Ohio State's Brandon Noel likely to return for Big Ten Tournament
· Yahoo Sports
Ohio State could have Brandon Noel back in action for Big Ten Tournament play.
On March 6, one day before hosting Indiana on senior day, Buckeyes coach Jake Diebler said the sixth-year Wright State transfer is near the end of his recovery from a fractured left foot that has sidelined him since suffering the injury during a Jan. 5 loss to No. 10 Nebraska.
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At the time of the injury, Diebler said Noel was out “indefinitely” but that the Ohio State men’s basketball team still expected to see him return before season’s end.
“We’re excited to get him back,” Diebler said. “We just don’t know exactly when it’s going to be yet, but there’s a real likelihood we’ll be able to get him on the floor next week.”
Since suffering the injury, Noel has progressed from wearing a protective boot and using crutches to only the boot and, within the last week, no protective footwear. Prior to the injury, Noel averaged 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds through the first 13 games while starting the first 10 games of the season.
His 29-point effort at Northwestern on Dec. 6 led the Buckeyes to an 86-82 win. It is one of two Quad 1 wins on Ohio State's resume.
Ohio State will either open Big Ten Tournament play March 11 or 12, depending on what seed it earns. Noel’s return would further boost Ohio State’s interior depth, given his 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame, even if his workload figures to be limited after missing more than two months of game action.
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“You don’t just come back and play 35 minutes after you’ve been out that stretch,” Diebler said. “He plays really hard. He’s tough. He’s big and athletic. Those are all things that are helpful. He’s played a lot of games, too.”
He is unlikely to play against Indiana on March 6. Sixth-year transfer wing Puff Johnson, who missed the March 4 game at Penn State with a walking boot on his right foot, will likely be questionable against the Hoosiers, Diebler said.
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at [email protected], on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's Brandon Noel likely to return for Big Ten Tournament