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Brandon Knight’s 15-foot jumper ended Ohio State’s season in a 62-60 loss to Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen. The Buckeyes ran into the same problem that led to Wisconsin’s defeat on Thursday, which is an inability to make shots--both contested and uncontested shots. Most shocking was that OSU was just 31 percent inside the arc. But give credit to Kentucky, which features one of the finest interior defenses in the country, allowing opponents to make just 42 percent of their two point attempts. It was an especially frustrating night for William Buford, who was just 2 of 16 from the field. The Buckeyes were led by Jared Sullinger’s 21 points.
I’m writing this just after Virginia Commonwealth punched its ticket to the Final Four, joining Butler and UConn. This leads to the inescapable conclusion that basketball is just nuts this season (keep in mind, the Hukies were a #9 seed in their own conference tournament). Sure, more was expected from Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament after the team emerged as the Big Ten’s best team (which was arguably the best conference in Division I). But that’s March for you. If you replayed this year’s bracket a few hundred times, I’m sure that at least one 1-seed would make it to Houston. In a single elimination tournament format, there’s no guarantee that the best team wins the championship. But that’s a fact of every sport. The great part about college basketball is that everyone has a chance. All you need is something like a 10-game winning streak to finish the season.
All of this is to say that although the finish was disappointing, you cannot say that Ohio State underachieved or somehow did not play up to its potential this season simply because the team went ice cold at an inopportune time. It was a great year for Ohio State, and Thad Matta’s team should be proud, even if the school wished to raise another banner.
As for next year, it’s TBD at this point. Specifically, the futures of Jared Sullinger and William Buford need to be sorted out before anyone can provide an educated guess as to how good the team figures to be next season. Right now, Sullinger says he’s coming back. Ditto Buford. I have no reason to believe these young men are anything less than completely forthcoming, but it’s a good idea to take NBA draft-related declarations in March with a grain of salt. Ohio State fans know this all too well after hearing similar promises from Mike Conley Jr. shortly after his season ended in the National Championship game. And I don’t blame anyone for changing their mind, in either direction. This is not a decision one takes lightly.
But let’s play “what if.” It probably goes without saying that if Both Buford and Sullinger return, that Ohio State is your preseason #1 team and the heavy favorite to win the Big Ten next season. If only one of those players returns, the Buckeyes are probably something like a top 10 team, and again almost surely the best team in the Big Ten. If neither come back, however, not all hope is lost. DeShaun Thomas appears to be a fantastic breakout candidate this season, and Matta welcomes yet another monster recruiting class (though I’m not sure there are any Jared Sullingers in this class). There are also talents like Jordan Sibert and Lenzelle Smith that were buried on the bench behind OSU’s talented wings. The only question is whether the defense could keep rolling. Bottom line, even without Sullinger and Buford, this team should still be dancing next season. It’s not often you can say that about a team that loses five starters.
That wraps up another season of Big Ten Geeks, perhaps the most entertaining one yet. While we expected the conference to be good, it was nonetheless surprising. Both Michigan and Penn State refused to endure a rebuilding season, while Purdue refused to cry over torn ACLs. Michigan State and Illinois provided plenty of stress for fans and gray hairs for Tom Izzo and Bruce Weber. And Ohio State and Wisconsin entertained with the best and second-best offenses in the country on a per possession basis.
We hope to be back next year, and hopefully you’ll join us then. In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter. See you in November.
I’m writing this just after Virginia Commonwealth punched its ticket to the Final Four, joining Butler and UConn. This leads to the inescapable conclusion that basketball is just nuts this season (keep in mind, the Hukies were a #9 seed in their own conference tournament). Sure, more was expected from Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament after the team emerged as the Big Ten’s best team (which was arguably the best conference in Division I). But that’s March for you. If you replayed this year’s bracket a few hundred times, I’m sure that at least one 1-seed would make it to Houston. In a single elimination tournament format, there’s no guarantee that the best team wins the championship. But that’s a fact of every sport. The great part about college basketball is that everyone has a chance. All you need is something like a 10-game winning streak to finish the season.
All of this is to say that although the finish was disappointing, you cannot say that Ohio State underachieved or somehow did not play up to its potential this season simply because the team went ice cold at an inopportune time. It was a great year for Ohio State, and Thad Matta’s team should be proud, even if the school wished to raise another banner.
As for next year, it’s TBD at this point. Specifically, the futures of Jared Sullinger and William Buford need to be sorted out before anyone can provide an educated guess as to how good the team figures to be next season. Right now, Sullinger says he’s coming back. Ditto Buford. I have no reason to believe these young men are anything less than completely forthcoming, but it’s a good idea to take NBA draft-related declarations in March with a grain of salt. Ohio State fans know this all too well after hearing similar promises from Mike Conley Jr. shortly after his season ended in the National Championship game. And I don’t blame anyone for changing their mind, in either direction. This is not a decision one takes lightly.
But let’s play “what if.” It probably goes without saying that if Both Buford and Sullinger return, that Ohio State is your preseason #1 team and the heavy favorite to win the Big Ten next season. If only one of those players returns, the Buckeyes are probably something like a top 10 team, and again almost surely the best team in the Big Ten. If neither come back, however, not all hope is lost. DeShaun Thomas appears to be a fantastic breakout candidate this season, and Matta welcomes yet another monster recruiting class (though I’m not sure there are any Jared Sullingers in this class). There are also talents like Jordan Sibert and Lenzelle Smith that were buried on the bench behind OSU’s talented wings. The only question is whether the defense could keep rolling. Bottom line, even without Sullinger and Buford, this team should still be dancing next season. It’s not often you can say that about a team that loses five starters.
That wraps up another season of Big Ten Geeks, perhaps the most entertaining one yet. While we expected the conference to be good, it was nonetheless surprising. Both Michigan and Penn State refused to endure a rebuilding season, while Purdue refused to cry over torn ACLs. Michigan State and Illinois provided plenty of stress for fans and gray hairs for Tom Izzo and Bruce Weber. And Ohio State and Wisconsin entertained with the best and second-best offenses in the country on a per possession basis.
We hope to be back next year, and hopefully you’ll join us then. In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter. See you in November.