Ohio
Michigan basketball vs. Ohio State prediction: Can U-M make it 6 straight wins?
Danny Wolf leading the Michigan basketball turnaround
Tony and Andrew analyze reasons why Michigan basketball is succeeding and the impact of star forward Danny Wolf. Full “Hail Yes!” podcast out now.
It’s getting toward crunch time in the men’s basketball regular season and the Wolverines remain in the thick of it.
To get more specific, No. 17 Michigan (19-5, 11-2 Big Ten) isn’t just in the fight, but has the upper-hand, currently sitting alone atop the Big Ten standings by a half game over Purdue, which U-M just beat 75-73 at home on Tuesday.
That said, U-M may be winners of five in a row, however there’s no rest for the weary, as the Wolverines schedule remains loaded. Up next, rival Ohio State (15-10, 7-7) on the road at Schottenstein Center in Columbus. While the game is one that’s always circled on the calendar, this year it has additional meaning as shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr. transferred from OSU to Michigan last April.
He spoke at length with the Free Press earlier this week about his expected return and all of the emotions that come along with it. Friday afternoon, he met with the rest of the media, and doubled-down on what he’d told the Freep just days prior.
“For me, it’s more about bragging rights,” Gayle said of the importance of the contest individually. “To be able to play against some of my best friends. Hopefully, we can get a W.”
‘Be prepared for it’
Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter tried to tell most of the new comers about the physicality of the Big Ten, but it didn’t quite work. U-M had to get punched in the mouth by Purdue on the road before the message truly took hold.
This time around, Burnett believes his teammates are heeding some of the warnings he’s given about going to OSU.
“Nothing that I remember verbatim,” Burnett said Friday at Crisler Center. “I do remember it warranted a reaction. One time, against Ohio State, I don’t remember what was exactly said but I think it was along the line of family members. And that was like ‘alright bro, you crossin’ the line’ … but yeah, I told the guys to be prepared for it.”
As for the Buckeyes as a group, it’s an underrated team whose record doesn’t tell the full story. Jake Diebler’s squad, while just 7-7 in the league, has a road win at Purdue as well as a 20-point spanking of Kentucky earlier this year. Unlike Michigan, OSU has been on the wrong end of tight games in the league, with three losses by two points or less in the Big Ten just since the turn of the calendar.
Though Michigan enters play at No. 22 according to KenPom and though its record is a full four games better than Ohio State, the Buckeyes aren’t far behind at No. 29 overall according to KenPom, ranked in the top 30 both in offensive efficiency (No. 29) and defensive efficiency (No. 30).
Bruce Thorton, Gayle Jr.’s former roommate, is the “head of the snake” according to assistant coach Justin Joyner, he leads the team at 17.3 points per game. But Devin Royal, a big man averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, is also a problem, as is the backcourt duo of John Mobley Jr. (13.4 points) and San Diego State transfer Micah Parrish (12.5 points).
“They’re a really good team with really good personnel,” Joyner said Friday. “They’ve got really good guard play, obviously. Bruce Thorton is a special player … (Mobley) is a gamer and then Micah Parrish … winning DNA, an elite shooter … so their back court provides a lot of potential problem and their front court knows who they are.”
Keeping the focus
As for Gayle, there is absolutely no question about the reception he’s going to get on Sunday.
He said he received death threats as well as many nasty DMs, but his former head coach hopes that doesn’t happen this weekend − he feels there are too many things for his team and fanbase still to focus on.
“I trust that we’ll operate with class because Roddy gave his all when he was here,” Diebler recently said. “Ohio State was important to him. I think the game needs to be about the rivalry and the game. It doesn’t need to be about Roddy Gayle.”
That said, people are people, so naturally, this game will be about Gayle Jr. Even when Andrew Dakich, son of former IU player and long time color commentator Dan Dakich, transferred from U-M to OSU back in 2017 as a rather irrelevant reserve guard, he still received vitriol.
Gayle, on the other hand, led OSU in scoring last year. Now, he’s struggling in Ann Arbor with his shooting − just 1 of 20 on 3-pointers the past 10 games − and there’s little question the fans are going to remind him of that.
“Not as much as it’s about to be,” Gayle laughed when asked if he himself has ever specifically been boo’d in an away arena before. “But I mean, normally I’m pretty good at tuning it out. … Just try to do as much as I can to help my team win.”
