The Buckeyes will play the winner of this evening’s game between Minnesota and Penn State.
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann announced on Wednesday that fifth-year senior forward Kyle Young will be unavailable for tomorrow’s Big Ten Tournament opener, while sophomore forward Zed Key will be a game-time decision.
Key suffered an ankle injury in the Feb. 27 loss at Maryland and missed the next two games. He then re-aggravated the injury in Sunday’s loss against Michigan after scoring four points and pulling down four rebounds in seven minutes off the bench.
Young, meanwhile, started the March 1 loss to Nebraska in Key’s place but left the game after just eight minutes with what Ohio State initially described as an undisclosed illness and was later revealed as a concussion. He’s missed the last two games as a result.
On the other hand, the Buckeyes will have freshman guard Meechie Johnson back on Thursday. He was carried off the floor after injuring his ankle in the second half of the loss to the Wolverines but that has not lingered.
“Certainly, we’d like to be healthier and also playing a little bit better,” Holtmann said during his media availability, "but I feel confident in this group and what we can be.”
Ohio State will play the winner of this evening’s game between 14th-seeded Minnesota and No. 11 seed Penn State at 9 p.m. on Thursday. The Buckeyes are a combined 4-0 against the Golden Gophers and Nittany Lions this season, but that doesn't mean Holtmann expects an easy win.
"Playing teams for a third time that are obviously good teams, well-coached teams, it'll be a challenge," Holtmann said. "It will certainly be a challenge in this first game, for sure."
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