No. 23 Illinois (20-9, 12-6) vs. No. 19 Ohio State (20-9, 10-8)
Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Two ranked teams battle as No. 23 Illinois visits No. 19 Ohio State in a late season showdown. Illinois has two wins and four losses against ranked opponents this season, while Ohio State has won five of its eight games against ranked teams.
No. 16 Michigan State storms back from 19 down to stun No. 20 Penn State on the road
STEPPING UP: Kaleb Wesson has averaged 14 points and 9.6 rebounds to lead the way for the Buckeyes. CJ Walker is also a key contributor, accounting for 8.3 points per game. The Fighting Illini are led by Ayo Dosunmu, who is averaging 15.9 points and 4.1 rebounds.ACCURATE AYO: Dosunmu has connected on 30 percent of the 90 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 2 of 7 over his last three games. He’s also converted 76.8 percent of his foul shots this season.
SLIPPING AT 72: Illinois is 0-6 when it allows at least 72 points and 20-3 when it holds opponents to less than 72.
WINNING WHEN: Ohio State is a perfect 11-0 when it turns the ball over 11 times or fewer. The Buckeyes are 9-9 when they record more than 11 turnovers. Illinois has forced 9.3 turnovers per game in Big Ten play and 9.3 per game over its last three.
DID YOU KNOW: Illinois is ranked first among Division I teams with an offensive rebound percentage of 36.1 percent. The Fighting Illini have averaged 12.8 offensive boards per game.