COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team hosts Toledo in its home finale on Columbus City Schools Day at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.

The Buckeyes took two of three games over the weekend against Seattle. Ohio State won the opener, 4-1, and finale, 7-2, while dropping the middle game, 11-1. Jaron Long allowed one earned run over 7.0 innings to pick up the win Friday while John Kuchno gave up two earned runs over a career-high 7.0 innings to earn his team-high eighth win Sunday. Brad Hallberg went 5-for-10 with a double, a triple and three runs scored against the Redhawks.

ON THE BUMP
RHP Brett McKinney (4-5, 4.21 ERA)
vs.
RHP Jared Locke (3-6, 4.99 ERA)

SCOUTING TOLEDO
Toledo, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Cory Mee, enters the week with a 27-24 overall record, 16-8 in Mid-American Conference play. Wes White leads the team with a .371 batting average while Joe Corfman is batting .335 with 13 doubles, a triple, three home runs and a team-high 49 runs scored.

Ohio State holds a 26-6 lead in the all-time series including a 13-1 win March 10 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
The Buckeyes enter the week with a 30-22 overall record. Ohio State currently sits sixth in the Big Ten Conference with an 11-10 ledger, a game up on Minnesota and two games up on Illinois for the last Big Ten tournament spot heading into the final weekend. The Buckeyes rank fourth in on-base percentage (.372), tied for fifth in runs scored (287) and sixth in batting average (.268). Ohio State leads the Big Ten with 249 walks and 80 stolen bases.

Individually, Josh Dezse sits eighth with a .434 on-base percentage while Brad Hallberg is tied for fifth with 14 doubles. Tim Wetzel is tied for tops in the Big Ten with 38 walks while Ryan Cypret sits fourth with 35. Kirby Pellant sits second with 28 stolen bases and Joe Ciamacco is tied for eighth with 14.

On the mound, Jaron Long ranks in several categories, including ERA (1.85, 2nd), innings pitched (92.1, t-2nd) and wins (6, t-9th) while John Kuchno is tied for first with eight wins and Josh Dezse is tied for second with seven saves. Andrew Armstrong leads the Big Ten with 29 appearances and David Fathalikhani is second with 27.

In addition, the Buckeyes rank seventh nationally in walks and Long sits 15th in walks per nine innings at 1.06.

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team travels to Stillwater, Okla., for a pair of midweek games at No. 25 Oklahoma State. The Buckeyes and Cowboys square off at 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday and Wednesday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Ohio State swept Northwestern over the weekend to move into sixth place in the current Big Ten standings. After a rain out Friday, the Buckeyes swept a doubleheader Saturday by scores of 3-1 and 7-1 before taking the finale, 4-1, Sunday afternoon. Brian King took a perfect game into the eighth inning of the second game Saturday and finished with his first career complete game, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out five. Kirby Pellant went 5-for-11 with a double and a pair of stolen bases while Patrick Porter went 4-for-9 with two runs scored and two walks.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Frank Anderson, has posted a 28-18 record on the season, 13-8 in Big 12 Conference play. The Cowboys are 20-3 at home at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. Robbie Rea leads the Cowboys in most offensive categories including batting average (.328), doubles (15), home runs (five), runs scored (27) and RBI (33). Left-hander Andrew Heaney leads the Oklahoma State pitching staff, going 7-1 with a 1.65 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 93.0 innings pitched.

Ohio State holds a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series after splitting a pair of games last season in Columbus.

BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
The Buckeyes enter the week with a 27-20 overall record, sixth in the Big Ten Conference with an 11-10 ledger. Ohio State ranks third in on-base percentage (.376), fifth in batting average (.270) and tied for fifth in doubles (71). The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with 231 walks and are tied for first with 73 stolen bases.

Individually, Josh Dezse sits fourth with a .452 on-base percentage while Brad Hallberg is tied for seventh with 12 doubles. Ryan Cypret is tied for tops in the Big Ten with 35 walks while Tim Wetzel sits third with 34. Kirby Pellant sits second with 25 stolen bases and Joe Ciamacco is tied for seventh with 14.

On the mound, Jaron Long ranks in several categories, including ERA (1.90, 3rd), strikeouts (57, 9th) and innings pitched (85.1, 1st) while John Kuchno is tied for second with seventh wins and Josh Dezse is sixth with six saves. Andrew Armstrong leads the Big Ten with 25 appearances and David Fathalikhani is second with 24.

In addition, the Buckeyes rank fourth nationally in walks and Long sits 19th in walks per nine innings at 1.05.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Buckeyes Michael Brewster, J.B. Shugarts and Andrew Sweat recently signed free agent deals with NFL teams after going unselected in last weekend’s NFL Draft.

Brewster, a four-year starter, signed with his home-state Jacksonville Jaguars, which is about 2 hours away from his home in Orlando. Shugarts and Sweat also stayed close to Ohio State, both signing deals with the Cleveland Browns.

Brewster, who graduated in December 2011 with his degree in strategic communications, is one of the finest centers to ever suit up for the Scarlet and Gray. A 2010 All-American and first-team all-Big Ten Conference performer, Mike was a four-year starter for the Buckeyes. He was named (with Mike Adams) as the team’s 2011 Jim Parker Award winner as the team’s outstanding offensive lineman. He was also one of four team captains as voted on by the players. He capped his Buckeye career in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl by making his 49th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in school history (Luke Fickell started 50 consecutive games). Brewster was named a game captain a team-high eight times this past season, including in six of the last seven games. He was named to the Rimington and Outland Trophy watch lists at the beginning of his senior season. Brewster was a Freshman All-American in 2008 after playing in 12 games and starting the final 10 games of the season. He went on to start all 13 games in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Brewster was the only junior in 2010 to be named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s outstanding center. He played in a total of 51 games.

