Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas To Return For Junior Year

Thomas is ready to be the man

Via Ohiostatebuckeyes.com - Deshaun Thomas, a sophomore forward on the Ohio State men's basketball team, will return for his junior season, Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, announced Friday.

"Deshaun, his family and our coaching staff have spent the last week evaluating his future," Matta said. "Deshaun determined he wants to remain a Buckeye. We are looking forward to building on the success our team enjoyed in 2011-12 with Deshaun playing a significant role next year."

Thomas hopes to help the Buckeyes toward a goal of a fourth-consecutive Big Ten title next season.

"We have a great team returning next season and I want to be a part of another championship run," Thomas said. "My family, my coaches and I looked at my future as a professional but I love being a Buckeye and want to continue my education and development as a player and as a person at Ohio State.

"If I do have an opportunity to play basketball professionally, I want to have an immediate impact," Thomas said. "Working with my teammates and coaches at Ohio State will help me achieve my future goals."

Thomas, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., is the top returning scorer and rebounder from Ohio State's Final Four team that finished 31-8 in 2011-12. He averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Over 39 games last year, Thomas connected on 52 percent of his field goals (243-467) and connected on 75 percent of his foul shots (83-111). For his career, Thomas (6-7, 225) has scored 897 points (11.8 ppg.) over 76 appearances and 39 starts.

Ohio State has won 65 games with Thomas' contributions over the last two seasons. The Buckeyes have won two Big Ten regular-season titles, made two trips to the NCAA tournament "Sweet 16," advanced to a pair of Big Ten tournament title games and have won 38 games in Columbus with Thomas in the lineup.

Ohio State's Jared Sullinger Declares For NBA Draft

Sullinger had many great moments to remember

After guiding Ohio State to the Final Four, two-time All-American forward Jared Sullinger figured he might as well see what he could do for an NBA team.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore announced on Wednesday he is giving up his final two seasons with the Buckeyes to make himself available for the NBA draft in June. Most projections have him going in the top 10.

"Going to the Final Four with a team that many people said we weren't good enough, weren't strong enough, weren't mentally tough enough, and still being able to get to the Final Four with all the ups and downs we had, I think that was tremendous for this basketball team," Sullinger said, flanked by his parents and coach Thad Matta. "Once we got to the Final Four, we were trying to win it. But unfortunately, we fell short. I feel at peace with the decision I'm making."

The Buckeyes lost to Kansas 64-62 in the national semifinals on Saturday.

Sullinger averaged 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds a game while shooting 52 percent from the field, 77 percent at the line and 40 percent on 3-pointers while leading the Buckeyes to a 31-8 record and a Final Four berth. He was 63-10 as a starter.

"I've always said he's one of the most intellectual players I've ever coached," Matta said. "He came in that way as a freshman. The thing is that people don't know he studies the game. Not only the college game, but the NBA game. He can tell you a lot about a lot of NBA issues. For him, the timing is definitely right."

Sullinger's father, Satch, was his coach at national power Northland High School in Columbus. He believed the youngest of his three sons, all of whom played Division I basketball, had the ability to play in the NBA. But he also knew he wasn't ready a year ago when Jared was considered a top-five pick.

"The skill set's always been there. But last year, at this time, I wasn't comfortable as a parent with the option of him possibly going to the NBA," Satch Sullinger said. "Jared's had it pretty easy in basketball, he's been relatively injury free. This year I watched the peaks and valleys and I watched him mature. There's only one way to get experience and that's by being inexperienced in a situation. I watched him be immature in certain things and work his way out of it. I saw that consistency start to come back during the end of the season run all the way through the Final Four."

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

Good Morning Buckeye fans. Hopefully the disappointment from Saturday is starting to wear off. I'm not the biggest basketball fan on earth but really took that loss to Kansas hard. OSU had more than enough chances to seal the deal and let it slip away in the last minute.

