Maryland basketball vs. Ohio State: Game time, how to watch and what to watch for

Who: Ohio State Buckeyes (15-10, 5-7 Big Ten) at Maryland Terrapins (20-4, 8-3 Big Ten)

When: Feb. 11, 2017, 4 p.m. EST

Where: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland

Channel: ESPN

Stream: WatchESPN

It seemed unlikely Maryland would actually go the entire season never losing a road game. However, it came as a huge surprise that the Terps’ first loss away from Xfinity Center was at Penn State, rather than on their upcoming trips to Northwestern and Wisconsin. Come Monday, the defeat will likely drop Maryland out of the AP Top 25, and come March, it could be the kind of loss that knocks the team down a seed to the tournament’s selection committee. Against Ohio State, Maryland find itself needing a win to avoid its first three-game losing streak in the Melo Trimble era.

What to watch on Maryland’s side

Maryland’s shooting performance against Penn State was nothing short of hideous. The Terps hit only 33.9 percent of their field goals, their worst performance of the season. Their three-point shooting was similarly bad: their 26.9 success rate on threes was one of the worst they have done in a Big Ten game this season. During Maryland’s two-game skid, Melo Trimble has hardly been able to get his shot to fall from the field, as he shot 28.6 against Penn State and Purdue. Jaylen Brantley has similarly hit a rough patch, shooting 16.7 from the field on six shots in the last two games. If Maryland’s guards can get back to knocking down their field goals, the Terps should be in good shape to get back to winning.

What to watch on Ohio State’s side

Ohio State is going to find itself short-handed heading to College Park tomorrow. Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta informed Ohio State media that JaQuan Lyle and Keita Bates-Diop will be both be missing the game due to family emergencies. Lyle averages over 30 minutes per game for the Buckeyes, while Bates-Diop plays 23 minutes per game for Ohio State. Lyle is also third on the team in points per game. Maryland will have to capitalize on a Buckeyes squad that will be missing two of its major contributors.