COLUMBUS, Ohio –No. 4 Ohio State (18-6, 12-6) is back in action at 4 p.m. Sunday vs. No. 9 Iowa (17-7, 11-6) at Value City Arena in Columbus. The game will be televised by CBS Sports.

GAME BASICS

·       No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Iowa meet at 4 p.m. Sunday at Value City Arena in Columbus. This game rounds out the season series. Ohio State won in Iowa City, 89-85, Feb. 4.         

·       Chris Holtmann’s teams are 4-3 vs. Iowa. The Hawkeyes own the all-time series lead 79-77. The Buckeyes are 49-27 in Columbus and 10-5 while playing at Value City Arena.

·       In series history, Ohio State has been ranked among the Top 25 in the weekly Associated Press Poll 39 times with an overall record of 25-14 in those games. Iowa has been ranked 35 times when facing the Buckeyes. The Hawkeyes are 19-16 in those games. The teams have been ranked 10 times simultaneously when facing one another. Ohio State is 6-4 in those games.

·       Ohio State ends the season with two games in Columbus. First a 4 p.m. game Sunday vs. No. 9 Iowa (CBS) and then a matchup with No. 5 Illinois March 6. The game time has not been announced for that contest.

·       Seth Towns needs one point to reach 900 for his career (825 at Harvard, 74 at Ohio State).

No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Iowa  • When: 4 p.m. • Date: Sunday, Feb. 28

Where: Value City Arena • TV: CBS (Ian Eagle/Bill Raftery)

Radio: 97.1 The Fan (Paul Keels/Ron Stokes)

Satellite Radio: Sirius (OSU 84/Iowa 134), XM (84/195), Internet (84/957)

OHIO STATE NOTES

Head Coach: Chris Holtmann
Rec. at Ohio State: 84-40 (4th)
Career Record: 198-125 (10th)
Career vs. Iowa: 4-3

6
Ohio State won six-consecutive road games in Big
Ten play prior to the loss at
Michigan State. Ohio State
owns wins at Rutgers, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland and
Penn State.

92.2
C.J. Walker (67 of 70; 95.7%)
and Duane Washington Jr.
(66 of 74; 89%) are combining
to make 92.2% of their free
throw attempts this season
(133-of-144).

4-1
Ohio State is 11-9 all-time in
games when the Buckeyes and
their opponent are both ranked
in the Top 5 nationally in the
weekly Associated Press Poll.
In Columbus, Ohio State is 4-1
in Top 5 matchups all-time.

5-2

Ohio State is 5-2 vs. teams
ranked in the AP Top 25 with
fi ve of the last six games on
the road. The Buckeyes are
led by E.J. Liddell’s 18.7 ppg.
vs. ranked foes. Duane Washington Jr. contributes 18.0 ppg

HOLTMANN SELECTED AS NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE

Chris Holtmann, now in his fourth season as head
coach of the Buckeyes, is one of 15 coaches nationally on the 2021 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year late-season watch list, the Athlant Tipoff Club announced Feb. 19. Holtmann has
guided the No. 4 Buckeyes to an 18-6 overall record
and a 12-6 mark in the Big Ten this season.

LIDDELL MAKES NAISMITH WATCH LIST

Sophomore E.J. Liddell has been named to the 2021
Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Midseason Team for
Men’s Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Feb. 11.
“E.J. has earned this prestigious recognition and
I am really happy for him,” Chris Holtmann, head
coach of the Buckeyes, said. “He is a gifted player
and his growth has been impressive. E.J. has been
a joy to coach. He understands there is much work
ahead of us this season and I know he is committed
to working toward daily improvement.”
Liddell, a forward from Belleville, Illinois, leads
the Buckeyes in scoring (16.0 ppg.), rebounding
(6.8 rpg.) and blocks (26). He is second in steals
(16).

