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| Can Sullinger and OSU bounce back? |
The memory of another frustrating loss to rival Ohio State last month remains vivid in the collective minds of the Michigan basketball team.
With that defeat as motivation, the No. 17 Wolverines try to avoid a seventh consecutive loss to the sixth-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday night in a Big Ten matchup at Crisler Arena.
Michigan (19-7, 9-4) trailed by three at halftime at Ohio State on Jan. 29, but the Buckeyes used a 14-2 run midway through the second half to win 64-49. By the end of the game, Buckeye fans added insult to the result by singing "We Don't Give A Damn For the Whole State of Michigan."
The rematch is here, in a prime-time setting and on a court where the Wolverines have won 15 straight dating to last season. The Buckeyes are going to be tested coming off of their recent loss to Michigan State.
Michigan is one game behind Big Ten co-leaders Ohio State (22-4, 10-3) and Michigan State, but has lost 15 of 17 against the Buckeyes. Though Ohio State's only two losses during that stretch have come over the last four games in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes have held the Wolverines to an average of 58.3 points on 41.7 percent shooting during the six-game overall winning streak in the series that dates to a 73-64 loss at Crisler on Jan. 3, 2010.
The Wolverines shot 35.8 percent at Ohio State last month.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 15 points and star freshman Trey Burke added 14 as the Wolverines went 23 of 46 from the field in Sunday's 70-61 home victory over Illinois.
Hardaway has scored 15 points in each of the last three meetings with Ohio State while Burke (14.0 points, 4.8 assists per game) added 13 but also had five turnovers against the Buckeyes last month. Despite Burke's troubles handling the ball in his hometown of Columbus, Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft knows he'll likely be in for a handful against the talented point guard this time.
Ohio State sophomore and Burke's former high school teammate Jared Sullinger managed 13 points while dealing with foul trouble against the Wolverines in January, but fellow sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. helped pick up the slack with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Sullinger has averaged 20.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in four games since that contest. He had 23 points and eight boards Tuesday as the Buckeyes won 78-68 at Minnesota, bouncing back from a 58-48 home loss to seventh-ranked Michigan State three days prior.
William Buford, held to four points on 2-of-12 shooting against the Spartans, finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists at Minnesota.
The Wolverines shot 35.8 percent at Ohio State last month.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 15 points and star freshman Trey Burke added 14 as the Wolverines went 23 of 46 from the field in Sunday's 70-61 home victory over Illinois.
Hardaway has scored 15 points in each of the last three meetings with Ohio State while Burke (14.0 points, 4.8 assists per game) added 13 but also had five turnovers against the Buckeyes last month. Despite Burke's troubles handling the ball in his hometown of Columbus, Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft knows he'll likely be in for a handful against the talented point guard this time.
Ohio State sophomore and Burke's former high school teammate Jared Sullinger managed 13 points while dealing with foul trouble against the Wolverines in January, but fellow sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. helped pick up the slack with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Sullinger has averaged 20.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in four games since that contest. He had 23 points and eight boards Tuesday as the Buckeyes won 78-68 at Minnesota, bouncing back from a 58-48 home loss to seventh-ranked Michigan State three days prior.
William Buford, held to four points on 2-of-12 shooting against the Spartans, finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists at Minnesota.
Ohio State snapped a four-game road skid against Top 25 opponents with a 58-52 victory at then-No. 19 Wisconsin on Feb. 4.
