The Ohio State Buckeyes still have one regular season game remaining, on Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers before the start of the Big Ten Tournament. But when the conference tournament tips-off, they might have some reinforcements on the court. Forward Brandon Noel, who has been sidelined since January due to an injury, could be making his return shortly, as per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Brandon Noel sustained a foot injury back on Jan. 5 during Ohio State’s game against Nebraska. He has missed the past 16 games. But as reported by Rothstein, Noel has been upgraded to day-to-day via word from Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler.
Although he is day-to-day, it’s not certain how likely it is that Noel has a chance of suiting up against Indiana. But he would appear to be on track to return in time for the Big Ten Tournament.
Prior to the injury, Cole was a big contributor for Ohio State. He had transferred to the program after playing the past three seasons at Wright State. Noel was a starter and double-digit scorer at Wright State. Although his role has shifted with the Buckeyes, he was still a valuable player in the lineup before being sidelined.
He had appeared in 14 games this season, including 10 starts, at a little over 20 minutes per game. He had been averaging 7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists with splits of 64.3 percent shooting from the field, 21.4 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 66.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Coming into the matchup against Indiana, Ohio State is 19-11 overall, and 11-8 in Big Ten Conference play. They will be a lower seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and are hoping for an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