A native of Washington, Pa., and a graduate of Trinity High School, Andrew will soon graduate from Ohio State with his degree in finance. He is in Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, one of the most prestigious schools at the university. This past year Sweat’s efforts earned him second-team all-Big Ten Conference honors. He was named the team’s Randy Gradishar Award winner as the outstanding linebacker on the squad. He ranked second among Buckeyes with 72 tackles on the season, numbers that included a career-high 10 tackles vs. Michigan State and a career-high seven solo tackles vs. Indiana. He also had an interception vs. Akron. He had nine tackles vs. both Miami and Indiana. Sweat, who played as a true freshman in nine games in 2008, has started for the Buckeyes in parts of three years (19 career starts and 38 games played). He is the team leader in career tackles with 129. Selected as a game captain by the OSU coaches seven times this season, his peers voted him one of four season captains at the end of the regular season.

Shugarts, a family resource management major, made an immediate impact on this team as a true freshman four seasons ago and he capped his Ohio State career as a three-year starter at right tackle. Despite battling through a number of injuries early in his career, Shugarts started his 35th game when the Buckeyes played Florida in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl. That start also represented his 44th game as a Buckeye. He started 12 times in 2011 and was chosen as a game captain for the season opener vs. Akron. J.B. was a four-year lettermen.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State’s Scarlet team defeated the Gray team, 20-14, Saturday on a nippy, gray afternoon at Ohio Stadium in the 2012 LiFE Sports Spring Game. Braxton Miller threw for 258 yards and Rod Smith capped his 47-yard rushing day with a winning touchdown run from seven yards out.

True freshman receiver Michael Thomas wasted no time in building a nice rapport with Miller as he caught 12 passes for 131 yards. Red-shirt freshman tight end Nick Vannett caught five passes for 52 yards. Miller was 24-of-31 on the day with one pass intercepted by Adam Griffin.

Kenny Guiton completed 17-of-26 passes for 191 yards with a 28-yard touchdown reception to Devin Smith. He threw an interception on the Gray’s last drive of the day…Christian Bryant picking the ball off in the red zone with the Scarlet holding on to a 20-14 lead.

Scarlet led, 13-7, at halftime as Miller threw for 197 yards in the half, completing 16-of-22 passes. Thomas, the nephew of USC great and former pro Keyshawn Johnson, caught eight passes in the half for 78 yards. Chris Fields had three catches for 50 yards.

A Carlos Hyde one-yard run staked Scarlet to a 7-0 lead less than 3 minutes into the contest. Drew Basil hit a 41-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead but Gray scored inside of a minute to go in the first half as Guiton found Smith over the middle with a laser of a throw that Smith hauled in and then sprinted untouched into the end zone.

Basil kicked a 32-yard field goal to end the half.

Guiton scored on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter and Smith capped a 65-yard drive with less than five minutes to play for the final points of the day.

A crowd of 81,112 was on hand to watch the debut action of Coach Urban Meyer’s first Ohio State team.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team welcomes Xavier and Cincinnati to Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium for a pair of midweek matchups. The Buckeyes will take on Xavier at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday before hosting Cincinnati at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a game that will be televised live on Big Ten Network.

The Buckeyes dropped two of three games against Nebraska over the weekend. Jaron Long earned the win Friday, tossing his second complete game in three starts, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out five to move to 3-1 on the season. Josh Dezse went 7-for-15 on the weekend with three doubles and two RBI while Greg Solomon went 4-for-9 with a triple, a home run, five RBI and three runs scored.

SCOUTING XAVIER
Xavier, under the direction of Scott Googins, enters the week with a 15-21 overall record. Mark Elwell is batting .317 with three doubles, 15 RBI and nine runs scored while Tres Eberhardt is hitting .304 with seven doubles, 17 runs scored and five RBI. Starter Vinny Nittoli is 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA and 24 strikeouts in nine starts.

Ohio State holds a 29-18 lead in the all-time series with the Musketeers after winning, 4-1, last season in Columbus.

SCOUTING CINCINNATI
Cincinnati has posted a 12-23 record on the season entering play this week. Justin Glass is batting .377 with 14 doubles, two home runs, 31 runs scored and 21 RBI while Joey Bielek is hitting .364 with 12 doubles, 21 RBI and 20 runs scored. Zach Morris is 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched.

Ohio State dropped the last meeting with Cincinnati, 11-5, in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge last season but still holds a 65-22-2 lead in the all-time series.

BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
The Buckeyes enter the week with a 21-14 overall record, tied for fifth with a 6-6 ledger in the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State ranks third in on-base percentage (.377), fourth in runs scored (211) and doubles (59), fifth in batting average (.274) and home runs (17), first in walks (168) and second in stolen bases (56).

Individually, Josh Dezse sits tied for seventh in the Big Ten with five home runs and ninth with a .442 on-base percentage while Ryan Cypret leads the Big Ten with 30 walks. Brad Hallberg is tied for third in the conference with 11 doubles. Kirby Pellant is second with 19 stolen bases while Joe Ciamacco sits eighth with 11. Tim Wetzel is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 25 walks.

On the mound, Jaron Long sits fifth with a 2.31 ERA and seventh with 43 strikeouts. John Kuchno is tied for fifth with five wins while David Fathalikhani and Andrew Armstrong are tied for first in the Big Ten with 18 appearances.

HEAD COACH
Head coach Greg Beals is just the 11th head coach in Ohio State history and only the fourth in the last 60 years. He has a 290-243 career record and in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach.