A final four appearance is nothing to laugh at but the thought of "what could have been" will be sticking around for awhile. Anyway, off to the bits.

Matta feels the heat- This story in the dispatch gave a clear indication of the disappointment in Thad Matta and the Buckeye's. I think that Thad is starting to feel a little pressure concerning his difficulties in the NCAA tournament. By no means is his job in jeopardy but the masses are getting a little restless. It will be interesting to see how is squad handles a virtually brand new team next season.

More sorrow- This was a well written article but lets face it. It was like twisting the knife in my heart even more. When OSU loses on the gridiron, I tend to go into "media blackout" mode for a few days. For whatever reason, I was seeking out stories today for the basketball bucks. I don't know why. I'm a glutton for punishment apparently.

Buckeyes Fall In Final Four To Kansas

Buckeyes lost after giving up a 13 point lead

The Ozone - At times during the 2011-12 season the Ohio State men’s basketball team was admittedly bi-polar. On Saturday night, the Buckeyes’ split personality cost them a shot at the national championship.

OSU followed up a first half in which it led by as many as 13 points with one of its worst shooting halves of the season and watched its season slip away at the foul line in a 64-62 loss to Kansas in college basketball’s national semifinals.

After taking a nine-point lead into halftime, the Buckeyes only made eight of their 33 field goal attempts in the second half, and allowed a late 6-0 Jayhawks run to put Kansas on top and into Monday night’s national championship game where it’ll face Kentucky.

"Well, I thought we played the first half very effectively. Second half obviously we didn't shoot the ball to the level we needed to. I thought Kansas was much more active defensively, using their athleticism," said OSU Head Coach Thad Matta.

Trailing by two points with two seconds remaining, OSU Aaron Craft attempted to send the game into overtime by purposely missing the second of two free throws, but was whistled for a lane violation before attempting the would-have-been game-tying lay-up.

Craft’s ill-fated attempt was too little too late for a Buckeye team that was outscored 39-28 over the course of a second half that saw OSU forward Deshaun Thomas’ minutes limited after he picked up his third foul with 17:34 remaining in the game, and his fourth with 11:30 left.

OSU’s disaster second half was hardly predictable after a first half that saw the Buckeyes hold Kansas to just 13 points over the course of the game’s first 15 minutes and consistently lead by double-digits until a Travis Releford lay-up cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 34-25 heading into halftime.

Basketball Preview: #2 Ohio State vs. #2 Kansas

The time has come. Will OSU pull out a win?

Welcome to "The Other Game" at the Final Four.

OK, so, the Ohio State-Kansas matchup may not have the fantastic freshmen, the outspoken coaches or blood-feud story line of the opening semifinal between Kentucky and Louisville. But this one still should be worth a two-hour investment in front of the TV set Saturday night.

Besides the chance to watch two top-line teams play for a spot in the national title game, the Buckeyes-Jayhawks game offers a rare opportunity to see two All-Americans going at it with everything on the line.

Ohio State is led by Jared Sullinger, the sophomore forward who missed the first matchup between these teams with a bad back. Kansas' best player is Thomas Robinson, who had 21 points and seven rebounds in the Jayhawks' 78-67 win on Dec. 10.

"In my eyes, he's the college player of the year," Sullinger said of Robinson. "I know some think different. But with his season, the way he took his team to the top, you've just got to give it to him."

In fact, it's Kentucky's Anthony Davis who took player of the year awards from The Associated Press and college basketball writers Friday. But while Davis is a story of an ultra-talented freshman trying to lead his team to a championship in what likely will be his only year with the Wildcats, Sullinger and Robinson approach college in a different way.

At one point last season, Sullinger was viewed as a surefire lottery pick, a one-and-done prospect with nothing much left to prove in college. He never saw it that way, however, and when Ohio State was eliminated from last year's tournament as a No. 1 seed, the 6-foot-9 forward committed to staying in college.

