Reserve forward Zach Morley scored a career-high 23 points coming off the bench to lead the 23rd-ranked Wisconsin Badgers to a 60-49 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in a quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago, Friday night.

Since Ohio State self-imposed a ban on postseason play due to the actions of former head coach Jim O’Brien, this game was the last for the Buckeyes this season. With 20 wins and defeating number-one Illinois would probably would have given the Buckeyes a ticket to the NCAA Tournament, or at the very least an invitation to the NIT.

Ohio State got off to another slow start, just like they did against Penn State the night before, and the Buckeyes trailed the Badgers 28-19 at halftime.

But the Buckeyes opened the second half going on a 10-2 scoring run, and tied it later at 39 before the Badgers went on 9-2 scoring binge to go ahead 48-41.

Once again Ohio State would claw back into the game as Terence Dials scored, J.J. Sullinger scored on a tip-in, and Tony Stockman made two free throws to make it 48-47 with 4:20 to play.

But the Badgers would put the Buckeyes away scoring the next six points, and with 1:52 to play when Morley sank a jumper to put Wisconsin ahead 54-47.

The leading scorer for the Buckeyes was Dials who had 12 points, while Sullinger added 11. Matt Sylvester came off of the bench to add another 11.

Alando Tucker and Mike Wilkinson each scored 12 points for the Badgers.

Ohio State converted only 2-of-20 (.100) from beyond the arc. The two triples equal a team season low, while its .100 percentage is its second lowest of the season. The Buckeyes shot a season-low .095 (2-of-21) vs. Minnesota on January 15.

Ohio State netted a season-low 49 points. Ohio State ends its season losing four of its last six. The Buckeyes finish with a 20-12 overall record.

Junior captain Terence Dials put the lost to Wisconsin this way, “you lose a game and you are going to be upset. We won’t play another game until November. We have a long time to think about things. We will have to work hard in the off season.”

Ohio State will lose three players. Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, Tony Stockman and Matt Marinchick are all seniors. Fuss-Cheatham and Stockman are guards were were in the starting line-up at the beginning of the season, and were replaced by freshman Jamar Butler and junior-college transfer Je’Kel Foster.

Fuss-Cheatham had a hard time handling pressure defenses, while Stockman’s on-the-court decisions, shot selection and discipline where less than desirable. Marinchick played sparingly, and would be a member of the “All-Airport” team. At 6′10″, he looked good walking through the airport with the team, but not much else.

That would mean that all five returning starters will return for next season, along with Matt Sylvester, plus any of the freshman recruits who will attend OSU in the fall. Coach Thad Matta seems very deserving of his eight-year extension he signed last week.

Tags: Buckeye Basketball by Matt Barker
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Junior forward Matt Sylvester scored a career-high 25 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 5.1 seconds left in the game to lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 65-64 victory over the No.1-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini in front of a raucous crowd of 19,200 at Value City Arena, Sunday afternoon.

Sylvester was a man on a mission against Illinois. He scored the Buckeyes final five points. He scored on a layup with 1:43 left to cut the Illini lead to 64-62. His triple in the closing seconds gave OSU its first lead of the game, and at the only time it really mattered. Sylvester scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half.

Illinois had a chance to win the game at the buzzer. Following the Buckeyes score, the Illini inbounded the ball under the OSU basket. The pass was tipped and went out-of-bounds near the scorer’s table with 2.2 seconds left. On the next inbounds play, Deron Williams passed the ball to Roger Powell who rushed a three-pointer from beyond the top of the key, and the shot fell well short of its’ target. After the horn sounded, fans rushed on to the court to mob the players and celebrate the upset victory.

This is head coach Thad Matta’s second upset against a #1 ranked and undefeated team in two years. Last year as the head coach at Xavier, he lead the Musketeers to an upset win over St. Joseph’s in the Atlantic-10 tournament.

Illinois jumped out to an early 18-4 lead with 13:13 left in the first half when James Augustine stole away a pass from Tony Stockman and scored on a layup. Illinois would go to take a 38-27 lead into halftime.

Illinois would maintain a double-digit lead for most of the second half. Brandon Fuss-Cheatham would score on a layup with 8:49 left that cut into the Illini lead to 55-49.

When Augustine scored on a dunk with 3:24 left to play, that put the Illini up 64-58. From that point on, the Buckeyes would hold the top-ranked team in the country scoreless.

Both teams would trade baskets until Terence Dials scored on short jumper in the key that put OSU down only four at 64-60 with 2:10 left.

On Illinois’ next possession, Augustine would turn the ball over and Sylvester would score on a layup with 1:43 left. Then with 1:08 left, Powell drove to the basket only to have his shot blocked by Dials.

Sylvester had a chance to tie the game with 50 seconds left, but his shot missed its mark and was rebounded by Luther Head.

With 18 second left and the Illini ahead 64-62, Head was off-target on a triple and the loose ball was rebounded by Stockman who dribbled down past the midcourt line and called timeout with 11 seconds left.

“In the huddle Coach Matta was telling us we were going to go for the win and I told him if I get the shot I’m going to make it. We used Tony (Stockman) as a decoy and most of their players thought he was getting the ball. Terence (Dials) set a great screen and before their players knew I had it, I let it go and it went in. It didn’t feel great coming out of my hand but fortunately it went in.”

The inbounds pass came out to Fuss-Cheatham at the top of the key and he passed it to Sylvester who was wide-open on the right wing in front of the Buckeyes’ bench. The Illinois defense seemed to converge on Dials in the paint and left Sylvester all alone to drain the three.

Along with Sylvester’s 25 points, Dials added 21 points and eight rebounds. Je’Kel Foster chipped in 10 for the Buckeyes. Ohio State finished the regular season with a record of 19-11, 8-8 in Big Ten Conference play.

Dee Brown led Illinois with 13 points. Powell and Head each chipped in 12 points each for the Illini, who are now 29-1 on the season and finished 15-1 in conference action.

Ohio State will now face Penn State on Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. Tip-off time at the United Center is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. EST.

***COMMENTARY***

When OSU Athletic Director Andy Geiger placed the self-imposed postseason ban on the men’s basketball program, at the time it really didn’t seem to matter.

But with the way the team has played, and a certain win over Penn State would give the Buckeyes 20 wins on the season, an invitation to the “Big Dance” would be a foregone conclusion.

Which is a shame now, because Thad Matta has done a great job as coach for the Buckeyes. Next year, Ohio State will be a force in college basketball, and thanks to Matta, for years to come.

Tags: Buckeye Basketball by Matt Barker
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Arizona State University athletic director Gene Smith has accepted Ohio State’s offer to replace Andy Geiger who is retiring in June. A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday to announce the hiring.

Smith, who was hired by the Arizona State in 2000, is a member of the NCAA Infractions Committee, the NCAA Football Rules Committee, the NCAA Administrative Review Committee and the BCS Athletic Director’s Advisory Committee.

Smith, a native of Cleveland, is known as an outstanding fund-raiser and academic leader, and has a clean reputation.

Prior to being named athletic director at Arizona State, Smith was athletic director at Iowa State from 1993 to 2000 and at Eastern Michigan from 1986 to 1993.

A search committee was formed in January to find a replacement for Geiger, who will officially retire in June after 11 years at Ohio State.

Tags: University News by Matt Barker
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