Ohio State basketball (16-8) has upcoming opportunities to earn an invitation to The Big Dance, starting with Saturday's neutral-site showdown with Virginia, but the program just revealed some unpleasant news that could burst its NCAA Tournament bubble. Second-leading scorer John Mobley Jr. suffered a hand injury in Wednesday's 89-82 win versus USC and is out indefinitely, per the team. The Buckeyes expect him to return this season, but time is of the essence.
Ohio State faces Virginia, giant-slayer Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa and Purdue all in the next 15 days. One would assume that Jake Diebler's squad has to win at least two of those games in order to secure March Madness credentials. Fulfilling such a requirement could be daunting without Mobley.
Star senior guard Bruce Thornton is the heart and soul of this team, but his backcourt mate is a valuable contributor. The sophomore guard is scoring 15.1 points per game and is shooting 40 percent from behind the 3-point line. Mobley's 70 made treys leads the Buckeyes and are 28 more than the next highest total (Thornton has 42).
Considering Ohio State already ranks in the bottom half of the Big Ten in 3-point shooting (34.1 percent), losing a sniper like Mobley could be extremely costly. Third-year head coach Jake Diebler has instilled an undeniable toughness into this group, which Thornton will still embody for the rest of the season, so fans should reserve judgment until they see the Buckeyes take the court without John Mobley Jr.
Others must step up against the Cavaliers. One shorthanded win could give Ohio State basketball huge confidence going forward. Opening tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET.
