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Men's Basketball
Buckeyes Draw Archrival Michigan for Rubber Match
By Brandon Castel

INDIANAPOLIS – If the Buckeyes were looking to add some intrigue this year’s Big Ten Tournament after wrapping up the regular season conference title, they may have found it.

While neither opponent was expected to pose much of a threat to No. 5 Ohio State in their first game of the tournament, Michigan’s 59-52 win over Iowa Thursday certainly adds a little more intrigue to Friday’s game.

David Lighty
Photo by Jim Davidson

The hardwood rivalry certainly can’t match the intensity between these two bitter rivals on the gridiron, but it’s like David Lighty said.

“It doesn't matter what it is. It could be badminton out there playing, but it's Ohio State vs. Michigan, so it just makes it that much more competitive,” Lighty said back in February as the Buckeyes prepared to host Michigan in Columbus.

Without the names, Friday’s matchup shapes up as the No. 1-seed vs. the No. 8-seed in a game that shouldn’t be very close. The Buckeyes (24-7, 14-4 Big Ten) are ranked fifth in the country, having won 13 of their last 15 games heading into postseason play. Meanwhile, the Wolverines (15-16, 7-11) had lost nine of their last 12 before knocking off the Hawkeyes Thursday.

And yet, like most Ohio State-Michigan battles, the game figures to be much closer than the standings suggest.

“It's a talented team,” Michigan forward DeShawn Sims said of the Buckeyes after beating Iowa Thursday.

“We've just got to come out and not be scared, go attack them. We played them twice, beat them once, and we just have to go in with the mindset that it's all or nothing and try to win it.”

The Wolverines beat Ohio State 73-64 earlier this season in Ann Arbor, but the Buckeyes were playing without star point guard Evan Turner. Sims scored 28 points in that game on 13-of-18 shooting and Manny Harris added 24 as Michigan shot 55.8 percent from the floor.

They shot only 38 percent Thursday against the Hawkeyes while going 6-of-25 behind the arc, but Harris went for 22 and Sims went for 14 while Zack Gibson provided a spark off the bench.

It’s going to take more than that, however, to knock off the Bucks at Conseco Fieldhouse Friday (noon ET, ESPN). The Wolverines were held to just 22 second-half points in their last meeting in Columbus as Sims and Harris combined to shoot 5-for-20 from the floor in a 66-55 loss at Value City Arena. Sophomore Scott Novak added 11 points in the first half but went scoreless in the second half while being guarded by Lighty.

Despite that, Novak and his teammates are confident heading into Friday’s game that they can hang with, and ultimately knock off, the mighty Buckeyes.

“We beat them for a full game, and I think we beat them for a half the next time we played them,” Novak said.

“We're confident going in. They're a really good team and they've got a lot of talented guys, but I know we're going to be ready to play. We'll go out there and see what happens.”

Turner went off for 18, 11 and seven in the last meeting back on Feb. 27, but sophomore William Buford exploded for 24 points and nine rebounds in the win. Center Dallas Lauderdale held Sims in check all night long after being affronted all week long by his coaches.

“My coaches were on me all week about Sims scoring 30 on me up in Michigan,” Lauderdale said after the last meeting.

“I just wanted to my best to help shut him down.”

Lauderdale and the Buckeyes will need to contain Sims again Friday if they want to make it an open and shut case in their first game of the conference tournament. With a win over the Wolverines, Thad Matta would improve to 11-2 all time against “that school up North.”

Projected Michigan Starting Lineup:

F 34 DeShawn Sims (6-8, Sr., Detroit)

F 0 Zack Novak (6-5, So. , Chesterton, Ind.)

G 1 Stu Douglass (6-3, So., Carmel, Ind.)

G 3 Manny Harris (6-5, Jr., Detroit)

G 4 Darius Morris (6-4, Fr., Los Angeles)

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