Deshaun Thomas, last year's Indiana Mr. Basketball, came out of a slump with 22 points to lead Ohio State (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) past Indiana 82-61 on Sunday. Thomas scored all the points during a 14-3 first-half run that spanned 3:36 and turned the game into a rout. He had managed just 13 points in his last seven games. Thomas, who Indiana coach Tom Crean had tried to recruit after he had verbally committed to Ohio State, was the story for the Buckeyes in the first half. He gave them a lift after starters Jared Sullinger, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale got in early foul trouble.
Indiana, which hasn't beaten a Top 25 team on the road in more than nine years, led 8-7 after Derek Elston scissored through the lane for a layup at the 16:35 mark, but didn't score again for almost 8 minutes until Elston scored again on a short jumper.
William Buford added 15 points and Jon Diebler had 11 for the Buckeyes, who could ascend to No. 1 next week after top-ranked Duke lost at Virginia Tech on Saturday night. The defeat was Indiana's sixth in a row to Ohio State.
The victory helped Ohio State maintain a one-game lead in the Big Ten with two games remaining -- at Penn State on Tuesday night and home against Wisconsin on Sunday. It was Wisconsin that hung the first loss on the Buckeyes on Feb. 12 in Madison.
My Thoughts:
- Thomas really shined yesterday and was able to give the much needed spark for Ohio State.
- It seems now that Ohio State will be taking over the #1 spot in the polls. Again. I'll be interested to see how they handle it this time around.
- The Big Ten Tournament is just around the corner. Wisconsin and Purdue are obviously the really dangerous opponents, but this will be a good test before March Madness comes around.
