this year are ninth-most in a single-season in program history.
No. 27 Ohio State’s KenPom notable numbers:
(out of 365 teams)
Tempo – No. 245 (Offense No. 213 / Defense No. 312)
Offensive Efficiency – No. 19
- Ohio State has an effective field goal percentage of 56.4 percent on the year (No. 21). The Buckeyes are shooting 36.0 percent from three (No. 67) and 58 percent on 2s (No. 24). Those shooting percentages are the standout feature of the OSU offense.
- OSU also shoots free throws at a very high percentage (77.1%, No. 35 in the nation).
- The Buckeyes are mediocre when it comes to getting offensive rebounds, with a 31.3% rate, No. 154.
Defensive Efficiency – No. 54
- Opponents hold a 49.8 percent effective field goal percentage against OSU (No. 98). Teams are shooting 31.2 percent from three (No. 40) and 51.9 percent on 2s (No. 189).
- OSU doesn’t force turnovers at a high rate. Opponents are giving it away on just 15.7% of possessions, No. 243.
- Teams are getting 40.7% of their total shots from three against Ohio State. 221 teams are allowing a lower rate.
- The Buckeyes don’t block many shots, just 6.9% of attempts — No. 318.
TDH PREDICTION: Ohio State 84 Indiana 72
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