"I wanted to make a statement, that not everybody is using college basketball as a pit stop to go the next level," he said. "That there's more than money and endorsements. There's championships that you've got to win at every level. That's what I pride myself on. I've won a championship all the way from elementary to now. I pride myself on winning. That's the biggest thing. That's why I came back."

"Pride," was also one of the first words Robinson used when asked about his decision to return for his junior year.

He spent most of his first two seasons playing limited minutes behind the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus. NBA scouts were telling Robinson he could be a first-round draft pick if he left.

"It was a pride issue," Robinson said. "I didn't want people to guess and be like, `I think he can play. We've seen glimpses.' I wanted to come back and prove to everybody that I'm a good player."

He did. Widely viewed in the preseason as a player who might nudge his way onto some All-America lists, Robinson outperformed the predictions. He averages 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds a game and is learning the difference between coming off the bench as a role player and leading a team.

Monday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning Buckeye fans. Are you feeling the excitement and sheer giddiness that I'm feeling this morning? Thanks again to the Buckeyes for knocking off the 1-seed in the East region, Syracuse, on their way to a Final Four appearance.

This marks the first time since the 2006-2007 season that Ohio State has reached the Final Four. That was back when we had Oden and Conley as they went on to the National Championship game, something that this basketball team can accomplish just as well. Let's get on to the Bits!

The Jayhawks Stand In Our Way. It's time for a rematch and this game has quite a bit more riding on the outcome then last time. Back in early December, the Buckeyes played at Kansas against Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor. Up to that point, OSU was a perfect 8-0 and ranked 2nd in the country. Then, the Jayhawks were ranked 13th and were able to knock off Ohio State with a deceiving 78-67 victory.

The key point in this rematch: Jared Sullinger did not play in December vs. Kansas. Sullinger was sidelined due to an injury with his back, forcing him to sit the bench and watch the Buckeyes fall. Now there is nothing in Sullinger's way. This should be a great game to watch, as Kansas is really starting to hit their stride  after defeating the Midwest 1-seed, North Carolina. Both Robinson and Taylor play very well together and should cause problems for Ohio State all night, setting up an awesome combination of basketball talent.

Sullinger, Buckeyes Power Through Syracuse On Way To Final Four

The Buckeyes truly earned their place in the Final Four.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta sized up his team in the middle of the season and had it figured for an early loss when the NCAA tournament came around.

The final weekend of March Madness is next, and the Buckeyes will be there.

Jared Sullinger recovered from first-half foul trouble to score 19 points and grab seven rebounds, helping Ohio State beat top-seeded Syracuse 77-70 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. The second-seeded Buckeyes will play the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional final between North Carolina and Kansas.

"We're not going down to New Orleans for a vacation. It's a business trip," said Sullinger, who picked up his second foul 6 minutes into the game and did not return the rest of the half. "These guys have played without me before, so they know what they have to do."

Deshaun Thomas scored 14 points with nine rebounds for Ohio State (31-7), which led by eight points with 59 seconds to play and held on after the Orange cut it to three. The Buckeyes made 13 of 14 free throws in the final 68 seconds and finished 31 of 42 from the line.

Ohio State is making its first trip to the Final Four since 2007, when it lost in the national championship game to Florida. They had lost in the regional semifinals in each of the past two seasons, and Matta wasn't even sure they would make it that far after a series of unimpressive practices.

When the Buckeyes, who spent five weeks as the No. 2 team in the nation, closed out February with three defeats in five games -- including a home loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 26 -- Matta had more reason to worry.

But he got the response he was hoping for.

"That loss opened their eyes and said, 'Hey, maybe we're not as good as we think we are,' " Matta said. "Maybe it got us pointed in the right direction."

Basketball Preview: #2 Ohio State vs. #1 Syracuse

Can the Buckeyes make the Final Four?