16th SEASON AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Ohio State is 256-127 all-time at Bill Davis Stadium for a fine .670 winning percentage. Ohio State is 147-82 vs. the Big Ten Conference at home.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jared Sullinger, a forward on the Ohio State men’s basketball team, has elected to make himself available for the 2012 National Basketball Association Draft. Sullinger made the announcement Wednesday at Value City Arena.

“Going to the Final Four with a team that many people said we weren’t good enough, weren’t strong enough, weren’t mentally tough enough, and still being able to get to the Final Four with all the ups and downs we had, I think that was tremendous for this basketball team,” Sullinger said Wednesday. “Once we got to the Final Four, we were trying to win it. But unfortunately, we fell short. I feel at peace with the decision I’m making.”

In two seasons at Ohio State, Sullinger scored 1,282 points (17.3 ppg.) and grabbed 717 rebounds (9.7 rpg.) He played in 74 career games, starting 73. His scoring total rates No. 29 all-time while his rebound total ranks No. 11 in Ohio State history.

His career point total is the third most in Ohio State history over the first two seasons of a career. Jerry Lucas scored 1,381 points in 1960 and 1961. Michael Redd tallied 1,361 in 1998 and 1999.

“I’ve always said he’s one of the most intellectual players I’ve ever coached,” OSU head coach Thad Matta said. “He came in that way as a freshman. The thing is that people don’t know he studies the game. Not only the college game, but the NBA game. He can tell you a lot about a lot of NBA issues. For him, the timing is definitely right.”

Sullinger earned numerous Big Ten and national honors during his time in Columbus. A two-time consensus first-team All-American, Sullinger was named the 2011 National and Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a two-time first team All-Big Ten honoree.

The Buckeyes won 65 games over the last two seasons and claimed a pair of Big Ten regular-season titles while also advancing to the Big Ten tournament title game each year. The Buckeyes won the 2011 BTT and finished as the runner-up this season.

Sullinger led the Buckeyes to the 2011 NCAA Tournament “Sweet 16″ and most recently to the 2012 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans, the 10^th Final Four appearance for Ohio State all-time.

Ohio State finished the 2012 campaign with a 31-8 overall record. 

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Ohio State baseball team dropped its series finale at Michigan State, 10-5, Monday afternoon at McLane Stadium. With the loss, Ohio State falls to 14-12 on the season, 2-4 in Big Ten play, while Michigan State improves to 17-8, 2-1 in conference play.

The Buckeyes took the early 3-0 lead on three hits in the top of the first. Tim Wetzel singled to lead off the game, stole second and after a fly out by Ryan Cypret, advanced to third when Brad Hallberg struck out but reached on a wild pitch. Josh Dezse followed with an RBI single, then Patrick Porter notched an RBI double to deep right and David Corna plated Dezse with an RBI groundout.

However, Michigan State responded with an eight-run bottom of the first against Ohio State starter Brett McKinney. The Spartans used a double, four singles, three walks and a Buckeye error to take the 8-3 lead after one inning.

Ohio State tallied one in the top of the second when Kirby Pellant doubled to deep right with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Wetzel to make it 8-4 Michigan State.

Michigan State then pushed the lead right back to five runs at 9-4 in the bottom of the third on three singles and an RBI groundout by Ryan Jones.

Ohio State answered with a run of its own to cut the lead to 9-5 in the top of the fifth. Hallberg walked with two out, Dezse followed with a single and then Porter plated Hallberg with an RBI single to left. Corna then singled to right to load the bases and chase Michigan State starter Mike Theodore in favor of reliever Jeff Kinley. Brad Hutton pinch-hit for Joe Ciamacco against the left-hander and hit the ball well but it was caught on the warning track in center by Anthony Cheky.

Both teams were then held scoreless until the Spartans pushed the lead to 10-5 in the bottom of the eighth when Torsten Boss tripled to right-center off Ohio State reliever Trace Dempsey and came around to score on an RBI double by Tony Wieber.

Dezse and Porter each had two hits for Ohio State while John Kuchno tossed 4.2 innings of relief, allowing one earned run.

Kinley picked up the win for Michigan State, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out six.

The Buckeyes travel to Oxford for a 6:30 p.m. game Wednesday against Miami (OH) before returning home for a three-game set against Minnesota over the weekend.

GAME NOTES
- The two teams combined for 15 runs after scoring a total of four over the first two contests.
- Josh Dezse tallied his seventh multi-hit game of the season while Patrick Porter added his third.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

No. 2 seed Ohio State (31-7) vs. No. 2 seed Kansas (31-6)
National Semifinal
Date: Saturday, March 31 – 8:50 p.m. ET
Site: New Orleans, La., Mercedes-Benz Superdome (74,400)
Television: CBS Jim Nantz (Play by Play), Clark Kellogg (Expert Analysis), Steve Kerr (expert analysis), Tracy Wolfson (Sideline)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent:Paul Keels (play-by-play), Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Ohio State and The NCAA Tournament
This is Ohio State’s 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament. Overall, Ohio State has a 45-22 record all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Buckeyes have advanced to play in 10 Final Fours, have finished as the runner up four times (1939, 1961, 1962, 2007) and own one title (1960). Ohio State has finished third four times (1944, 1945, 1946, 1968). The Buckeyes have played in three-consecutive NCAA “Sweet 16s,” a feat last accomplished from 1960-62. Ohio State has made 14 “Sweet 16″ appearances in NCAA Tournament play and has 11 “Elite Eight” appearances.

The 2012 NCAA Tournament
The  No. 2-seeded Buckeyes entered the 2012 NCAA Tournament after a 2-1 record in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Thad Matta, in his eighth year as head coach, has taken the Buckeyes to six NCAA tournaments during his time in Columbus, including a title game appearance in 2007.  

