Former Buckeye Jared Sullinger Introduced As A Celtic

Sullinger will wear No. 7 in Boston

Last Thursday, former Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger was drafted 21st overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2012 NBA draft.

Earlier this week Sullinger was introduced to the Boston Celtics fanbase and team alongside fellow draftees Fab Melo and Kris Joseph. While his stock fell dramatically due to certain rumors of having issues with his back, Sullinger landed in a place that I think just might fit his talents very well.

Capable of playing both power forward and center, I expect the Celtics to use Sullinger for both positions when necessary. In the meantime, Sullinger will have some of the best players to learn from on what it takes to play at that level. 

If anyone knows about playing through injuries to a dominant level, Kevin Garnett has to be one of those people. The fire still burns for this guy even as his age tries to put it out. KG can be a big asset for Sullinger, learning the ins and outs of the NBA-style of play.

Sullinger averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in two seasons at Ohio State.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

Jared Sullinger Medically Flagged By NBA Doctors

What's the future for big Sully?

Chad Ford, the NBA insider from ESPN, is reporting that Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger has been medically flagged by NBA doctors who have expressed concern over the his back.

Sullinger, who is projected to be a lottery pick in the draft on June 28, underwent a series of medical tests at the draft combine a week ago.

A number of NBA team doctors have reviewed the information from the NBA and have told their front office staff that Sullinger's back issues could shorten his NBA career, and some have advised their teams not to draft him in the first round.

Sullinger's father, Satch Sullinger, said he believes the issue isn't that serious.

"He had a bulging area that was due to his hamstring and quads being so tight," Satch Sullinger told ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz in a phone call Monday afternoon. "It pulled on his hip flexor and he's been taking care of it to loosen it. You can call it a red flag if you want. But it's tight hamstring and tight quads. He's been to doctors, he's doing yoga and deep tissue massage. The flexibility is helping take the pressure off the area.

"We've got nothing to hide. At this stage it's all about what they can't do. Jared is a skilled player. A two-time All-American. He can play."

Meanwhile, Ohio State's coach Thad Matta weighed in on the issue with: 

 "Jared is fine. He's moving better than I've ever seen him move."

Chad Ford currently has Sullinger being selected to go No. 10 in his 7th Mock Draft.

Much of the media has compared this to Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair who was also red flagged by the NBA when medical tests at the NBA combine revealed he didn't have ACL's in either knee. At the time Blair was projected as a late lottery pick. He slid all the way out of the first round.

Ohio State Basketball Ranks As 2nd Best Coaching Job In The Big Ten

Matta is in an enviable position at OSU

Over at ESPN, it's "Coaches Week" and during this week, the writers go through each conference to rank the best and worst coaching jobs, as voted on by 14 of their writers and television analysts.

For a little more on how it works, here's the explanation:

"A few important notes: This is not an attempt to rank the programs or their histories. A school's tradition was taken into account of course, but more emphasis was given to recent years and how hard or easy it is for a new coach to win there. Current recruits don't remember much beyond, what, 2008?

When voting, our 14 panelists were asked to take into consideration facilities, expectation level, athletic budget, wins and losses, recruiting base, fan support/pressure and all of the other factors that go into determining the "best" jobs in the ever-crazy profession of college basketball coaching.

In short: If you were an agent and every single job was open in a particular conference, where would you direct your client? Where would you tell him to avoid if there are better options?"

The Top 5

1. Indiana

2. Ohio State

3. Michigan State

4. Michigan

5. Wisconsin

Join us after the jump to look at the breakdown of each of these jobs.

Ohio State Basketball Will Face Marquette On Carrier Next Season

Matta will bring the intensity to the sea

Word started about two days ago that the Buckeye basketball team was looking to play against Marquette on an aircraft carrier (a la North Carolina-Michigan State) when the new season started. 

Now it seems that the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams plan to open their seasons on the same night at the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in Charleston, S.C as was rumored.

"A contract has been signed for the women’s team to play Notre Dame on Nov. 9 in the Carrier Classic, according to Mike Whalen, founder and managing partner of the nonprofit Morale Entertainment Foundation, the event promoter.

