Indiana attempts to clinch the Big Ten regular-season title when the Hoosiers host Ohio State on Tuesday. The Hoosiers have a two-game lead over four other programs - including the Buckeyes - entering play in the final week. Indiana has won 25 regular-season games for the sixth time in school history and for the first occasion since the 1992-93 campaign. Ohio State has won three straight games but suffered an 81-68 home loss to the Hoosiers on Feb. 10.The Buckeyes crave finishing in the top four in the Big Ten standings so they can grab a first-round bye in the upcoming conference tournament. Ohio State is tied for second with Michigan State, Wisconsin and Michigan and finishes the regular season Sunday at home against Illinois. The Hoosiers are 17-1 at home after notching a 73-60 victory over Iowa on Saturday. Indiana coach Tom Crean was excited about the current group of players joining the 25-win club. "To be one of only six teams that has ever gotten to 25 regular-season wins in Indiana history is big, really big," Crean said. "I thought the way we did it was a tremendous testament to the way these guys worked." The Hoosiers close the regular season Sunday at Michigan.TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPNABOUT OHIO STATE (21-7, 11-5 Big Ten): Junior guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. had his top outing of the campaign when he scored a season-best 24 points and made six 3-pointers against Northwestern. Smith is shooting a team-best 40.2 percent from behind the arc and his 43 3-pointers rank second on the team behind leading scorer Deshaun Thomas (59). Thomas, a junior forward, has scored in double figures in all 28 games while averaging a team-best 19.8 points. Smith (10.3) is the only other player averaging in double digits. Junior guard Aaron Craft averages 9.4 points and 4.4 assists and leads Ohio State with 53 steals.ABOUT INDIANA (25-4, 13-3): Sophomore forward Cody Zeller and junior guard Victor Oladipo receive most of the attention for the Hoosiers' stellar season, but freshman Yogi Ferrell has been a difference-making point guard. Ferrell scored a season-best 19 points against Iowa for his 10th double-digit effort of the campaign and his 127 assists are third-most by an Indiana freshman. "I felt I did a better job of taking one more dribble and being more under control," Ferrell said afterward. He is averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 assists. Zeller averages 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds and Oladipo contributes 14 points and six rebounds per outing to go with a team-best 68 steals. Oladipo scored a career-best 26 points in February's victory over the Buckeyes.TIP-INS1. Indiana's victory last month was only its second in the last nine meetings with Ohio State.2. Thomas has 1,452 points and needs seven to pass David Lighty (2006-11) and move into 20th place on the Buckeyes' all-time scoring list.3. Zeller has scored 20 or more points eight times this season.PREDICTION: Indiana 71, Ohio State 69.
Preview: Ohio State at Indiana
Published On: Mar 04 2013 04:37:45 PM CST
Updated On: Mar 04 2013 04:37:45 PM CST
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