Ohio State enters the 2012 NCAA Final Four with a 31-7 overall record and as co-champions of the Big Ten with a 13-5 regular season record. Ohio State has won 20 Big Ten titles and is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State vs. Kansas
Ohio State is 3-5 against Kansas all-time. The Buckeyes last played Kansas Dec. 10, 2011 in Lawrence. That game pitted a pair of ranked teams with No. 2 Ohio State falling to the No. 13 Jayhawks 78-67. The Buckeyes are 18-21 all-time vs. teams representing the current alignment of Big 12 teams. Only Baylor has never faced the Buckeyes previously.

Last Time vs. Kansas
No. 13 Kansas 78, No. 2 Ohio State 67
Dec. 10, 2011, Lawrence, Kan.
Thomas Robinson scored 21 points, Elijah Johnson added 15 and No. 13 Kansas never trailed in a 78-67 victory over second-ranked Ohio State, which played without forward Jared Sullinger, who was out with back spasms. KU freshman forward Kevin Young came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points and Tyshawn Taylor had nine points and a career-best 13 assists for the Jayhawks. William Buford had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for Ohio State, which was playing on the road for the first time this season. Deshaun Thomas added 19 points. The Buckeyes were missing Sullinger, a preseason All-American, for the second straight game. It was a big loss for the Buckeyes. Not only, at the time,  did Sullinger average better than 19 points and 10 rebounds, he also would have been tasked with guarding Robinson, another All-America candidate. Robinson was quiet much of the first half, but he came through down the stretch, scoring 10 of his points in the final four minutes to help wrap up the win. Kansas wound up shooting 58.3 percent from the field, while the Buckeyes made 39 percent.

Late Nights with the Buckeyes
The 8:50 p.m. ET tip time vs. Kansas Saturday marks the 15th time this season Ohio State tipped at 8:30 p.m. or later. Eight of those contests have been on the road or on a neutral court. The Buckeyes are 12-2 in late night starts, 5-2 away from Columbus heading into the Final Four.  

Buckeyes in the 2012 NCAA Tournament
Five Buckeyes average in double figures in the four wins in NCAA tournament play this year. Sophomore Deshaun Thomas averages 21.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. He has connected on 52 percent of his shots from the field (35-67), blocked five shots and has made 10 of 12 foul shots (.833). Jared Sullinger averages 18 points in the four NCAA wins while adding 8.3 rebounds. William Buford contributes 11.8 points while Lenzelle Smith Jr. (11.3 ppg) and Aaron Craft (10.3 ppg) also contribute double-figure scoring. Craft has handed out 23 assists and recorded 13 steals while scoring on 52 percent of his shots (11-21). Smith  has picked up his offensive game as well with 7 of 15 accuracy from 3-point range (.467) and 14 of 26 shooting overall (.538). He also has knocked down 10 of 14 foul shots (.714).

Thomas, Sullinger Step up in March
In six postseason games this season, Ohio State is 6-1 with the loss coming in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament title game to Michigan State, 68-64. Deshaun Thomas is averaging 20.3 points with Jared Sullinger adding 21.8 points a game. Thomas is making 54 percent of his field goals (58-107). Sullinger is shooting at a 52 percent clip (49-95). William Buford contributes 11.3 ppg. Aaron Craft has dished out 38 assists, recorded 3 blocks and has 20 steals. As a team, the Buckeyes are making 74 percent of their foul shots (115-156).

Craft Sets Ohio State Steals Record
With three steals in the third-round win over Gonzaga, Aaron Craft recorded his 88th theft of the season, breaking the record of 87 steals set by Mike Conley Jr. in 2007. Craft has 168 career steals in just two seasons, good for No. 3 all-time on the career steals chart. Jay Burson is the career leader with 204 from 1986-89. David Lighty (2007-11) is No. 2 with 191.

Sullinger selected 2012 AP All-American
Jared Sullinger was named a 2012 Associated Press First Team All-American, the organization announced March 26. Sullinger was selected a first team honoree as a freshman as well. Ohio State has had a member of the AP first team in each of the last three seasons. Evan Turner was so honored in 2010.

Sullinger selected USBWA All-American
Jared Sullinger was selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association as a 2012 First Team All-American, the second-consecutive year the organization selected Sullinger for the honor. Ohio State has had a USBWA first team All-American in each of the last three seasons. Evan Turner was so honored as a junior in 2010.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Date: March 22, 2012
No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (29-7) vs. No. 6 seed Cincinnati Bearcats (26-10)
Site: TD Garden (18,624)
Game Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
Television: CBS
Talent: Verne Lundquist (Play by Play)
           Bill Raftery (Expert Analysis)
           Lesley Visser (Sideline)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (play-by-play)
                    Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Ohio State and THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
This is Ohio State’s 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament. Overall, Ohio State has a 43-22 record all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Buckeyes have advanced to play in nine Final Fours, have finished as the runner up four times (1939, 1961, 1962, 2007) and own one title (1960). Ohio State has finished third four times (1944, 1945, 1946, 1968). The Buckeyes have played in three-consecutive NCAA “Sweet 16s,” a feat last accomplished from 1960-62. The Buckeyes have made 14 “Sweet 16″ appearances in NCAA Tournament play.

