Long Beach State vs. Ohio State preview, game time, TV info, and more

Long Beach State will get a first-hand look at one of the nation's top players when they travel to Columbus to take on Deshaun Thomas and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday.

Senior swingman James Ennis will be called upon for The Beach to lead the 49ers (3-5) into yet another hostile environment. The Ventura, Calif. native has averaged 15.6 and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting at a mark of 41.8 percent from the field.

The 49ers have played an extremely difficult schedule in the early going, with three of their first eight games coming against teams ranked at No. 11 or higher. The seventh-ranked ranked Buckeyes (5-1) will be the fourth such team. Thomas is a preseason All-American, and has lived up to the moniker while averaging 24 points on 54 percent shooting over Ohio State's first four games.

Since then, the Buckeyes have managed to find production from other unlikely sources, namely LaQuinton Ross and Shannon Scott.

National Television: Big Ten Network

Time, Date & Location: Saturday, Dec. 8, 9:00 p.m. PT, Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio)

Will They Cover?: Ohio State is favored by 21 points at home