THE BUCKEYES IN TOP 5 MATCHUPS

Ohio State is 11-9 all time in games when the Buckeyes and their opponent are both ranked in the Top 5 nationally in the weekly Associated Press Poll.
 The game with the Wolverines last Sunday (No.
4 OSU vs. No. 3 UM) was be the third-lowest
combined team ranking in VCA history behind the
Nov. 29, 2011 win for No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3
Duke (85-63) and the Feb. 25, 2007 win for No. 2
Ohio State over No. 1 Wisconsin (49-48).
 The Buckeyes are 4-1 in Columbus all-time in
Top 5 matchups dating to the 1950 seasons when
No. 2 Ohio State downed No. 4 Holy Cross 72-52
 The next win was the iconic double-overtime win
at St. John Arena for the No. 2 Buckeyes over No.
4 Indiana, 97-92.  The two recent wins were in the
games mentioned above over No. 1 Wisconsin and
No. 3 Duke.  No. 4 Buckeyes fell to No. 3 Michian, 92-87 (1/21/21).

BUCKEYES SHINE AT THE FREE THROW LINE

Ohio State ranks No. 2 nationally in free throws made
with 415 and No. 6 in attempts (541). Senior CJ
Walker is No. 1 nationally in free throw percentage
(67-70/.957).

OHIO STATE VS. THE TOP 10 TEAMS

Ohio State has won six of the last seven games vs. Top
10 opponents dating back to the start of the 2019-
20 season. Four of those wins have come away from
Value City Arena.  e streak started with a 76-51 win
over No. 10 Villanova Nov. 13, 2019 in Columbus.
Ohio State then defeated No. 7 North Carolina in
Chapel Hill, 74-49 and No. 6 Kentucky in Las Vegas,
71-65. No. 7 Maryland fell to the Buckeyes in Columbus Feb. 23, 2020 before Ohio State claimed a 74-62 win at No. 10 Wisconsin and then an 89-85 win over No. 8 Iowa Feb. 4 in Iowa City.  e victory over the
Hawkeyes was the fourth-consecutive win over a Top
15 team on the road for the Buckeyes, a program record streak. No. 4 Ohio State fell to No. 3 Michigan in Columbus 92-87 Feb. 21. All-time, Ohio State is
77-136 vs. Top 10 teams.

HEADING TOWARDS 1,000 POINTS

Junior Justice Sueing reached 1,100 career points with
16 vs. Indiana. He scored 886 points in two seasons at
California and now has 246 as a Buckeye this season.
Four other current Buckeyes could reach 1,000 this
year as well. Graduate transfer Seth Towns (Harvard),
senior CJ Walker (Florida State) and senior Jimmy Sotos (Bucknell) all started careers elsewhere but could reach 1,000 points in Columbus. Junior Duane Washington Jr. has scored all his points as a Buckeye.

OHIO STATE SERIES HISTORY WITH THE IOWA HAWKEYES

Iowa leads the all-time series with Ohio State, 79-77.
 e Buckeyes are 49-27 overall in Columbus vs. the
Hawkeyes. Ohio State is 10-5 vs. Iowa while playing
at Value City Arena (1999-present). Iowa owns the
edge in games played in Iowa City, Iowa, 51-26. When
playing at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (1983-present), Iowa
is 21-11 all-time vs. the Buckeyes. When the teams tip
on a neutral court, Ohio State is 2-1, including a 1-1 record in the Big Ten Tournament. In series history, Ohio State has been ranked among the Top 25 in the weekly
Associated Press Poll 39 times with an overall record of
25-14 in those games. Iowa has been ranked 35 times
when facing the Buckeyes.  e Hawkeyes are 19-16
in those games.  e teams have been ranked 10 times
simultaneously when facing one another. Ohio State
is 6-4 in those games, including the 89-85 win earlier
this season in Iowa City when the No. 7 Buckeyes
prevailed over the No. 8 Hawkeyes. Seven Buckeyes
entered the 2020-21 season with experience against the
Hawkeyes. Sophomore E.J. Liddell scored leads Ohio
State off ensively vs. the Hawkeyes with 16.5 points a
game in the series. He also contributes 7.5 boards in
two career meetings. Junior Justin Ahrens averages 9.5
points and is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range
(12-24) in the series. Junior Justice Sueing recorded a
double-double in his lone meeting vs. the Hawkeyes
earlier this month with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

OHIO STATE VERSUS THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE

 e Buckeyes own an overall record of 849-745
against current league members. Chris Holtmann
faced six league opponents during his six years as a
head coach prior to taking over for the Buckeyes in
2017-18. He entered his ë rst year of Big Ten competition with a 4-5 record vs. conference foes. He is 51-37 vs. conference opponents in 10 years as a head coach.

GAME PREVIEW COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS