At the beginning of the season, not many people would have picked Ohio State to lead the Big Ten after eight games, but the Buckeyes are playing some of the best basketball in the conference.
Ohio State (7-1 Big Ten, 16-3 overall) has proven to be the surprise team of the year. The team's only losses have come this year to the Louisville Cardinals, a resurgent Pittsburgh Panther squad and an upstart Minnesota Golden Gopher team.
Big conference wins have come over Indiana, and most recently, an important win over No. 12 Illinois Tuesday, as junior guard Brent Darby scored 22 points, including a 16-for-18 free throw effort.
Last year, the Buckeyes finished 11-5 in the Big Ten and 20-11 overall, giving Ohio State a third-place finish in conference play. This year's team has returned four starters and eight of the top nine offensive contributors from last season.
The return of several key players has allowed Ohio State to move forward faster in its play this year while giving the team some early success.
Along with the advantage of experience comes the fact that the Buckeyes boast one of the deepest guard rotations in the conference.
Leading the strong guard play is Brian Brown, a senior who was named third-team All-Conference in 2001. Brown is a two-year co-captain who leads the team in points scored and minutes per game. He can be described as the most consistent player for the Buckeyes. Brown is also a contender for Big Ten Player of the year, as Illinois Head Coach Bill Self stated during Monday's coaches teleconferences.
\In my opinion, it's Jared [Jeffries of Indiana] or Brown from Ohio State,"" Self said.
Along with Brown, senior guard Boban Savovic is another go-to guard who leads the team in three-point shooting, assists and steals.
In addition to dominant guard play, the Buckeyes have one of the most talented sophomores in the conference in forward Zach Williams. Williams was named a co-captain this year, has led the team in rebounding and averages double figures in scoring.
Head Coach Jim O'Brien is no stranger to success either. In his fourth year at Ohio State, he has already been named Big Ten Coach of the Year twice, once in 1999 and again in 2001. In 1999, he led his Buckeyes to the Final Four, and in 2000, he led his team to the Big Ten regular season championship. O'Brien definitely knows how to coach a winning team and is proving it once again this year.
There are no guarantees in the unpredictable Big Ten, but without any major injuries, look for the Buckeyes to become the team to beat for the rest of the season, should they survive a grueling stretch run that sees them play the majority of their games away from Value City Arena.
""Once these [Illinois and Northwestern] games are done with, we're on the road for five of our remaining seven games, so these games are really important to us,"" O'Brien said.
The Big Ten Conference announced yesterday a limited number of all-session tickets for the March 7-10, 2002 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will go on sale Feb. 1 at 10 a.m., EST.
The package, which includes tickets for all 10 games, will be held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Tickets will cost $225 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at 255-4646.
Ohio State at Wisconsin. With a victory, Ohio State will have the inside track on a conference title, while a Badger victory will give Wisconsin a legitimate claim for an NCAA at-large bid.
Illinois'Despite losses to Indiana and Ohio State on the road, Illini still a tough team.
Indiana'Back-to-back 30 point wins a strong statement to conference from the Hoosiers.
Ohio State'Conference leaders still have Northwestern at home before extended road trip.
Wisconsin'10 conference victories may be necessary for an NCAA bid.
Minnesota'Hope still alive for Gophers.
Michigan State'Must sustain a winning streak in Big Ten to have a chance.
Iowa'A sinking ship that needs repairs quickly.
Purdue'Postseason basketball a possibility.
Northwestern'NIT is likely for Wildcats.
Michigan'No one to help Lavell Blanchard.
Penn State'See you next year.