The 2012 NCAA Tournament
The  No. 2-seeded Buckeyes entered the 2012 NCAA Tournament after a 2-1 record in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Thad Matta, in his eighth year as head coach, has taken the Buckeyes to six NCAA tournaments during his time in Columbus, including a title game appearance in 2007.
    Ohio State enters the 2012 NCAA East Regional Semifinal with a 29-7 overall record and as co-champions of the Big Ten with a 13-5 regular season record. Ohio State has won 20 Big Ten titles and is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Late Night with the Buckeyes
The 9:45 p.m. ET tip time vs. Cincinnati Thursday marks the 14th time this season Ohio State tipped at 8:30 p.m. or later. Seven of those contests have been on the road or on a neutral court. The Buckeyes are 11-2 in late night starts, 4-2 away from Columbus.  

The Buckeyes in NCAA 2nd/3rd Games
Four Buckeyes averaged in double figures in the NCAA Second and Third Round wins in Pittsburgh last week. Sophomore Deshaun Thomas averaged 24.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. He connected on 54 percent of his shots from the field (20-37), handed out a pair of assists, blocked four shots and made 5 of 6 foul shots (.833.). William Buford and Jared Sullinger averaged 15 points in the wins and Aaron Craft contributed 12.5 ppg. Sullinger pitched in with 7.5 rebounds and Lenzelle Smith added 6.5 boards a game. Craft was 8 for 11 from the field (.727) and recorded 14 assists and six steals. Sullinger made 9 of 11 foul shots (.818) and Buford made 7 of 8 free throws (.875). The starting unit made 32-38 from the charity stripe (.842).

Thomas, Sullinger Step up in March
In five postseason games this season, Ohio State is 4-1 with the loss coming in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament title game to Michigan State, 68-64. Deshaun Thomas is averaging 20.8 points with Jared Sullinger adding 20.4 points a game. Thomas is making 56 percent of his field goals (43-77). Sullinger is shooting at a 51 percent clip (37-73). Aaron Craft is shooting 59 percent (20-34) to average 10.2 points. William Buford contributes 12.4 ppg. Craft has dished out 29 assists, recorded 3 blocks and has 13 steals. As a team, the Buckeyes are making 75 percent of their foul shots (65-87).

Craft sets Ohio State steals record
With three steals in the win over Gonzaga, Aaron Craft recorded his 88th theft of the season, breaking the record of 87 steals set by Mike Conley Jr. in 2007. Craft has 161 career steals in just two seasons, good for the No. 4 all-time on the career steals chart. Dennis Hopson owns the No. 3 spot with 164. Jay Burson is the career leader with 204 from 1986-89. David Lighty (2007-11) is No. 2 with 191.

Sullinger Selected USBWA All-American
Jared Sullinger was selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association as a 2012 First Team All-American, the second-consecutive year the organization selected Sullinger for the honor. Ohio State has had a USBWA first team All-American in each of the last three seasons. Evan Turner was so honored as a junior in 2010.

Ohio State in the 2012 Big Ten Tourney
Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas were named to the 2012 All-Big Tournament Team after leading the Buckeyes to the title game, Ohio State’s fourth-consecutive trip to the championship contest and the sixth in eight years for Thad Matta. Sullinger averaged 24 points and nine rebounds while Thomas contributed 18.3 points and 6.3 boards. Sullinger made 28 of 50 shots from the field (.560) and knocked down 14 of 16 foul shots (.875). Thomas scored on 23 of 40 shots (.575). Aaron Craft recorded 15 assists and seven steals while averaging 8.7 points. Senior William Buford, who played in his fourth title game, averaged 10.7 points.  

Buckeyes vs. Cincinnati
Ohio State is 5-4 in the all-time series vs. Cincinnati. The Buckeyes won the most recent meeting 72-50 Dec. 16, 2006 in the 2006 Wooden Tradition. That game was played on a neutral court in Indianapolis. The Bearcats own two wins vs. the Buckeyes in NCAA tournament play, both in the NCAA title game in 1961 and 1962.

Jody Victor

2012 Postseason Guide
Date: March 15, 2012
No. 2 Seed Ohio State (27-7) vs. No. 15 Seed Loyola University Maryland (24-8)

Ohio State and The NCAA Tournament
This is Ohio State’s 24th appearances in the NCAA tournament. Overall, Ohio State has a 41-22 record all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Buckeyes have advanced to play in nine Final Fours, have finished as the runner up four times (1939, 1961, 1962, 2007) and own one title (1960). Ohio State has finished third four times (1944, 1945, 1946, 1968). The Buckeyes have played in two-consecutive NCAA “Sweet 16s,” a feat last accomplished in 1991, 1992. The Buckeyes have made 13 “Sweet 16″ appearances in NCAA Tournament play.

The 2012 NCAA Tournament
The No. 2-seeded Buckeyes enter the 2012 NCAA Tournament after a 2-1 record in the 2012 Big Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Thad Matta, in his eighth year as head coach, has taken the Buckeyes to six NCAA tournaments during his time in Columbus, including a title game appearance in 2007.

Ohio State enters the 2012 NCAA event with a 27-7 overall record and as co-champions of the Big Ten with a 13-5 regular season record. Ohio State has won 20 Big Ten titles and is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament.

EAST: Wisconsin (1-1); WEST: Michigan State (1-2), Florida (1-0); SOUTH: Duke (1-0), Indiana (1-1); MIDWEST: Kansas (0-1), Michigan (2-1), Purdue (2-0), Lamar (1-0).

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Ohio State’s only senior ended Michigan State’s regular season on a sour note.

William Buford made a high-arcing jumper from the top of the key with 1 second left, lifting the 10th-ranked Buckeyes to a 72-70 win over the fifth-ranked Spartans on Sunday to forge a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship.

“I was fortunate to knock down the big shot of the night to give us another Big Ten title,” Buford said.

Draymond Green had a chance to put the Spartans ahead in his final home game with 32 seconds left, but missed a long fadeaway from the right wing. Just before the buzzer, Green had a heave that missed the mark.