One of the old axioms of college basketball is that you play zone against a team that plays zone. Syracuse, which plays the best zone defense in the sport right now, has struggled recently against zones.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who on Saturday will be the next coach to try and solve the 2/3 when his second-seeded Buckeyes (30-7) meet the top-seeded Orange (34-2) with a berth in the Final Four at stake, was asked if he was thinking of trying to play zone against a zone.

"Not really. We're into Game 30, whatever it is. We kind of are who we are from that standpoint to be honest with you," he said Friday. 

"Going against a zone this week -- we felt like Cincinnati was going to play us like they did last night, the first half zone, and thought there was a chance we'd play Syracuse, so we went against zone in practice and left with a ton of confidence on offense because the zone was so bad. So we're not going to do that."

Syracuse's zone is far from bad, even when it's far from perfect.

Wisconsin pounded the zone with 14 3-pointers in the 64-63 East Regional semifinal loss to the Orange, but came up short down the stretch.

"I heard, I don't know when it was, a couple years ago, whatever, and I thought it was the greatest answer I've ever heard from Coach Boeheim," Matta recounted. "Somebody asked him what do you do when somebody gets really hot against your zone and they're making 3s? He said `How do you know they're not going to make them against man-to-man?' I think he has his philosophy, and he's only won 900 or however many games he's won. It works for him.

"Watching that game last night, he struck true to what he's done. Fourteen 3s, you might say, `Hey, that's good enough to get the job done.' Last night it wasn't."

Thomas, Sullinger Lead Buckeyes Past Cincinnati On Way To Elite Eight

Sullinger and the Buckeyes took over late

Jared Sullinger and the Ohio State Buckeyes had blown a 12-point lead and fallen behind Cincinnati in the second half of the East Region semifinals.

It was time for the "cool guys" to take a seat, and let the blue-collar team take over.

Sullinger scored 23 points with 11 rebounds and Ohio State turned back Cincinnati's last charge with a 17-1 run to beat the Bearcats 81-66 on Thursday night and advance to the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2007.

"We've got two types of basketball teams: We've got the cool guys and then the blue-collar guys," Sullinger explained. "I thought to start the second half we got into the cool-guy mode and we kind of let our guard down. ... I mean, we just came out and decided to be cool guys, and they came out and they stung us, and then we got ourselves back into another basketball game."

Deshaun Thomas scored 26 points for the second-seeded Buckeyes (30-7), who will play Syracuse at the TD Garden on Saturday. Aaron Craft added 11 points -- all in the second half -- with five assists and six steals, taking charge during the second-half run that turned a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead.

Cashmere Wright scored 18 and Sean Kilpatrick had 15 for the No. 6 seeded Bearcats, who were attempting to match Big East rival Syracuse by beating a Big Ten opponent to advance to the East Regional finals. The top-seeded Orange advanced earlier Thursday by beating fourth-seeded Wisconsin 64-63.

It's the first trip to the regional finals for Ohio State since it lost in the 2007 championship game to Florida. The Buckeyes lost in the round of 16 in each of the past two years.

"Coach (Thad) Matta has been through two Sweet 16s where the train kind of stopped. And we wanted to make sure that this train was going to keep rolling," Sullinger said. "It's tremendous to be in a situation like this, and it's a blessing. But at the same time we can't lose focus."

Wearing fluorescent orange shoelaces and piping on their jerseys, Cincinnati (26-11) fell behind by 12 at the half before going on a 19-4 run early in the second. The Bearcats led 52-48 with 11:34 to play when Matta called a timeout and ripped into his team.

The Buckeyes allowed just one free throw over the next 5½ minutes.

Basketball Preview: #2 Ohio State vs. #6 Cincinnati

Craft stepped up big against Gonzaga

There are 347 schools playing Division I men's basketball. Thirteen are from Ohio. Four of those are among the 16 teams still playing in the NCAA tournament.

Only one calls itself The Ohio State University.

The flagship school from the leading basketball state in the nation -- in this tournament, at least -- will play Cincinnati on Thursday night in an East Regional semifinal that is as much a Battle of the Buckeye State as it is a chance to move one game closer to a national title.

