Reversal of Fortune: Ohio State is Back – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/10/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 10, 1999
By RUSTY MILLER%^$
%^$ COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — At times, it seems as if Jim O’Brien can’t%^$believe it.%^$He looks at the Big Ten standings, and there’s his team in second place.%^$
Few can quite believe it, either.%^$
Just a year ago, Ohio State was at its lowest point in 99 years of men’s%^$basketball. Now the Buckeyes are making one of the great turnarounds in NCAA%^$Division I history.%^$
“I never thought going into this year we would find ourselves in this%^$position,” O’Brien said.%^$
Ohio State is 18-6 overall and 8-3 in the Big Ten – a galaxy away from%^$last season’s marks of 8-22 and 1-15. Now they own a No. 13 ranking entering%^$Saturday’s game at Iowa.%^$
“There’s no question that going into this season, if somebody would have%^$said, ‘With only six games remaining you guys are going to be 13th in the%^$country,’ I would have thought that they were crazy,” O’Brien said.%^$
Ohio State has five difficult Big Ten games remaining, then the%^$conference%^$tournament and a likely NCAA tournament berth.%^$
If they win the rest of their regular-season games, take the league%^$tournament and one NCAA tournament game – in other words, nine straight wins -%^$the Buckeyes will be assured the greatest Division turnaround.%^$
“Last year was really a tough season for them,” Bob Knight said after%^$Ohio State battered Indiana 73-56 last month in the most lopsided loss he has%^$endured to his alma mater. “This year they’ve really improved defensively. I%^$think Ohio State is a team that will give anybody in our conference a%^$difficult%^$time.”%^$
“They are a top 15 team,” says Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, whose team%^$fell 89-60 to the Buckeyes.%^$
Just a year ago, the 22 losses matched the worst total in school%^$history and%^$the Big Ten record was its worst ever. The team lost a record 17 games in a%^$row during the season and extended its Big Ten losing streak to 20.%^$
Now Ohio State is closing in on Michigan State for the Big Ten lead.%^$After Tuesday night’s 74-69 win over Michigan – running Ohio State’s record at its%^$new Value City Arena to 12-1 this year – O’Brien didn’t want to discuss the%^$postseason. It was as if he might jinx himself.%^$
“All I want them to do is to be focused in on the next opponent,” he%^$said.%^$
“We’ve had very few – and forget about bad games – we’ve had very few bad%^$practices this year.”%^$
With four starters back this season, the only substantive addition was%^$point%^$guard James “Scoonie” Penn.%^$
Penn, a muscular pinball generously listed as 5-foot-10, was the%^$freshman of the year in the Big East three years ago at Boston College under O’Brien. He%^$was the conference tournament MVP two years ago.%^$
O’Brien, who was hired in 1997 to replace Randy Ayers and clean up a%^$program%^$damaged by brushes with the law, brought Penn to Columbus.%^$
Before the season, Penn was asked how good the Buckeyes would be.%^$
“The first thing he blurts out is, ‘I think we should be in the NCAA%^$tournament,”‘ O’Brien said. “I’m looking at him like, you know, he’s nuts.”%^$
Penn is joined by Michael Redd, who a year ago became the first%^$freshman to lead the Big Ten in scoring. Center Ken Johnson has turned into a%^$shot-swatting%^$presence while forwards Jason Singleton and Jon Sanderson do their share on%^$defense and the boards.%^$
Contributions also have come from reserves George Reese, Neshaun%^$Coleman and freshmen Brian Brown and Boban Savovic.%^$
“I have a hard time believing right now there are not 13 teams in the%^$country better than we are – or more than 13,” O’Brien said. “We have some%^$very good wins, but I still remain very, very cautious in what we’re doing%^$with our team because I think there’s a fine line with how good we can be.”
