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Ohio State's men's basketball team upended Illinois in Champaign Thursday, gaining a game toward a possible regular season Big Ten championship. Three days later, the same team tanked hard on the road at Maryland.
At times, it has simply felt like that kind of season for the Buckeyes, a team that is on track to earn a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament, and that badly needs to get past the first round of the Big Dance known as March Madness... but that also has struggled to close games more than once and that relies on a rotating cast of characters as a third scorer behind E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham.
Our resident hoops expert Chris Lauderback joined The Dubcast this week to discuss how things have come together for the team, what its chances are in the final three regular season games on the schedule, and how prospects shape up for the postseason tournaments.
We talk about Branham's impressive February, Liddell's recent struggles offensively, and why the team seems to play not to lose rather than playing to win when it has a big lead after halftime.
Plus, Ask Us Anything (which, as always, you can do by emailing us at dubcast@elevenwarriors.com) talks about how we'd celebrate if we scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
RUN OF THE SHOW
0:00 We welcome Chris Lauderback to the Dubcast, and the first question we have is why Ohio State fans have such wildly divergent expectations for the Buckeye basketball program in general.
08:00 This team rises or falls on the shoulders of E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham. When those two have an off night, where does Chris Holtmann turn for offense?
11:50 Fatigue is a real issue with the compressed schedule the Buckeyes have played over the past two weeks.
19:00 Holtmann's teams have yet to make the second round of the NCAA tournament or win a Big Ten conference crown. What's missing in the equation that has kept them from getting over the postseason hump?
28:55 Is Malaki Branham gone? If so, what does the future look like next season?
34:40 Ask us anything! Let's talk touchdown celebrations, and what we'd throw down if we scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
40:09 Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarty is ready to talk smack. Oh boy, it's going to be a long offseason with those goobers popping off.
43:10 Ohio State is not immune to the overall decline in college football attendance. What can the Athletic Department do to turn the tide... if anything?
48:57 Quick Cals: Two Buckeyes were drafted in the USFL, and two current Buckeye wrestlers earned top seeds in this weekend's Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
And that'll do it! Thanks as always to Travis for the cool, cool logo, thanks to you for listening and checking out the Dry Goods store, and we'll see you next week!
