NCAAB Game Preview - Penn State at Ohio State

Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:00 PM EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This season's compressed Big Ten schedule leaves teams little time for rest, and No. 13 Ohio State is back on the court three days after its last outing to face Penn State on Thursday night at Value City Arena.

The Buckeyes, who fought off Nebraska on Monday night at home to come away with a 64-59 victory, will try to extend their perfect start in Big Ten play under first-year coach Chris Holtmann.

At 18-4 overall and 9-0 in the conference, Ohio State and Holtmann are on an unprecedented run. No Big Ten coach in 95 years has started a season in his first year at the school with as many consecutive wins.

To maintain a perfect record in conference play, the Buckeyes are faced with passing another endurance test. This will be their fourth game in eight days and their second during a four-game homestand as the Big Ten regular season speeds toward an early postseason tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York.

"We've got obviously another one coming at us -- right at us," Holtmann said.

No one expected the Buckeyes to have the kind of success they're experienced. They're gone from an afterthought in the Big Ten at the start of the year to a legitimate title contender with a team that has come together behind veterans Keita Bates-Diop, Jae'Sean Tate and C.J. Jackson.

Bates-Diop leads the Buckeyes in scoring (19.7 points per game), rebounding (8.8 per game) and blocked shots (39).

"We believe we have a chance in every single game," Ohio State graduate transfer guard Andrew Dakich said. "The ball has bounced enough our way to be fortunate enough to be 9-0. I envisioned having a successful season, but to start out like this and just getting guys to play at a high level, you can't expect everyone to play at a high level."

So far, the Buckeyes have done just that. Ohio State and No. 3 Purdue are tied atop the standings and on a collision course for a monster matchup Feb. 7 in West Lafayette, Ind.

In the meantime, the Buckeyes face some significant hurdles to get to the showdown, starting with Penn State.

"We have to get ready to play because Penn State will come out and give us their best shot," Jackson said. "We'll know they'll be ready play to play. It's going to be another grind-it-out game."

In grinding out the victory over Nebraska, Ohio State reached the midpoint of the Big Ten schedule. Nine down, nine to go. Where the streak stops, nobody knows.

"There can be no definitive statements made about us other than we're halfway through Big Ten play," Holtmann said, adding, "We have positioned ourselves to be in meaningful games."

Ohio State will face four Penn State starters who are averaging in double figures in scoring, led by guard Tony Carr at 18.9 points per game. But the Nittany Lions (13-8, 3-5) have lost two in a row and three of their last four.

One of the losses was by four points and the other in overtime. In Saturday's 71-60 loss at Northwestern, Penn State blew a lead late in the second half and didn't get a field goal in the last 10 1/2 minutes.

Penn State coach Patrick Chambers knows it will be tough to bounce back against Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have dropped five in a row against the Buckeyes.

"It's a veteran team," Chambers said. "Bates-Diop is playing MVP-caliber for the Big Ten this year, in my opinion.

"They're an older team, a little bit wiser, and they're playing like it."