Ohio State vs. North Carolina Asheville

Published : Tuesday, 21 Dec 2010, 9:50 AM CST
Updated: Tuesday, 21 Dec 2010, 9:50 AM CSTBig Ten Network

Preview: Ohio State vs. North Carolina Asheville Owners of an unblemished record, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes face the North Carolina Asheville Bulldogs on Tuesday, December 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 CT. You can catch the game on the Big Ten Network.

Ohio State cruised to a 79-57 win over South Carolina in its last game. Jared Sullinger was the best player on the court for Ohio State (10-0) scoring 30 points and grabbing 19 rebounds.

Ohio State is steady on offense and defense. Offensively, the Buckeyes shoot the ball well, including 36.6 percent from distance, hit the offensive boards hard and don't squander many possessions as they give the ball away just 11.2 times per game. On the defensive end, Ohio State snags a lot of defensive rebounds, causes opponents to cough the ball up 18.4 times per game and prevents opponents from getting to the free throw line. Keep your eye on Jared Sullinger, as he's averaging 18.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season for the Buckeyes.

North Carolina Asheville (5-5) is an average team. In the offensive front court, North Carolina Asheville is good at getting to the line and hits 71.2 percent of its free throws. Defending the basket, the Bulldogs force opponents to give the ball up 19.9 times per game. Keep your eye on J.P. Primm, as he's averaging 16.5 points and 4.4 assists per game this season for North Carolina Asheville.

Whether the Bulldogs' pressure can bother Ohio State will play a big role in the game. The Buckeyes are very careful with the basketball, turning it over on about a fifth of their possessions, but North Carolina Asheville has forced the teams it has played to give up the ball on about a quarter of the possessions.

Enjoying a strong season, Ohio State's Jon Diebler ranks 14th in the nation in three pointers made at 33.