Ohio State Could Get Aaron Bradshaw Back For USC Game 

Due to a team-wide flu bug infecting several members of the program, Ohio State traveled to Los Angeles with a shorthanded and fatigued roster, a factor that played a significant role in the team’s 79-71 loss to UCLA on Sunday. 

The Buckeyes could be getting a healthy reinforcement for their upcoming game against USC on Wednesday night, however. Speaking with reporters over Zoom after the UCLA loss, Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler said that the team could fly sophomore forward Aaron Bradshaw out to Los Angeles if he is feeling better. 

“Our intent was to bring him out. We were concerned about obviously being in tight quarters together with other guys. Like I said, we’re battling a couple different things right now. So we wanted to make sure you know that he’s not contagious,” Diebler said. “I haven’t gotten an update since this morning out here, so we’ll get a feel for that. But if he’s healthy, we’re going to get him out here.” 

Diebler provided another update on Bradshaw during his radio show on 97.1 The Fan on Monday afternoon, saying that although nothing is set in stone the plan is to fly Bradshaw out to California.

“The plan is to hopefully get him out here and get him available tomorrow for practice,” Diebler said. 

Bradshaw has missed the last two games while battling the flu, a period that saw the Buckeyes play their worst basketball of the season, falling 70-49 to Big Ten bottom-feeder Northwestern and then losing by nine points on the road to the Bruins. Ohio State struggled mightily in the paint without the 7-1 transfer forward, getting outrebounded by a combined 81-61 in those two losses. 

If Bradshaw — who has missed 10 games this season due to either suspension or injury/sickness — is able to go, he will look to help Ohio State end a damaging three-game losing streak that has put it squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble with three regular season games to go. 

According to NBC Sports, Ohio State is still in the projected bracket as a No. 11 seed but “might need to win a few Big Ten tournament games in order to make the NCAA field.”