Buckeyes Step Out of Conference to Tackle Vols

Columbus, OH (Sports Network) – Taking a break from conference play, the 16th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers and fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes get together for a Top-25 matchup from Value City Arena in Columbus this afternoon.

The Volunteers had a nine-game win streak heading into this week’s action, but that lengthy win streak was halted at Vanderbilt on Wednesday, 82-81. The loss was the first in SEC action for the Vols and just the third of the season overall.

Ohio State only has three losses on the year as well. The Buckeyes are also coming off a loss this week, dropping a 72-69 decision at Wisconsin on Tuesday. The loss was the first in Big Ten play for OSU.

The Buckeyes have won both prior meetings in this series, but these teams haven’t met in more than a quarter century. The last time these two teams got together was in 1979, a 91-65 rout by the then second-ranked Buckeyes.

The Volunteers would like nothing better than to close out their non- conference schedule with a big win over a top-five program and the team certainly has the offensive wherewithal to do just that. Tennessee is averaging a robust 85.6 ppg, on .458 shooting from the floor. The top option at the offensive end this year has clearly been guard Chris Lofton. The 6-2 junior is one of the top snipers in the entire country, averaging 22.6 ppg. He is shooting .520 from the floor this year, including .480 from behind the arc (61-of-127). Junior JaJuan Smith and freshman Duke Crews have given the team balance with 14.6 and 10.8 ppg, respectively. Crews is tops in the team in rebounding at 6.0 rpg. Scoring 81 points usually results in a victory, but that wasn’t the case at Vanderbilt this week. Lofton was once again an offensive force, erupting for 29 points, including draining six of his seven shots from three-point range. Fellow guard Ramar Smith added 17 points, while Crews finished with 10. UT shot .483 from the field in the game, but committed 15 turnovers and was outrebounded 40-33 in the game.

The Buckeyes are also getting a solid contribution from the freshmen class, this time in the form of seven-footer Greg Oden. Perhaps the top freshmen in the entire nation. Oden has certainly lived up to the hype thus far. He ranks second on the team in scoring with 13.9 ppg and is leading the way both in rebounding (9.2 rpg) and blocked shots (36). Oden gets plenty of offensive support, with three others averaging double digits. Daequan Cook comes off the bench this year, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up a team-high 14.8 ppg. Ron Lewis (13.2 ppg) and Ivan Harris (10.1 ppg) get in the act as well. This team has really shot the ball well from long range this year, with Jamar Butler leading the way (37 three-pointers). Butler, Cook, Lewis and Harris have all amassed over 30 treys each and have combined for 134 of the team’s 147 three-pointers to date. In the narrow loss to Wisconsin this week, Harris led the team with 17 points. Lewis followed with 14 points, while Butler chipped in with 12. Oden scored 10 points in the setback, adding seven rebounds and six blocked shots to a solid statline.

01/13 12:15:59 ET