An agreement to match the Ohio State men the same night against Marquette, also on the deck of the USS Yorktown, is close to being completed, said Miechelle Willis, an executive associate athletic director at Ohio State who oversees both basketball programs.

The games will be televised by ESPN networks, Willis added. ESPN.com first reported yesterday that Ohio State and Marquette were negotiating to play the game."

The Carrier Classic made its debut last season when the Michigan State and North Carolina men squared off aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. This will be the first such women’s game promoted by Morale Entertainment, which conducts overseas tours for American armed forces.

Ohio State And Duke Paired Again For ACC-Big Ten Challenge

Duke will get a chance to avenge a lopsided loss to Ohio State as the Blue Devils host the Buckeyes in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wed., Nov. 28, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.

Exact game times for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be set at a later date, but the OSU-Duke match-up is almost certain to air in a prime spot on ESPN.Ohio State took an 85-63 win over Duke in a Challenge match-up on Nov. 29 at Value City Arena. That game matched up No. 2-ranked Ohio State with No. 3 Duke in arguably the biggest nonconference game in the 14-year history of VCA.

Duke has four starters back from a 27-7 team that fizzled down the stretch with three losses in its last four games. The capper was a 75-70 loss to 15th-seeded Lehigh in an NCAA second-round tournament game – in Greensboro, N.C., no less. That was certainly an early exit for a Duke program just two years removed from its latest national title under Mike Krzyzewski.

Guard Austin Rivers is leaving Durham after one year for the NBA. But 6'10" Mason Plumlee (11.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg) will be back for his senior year.

Also returning are guard Seth Curry (13.2 ppg), forward Ryan Kelly (11.8 ppg) and guards Andre Dawkins (8.4 ppg), Quinn Cook and Tyler Thornton. Duke also adds shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon (ranked 11th nationally).

Ohio State has three starters back from its 31-8 team that won a share of the Big Ten title and reached the Final Four. The Buckeyes lost guard William Buford to graduation and saw center Jared Sullinger leave early for the NBA.

Wing Deshaun Thomas (15.9 ppg) announced he would be back. Thomas averaged just under 20 points per game in OSU’s Final Four run and could be poised for a big year. Guards Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr. also return. OSU coach Thad Matta will ask sophs-to-be Sam Thompson, LaQuinton Ross, Shannon Scott and 6'11" Amir Williams to step up and fill the voids.

Tony Parker Chooses UCLA Over Ohio State

Headed to UCLA

As we mentioned earlier today, Tony Parker was rumored to be heading to UCLA. That's exactly what took place after an hour-long ceremony of his signing.

The 6'9", 270-pound native of Lithonia, Ga., chose the Bruins over Ohio State, Kansas, Duke, Georgia, and Memphis.

This past season, Parker averaged 16.8 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game for a Miller Grove (Ga.) team that finished 24-9.

"Duke, Ohio State and UGA: Those three schools were right behind. I love [Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski], I love what he had going, but I just thought UCLA was a better fit for me and the people I was coming in with," Parker said. 

"Ohio State, it doesn't get no better for a big man there. But I just thought I would have to work harder at UCLA and would probably come in with more of a chip on my shoulder."

While missing out on Parker does sting, an earlier commitment from Amedeo Della Valle helps ease the pain, if only slightly.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

2012 Basketball Recruit Tony Parker To Announce Decision Today

Will Parker join the Buckeyes?

Tony Parker, a 6-foot-9, 265-pound senior basketball center from Miller Grove High in Lithonia, Georgia, will announce his college choice in a 3 p.m. news conference Monday at his school. He has a final list of Kansas University, UCLA, Georgia, Duke and Ohio State.

The 20th-rated player in the Class of 2012 is said to be favoring UCLA. With the low numbers the Buckeyes have, Thad Matta would sure love to land this kid and it's certainly a possibility.

Scouting Report via 247Sports: Showed an excellent motor while playing for the Georgia Stars at the Nike EYBL in Los Angeles. Uses body well to establish position on the block, and can score with either hand around the basket. 

Has an ability to square up defenders in the mid-range and make a move toward the basket. Parker can get up and down the court well, and doesn't look like he's maxed out in terms of height just yet. 

