Normally, a team would want to get back on the court as soon as possible to continue the momentum from a road win over a ranked opponent.
But for Ohio State coach Jake Diebler, the break between defeating No. 11 Purdue 73-70 on the road Tuesday and hosting Iowa on Monday in Columbus is welcomed, especially considering the stress of playing five consecutive one-possession games.
“We need this time to recover and work on some things and keep growing,” Diebler said. “This is a great opportunity for us to grow in preparation for a good team coming in.”
The win for the Buckeyes (11-8, 3-5 Big Ten) ended a three-losing streak, just as the Hawkeyes (13-7, 4-5) snapped their three-game skid with a 76-75 home victory over Penn State. The big difference is Iowa played on Friday and will have a quick turnaround.
“When you’re going through a tough stretch, it can feel impossible to get a win,” said Iowa senior Payton Sandfort, who averages 16.2 points per game. “Once you get one, things start to feel better. You feel like you can compete. You feel like we’ve got all the confidence in the world that we can go out and compete with Big Ten teams.”
The Hawkeyes got 16 points from graduate student Drew Thelwell, whose 3-pointer at 15:05 of the second half moved him past 1,000 career points. He finished at 1,004 points.
“I’m thrilled for him,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “It’s an incredible accomplishment. It’s really hard to do. It says a lot about who he is.”
The Buckeyes showed character against Purdue by overcoming a 16-point deficit, led by graduate Micah Parrish with 17 of his 22 points in the second half.
He is in his first season at Ohio State after playing the past two for San Diego State. Parrish is fourth on the team at 11.2 points per game, behind Bruce Thornton (17.1), Devin Royal (13.9) and John Mobley Jr. (12.3).
“We just always felt like there was more to his game than what he got to do, but that can be uncomfortable for guys at times, too,” Diebler said. “He’s used to doing things a certain way for a couple of years, and then you’re in a whole new system.”
–Field Level Media
