COACH: Thad Matta, seven years at Ohio State, five years in the NCAA tournament.
HOW THEY GOT IN: Champions of Big Ten Conference tournament
GO-TO GUYS: Freshman C/F Jared Sullinger was a solid candidate for the Big Ten Player of the Year award after tearing up the conference this season. The 6-9, 280-pound native of Columbus started all 31 games, and led the Buckeyes with 17.3 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game. Sullinger had his 15th double-double of the year when he finished off Northwestern in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament with 20 points and 18 rebounds. He has scored in double-figures in 29 games, and has had games of 40 and 30 points. His finesse and physical play create huge match-up problems for opponents. Senior G/F David Lighty is the elder statesman of this team and the lone remaining player who took part in the run to the national championship game in the 2006-07 season. He is an outstanding defender, and an effective slasher who can finish at the rim. Lighty does a lot to set the emotional pitch for the Buckeyes, while averaging a modest 12.3 points per game. Junior G William Buford often carries the dagger for the Buckeyes, averaging a very timely 15 points and improving every outing as a defender. When the opposition becomes preoccupied with Sullinger or other Buckeyes, Buford often deals a significant blow.
X FACTOR: Can Ohio State win in the latter rounds of the NCAA Tournament if senior G Jon Diebler has an off shooting night? When Diebler, the Big Ten's career three-point leader, is on target, Ohio State's inside/outside game is deadly. Freshman C/F Jared Sullinger's play down low is a highly effective complement to Diebler's long-range bombs. Diebler hit 17-of-20 from outside the arc in the final two games of the season and hit 51 percent on the year, but with Diebler off target and failing to hit a triple in regulation, the Buckeyes were pushed to overtime by eighth-seeded Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal. Diebler can be a liability on the defensive end, so if his 3-point game is failing, it could expose the Buckeyes to difficulty in the NCAA tourney.
STRENGTHS: Obviously, the combination of brute force and finesse that Sullinger brings creates huge problems for the opposition. He averages near a double-double, and gives Ohio State's perimeter shooters some great looks by drawing the defense in around him. Defense has also been a strong point for the Buckeyes, with freshman PG Aaron Craft displaying outstanding defensive skills as he grabbed 65 steals this season. Craft is also a surprisingly mature ball handler and distributor who has earned the confidence of the veterans around him. The Buckeyes have also demonstrated that, at times, they can rain 3-pointers from all directions. They hit an NCAA record 14 of 15 in the season finale against Wisconsin.
WEAKNESSES: Ohio State uses only seven players, and five of them average 29 minutes or more per game. In the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal, an overtime win against Northwestern, freshman C/F Jared Sullinger and senior G Jon Diebler had to go all 45 minutes. That kind of load could take a toll when the NCAA games come in close sequence. Ohio State has also been vulnerable when Sullinger gets in foul trouble, because senior C/F Dallas Lauderdale is only a rebounder/defender and cannot be looked on to pick up the slack offensively.
