Ahead of the March Madness, Jake Diebler’s Ohio State has a huge game coming up against the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. The Ohio State Buckeyes are 19-11 overall so far and are 11-8 in the Big Ten Conference.
The Buckeyes suffered back-to-back losses in the final stretch against the Michigan State Spartans and the Iowa Hawkeyes. They have managed to bounce back with strong wins against the Purdue Boilermakers and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
The Buckeyes still haven’t secured their spot in the bracket. The upcoming game against Indiana might be able to put them there, but that wouldn’t solely rely on the outcome of the game against the Hoosiers.
A win against Indiana will bring them to 20 overall wins in the season. The biggest impact it will have is that it will stack their resume for the committee to consider. Winning the next game against Indiana isn’t going to be easy.
The Hoosiers have an 18-12 overall record this season. They are coming off a strong 77-47 win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. But a win on Saturday will likely cement Ohio State’s chances of being in the tournament.
At this time, the Buckeyes will need all their best players on the court. Brandon Noel, who hasn’t played a game since January 8, is set to return for the final game of the regular season.
“We’ve got good news coming,” Jake Diebler said on The Field of 68. “I think Brandon Noel’s going to be able to check into a game before the season’s over.”
With enough firepower, the Buckeyes can make one final push to be in the March Madness bracket.
Jake Diebler on the Bubble Talk
Diebler was recently asked if he pays attention to the outside noise and the conversations that happen around his team. He stated that being aware of what’s going on in the outside world is part of his job as a coach.
However, his primary focus is always on making his team better and preparing his players for the games on the schedule.
“There’s so much outside noise right now that we have to have tunnel vision, laser focus, and our guys have done that. I think that combined with the fact that we’re actually a lot healthier than we’ve been is a big reason why we’re playing the way we are,” he said.
As far as the numbers and discussions are concerned, Diebler said that the focus will always be on the team.
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