Buckeyes primed for major test

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The temperature outside Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center was in the teens and the wind chill near zero. And the students kept coming over on Monday.

They set up tents on the cold concrete, waiting for prime seats for tonight’s game against rival Michigan.

Fans at the encampment, dubbed Mattaritaville after coach Thad Matta, know this is a big game. So do the Buckeyes.

“The fans get a little more excited about it,” senior point guard Aaron Craft said. “It’s always great to feed off your own fans’ energy. There’s people out there camping outside right now in this weather. That makes you want to play a little harder.”

There were seven large, multi-person tents set up on the south side of the arena 30 hours before the game tips off. Despite the bone-chilling cold, a steady stream of students carried in tents, sleeping bags and blankets from a nearby parking lot.

When the rivals meet, it’s always a red-letter day for fans. For this particular meeting, there’s ton riding on the outcome, too.

Ohio State (19-5, 6-5 Big Ten) has won three in a row to climb back to No. 22 in this week’s Associated Press poll after plummeting out of the rankings in the wake of a 1-5 spell in January.

“This is a big one for us,” post player Amir Williams said. “We just have to be ready to play. We can’t come out lackadaisical, come out like it’s just some other game. It’s a priority to build our standing in the Big Ten and help our place in the Big Ten tournament.”

Michigan (17-6, 9-2) shares the top spot in the conference with Michigan State, but is coming off an 85-67 loss at Iowa on Saturday. The matchup with Ohio State is the Wolverines’ third Big Ten road game in 10 days.

Hitting the road just three days after a bad loss at another ranked opponent makes it easier to move on. But it also doesn’t allow for a breather.

“One of the good things in basketball is that sometimes you play two or three games in a week,” coach John Beilein said of getting over a difficult defeat. “And one of the bad things in basketball is that sometimes you play two or three games in a week. You can get over a loss, or you get your momentum going. But for repair or rest, there isn’t a lot of time.”

Echoing Beilein, Matta said it’s difficult to put much emphasis on even a rival when the games are coming at you rapid-fire.