Another solid week of basketball from the Buckeyes as the prepare for the toughest week of basketball they’ll face until tournament time. This isn’t going to be easy. A pissed-off Michigan team tonight could be quite the buzzsaw for the Buckeyes. And then Indiana on Sunday. I think we all can agree that emerging from this daisy cutter of a week with one win will be quite the achievement. Win them both? Thad Matta gets a statue out front of the Schottenstein center.

Week in Review

1/29/13: Wisconsin 49 – #11 Ohio State 58 (16-4, 6-2 Big Ten)

Wisconsin acted like they were allergic to the painted area and were throwing up threes like it was their job. It turns out that they are really bad at their jobs and should probably be fired, or at least sent back to washing the dishes. Especially that ginger. They can’t run the registers like that. They hit 36.5% of the field goal attempts and took ZERO free throws. This game was not a great showing for the Badgers.

Deshaun Thomas led the way with 25. Laquinton Ross chipped in 8 points including a promising 2-2 from beyond the arc.

2/2/13: Nebraska 56 – #11 Ohio State 63 (17-4, 7-2 Big Ten)

First off, I really have to tip my hat to the Nebraska fans. They were really into this game, making more noise than I thought a Nebraska crowd could muster for a basketball game. They came alive at key points in the game, especially when it was closer than it really had any right to be.

This game shouldn’t have ever been that close, but it was. Nebraska got solid, even inspired, play out of their big man Andre “Big Continent” Almeida, pulling down 8 rebounds (3 of them offensive) and 3 blocks. For a guy who has got the vertical of a tortoise, he was nimble on his feet and used his substantial mass and personal gravitational field to his benefit most effectively.

On the Buckeye’s side, Amir Williams asserted himself in the first half, pulling down rebounds and getting to the free throw line. Lenzelle Smith was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 21 of the Buckeyes 63 points and hopefully getting used to scoring when Deshaun is having an off-night or is getting the majority of the defensive attention.

Week in Preview

2/5/13 @ 9 PM (ESPN) #3 Michigan (20-2, 7-2 Big Ten) vs #10 Ohio State (17-4, 7-2 Big Ten)

This game is a make or break for Michigan, really. They’ve now lost on Ohio State and Indiana’s home courts and MUST defend home court if they want to be counted among the elite. I think Ohio State is going to have its hands full and more this evening against Michigan. Aaron Craft did a number (proving he’s the best PG in the B1G in the process) against Trey Burke last time these two teams met and you’ve got to believe that Burke will take that challenge personally. If he’s on and Craft can’t stop him, it’s going to be a long night.

Michigan also has too much talent around Burke to struggle like this forever. If Stauskas or Tim Hardaway Jr. can hit open shots, Michigan is going to have smooth sailing. But if Ohio State’s defense continues to stymy the Michigan offense and holds Burke in check, Michigan fans are going to be despondent. (Please let this happen, basketball gods)

2/10/13 @ 1 PM (CBS) #1 Indiana (20-2, 8-1 Big Ten) at Ohio State (17-4, 7-2 Big Ten)

I really, really, really want to be Indiana this Sunday. It’s just two days after my birthday. I’ll take a victory as a belated birthday gift, Buckeyes. I won’t even be mad.

The Buckeyes take one from Nebraska, 63-56 in a game that felt closer at times than the final score would indicate.

The Buckeyes got off to a quick start in the first half, going up by nine points early, only to see the lead disappear as the Huskers fought back, taking a lead 14-12. After back and forth, Ohio State took a convincing lead as the first half came to a close, punctuated by a steal by Aaron Craft that led to a Deshaun Thomas dunk.

Amir Williams had a solid half, aggressively going to the basket and drawing numerous fouls. Williams still needs to develop a strong move up with the ball when he gets rebounds around the basket. Too often when he gets the ball around his waist he struggles to get the ball back up to the hoop. He gets bailed out by the fouls but if he was able to go up strong, he would be unstoppable.

The second half started out like the first half ended, with the Buckeyes pushing the lead up to 13 points. As the second half waned, Nebraska slowly worked themselves back into the game due to some poor Buckeye shooting and decent defense and rebounding by the Cornhuskers. They would get as close as five but an acrobatic reverse layup by Craft and timely free throws at the end maintained the lead for the Buckeyes.

Lenzelle Smith was the high scorer in the game, leading everyone with 21 points. Amir Williams pulled down eight rebounds and had three blocks.

The Buckeyes now wait to see how the Michigan/Indiana game plays out before the Buckeyes take the Wolverines on again in Ann Arbor next Tuesday and welcome the Hoosiers to Columbus on Sunday.

Anytime Wisconsin is in town (or playing basketball ever), you know you’re in for, if nothing else, a really dragging, boring anti-excitement basketball game. Bo Ryan’s going to bore you to death and hope he can take the opposition down with you. Lulling you to sleep with 34-second possesion after 34-second possession.

What we actually got were three million three point attempts (28 but who’s counting) by Wisconsin versus a fairly well spread offensive attack and another swarming defensive effort by the Buckeyes.

Both teams got off to a blistering start, scoring not three, not four, but five points in the first six plus minutes of the first half. Yep, we were playing Wisconsin.

Ohio State initially got solid production going though Deshaun Thomas, with DT scoring the first eight points. Buckeyes went away from Thomas, looking for another scorer to step up the challenge. Aaron Craft scored eight points in the first half, mostly going to the rim.

The second half was a close back and forth match until the Buckeyes, aided by scorers not named Thomas (just kidding, it was mostly Thomas), went on a 15-0 run while the defense forced Wisconsin into some ill advised shots while they went cold, missing seven straight.

It also helped that Wisconsin considered the lane to be lava with very little scoring in the paint and headed to the free-throw line zero times. Not going to win very many games not getting to the free throw line.

Overall, LaQuinton Ross pitched in with a couple timely threes, Aaron Craft tossed in 13 points and pulled down a team leading 7 rebounds. Deshaun led everyone with 25.

The Buckeyes move into third place with a 6-2 record in the Big Ten.