Buford’s game-winning shot made a once-raucous arena nearly silent and gave a group of people elsewhere in the state a reason to shout with joy.

The Buckeyes (25-6, 13-5) earned a share of their third straight conference championship – and fifth in seven years. They also forced the Spartans (24-7, 13-5) to settle for just a piece of it and ended a quarter-century drought for No. 13 Michigan.

The Wolverines, who won their first Big Ten title since 1986, watched their rivals play from the school’s basketball facility in Ann Arbor after winning at Penn State earlier in the day.

“It was silent the whole time (Buford’s shot) was in the air,” said Michigan guard Trey Burke, who is from Columbus, Ohio. “Once it went in, everybody just flooded the hallway, jumping up and down.”

Michigan State will be the top-seeded team in the Big Ten tournament, which begins Thursday in Indianapolis. Michigan will be No. 2 and Ohio State No. 3.

Michigan State jumped out to a 15-point lead over Ohio State in the first half, but let the advantage slip away just as it did with a two-game lead in the Big Ten race with two games left in the regular season.

“No excuses,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said, looking and sounding somber. “We just didn’t get it done.”

The Buckeyes seized an opportunity created when the Spartans had a seven-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night at Indiana.

“Luckily enough the Big Ten’s one of the toughest conferences in the country and it gave us a chance to get a hat and get a shirt,” Jared Sullinger said.

Buford scored just four points when Michigan State ended Ohio State’s 39-game home winning streak last month. He returned the favor with his game-winning shot and by scoring 19 of his 25 points in the second half, handing the Spartans their first loss at home this season.

“I just came in with a different mindset,” Buford said. “During that last play, I wasn’t going to miss.”

Sullinger had 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting and Deshaun Thomas scored nine of his 12 points in the second half for the Buckeyes, who rallied to beat a motivated team that desperately wanted to win an outright championship after starting the season unranked.

baseline and finishing 6 of 18 from the field with 19 points, 12 rebounds and a game-high four turnovers.

Brandon Wood scored 15 points and Derrick Nix had 11 off the bench, while Keith Appling was held to two of his 11 points after halftime for the Spartans, who lost standout freshman Branden Dawson in the first half with an injured left knee.

Dawson has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

Even with Michigan State’s students on spring break, there was big-game buzz in the Breslin Center and the fans had plenty to stand and cheer about when the Spartans went on a 12-0 run to take a 19-7 lead.

“It was looking pretty bleak,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said.

Michigan State led 24-9 midway through the first half, then had a setback that will hurt heading into the Big Ten tournament this week and the NCAA tournament the following week.

Dawson injured his left knee with 10:16 left in the first half. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward, who ranks third on the team in scoring, second in rebounds and perhaps first in athletic ability, rubbed his left knee while his leg was propped up on a chair and later walked gingerly to the locker room.

After the game, Michigan State said Dawson has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

Sullinger missed his first five shots and was 2 of 10 in the first half, but stayed active and aggressive enough to make all four of his free throws and to score eight points to help Ohio State trail by just nine at halftime.

The Buckeyes scored the first six points of the second half and went ahead 52-51 with 9:53 left to take their first lead since scoring the game’s first two points.

For the rest of the game, each team took a turn with a small lead, exchanging shots and banging bodies in a test that should prepare both for the rest of the month. In the second half, there were nine lead changes and seven ties.

“This is about as high a level game as you can see,” Matta said. “I’m happy we were on this side of it.”

Michigan State’s team posed for pictures – without smiling – in front of a Big Ten championship banner during a postgame ceremony to honor its seniors. When it was Izzo’s turn to address the crowd, he vowed that the Spartans would bounce back at the Big Ten tournament.

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Jared Berggren scored Wisconsin’s final five points – including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left – and the 16th-ranked Badgers beat No. 8 Ohio State 63-60 on Sunday.

Jordan Taylor had 19 points and Ryan Evans 10 for the Badgers (21-8, 10-6 Big Ten), who made up for an earlier loss at home to the Buckeyes.

With Ohio State (23-6, 11-5) up by a point, Berggren swished a shot from beyond the arc on the left wing. When the Buckeyes called timeout to set up a play, the Badgers and a small contingent of fans celebrated.

Deshaun Thomas had 23 points for Ohio State. William Buford had 15 and Aaron Craft 13.

The loss gave Michigan State a share of the Big Ten title.

The Badgers improved to 6-3 in Big Ten road games and 9-4 overall away from Kohl Center. Since Bo Ryan took over as head coach, Wisconsin has the most road wins and best road winning percentage among all Big Ten teams (62-60, .508).

Still, they had lost their last two road games and appeared to be in danger of stretching that skid until Berggren’s late shots.

Ohio State broke free from a halftime stalemate to build a small lead midway through the second half.

Trailing 42-41, Jared Sullinger – averaging more than 17 points a game but limited to just eight by the Badgers’ stifling defense – retrieved his own miss and put it back in.

Craft then forced a turnover by Taylor and Buford hit a finger roll in transition and was fouled for a three-point play. Evans then missed a jumper under pressure and Buford was fouled by Mike Bruesewitz, his fourth. Buford hit both shots.

Rob Wilson misfired on a 3 for the Badgers and Craft made a fallaway 12-foot jumper in the lane to expand the lead to 50-42 with 8:14 remaining.

But the Badgers weren’t going away.

Berggren’s 3 bounced high off the iron before falling through and Taylor got open for another 3. After a Buford miss, an odd sequence pulled the Badgers within a point. Berggren missed a 3 and Evans grabbed the rebound, tossing a pass as he was going out of bounds that was deflected by an Ohio State player to Gasser for a bank shot to pull Wisconsin to 51-50 with 4:27 left.

