More: Purdue 2018-19 roster | 2018-19 men's basketball schedule

More ($): Fearful Predictions — Purdue's 2018-19 season | Burning Questions

Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 • 7 p.m. ET | Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio) | TV: BTN | Radio: Purdue Radio Network

In-game updates: Twitter.com — @GoldandBlackcom | @brianneubert

Our premium board game thread and pre-game thoughts can be found roughly an hour prior to tip-off

ABOUT THIS GAME

• On its surface this looks like another game between two teams headed in opposite directions, as Purdue has won six of its last seven and is 4-1 since the resumption of Big Ten play and the Buckeyes have lost all four games since conference play started back up — to Michigan State, at Rutgers, at Iowa and to Maryland.

• The Buckeyes will be without forward Kyle Young indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his leg. Young has been a starter at forward, but also has slid inside at times to play center when Ohio State goes small without leading scorer Kaleb Wesson on the floor. Young has been a starter at forward, but his loss leaves the Buckeyes without many options behind Wesson.

• Ohio State is pretty young, relying heavily on freshmen and playing through Kaleb Wesson, a sophomore, but has been a solid defensive team, 26th nationally in efficiency per KenPom and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed (46.2).

Through six Big Ten games — Ohio State beat Minnesota and Illinois in December — opponents are averaging 70.5 points.

Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Projected Rotation

50 C Trevion Williams (6-9, 280, Fr.)

It's just one top big man after another for Williams, from Nick Ward to Ethan Happ to Juwan Morgan to now Kaleb Wesson. The Buckeye big man may not be to that level yet, but his importance to his team in on par. Williams will want to body up Wesson without fouling, making him work on D and assert himself on the defensive glass.

24 F Grady Eifert (6-6, 220, Sr.)

Eifert's most important job in this game may lie on defense. Should Purdue continue to double opposing big men from the 4, that would mean an important defensive assignment for Eifert and Aaron Wheeler.

14 G/F Ryan Cline (6-6, 195, Sr.)

This will be only the second, but final, trip Cline makes to Ohio State in his career. He grew up a Buckeye fan, in an Ohio State family. He'll want to play well, as he's been doing lately. He's now shooting 51.6 percent from three since Big Ten play resumed five games ago.

20 G Nojel Eastern (6-6, 220, So.)

Coming off an outing in which he might have been the game's most influential player against Indiana, the game-changing defender draws a key assignment in Columbus. C.J. Jackson is the second scoring option Purdue will want to slow down.

3 G Carsen Edwards (6-1, 200, Jr.)

The Big Ten's leading scorer has handed out 13 assists against just two turnovers the past two games, but has also raised his game defensively, it seems.

KEY PLAYERS

32 C - Matt Haarms (7-3, 250, So.)

Since moving to a role coming off the bench, Haarms has been playing his best basketball of the season at both ends of the floor. His defensive versatility was on full display vs. Indiana as was the offensive mobility Purdue will hope can cause some problems for Kaleb Wesson at the defensive end.

1 F Aaron Wheeler (6-9, 200, R-Fr.)

Wheeler's development as a defender is ongoing, but he made some plays vs. Indiana with his athleticism. Like Eifert, he'll likely be tasked with doubling the post at times, if not all the time, when he's in, provided Wesson is.

2 G Eric Hunter (6-3, 170, Fr.)

Again, Purdue needs solid minutes from the freshman on offense and his best effort on defense, and it's been getting both for some time now.

55 G Sasha Stefanovic (6-4, 195, R-Fr.)

Not that Purdue needs a ton from him, but Stefanovic has been scoreless three of the past four games, but the one was his 14-point outburst vs. Rutgers, on 5-of-6 shooting. To his credit at this stage of his career, he's letting shots find him, as opposed to the other way around.

12 F/C Evan Boudreaux (6-8, 220, Jr.)

Boudreaux is back from injury, but with Haarms and Williams playing well, it can ease him back into the lineup.

Roster | Schedule | Stats

C - 34 Kaleb Wesson (6-9, 270, So.)

In just his second season, the massive big man has become the Buckeyes' go-to guy offensively, and Ohio State's been extremely efficient when it's gotten him the ball in the post. For the season, he's averaging 15.9 points. He's an effective low-post scorer, but can also pass and shoot threes. But his 6.2 fouls per 40 minutes is a big number. Foul trouble is a massive concern for Wesson and the Buckeyes.

G - 3 C.J. Jackson (6-1, 175, Sr.)

Ohio State's best perimeter scoring threat, the point guard is averaging double figures and shooting better than 41 percent from three. He'll be a critical matchup, certain to draw Nojel Eastern.

G - 1 Luther Muhammad (6-3, 185, Fr.)

The freshman guard is a talent and being relied on heavily, playing more than 30 minutes per game in Big Ten play. But he's shooting just 30 percent.

G - 32 Keyshawn Woods (6-1, 182, Sr.)

The grad transfer from Wake Forest is struggling to make shots, just 1-of-8 from three since the resumption of Big Ten play. He's shooting less than 32 percent from the floor this season. He averaged double-figures each of the past two seasons at Wake.

F - 24 Andre Wesson (6-6, 220, Jr.)

Ohio State's 4 man makes about a third of his threes — you'll recall him banking in a big one in Mackey Arena last season — but is more of a piecemeal-type offensive player and a good athlete. He may be the player Purdue doubles off at times if it wants to crowd his brother in the paint.

KEY PLAYERS

G - 4 Duane Washington (6-3, 190, Fr.)

Washington's a terrific shooter who can give Ohio State some instant offense off the bench if Purdue isn't careful. He just went for 14 points in 21 minutes against surging Maryland, and with Young out, there may be more minutes to go around.

G/F - 2 Musa Jallow (6-5, 200, So.)

After he was pressed into a prominent role as a freshman last season, Jallow's minutes have been inconsistent in Year 2. Young's loss may change that.

F - 23 Jaedon Ledee (6-9, 230, Fr.)

Ohio State is perilously thin in the middle now since it used Young as an undersized center before. Does that press the freshman into a more prominent role? He's not a true center, but at least he's tall.

Ohio State is obviously struggling while Purdue is surging. The Boilermakers seem to have found some consistency, as well, but they haven't necessarily proven themselves on that front on the road. Here's a great chance. If interior depth matters, Purdue wins that element in a landslide.

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