"What I've felt all along is it's just a tremendous state for basketball," said Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who also coached at Miami of Ohio and Xavier before taking over the Buckeyes in 2004.

"I think a lot of times in the high school ranks it gets tabbed as a football state, just all the great players that they've put out. But just in the time that I've been there ... I've got a pretty good understanding of how passionate the fans are. It takes a lot of luck for four teams to get here, obviously. I think it speaks volumes to the level of basketball in the state."

Although it is bordered by hoops hotbeds Kentucky (a state with nine NCAA titles) and Indiana (five), Ohio hasn't really been considered a basketball state since placing a team in four straight championship games from 1960-63. (Ohio State won the first, then lost the next two to Cincinnati; the Bearcats returned in `63 and lost to Loyola of Chicago.)

Ohio State has won two football championships since then, but its appearance in the basketball title game in 2007 is the only one for the state since the `60s. Even -- gasp! -- Michigan, with three men's basketball championship since then, has more to show from its trips to the NCAA tournament.

"Ohio, everybody knows them as a football state. But we have a little bit of basketball talent inside those borders," said Buckeyes forward Jared Sullinger, a Columbus native who is one of three Ohioans among the top four scorers on the team. "It's just finally showing now."

And not just at Ohio State.

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning fellow Buckeye honks! Welcome to your Tuesday edition of the bits. There is lots going on this week so let's skip my regular "random link" and get right to it shall we?

Hey, I remember him!- All Buckeye fans, and most other fans, know Mark Titus by now. He was a benchwarmer for OSU a few years back but developed a cult-like following for his blog Club Trillion. That cult-like following quickly turned into millions of followers.

 The guy is a blog sensation at this point (if you can be such a thing). He has parlayed that success into a contributing role over at Bill Simmons' Grantland.

Whatever you think of Bill Simmons, Grantland is a good place to stop on your daily internet adventure. I stumbled upon this cool piece by Titus overviewing the first weekend of the tournament. It's pretty funny. Give it a look.


Good Overview- The tournament started out a little slow but picked up as the weekend approached. I know that thoroughly enjoyed watching Michigan go down in ball of flames. That game was quickly followed by another epic collapse as Duke went down at the hands of Lehigh. That was possibly the greatest 15 minutes of sports in the past 2 months for me. Eamonn Brennan had a great first look for this weekends games.

Basketball Preview: #2 Ohio State vs. #7 Gonzaga

Matta has the Buckeyes prepared

Before VCU. Before Butler. Before George Mason, there was Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs have spent the last 14 seasons busting brackets. Their mix of steady guard play and just enough muscle have made the Jesuit school nestled in eastern Washington a perennial threat to play deep into March.

Yet all those upsets, all those higher seeds sent packing early have failed to help the `Zags shake the "underdog" label.

What some programs would consider a sign of disrespect, the Bulldogs see as a badge of honor. Even if the Bulldogs are "mid-major" in name only.

Since starting its run with a dash to the regional finals in 1999, Gonzaga has as many tournament victories (17) as Ohio State.

One of the schools will get No. 18 on Saturday when the seventh-seeded Bulldogs (26-6) face the second-seeded Buckeyes (28-7) in the third round.

Ohio State hardly feels like a favorite. The Buckeyes didn't exactly play like one while loping through a lackadaisical win over Loyola (Md.) on Thursday night, winning almost in spite of themselves.

They're well aware of what will happen if they come out with the same lack of intensity.

"We'll lose," senior guard William Buford said. "You can't treat (Gonzaga) like slouches. That's what they want you to do, but you can't."

Thomas, Buckeyes Blow Past Greyhounds On Way To Round Of 32

Thomas came up big against the Greyhounds

Ohio State used its size advantage to handle Loyola, Md., dominating the Greyhounds the way a No. 2 seed is expected to handle a 15 seed.

