Who? The Buckeyes of Ohio State. Sorry, the Ohio State University.
What? The buckeye tree is a state emblem. The nuts are good luck to carry around, not so good luck to eat. Perhaps that reflects in Brutus's tone.
Where? Columbus, Ohio, supposedly the best place in the country to raise a family.
When? March 6th, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Why? Because they won the Big Ten conference tournament.
How? The terrific tandem of Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis each had 23 points in a decisive 84-70 win over Penn State.
Surprise? Sort of. It was a rough season for one of the traditional powers of the Big Ten, with six conference losses, including a sweep by Michigan, but Ohio State is never a surprise out of the Big Ten.Who's driving this thing, anyway? Jim Foster, since 2002, formerly of Vanderbilt and St. Joseph's.
RPI: 10
SOS: 4
Record: 22-9 (10-6)
Best win: Oklahoma (H), Michigan State (H, A, N)
Worst loss: Duquesne (H)
Notable results: See above, regarding the season sweep of Michigan State and the sweep by Michigan. Also, they shouldn't have lost by 31 to Connecticut in a neutral-site game; with an inside force like Jantel Lavender, they should have been able to take advantage of a freshman center.
Ohio State has one of the top players in this year's senior class, center Jantel Lavender, who averages a powerful double-double (22.7 points and 10.8 rebounds). She's well complemented by the colorful junior point guard Samantha Prahalis who scores 13.7 points per game, dishes over six assists, and infuriates countless opposing fans. Sophomore guard Tayler Hill and freshman center Ashley Adams are rising stars for this team.