Taylor and Craft traded buckets before Craft fouled Taylor late in the shot clock and he hit both shots with 2:53 left to put Wisconsin on top 54-53.

Sullinger muscled in a spinning shot from the block over Berggren with 46 seconds left. But Berggren popped out and hit a wide-open 3 with 31 seconds remaining for a 61-59 lead.

After a timeout, Ohio State settled for a Thomas jumper from the top of the key but Evans closed fast in defending the shot and caused him to double clutch it. Berggren grabbed the rebound after the ball kicked off the back of the iron and was fouled. He hit both free throws with 14.2 seconds left to push the lead to four.

Craft hit a late free throw to close the scoring.

The Badgers played their usual gritty defense – they came in leading the nation in points allowed at just 51.7 per game. But they also had just seven turnovers and held their own on the boards.

The teams were deadlocked at 29 after a strange opening 20 minutes in which the Buckeyes shot over 70 percent most of the way – they missed their last six shots from the field to finish at 55 percent – yet could not pull away. The biggest culprit was their own mistakes with the ball. They had 10 turnovers, twice as many as the Badgers, who shot 39 percent.

The turnover total matched their highest in a half all season. The first time occurred during a 74-71 loss at Indiana on Dec. 31.

In their 58-52 loss at home to Ohio State on Feb. 4, the Badgers were just 5 of 27 on 3-pointers. But in the rematch they were 8 of 21 – including the pivotal shot of the game.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

Sullinger, Buford Closing on 600 Rebounds
Jared Sullinger and William Buford each are within 11 rebounds of reaching 600 for their respective careers. Sullinger, in 60 games played, has 590 boards for an average of 9.8 a game. Buford has played 131 games and has 589 rebounds (4.5 rpg). A total of 17 Ohio State players have recorded 600 or more rebounds in their careers. Jerry Lucas owns the Ohio State record with 1,411 career rebounds over three seasons (1960-62). The last player to reach 600 as a Buckeye was Evan Turner with 683 from 2008-10.

USBWA Names Sullinger to Watch List
The United States Basketball Writers Association named Jared Sullinger to a list of 20 student-athletes in consideration for the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy, given annually to the organization’s national player of the year honoree. The award will be presented March 30 in New Orleans. The USBWA selected Sullinger as its Wayman Tisdale Award winner in 2011. The award recognizes the national freshman of the year.

Sullinger Paces Buckeyes at Home
Sophomore Jared Sullinger averages a double-double in games played this season in Columbus. He contributes a team-leading 17.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game on Ohio State’s home court. He also is leading the regulars by scoring on 55 percent of his shots from the field (103-186). Senior William Buford averages 15.6 points and has made 88 percent of his foul shots on familiar turf (44-50). Sophomore Deshaun Thomas is the third Buckeyes averaging double figures at home with 13.4 points per game. Ohio State is outscoring opponents by 23.3 points per game with an 8.2 rebounds per game advantage in Columbus.

Academics and Athletic Awards for Craft
Sophomore Aaron Craft was selected to the Academic All-District 5 First Team Feb. 2. He now advances to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be selected later this month. Craft is majoring in excercise science (pre-med) with a GPA of 3.89. Craft also is among 11 remaining candidates for the Bob Cousy Award after the list was trimmed from an initial pool of 60 candidates. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. This current list of candidates will be narrowed down to the final five by March 1. Craft currently leads the Buckeyes in assists (116) and steals (54).

Matta Earns Another 20-Win Season
For each of the last 12 seasons, all as a head coach, Thad Matta has guided teams to at least 20 victories. Only Mark Few, among active coaches, has more consecutive 20-win seasons to start a career (13). Matta set the Ohio State record for consecutive 20-win campaigns in 2008-09 with a 22-11 record and extended it this year (21-4), the eighth-consecutive Ohio State season with 20+ victories. The previous record was four held by the 1960-63 teams under legendary head coach Fred Taylor. The Buckeyes also own the second-longest streak of 20-win seasons (8) in Big Ten history. Illinois owns the record with nine from (1983-1991). Matta also has won at least 10 Big Ten regular-season games in each of the last six seasons. That effort eclipsed Taylor’s mark of 10+ league wins in each of the seasons from 1960-64. Those were during 14-game regular-season slates. The Big Ten played a 16-game schedule in Matta’s first three seasons (8, 12, 15 league wins) and an 18-game schedule the last five (10, 10, 14, 16, 9). Ohio State is the two-time defending Big Ten regular-season champion. The last time the Buckeyes won three or more consecutive titles was from 1960-64, a string of five-consecutive conference crowns.

BUFORD AMONG FINALISTS FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Ten NCAA men’s basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court were selected as finalists for the 2011-12 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The winner of the fan vote will be announced at the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans. To vote for Buford visit go.osu.edu/Vote4Buford.
Buford Reaches 100 Wins as a Buckeye
Senior William Buford reached career win No. 100 as a Buckeye at Iowa Jan. 7. David Lighty (2007-11) holds the Ohio State record for wins with 129. Walk-ons Mark Titus and Danny Peters were part of Ohio State’s program for 110 victories over their careers (2007-10). The four-year record for victories by scholarship players was originally set by Jamar Butler and Matt Terwilliger from 2005-08 with 105. The 2009 team had 107 wins from 2006-09 but there were no four-year seniors on that squad.
Wins    Seniors    Yr.-by-Yr.
129    David Lighty (2007-2011)    35,24,7,29,34
110    Danny Peters, Mark Titus (2007-10)    35,24,22,29
109    Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale (2008-11)    24,22,29,34
107    None (2006-09)    26,35,24,22
106    William Buford (2009-12)    22,29,34,21    105    Jamar Butler, Matt Terwilliger (2005-08)    20,26,35,24

