Jake Diebler: Ohio State knows 'how important this game' is against rival Michigan
He stopped short of guaranteeing a win. When it comes to Ohio State and Michigan, it’s typically best for coaches to under-promise and over-deliver in the leadup to a meeting between the rivals.
That didn’t stop interim coach Jake Diebler from emphasizing what the Buckeyes will be playing for Sunday afternoon inside Value City Arena. Yes, it’s senior day. Yes, it’s also another critical game to keep any hopes of reaching March Madness alive.
But it’s also Michigan, and Ohio State fans will see the home team’s play reflect the opponent, Diebler said after Thursday night’s 78-69 win against Nebraska.
“We know how important this game is,” Diebler said. “Certainly to celebrate our seniors, certainly because we’re nearing the end of our regular season, but make no mistake: this game is important because it’s the team up north. We own that. We are leaning into that.”
The first meeting between the teams marked one in a growing number of blemishes that ultimately led athletic director Gene Smith to fire coach Chris Holtmann with six games remaining in the regular season. A historically bad Michigan team enters this game having lost six straight, 11 of 12 and 16 of 18 dating back to a 106-101 overtime loss to Florida on Dec. 19.
One of Michigan’s two wins in the last 77 days is against Ohio State. On Jan. 15, the Buckeyes used at 16-0 second-half run to build a four-point lead with seven minutes left only to lose 73-65 at the Crisler Center. It was a third straight loss for the Buckeyes and snapped a five-game Michigan losing streak. The Wolverines promptly put together another five-game losing streak and Ohio State continued a run of nine losses in 11 games that led to Holtmann’s dismissal.
Now the Buckeyes have won three of four under Diebler while beating No. 2 Purdue at home and Michigan State on the road, putting Ohio State in position to possibly be in position to get near the NCAA Tournament bubble if it keeps winning.
Pulling off a Cinderella run to March Madness requires no room for error right now. Ohio State has to win its final two regular-season games and likely a handful in the Big Ten Tournament to have any hopes of getting there. That starts with the Wolverines, who with a loss would be tied for their most defeats since a 10-22 season under first-year coach John Beilein in 2007-08.
Michigan has won three straight against the Buckeyes.
“It means a lot,” fifth-year forward Jamison Battle said of playing Michigan on senior day. “They got us on Martin Luther King Day, and we remember that. That left a bad taste in our mouth and obviously facing the team up north, that’s big. That’s personal. I think we’re going to take that to heart.”
This isn’t Battle’s first senior day. He went through one last year at Minnesota before deciding to turn pro, changing his mind, entering the transfer portal and signing with Ohio State in large part with a belief that the Buckeyes would give him an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his career. With Bruce Thornton unavailable due to a migraine, Battle poured in a season-high 32 points to take down the Cornhuskers on Thursday night, and he was demonstrative in doing so.
The chance to play meaningful basketball as the season enters its most celebrated month matters to Battle, and he repeatedly stressed that point after beating Nebraska. He’ll be one of eight honorees at the game, joining fellow players Dale Bonner, Zed Key and Owen Spencer and managers David Cantor, Anthony Moyer, Dylan Parker and Christian Perry.
“Great opportunity to be able to defend our home,” sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “I think we’ll continue to do so on senior day.”
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Diebler, like Battle, pointed out that Ohio State didn’t get the job done in the first meeting against Michigan. The chance to make up for that isn’t being lost on the Buckeyes.
“We expect to get (Michigan’s) very best,” the coach said. “We’re going to be ready to go. We’re going to lean into who our opponent is, certainly.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Michigan adding an extra charge to Ohio State basketball's senior day
