With non-conference games in the rear-view mirror, Ohio State will host No. 18 Michigan State on Friday night in Columbus to start its stretch of 18 consecutive Big Ten games to complete the regular season.
For the Spartans (11-2, 2-0), a lackluster 80-62 win over Western Michigan on Monday was a warning that reputation is no guarantee of success in the rugged conference.
“We’ve got some work to do,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “Everybody that thinks we’re worthy of being a really good team, and I can think of about 15 other Big Ten teams that are in the same boat as we are. What we do between now and Friday is going to determine some of that.”
Ohio State (9-4, 1-1) is confident after consecutive wins over then-No. 4 Kentucky (85-65 score) on Dec. 21 and another 20-point win (103-83) vs. Indiana State on Sunday. Those victories came after a 24-point loss to Maryland and a 38-point thumping by then-No. 2 Auburn earlier in December.
The catalyst for the Buckeyes has been Bruce Thornton. The junior had a career-high 30 points against Kentucky, then bettered that with 33 against the Sycamores to become the first Ohio State player since Evan Turner to post 30-plus points in back-to-back-games. Turner had 31 each against Illinois and Minnesota in the 2010 Big Ten tournament.