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Ohio State
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
Any astute Ohio State fan understands the importance of what transpired on Jan. 27. The Buckeyes were riding a two-game Big Ten losing streak and were just 3-4 in the Big Ten when they met Michigan State, ranked No. 3 nationally at the time. The Buckeyes, who had lost to Michigan State by 15 points six days earlier, won by nine points this time. Although the Buckeyes fell to Indiana in their next game, the victory over the Spartans bolstered the confidence of Jim O'Brien's players. They closed the regular season by winning their final seven conference games to finish in third place in the Big Ten at 11-5. Only a loss at Alabama marred the Buckeyes' final eight games. "These guys have game after game rallied around and surprised me," O'Brien said. "They have responded to challenges all season long." They could not answer the challenge provided by Utah State in Round 1, however. The Aggies took OSU to overtime and eventually ousted the fifth-seeded Buckeyes by nine points.Player to Watch It's not difficult to spot senior center Ken Johnson. He stands 6-11 and is usually swatting shots away from the basket at the pace of more than four per game, the best mark in the Big Ten. Johnson, who finished the regular season with a Big Ten-record 437 blocks in his four seasons, can alter the flow of a game merely by setting up camp in the lane. In addition, Johnson has developed into a more consistent offensive threat, averaging 12.4 points on 57.7% shooting. With the Ball The Buckeyes don't possess dominant scorers like Scoonie Penn or Michael Redd, who could go off for 20 to 30 points on a given night. This team is more balanced with players having more clearly defined roles. Junior guard Brian Brown led the team in scoring during the regular season at 14.5 points per game, followed by Johnson. Guard Brent Darby, who scored 15 points to help the Buckeyes overcome a 20-point halftime deficit in the regular-season finale against Penn State, supplies scoring punch off the bench. Defending the Ball O'Brien prefers to play man-to-man defense, with his perimeter people pressuring the ball and gambling at times knowing that Johnson is waiting in the lane to compensate for any mistakes. "I definitely think that he changes the mindset of the players when they get in and around the lane," Wisconsin coach Brad Soderberg said. "I have just really come to respect the impact that a shot-blocker can have on the game. The impact is remarkable." O'Brien isn't stubborn, though. He has shown a willingness to mix in zones during key junctures. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: .909 (1,000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report1985-2000: The Buckeyes made up for failures in the 64-team era by sprinting to the 1999 Final Four as a No. 4 seed. However, neither No. 1 seeds in 1991 or 1992 were able to deliver Ohio State to college basketball's promised land. The flip side is that the Buckeyes have not lost in the first round of the tournament since the field expanded in 1985, nor have they been lower than a No. 9 seed.Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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