Once he fully develops, grows into his body and benefits from an advanced conditioning program the sky is the limit for the versatile athlete.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

Ohio State Basketball Guard Jordan Sibert Joins Weatherspoon In Transferring

Good luck to the young man

Jordan Sibert, a 6-4, 180-pound guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been released from his Ohio State men's basketball scholarship and will seek a transfer to another institution, Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, announced Monday.

Sibert, a graduate of Cincinnati Princeton High School, appeared in 49 games during his Ohio State career. He contributed 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in just under 10 minutes a game.

"My two years as an Ohio State Buckeye were great," Sibert said. "Playing in the Final Four this year was a dream come true.

"I've decided to transfer after discussing my future goals with family and my coaches," Sibert said. "I would like to find a school where I can make an impact on the court. I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the fans. I will always be a Buckeye."

Matta understands Sibert's goal to make a significant contribution elsewhere.

"Jordan has worked to improve since he became a Buckeye two years ago," Matta said. "He has represented our program well and we wish him the best."

Ohio State has won two Big Ten regular-season championships, a Big Ten tournament title (2011), advanced to a pair of NCAA tournaments, including the 2012 Final Four, and won a combined 65 games with Sibert on the roster. The Buckeyes finished the 2012 season with a 31-8 record and were 34-3 in 2012.

While it's too bad to see Sibert and Weatherspoon go, I think this is the right decision on their part. If they wanted playing time and did not feel as if they were going to get that opportunity, then I don't see the need for them to stay. I wish both of them the best of luck wherever they end up at.

Ohio State Basketball Player J.D. Weatherspoon To Transfer

Weatherspoon has chosen to transfer

According to Jeff Goodman of CBS, Ohio State basketball player J.D. Weatherspoon is transferring from Ohio State to a yet to be determined school.

Clay Hall of ABC-6, has also confirmed the Weatherspoon transfer, citing that the official announcement should be coming Monday.

The 6'6'' 215-pound sophomore had tremendous athleticism and many fans were hoping that he could have a bright future with the Buckeyes. Now it appears that dream won't continue, at least, not with Thad Matta's squad.

As Goodman pointed out in his tweet, Weatherspoon did not receive a lot of playing time and one has to wonder if this is the main reason as to why. I can't see any other way that 'Spoon would want to transfer unless he felt he wasn't getting his fair share of minutes.

The really bad news? Matta now has a team of 8 or 9 guys. This really hurts the depth and the team for next season unless Matta can pull in a great recruiting class. If someone goes down with an injury, that team is going to be really thin.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics. 

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.

Team Effort Powers Buckeyes Past Gonzaga On Way To Sweet Sixteen

Thomas added 18 for the Buckeyes

Ohio State busted the original bracket buster.

Jared Sullinger scored 18 points, including two big baskets in the final 3 minutes to lead the Buckeyes past Gonzaga 73-66 on Saturday and into the round of 16 for the third straight year.

Deshaun Thomas also scored 18 for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), while Aaron Craft added 17 points and 10 assists. Ohio State will play Florida State or Cincinnati in the East Regional semifinals in Boston on Thursday.

Gary Bell Jr. led No. 7 seed Gonzaga (26-7) with 18 points. The Bulldogs erased a 10-point deficit to tie it at 61 on a 3-pointer by Elias Harris with 4:05 remaining, but Sullinger knocked down two pretty hook shots late while the Zags went cold.

The steady play of Craft and some gritty defense in the final minutes helped Ohio State avoid becoming the third No. 2 seed to lose in less than 24 hours. Fellow heavyweights Duke and Missouri fell to upstarts on Friday from one-bid leagues.

Yet the Buckeyes knew the Bulldogs hardly are scrappy underdogs. They entered the game with 17 NCAA victories over the last 14 seasons, the same as the Buckeyes.

The 18th will have to wait until next year at least, though Gonzaga again showed the mettle that's made it perhaps the most successful mid-major program in the country.

The Bulldogs appeared to be out of it after a putback by Thomas gave the Buckeyes a 58-48 lead. Gonzaga responded with a 13-3 run capped by a 3-pointer from the corner by Harris.

Then Sullinger, who still thinks about last year's loss to Kentucky in the regional semifinals, took over. He backed down Gonzaga center Robert Sacre and hit a soft little hook shot from the right block to put Ohio State back in front.