GAME NOTES: Bitter Big Ten Conference rivals get together at Value City Arena on Tuesday night, as the Michigan Wolverines come calling on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

A preseason pick to make some serious noise in the Big Ten, Michigan has largely disappointed in logging a 10-6 overall record, although that does include a 3-1 league ledger. The Wolverines lost four in a row from Dec. 6-20, but have since won four of five, including the last two over conference foes Penn State (73-64) and Minnesota (62-57). Michigan is 1-2 in true road games this season, and 2-3 outside of Ann Arbor all told when you factor in its 1-1 mark in neutral-site affairs.

Ohio State University is reveling in the fact that its football team just won the national championship, but the men's basketball program needs to refocus its energy after recently falling for the second time in the last four games. Saturday's 69-66 setback at Indiana dropped the Buckeyes to 13-4 on the season, 2-2 in Big Ten play -- the other conference loss coming in the opener against Iowa (71-65). In between, OSU beat Illinois and Minnesota. The Buckeyes are 12-1 at home this season.

Ohio State leads the overall series with Michigan, 93-75, and the Buckeyes are 17-6 versus the Wolverines since the start of the 2004-05 campaign. With Thad Matta at the helm, Ohio State is 9-1 in the series at Value City Arena,

Solid defense was the key in Michigan's 62-57 win over Minnesota, as the Golden Gophers were held to 38.8 percent field goal efficiency, while committing 17 turnovers. The Wolverines didn't shoot much better (.404), but they went 16-of-20 at the free-throw line while being guilty of only nine miscues on the day. Derrick Walton, Jr. and Caris LeVert each scored 15 points to pace the Maize and Blue, while Ricky Doyle and Zak Irvin pitched in with a dozen points apiece. Michigan lost the battle on the boards (37-31), but outscored Minnesota in the paint (28-28) and off turnovers (22-9).

The Wolverines are far from an offensive juggernaut, as they average just 66.9 ppg, but their defensive effort has been what has allowed them to log more wins than losses, as they permit a mere 62.2 ppg. Turnovers have played an important role in the team's overall success, as it goads the opposition into more than 14 giveaways per outing. LeVert (14.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 59 assists, 31 steals) is Michigan's leading scorer, rebounder, assist man and thief, while Irvin (14.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) nips at his heels in the first two categories. Walton rounds out the unit's double-digit scorers with 10.6 ppg, and he grabs 4.5 rpg for good measure.

Poor shooting did the Buckeyes in at Indiana over the weekend, as the visitors converted only 34.3 percent of their field goal attempts, which included a dismal 3-of-21 showing from 3-point range. Ohio State also missed 10 of its 27 free throws, while being outworked on the glass to the tune of a 48-39 rebounding deficit. The good news ... the Buckeyes committed only five turnovers, compared to 15 for the Hoosiers. Shannon Scott tallied 16 points to lead OSU, while other key contributors included D'Angelo Russell (13 points, eight rebounds), Jae'Sean Tate (12 points, five rebounds) and Sam Thompson (12 points).

Despite their recent hiccups, the Buckeyes are outscoring the opposition by 21 ppg this season, doing so by outshooting them both from the field overall (.510 to .388) and out on the perimeter (.389 to .309). They've forced 100 more turnovers than they've committed, and they boast three double-digit scorers in Russell (17.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.9 apg), Marc Loving (12.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Thompson (10.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg). Scott is one of the top playmakers in the country, as he has dished out 123 assists (7.2 apg).

Ohio State is no longer a member of the Top-25, but it is the better all- around team in this matchup. Add the homecourt advantage, particularly against the Wolverines of late, and this should wind up as a win for the Buckeyes.