How No. 6 Kentucky and No. 5 Ohio State match up — with a game prediction
How the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats (8-2) and No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1) match up at each position for their meeting in the CBS Sports Classic — with a game prediction:
Small forward
▪ Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey (12.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg) is one-third of a three-guard lineup that UK has started in the past two games. In the 69-66 loss to Utah on Wednesday night, the 6-foot-3, 198-pound freshman snapped out of a 1-of-17 shooting skid to make seven of 13 shots and score a team-high 18 points. The Garland, Texas, product continues to struggle from behind the three-point line — he is 1-of-14 over Kentucky’s past four games.
▪ Ohio State’s Duane Washington Jr. (11.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 53.7% three-point shooter) is also part of a three-guard lineup. Washington has missed the past two games and is considered “day to day” with a rib injury. Ohio State’s sole defeat, an 84-71 stunner at Minnesota last Sunday, was its first game without Washington. The 6-3, 190-pound sophomore had 14 points and five rebounds in the Buckeyes’ 76-51 demolition of Villanova and 18 points and five boards in OSU’s 74-49 road blowout at North Carolina. If he can’t go, Ohio State will likely start 6-6, 220-pound senior forward Andre Wesson (8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg).
Advantage: Even
Power forward
▪ Kentucky’s EJ Montgomery (9.6 ppg, 6 rpg, 54.4 FG%) bounced back from a scoreless game against Georgia Tech last Saturday to score eight points and grab a team-high 10 rebounds vs. Utah. The physicality of Ohio State figures to be a major test for the willowy 6-10, 228-pound sophomore.
▪ Ohio State’s Kyle Young (8.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 68.1% FG%) is a high-energy grinder who has been productive against high-level competition. The 6-8, 205-pound junior had 14 points and 13 rebounds in a 64-56 win over Cincinnati and eight points and seven boards against Villanova.
Advantage: Even
Center
▪ Kentucky’s Nick Richards (12.9 ppg, team bests 7.6 rpg and 2.4 blocks a game) has not been in top form in UK’s past two games against Power Five conference foes. After a respectable showing (12 points, four rebounds, four blocks) in UK’s 67-53 home win over Georgia Tech last Saturday, the 6-11, 247-pound junior had only five points, four rebounds and a block vs. Utah. OSU’s post heft also figures to be a challenge for Richards.
▪ Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson (team-leading 14.1 ppg and 9.3 rpg; 46.3 FG%) is a 6-9, 270-pound wide load. A product of Westerville, Ohio, Wesson is skilled in the post — but also turnover prone. He lost the ball six times at North Carolina, six times at Minnesota and five times in an 80-48 win over Southeast Missouri on Tuesday night. A junior, the younger of OSU’s Wesson brothers had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) against Villanova and just missed one (10 and nine) at North Carolina.
Advantage: Ohio State
Shooting guard
▪ Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley (11.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 39.2 FG%, 93.5 FT%) hit six of 12 shots, two of six treys, and scored 16 points after being reinserted into the starting lineup against Georgia Tech. However, the 6-3, 188-pound sophomore went 2-of-10 and missed all four of his treys in the loss to Utah.
▪ Ohio State’s Luther Muhammad (8 ppg, 2 rpg, 50 FG%, 16.7 three-point FG%) is valued as an on-ball defender. A 6-3, 185-pound sophomore from Newark, N.J., Muhammad had 11 points and hit two three-pointers in the win over Villanova. He hit his third three-pointer of the season for three points vs. SEMO.
Advantage: Kentucky
Point guard
▪ Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans (team highs of 13.9 ppg and 7.1 apg; 30.3 three-point FG%) had 16 points, eight assists and four steals against Utah. The 6-3. 198-pound sophomore from Cartersville, Ga., had his coming out party in last season’s CBS Sports Classic. In No. 19 UK’s 80-72 upset of No. 9 North Carolina, Hagans tied the Kentucky school-record with eight steals.
▪ Ohio State’s C.J. Walker (7.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 92.9 FT%) is a tough-minded veteran. A redshirt junior, the 6-1, 195-pound Walker is a transfer from Florida State who was the starting point guard on the Seminoles’ 2018 NCAA Tournament round-of-eight team. Walker had 10 points and seven assists vs. Villanova.
Advantage: Kentucky
Bench
▪ Kentucky freshman wing Keion Brooks (7.1 ppg, 4 rpg, 49.2 FG%) has averaged 11 ppg in the past three games. Freshman Kahlil Whitney (5.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 42 FG%) had seven points before fouling out vs. Utah. Graduate transfer power forward Nate Sestina returned from a fractured left wrist and had one rebound vs. Utah. It would greatly benefit UK if Sestina — a 35.4% career three-point shooter who is 3-of-13 this season on treys — could find his stroke.
▪ Ohio State has two freshmen off to impressive college starts. Point guard D.J. Carton (9.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 52.5 FG%) went for 11 points and five assists vs. Villanova and had 19 points in the loss at Minnesota. An undersized power forward at 6-6, 236 pounds, E.J. Liddell (7.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 50 FG%) had 12 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes at North Carolina and 14 points and five boards in 20 minutes at Minnesota.
Advantage: Ohio State
Intangibles and history
▪ Kentucky leads the all-time series with Ohio State 11-9 and has won five of the past seven meetings.
▪ The series is 1-1 in the John Calipari coaching era. UK’s win was a 62-60 NCAA Tournament upset of No. 1 overall seed OSU in the 2011 round of 16. Ohio State won the only prior meeting in the CBS Sports Classic, 74-67, in 2015-16.
▪ This will be the first time that UK has faced a team coached by Kentucky product Chris Holtmann. The Ohio State head man was a standout on Jessamine County’s 1990 Boys’ Sweet Sixteen team. He was a Gardner-Webb assistant in 2007-08 when the Runnin’ Bulldogs stunned UK in Rupp Arena.
Advantage: Even
Prediction
Ohio State 68, Kentucky 66