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (21-4, 9-3) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-8, 5-7)
Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Site: Williams Arena (14,625)
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Talent: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Dan Dakich (expert analysis), Samantha Steele (Sideline)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio: Sirius-91, XM-91        
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (play-by-play), Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Ohio State VS. Minnesota
Ohio State owns a 78-55 advantage in games played in the Minnesota series and is 29-37 in Minneapolis. When Ohio State is ranked in the Associated Press poll, the Buckeyes are 24-3 vs. the Golden Gophers. Ohio State has won 11 of the last 12 and each of the last four games when ranked vs. Minnesota. Overall, Ohio State has won five of the last six games and four consecutive meetings vs. Minnesota. William Buford averages 13.9 points in seven career meetings vs. Minnesota. Jared Sullinger scored 33 points (16.5 ppg.) and grabbed 25 rebounds (12.5 rpg.) in two games last year in the Minnesota series.

 
The Buckeyes in the Big Ten
The Buckeyes rank No. 2 in both scoring offense (75.8 ppg.) and scoring defense (56.7 ppg.) after a 21-4 overall start. Ohio State’s scoring margin of 19.1 ppg. leads the league while the .482 field goal shooting pct. rates in the No. 2 spot. Led by Jared Sullinger, Ohio State is among the Top 2 teams in rebounding offense (36.7 rpg., No. 2) and defense (29.6 rpg., No. 2). Overall, the Buckeyes are No. 2 in rebound margin (+7.1 rpg.). Behind Aaron Craft, Ohio State is No. 1 in turnover margin (+5.4).

Ohio State vs. the Big Ten
Ohio State is 733-665 vs. current members of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes are playing their 100th season of Big Ten Basketball this season.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor®

No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (20-3, 8-2) vs. the Purdue Boilermakers (15-8, 5-5)
Date: Feb. 7, 2012
Site: Value City Arena (18,809)
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Talent: Mike Tirico (play-by-play); Dan Dakich (expert analysis); Samantha Steele (Sideline)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio: Sirius-91 , XM-91        
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460

The Buckeyes vs. The Ranked
Ohio State leads the nation in wins vs. opponents ranked among the Top 25 with five victories in seven tries this season. The Buckeyes own wins vs. No. 7 Florida, No. 3 Duke, No. 7 Indiana,  No. 20 Michigan and No. 19 Wisconsin. Losses have come to No. 13 Kansas and No. 13 Indiana, both on the road. The Buckeyes have five players, all starters, averaging in double figures in games vs. ranked opponents. Jared Sullinger leads with 17.5 ppg. He is joined by William Buford (15.0 ppg.), Deshaun Thomas (13.7 ppg.), Aaron Craft (10.9 ppg.) and Lenzelle Smith Jr. (10.3 ppg.). Sullinger (7.8 rebounds per game) and Smith Jr. (5.9 rpg.) lead the team on the glass. The Buckeyes outscore ranked foes by 7.4 points per game and own the edge on the boards by 3.0 rpg. Notre Dame also has five wins vs. Top 25 teams this season.

The Buckeyes in the Big Ten
The Buckeyes rank No. 2 in both scoring offense (76.5 ppg.) and scoring defense (55.4 ppg.) after a 20-3 overall start. Ohio State’s scoring margin of 21.0 ppg. leads the league while the .489 field goal shooting pct. rates in the No. 2 spot. Led by Jared Sullinger, Ohio State is among the Top 2 teams in rebounding offense (37.0 rpg., No. 2) and defense (29.6 rpg., No. 2). Overall, the Buckeyes are No. 2 in rebound margin (+7.5 rpg.). Behind Aaron Craft, Ohio State is No. 2 in assists (16.0 apg.), No. 1 in turnover margin (+6.0) and No. 2 in steals (8.0 spg.) on the year among Big Ten teams.

Ohio State vs. Purdue
Purdue is 83-76 all-time in games vs. Ohio State, but the Buckeyes own the edge in Columbus 51-28. When Ohio State is ranked nationally in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Buckeyes are 22-4 against the Boilermakers. Ohio State enters the game today ranked No. 3 nationally. Purdue is unranked. The last time Ohio State lost to an unranked Purdue squad was March 6, 1991, a 72-67 setback for the then-No. 2 Buckeyes. The teams have split the last eight overall meetings, 4-all. William Buford, Ohio State’s lone senior, averages 14.1 points a game in seven career meetings with the Boilermakers. He has scored 99 points and grabbed 33 rebounds (4.7 rpg.) in the series. He has scored on 55 percent from the field (36-66) and 58 percent from long range (12-21) while knocking down 15 of 17 foul shots (.882). Jared Sullinger averaged 21.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games vs. the Boilermakers last season. He made 16 of 26 shots from the field (.615) and 9 of 12 foul shots (.750). Purdue is 1-7 vs. Ohio State at Value City Arena. Ohio State is 67-18 vs. Big Ten foes at VCA.               

100 Years in Big Ten
Ohio State celebrates 100 years as a member of the Big Ten Conference in men’s basketball in 2012. The Buckeyes finished in the No. 6 spot in the 1913 conference standings, the first season of league play. Over the 99 previous seasons, Ohio State has earned 19 Big Ten regular-season titles with 23 NCAA tournament appearances, one national championship (1960) and nine trips to the Final Four. Eight former coaches and players are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while nearly 50 student-athletes have been drafted by National Basketball Association teams, including 22 in the first round.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor