March 5, 2006
It's All Buckeyes
Ohio State owns the Big Ten Championship in both mens and women's basketball, the first time a conference school has ever accomplished that feat. The Buckeyes (23-4) ran away from Purdue this afternoon after a close first half, to win 76-57, and clinch their first outright conference title since 1992. Bucknuts.com game story here.
Thad Matta's guys did it by going 5-3 on the road in the Big Ten, and had only one loss at home. Even though Matta and the Bucks won 20 games last year, most of the experts pegged them for the middle of the pack this season. Now they look like a #2 seed in the NCAA tounament barring a dismal showing in the Big Ten Tournament. Ranked No.8 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll currently, their RPI rating has risen to #4.
The fifth-ranked Lady Buckeyes (25-2) dominated the conference from start to finish, as the Big Ten postseason awards indicate. Jessica Davenport repeated as Big Ten Player of the Year, Kim Wilburn was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach Jim Foster won conference Coach of the Year honors. The only real blemish on their stellar season was a 16-point loss at home to 3rd-ranked LSU. They still have to prove they can play with the elite teams in the country, an opportunity that will come within a couple of weeks.
Conference tournaments and the Big Dance loom, but it's not too soon to say that congratulations are in order for Coach Foster and Coach Matta and their fine teams.
You might say it's a great time to be a Buckeye fan. Head football coach Jim Tressel has one title already, and has the team in the chase for the National Championship every year. He's coming off of a Big Ten co-championship and a No.4 national ranking in 2005, and landed the nation's No.1 ranked high school player in Akron running back Chris Wells for 2006.
Matta did him one better by winning the conference outright, and has also landed the top high school player in the nation for next season. 7-foot center Greg Oden will arrive in Columbus next year along with his teammate point guard Mike Conley, and two other touted recruits in swingmen David Lighty and Daequan Cook, giving Matta what some experts think is the best 2006 recruiting class in the country.
So the future looks bright, but the present group of basketball Bucks is promising too. Teams that have excellent coaching, strong senior leadership, especially at guard, shoot free throws well, and play solid half-court defense typically do well in the NCAA's. That our 2005-06 Ohio State Buckeyes.
UPDATE 3/5: The Lady Buckeyes advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Tournament Sunday, beating Michigan State 68-64.
Posted by dan at March 5, 2006 2:34 PM