The Buckeyes made sure there wouldn't be a second scare at the Consol Energy Center.

Deshaun Thomas scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds -- one off his career best -- to lead Ohio State to a 78-59 victory Thursday night in the second round of the East Regional.

That was far different from top-seeded Syracuse's 72-65 victory over North Carolina-Asheville, a game that had many thinking it could be the first time a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1.

"Obviously this tournament is about advancing, and that's what we did tonight," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "I don't think we played at the level we need to. Our guys know that. Give Loyola a ton of credit for that. They came at us."

William Buford had 17 points and Jared Sullinger added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Buckeyes (28-7), who dominated the smaller Greyhounds inside, finishing with a 49-24 rebound advantage.

"Deshaun was excellent on the boards and also scoring the basketball," Sullinger said. "He pretty much carried this team. I don't think we would have won it without him."

Ohio State will play seventh-seeded Gonzaga in the third round Saturday. The Bulldogs beat 10th-seeded West Virginia 77-54.

Basketball Preview: #2 Ohio State vs. #15 Loyola (MD)

Sullinger is ready to go

Ohio State has four sophomore starters and one bad NCAA tournament memory.

The Buckeyes were knocked out of last year's tournament in the regional semifinals by a jumper by Kentucky's Brandon Knight with 5 seconds to play. A No. 1 seed last year, the Buckeyes felt their season ended way too soon.

A No. 2 seed this year, Ohio State starts a run at a 10th Final Four when it plays 15th-seeded Loyola (Md.) on Thursday night in the second round of the East Regional.

The Buckeyes (27-7) were a tri-champion of the Big Ten this season. Loyola (24-8) finished second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and won the conference tournament to seal its second NCAA tournament berth, 22 behind the Buckeyes.

Ohio State's Jared Sullinger was a first-team All-America last season as a freshman. He averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds this season while earning All-Big Ten honors.

Sullinger sounded like someone who believes that when he talks about Loyola, which had the first 20-win season in school history in 2011-12.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  The 2012 NCAA Tournament kicked off last night and I couldn’t be more excited for the next three weeks!  In the first game in Dayton, Western Kentucky stormed back from a double-digit deficit with five minutes remaining to defeat Mississippi Valley State 59-58. 

The Hilltoppers’ reward? They get to play No. 1 overall seed, Kentucky. Good luck. 

In the second game, BYU defeated Iona 78-72 as Iona collapsed after running out to 55 points in the first 16 minutes and will face Marquette in their next game.

Now onto the Bits!

Fab Melo ruled ineligible.  The path to New Orleans possibly just got a little easier for Ohio State.  Syracuse’s star center and Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Fab Melo, was ruled out for the entire NCAA Tournament yesterday. 

This is a big blow for the Orange. Melo missed three games earlier this season with academic issues and it seems this is along the same lines. In the games he was out, Syracuse was 2-1, but was outrebounded by nearly 10 per game, when they were about even in the games he played in.

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning Buckeye fans. Welcome to your Tuesday morning Buckeye Bits. If your new to this daily feature we here at ITS attempt to scour the web for interesting stories for you to read. Think of it as a quicker way to get your sporting fix before the boss makes his/her morning rounds.

The basketball Bucks are a #2 seed this year and open up play this Thursday. We have some great writers that will have tons of info on the upcoming game and tournament as it approaches. With that said, I thought it would be nice to keep it on the football side of things today. Off we go!

Butch Davis Leaves His Mark- Well, it's probably not his fault entirely as Butch hasn't been linked to any of the problems at North Carolina but as a Browns fan I don't miss an opportunity to slander his name. I found it extra hilarious that this story was buried down the page on ESPN. Where is all the outrage that was expressed during Tatgate? How much do you want to bet this story doesn't come up until half way through Sportscenter? Ahh, got to love that bias.

