2011-12 ITH Season Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes

With the college basketball season inching closer, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next few weeks. Today, we continue our team previews with a look at the Ohio State Buckeyes. In four of Thad Matta’s seven seasons in Columbus, Ohio, his Buckeyes have claimed a Big Ten championship. And as the 2011-12 campaign approaches, a fifth is well within sight. It all starts with Jared Sullinger. The sophomore big man opted to forego the NBA draft in June — one in which he was a surefire Top 5 pick — in order to remain a Buckeye for another season. Some viewed this as the wrong move. You take the money when you can. But with the lockout still looming over the NBA and Sullinger reportedly working his game and body to be more ready to take on the 4-spot in the pros, maybe he got it right. The Columbus native was a force in the paint last season in a number of ways. He scored (17.1 points per game), got to the line (65.1 percent free-thr...