Prediction
Michigan has toughened up since its trip to West Lafayette, increasing its physicality and finding a slightly tweaked rotation that’s paid dividends early. That said, the Wolverines have still been in five straight games that have been decided in the final two minutes of play, and no team on earth, no matter how talented, can win those every single time. U-M had the juice of the crowd behind it on Tuesday, but a rivalry game against a team that could use a signature win to solidify its NCAA Tournament seeding, well unfortunately for U-M, there will be no chance to troll with “just like football.” The pick: Ohio State 74, Michigan 71
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
Ohio
Ohio Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Midday winning numbers for Dec. 20, 2025
The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 20, 2025, results for each game:
Powerball
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 8-0-3
Evening: 9-4-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 3-6-4-3
Evening: 8-4-9-9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 5-6-4-7-5
Evening: 6-3-6-3-9
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Rolling Cash 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
23-28-30-35-36
Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Classic Lotto
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
26-30-35-38-44-47, Kicker: 2-2-3-2-3-9
Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Lucky For Life
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.
08-21-30-41-47, Lucky Ball: 15
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.
Ohio
Protesters blast music outside Columbus hotel where ICE was staying
Columbus City officials press conference on ICE
Columbus City officials press conference on ICE
Dozens of people gathered in below freezing temperatures Friday night, Dec. 19, to protest U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement officials’ presence in Columbus.
Protesters discovered where ICE officials were staying locally and showed up outside their hotel to blast music and disrupt their sleep, according to reports from social media, a witness, police and a hotel employee.
The music, mostly electronic dance music with heavy beats, began around 9 p.m. and didn’t cease for hours, said Brandon Baker, 36, who happened upon the scene after hearing and seeing activity.
He took a video and posted it on Facebook as he stood outside the Embassy Suites hotel on Corporate Exchange Drive on the Northeast Side near Westerville around 9:30 p.m.
“It’s important to recognize that Columbus is a melting pot and we’re not going to tolerate this kind of intolerance,” Baker said, of why he posted the video. He was also hoping more people might come.
In the nearly hour he was on scene, Baker said he saw approximately 50 people gathered outside grow to a group closer to 150. There were also people in parked cars honking their horns and five to seven police cars there, though he said police weren’t interacting with protesters. He also witnessed people leaving the hotel.
Columbus police said they were called around 9:20 p.m. on Dec. 19 due to noise complaints, but said there was no further information.
The protest followed several reports of increased ICE activity and arrests Dec. 17, 18 and 19 in Columbus, as well as a small group protest outside the Westerville ICE office earlier on Friday.
The increased ICE activity prompted responses from city officials, advocates and more earlier in the week. The response included Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant saying no city resources would be used to help federal agents in immigration enforcement operations.
“It was a good symbol and a good thing to see Columbus kind of fighting back against this group of indivdiuals who have pretty much taken it upon themselves to terrorize people,” Baker said of the protest. “If we’re so anti-terrorism in the United States, why are we allowing something like this to even happen?”
On Dec. 18, an ICE spokesperson said in a prepared release: “ICE officers continue to arrest criminal illegal aliens and immigration violators in the city of Columbus, across Ohio, and throughout the United States.”
“These enforcement actions are part of ongoing efforts to uphold public safety and enforce federal immigration laws,” the statement said.
Some advocates said they feared the increased activity in Columbus in the past few days – including an estimated 15 to 20 arrests each day on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 – might be the beginning of raids in other U.S. cities. In Chicago, ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz” ended with 1,600 to 1,900 people arrested beginning in September, according to news reports.
The hotel had to refund at least a few guests, a hotel employee said. He confirmed ICE was staying at the hotel, but emphasized they are open to the public and do not have control over who stays there.
Baker’s video pans as someone states that people are blaring music outside the hotel to keep ICE awake.
“Everyone was doing everything they could to make noise,” Baker said. “The idea is to play the music and stuff as loud as possible to keep them from sleeping.”
It appeared that the music was coming from a bus with speakers attached, Baker said, but people were also playing trombones and trumpets and ringing cow bells.
People Baker spoke to said they were trying to “drown” out ICE and get them to leave.
“Columbus is done with this,” Baker said.
Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.
Ohio
$50K Powerball ticket sold in Northeast Ohio; jackpot reaches $1.5B
CANFIELD, Ohio (WJW) – Nobody took home the massive Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, but one Canfield man is still celebrating after purchasing a winning ticket worth $50,000.
According to Ohio Lottery, Bryan decided to try his luck after realizing the Powerball jackpot was over $1 billion. He bought a ticket from the Meijer grocery store on Boardman-Canfield Road in Boardman.
The next morning, Bryan woke up and checked the ticket, stunned to discover that he won $50,000.
After mandatory state and federal taxes, the lucky winner will take home more than $36,000.
Bryan told lottery officials that he doesn’t have specific plans for money yet, but the big win will certainly make for “a very good Christmas.”
It has been months since someone won the Powerball jackpot, which now sits at a massive $1.5 billion. There is also a cash option worth $689.3 million up for grabs.
The next drawing will be Saturday night at 11 p.m. Learn more about the Powerball right here.
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