Opponent: California

Where: Madison Square Garden (19,763) in New York City

Date, Time: Nov. 20, 5 p.m. Eastern

TV: ESPN2 (announcers Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale, Bob Knight and Doris Burke)

Rankings, Records: No. 15 Ohio State 2-1; No. 13 California 2-1

Key Players: Ohio State – 6-7 G/F Evan Turner 20.3 points, 15.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals per game, 57.8 FG pct.; 6-6 G Jon Diebler 15.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 45.5 3-pt. pct.; 6-5 G William Buford 13.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg; G/F David Lighty 11.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.7 spg; 6-2 G Jeremie Simmons 7.0 ppg, 37.5 percent 3-pt. pct.; 6-3 G Walter Offutt 7.0 ppg, 6-8 C Dallas Lauderdale 4.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.5 blocks per game, 6-9 F/C Kyle Madsen 4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg. California – 5-10 PG Jerome Randle 21.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 92.3 FT pct.; 6-6 F Theo Robertson 18.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 64.7 FG pct.; 6-5 G Patrick Christopher 14.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.3 spg; 6-8 PF Jamal Boykin 9.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 59.1 FG pct.; 6-3 G Jorge Gutierrez 5.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg; 6-8 C Markhuri Sanders-Frison 5.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg; 7-3 C Max Zhang 3.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg.

Quality Of Opponent: Very good. The Golden Bears have size, experience and tons of firepower in the backcourt. Randle, who is a Chicago native, has come a long way since the Buckeye fans razzed him throughout the game at St. John Arena a couple years ago in the NIT. He averaged 18.3 ppg and 5.0 apg last season and is off to a torrid start this year as a senior. He and Christopher are highly athletic and can create their own shot. Christopher has nice size and a fluid stroke but he sometimes gets out of control and doesn’t take the best shots. Meanwhile, Robertson is very versatile and can hit a high percentage from the field and the free-throw line. Boykin is the most reliable inside player and can run the floor.

Key Matchup: Turner vs. Randle. A battle of 5-10 vs. 6-7 yet they will be the two best players on the court and could cancel each other out offensively.

Randle is sneaky on the baseline and fearless going to the basket. He also does a good job of working open for shots and finding teammates when he draws a crowd. Turner may start out guarding him but look for several Buckeyes to do so or for head coach Thad Matta to employ a zone defense for at least part of the game.

Turner was guilty of trying too hard to force plays against North Carolina and often got off balance while turning or pushing to the hoop. Against Cal he can slow down a pace, be more patient and use his size, although Robertson is more likely to guard him than the diminutive Randle. Still, these two teams need their top options to play well to beat quality foes.

Chess Game: The Golden Bears never did seem to figure out Syracuse’s matchup zone and it’s likely Matta will mix in some zone looks for that reason and also to get his team to settle down and play with more unity. The cohesion was gone for much of the UNC game as the Buckeyes quick-fired on several shots and couldn’t quite keep up on several defensive rotations.

Also, it’s clear that Lauderdale needs to play more to anchor Ohio State defensively and help keep the Bears honest with a legit threat in the post. Zisis Sarikopoulos did not play against North Carolina as Matta no doubt feared he couldn’t keep up with the Heels big men on the break, but there will be call for him in this game, especially when Zhang comes in for coach Mike Montgomery.

Fun Facts: Ohio State is averaging 81.7 ppg while Cal is at 81.0. … This contest will serve as the consolation game of the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Buckeyes rallied furiously against No. 6 North Carolina Thursday night before falling 77-73. Prior to that at MSG, Syracuse handled the Bears in the first semifinal by the score of 95-73. … Cal had difficulty defending the athletic Orange as guard Scoop Jardine had 22 points, six rebounds and six assists for the winners and forward Wesley Johnson also did damage with 17 points and 11 boards. Randle logged a game-high 25 points and Boykin added 14 but Chistopher’s 12 points came on 6 of 20 shooting, including 0 of 7 from long range. Randle was 5 of 9 from behind the arc but his teammates combined to shoot 1 of 11 from deep. … Turner led the Buckeyes against UNC with his third double-double in as many games this season with 23 points and 11 rebounds but technically also recorded his second triple-double by amassing 10 turnovers compared to four assists. OSU’s other four starters combined to hit just 12 of 41 shots against the Tar Heels. … Cal is also No. 12 in the coaches poll and many picked the Godlen Bears to win the Pac-10 this season. … Before heading to New York, Cal got by Murray State 75-70 and also beat Detroit 95-61 in the first two rounds of the event. Randle and Robertson each had 22 points in the blowout of Detroit. … California is 9-8 all-time against Ohio State but the Buckeyes won their only national championship in 1960 by defeating the Bears 75-55 in San Francisco. The Buckeyes also won the last matchup on March 24, 2008, a 73-56 win at St. John Arena in the second round of the postseason NIT.

What’s At Stake: Avoiding two losses in as many days and falling right out of the rankings. The loser of this game is facing that fate and also looking at a long ride home. These teams still appear to have the goods to contend in their conference but the loser of this game is going to spend the next several weeks licking its wounds and trying to restore confidence.

Next On The Docket: The Buckeyes return home to face Lipscomb on Tuesday night (7 p.m. Eastern, Big Ten Network). The Bisons return four starters to a team that was 17-14 overall last season and 12-8 in the Atlantic Sun. Lipscomb is 0-3 on the young season and features three players who are averaging 16.0 ppg or higher. Adnan Hodzic, a 6-9 junior center, has pumped in 22.7 ppg and also pulled down 7.7 rpg so far.