Monday's Buckeye Bits

Rise and shine Buckeye fans, it's March Madness Week! Despite the Buckeye's loss in the B1G Championship to Michigan State, the weekend was still a success after finishing off a great run for the basketball team.

Heading into the weekend Buckeye fans were a bit skeptical of their chances in any tournament, let alone the NCAA tournament. Thankfully, a last second win over MSU to win a share of the regular season title, and shutting down Purdue and Michigan, brought some much-needed energy and hope before the March Madness tournament.

The Madness begins tomorrow but to hold you over until then, let's dive in to today's Buckeye Bits!

Buckeyes Earn A 2-Seed. The NCAA March Madness tournament selection show yesterday revealed the seeding of the 68-team bracket, where the Buckeyes landed in the East region as a #2 seed. The opponent they will face (Thursday at 9:50) is the #15 seed, Loyola Greyhounds. The Buckeyes region is pretty tough, featuring opponents such as #1 seed Syracuse, #3 seed Florida State and #6 seed Cincinnati. Here are the rest of the region's, for your viewing enjoyment: Midwest, West, South (H/T Eleven Warriors)

Buckeyes Fall To Michigan State In B1G Championship

Sullinger  is ready for March Madness

Draymond Green now has the winning chapter in Michigan State history he has longed for.

Green had 12 points and nine rebounds to help the eighth-ranked Spartans beat No. 7 Ohio State 68-64 on Sunday in the Big Ten tournament championship game.

Green and the Spartans claimed both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten player of the year and the tournament's most outstanding player felt he needed to win something for coach Tom Izzo to include him in the conversation with Michigan State greats.

Brandon Wood scored a season-high 21 points. Wood transferred to Michigan State after graduating from Valparaiso last year with eligibility remaining. He received a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately because he entered graduate school. He only started because starter Branden Dawson tore a left knee ligament in the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

B1G Tournament Basketball Preview: Ohio State vs. Michigan State

Buckeyes look to finish as champs

Ohio State and Michigan State met in a last-second thriller a week ago, with the Buckeyes prevailing to earn a share of the Big Ten regular-season title.

Only one team will leave the court with a championship -- and a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament -- when the seventh-ranked Buckeyes face the eighth-ranked Spartans for the conference tournament crown Sunday in Indianapolis.

William Buford's jumper with 1 second remaining gave Ohio State (27-6) a 72-70 victory last Sunday in East Lansing, forcing a three-way tie with Michigan State and Michigan atop the Big Ten standings.

It was the second failed attempt at winning an outright conference title for the Spartans (26-7), who also lost at Indiana on Feb. 28.

Big Ten player of the year Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Saturday's 65-52 semifinal win over No. 14 Wisconsin, and he said Sunday's game is a chance at redemption for top-seeded Michigan State.

B1G Tournament Basketball Preview: Ohio State vs. Michigan

Ohio State is facing Michigan for the 3rd time

Based on the way Ohio State looked in its first game of the event, the Wolverines will need to play much better against their archrival if they want to earn a spot in the league championship game.

The No. 10 Wolverines look to prevent the seventh-ranked Buckeyes from reaching the Big Ten final for a fourth consecutive season when they meet in the semifinals for the second straight year Saturday in Indianapolis.

Co-Big Ten champions in the regular season along with Michigan State, second-seeded Michigan (24-8) and third-seeded Ohio State split their first two meetings in 2011-12. The Buckeyes (26-6) won 64-49 at home Jan. 29, but the Wolverines got their revenge and snapped a six-game skid in the series with a 56-51 win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 18.

William Buford had 16 points and Jared Sullinger added 14 with 13 rebounds as the two-time defending tournament champion Buckeyes beat Michigan 68-61 in last season's semifinals, improving to 5-0 against the Wolverines in Big Ten tournament play.

Considering the way Ohio State played during an 88-71 win over Purdue on Friday, Michigan has reason to be concerned after it needed a late rally and overtime to beat 10th-seeded Minnesota 73-69 earlier in the evening.