Note: This story was initially published before Maryland’s win over Illinois but has since been updated to reflect the result of that game.
It’s hard not to think ahead to the matchup Ohio State could face if it makes it to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday.
Fresh off of a Sunday road loss to Iowa that snapped a 15-game win streak for the Buckeyes, Ohio State could have the chance to avenge that defeat just seven days later. The Buckeyes are the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament while the Hawkeyes are the No. 2 seed, setting up a potential collision course in a game that would all but guarantee a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the winner.
Both teams have to get there first, though, by winning quarterfinal and semifinal games. In Ohio State’s case, the road to a conference tournament title will start with a quarterfinal matchup against No. 8 seed Maryland on Friday (12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) after the Terrapins beat No. 9 seed Illinois in Thursday’s second round.
Kevin McGuff’s message to his team entering the Big Ten Tournament is the same as it’s been all season: Focus on getting the job done one day at a time, a message that will be more important than ever as Ohio State sets its sights on winning three straight games in three days.
“I've been very clear on how I think we can get where we need to go, and it's about everybody focusing on today's practice and whomever we're going to play on Friday,” McGuff said on Wednesday. “And then we're going to focus on tomorrow's practice. And that's it. And I think just that consistent theme and message has been what this team has needed. And they've responded to that.”
That mindset certainly worked for Ohio State during the regular season as the Buckeyes went 25-4 overall and 16-2 in Big Ten play to win their first outright regular-season conference championship in six years. And they believe they can still play even better than they’ve played so far this season.
“I've said it and it might sound crazy … (McGuff) would probably agree, I don't think we’ve played our best full 40 minutes yet and I think that's encouraging going into March,” said fifth-year senior guard Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State’s leading scorer. “There's room to get there and room to continue to grow this team which is special.”
Transition defense and rebounding are two particular areas where McGuff feels his team needs to be better to prevail this week in Minneapolis. Ohio State struggled in both of those areas in its loss to Iowa, giving up 19 fast-break points and getting outrebounded 38-31.
Ohio State hadn’t lost in more than two months before its loss to Iowa on Sunday, so the Buckeyes must now prove they can respond to defeat. But McGuff is confident his team will because of the resolve it’s shown all year and because of the leadership of experienced veterans like Sheldon.
“Obviously, you hate losing. Especially this team, we hate losing. But I think, end of the day, looking forward to the Big Ten Tournament now, we kind of have to have a short memory,” Sheldon said Wednesday. “Obviously, we don't know who we're playing yet between those two teams. But when we do, we'll prepare accordingly, and I think these next two days, it's really just get back on track, get back in the gym, get up and down again, and get ready for this tough stretch.”
Now that the regular season is over, Ohio State knows nothing will come easily from this point forward. But the Buckeyes believe they have been steeled well for the rigors of postseason play by the challenges they faced throughout the regular season, especially in Big Ten competition.
“Honestly, I think throughout the whole entire Big Ten schedule, we haven't had a completely easy game,” said fifth-year senior guard Celeste Taylor, the recently named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. “I think that the coaches do a good job of focusing on the fact that they’re another Division I team, who at any given night, if you're not on your A-game, they could come in and beat you. But that's also just a testament to the teams in the Big Ten and how competitive it is.”
“I don't think we’ve played our best full 40 minutes yet and I think that's encouraging going into March.”– Jacy Sheldon on Ohio State’s postseason potential
While Ohio State went undefeated against Maryland during the regular season, those wins didn’t come without resistance. The Buckeyes won their road game against the Terrapins by only eight points and led by only five points entering the fourth quarter of their 79-66 home win over Maryland. The Terrapins have won six of their last eight games, so they’re entering the matchup with Ohio State with some momentum.
“Illinois and Maryland are both playing their best basketball right now. Maryland just played us here on our home court and played us very tough,” McGuff said Wednesday before the Terrapins’ win over Illinois. “So we know either one of those games is gonna be really hard.”
Assuming Ohio State can earn another win against the Terrapins, potential semifinal opponents for the Buckeyes include No. 4 seed Michigan State, No. 5 seed Nebraska and No. 12 seed Purdue. Ohio State went 4-0 against those three teams during the regular season, though the Buckeyes won by just five points against Michigan State and three points against Purdue in January; they were more dominant in a pair of February matchups with Michigan State and Nebraska, beating the Spartans by 15 points in a game that was more lopsided than the final score suggested and the Cornhuskers by a whopping 33 points.
Should Ohio State reach the final, the Buckeyes would be happy to play anyone with a conference tournament trophy on the line. A rematch with Iowa would be extra meaningful for the Buckeyes, though, as it would give them a chance to not only move to 2-1 against the Hawkeyes this year – Ohio State beat Iowa in overtime, 100-92, on Jan. 21 in Columbus – but flip the script from last year’s Big Ten Tournament final, when the Hawkeyes walloped the Buckeyes, 105-72.
Sheldon didn’t deny that she’s hoping for the opportunity to play Iowa again, but the Buckeyes know they can’t worry about a hypothetical matchup right now.
“They gotta take care of business and so do we,” Sheldon said. “The Big Ten is unreal, honestly, with the talent and the teams that are in this conference. So as much as I want to be thinking about that, that can't even cross our minds right now.”
| Round | Day | Time (ET) | TV | Possible Opponents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Friday | 12:30 p.m. | BTN | #8 Maryland |
| Semifinal | Saturday | 2 p.m. | BTN | #4 Michigan State, #5 Nebraska or #12 Purdue |
| Final | Sunday | Noon | CBS | #2 Iowa, #3 Indiana, #6 Michigan, #7 Penn State, #10 Wisconsin, #11 Minnesota |
No matter what happens this week, Ohio State can rest assured that it will be hosting first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games at the Schottenstein Center in two weeks as a top-16 overall seed in the Big Dance. It’s possible the Buckeyes could be a No. 1 seed even if they don’t win the Big Ten Tournament, given that they were ranked as the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA selection committee’s most recent rankings released last week, though they’ll be at risk of dropping to the No. 2 seed line if they lose in Minneapolis.
That said, the focus this week isn’t on what could happen later in March but on what the Buckeyes need to do to win their conference tournament. And the Buckeyes are highly motivated to bring that trophy home to Columbus even though they’ve already won one Big Ten championship trophy for their regular-season play.
“It would mean a lot to me personally, and I know it would mean a lot to the girls here,” said Taylor, who is in her first and only season at Ohio State after previously playing at Duke and Texas. “To know that you're only going to play with this team one time, for throughout the whole season, this is the team that you're gonna play with and you won’t be able to play with a group of girls like this ever again in college basketball, to be able to win a Big Ten Tournament championship after winning a regular season (championship) would be pretty cool. And a testament to how hard each and every player works.”
