Buckeyes’ Strides in ’99 Make for Bright Future – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/29/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 29, 1999
By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer%^$
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.– Despite the disappointment of a 64-58 loss to%^$Connecticut in the NCAA semifinals, it’s difficult for Ohio State coach Jim%^$O’Brien not to be optimistic about the direction his program is taking.%^$
In a solemn locker room after Saturday’s game, O’Brien told his team%^$to look%^$beyond the season-ending defeat.%^$
“I told them not to lose sight of the big picture,” O’Brien said. “I told%^$them I was proud of them, once again. It was a disappointing loss, but when%^$you%^$think about the big picture, I think that’s the thing we need to focus on. I’m%^$very happy about the big picture.”%^$
Just a year ago, the Buckeyes were coming off a fifth straight losing%^$season%^$- the longest streak of sub-.500 years in school history. They were 8-22 in%^$1997-98, matching the school record for losses in a season. Their 1-15 Big Ten%^$record left them in last place.%^$
Yet the Buckeyes – with transfer guard Scoonie Penn and sophomore Michael%^$Redd leading the way – put together a remarkable 27-9 season that led all the%^$way to Ohio State’s first trip to the Final Four in 31 years.%^$
“It was a great opportunity, the ride we had,” Penn said. “I feel we have%^$nothing to hang our heads about. It’s a great experience.”%^$
With four starters and nine of the 11 players on the roster back,%^$expectations will be high. Ohio State scored 354 points in its five NCAA%^$tournament games – all but 46 by underclassmen.%^$
“We’re basically the same team,” Redd said. “We have that confidence that%^$we can do the same thing next year.”%^$
Penn and Redd have said they have no intention of leaving school early%^$for%^$the NBA. Center Ken Johnson, timid and foul-prone in December, became a%^$cunning%^$shot-blocker and adequate scorer. Currently a junior, he even discovered that%^$by virtue of a federal judge throwing out the NCAA’s Proposition 16 academic%^$requirements, he might gain another year of eligibility.%^$
“We had a great year,” Johnson said. “My attitude is to stay positive. We%^$have a great team. Now, we look ahead to next year.”%^$
No longer are the Buckeyes wide-eyed innocents when it comes to big games%^$and win-or-go-home tournaments.%^$
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons from March,” guard Brian Brown said. “Now%^$we know what it takes.”%^$
Jason Singleton and Neshaun Coleman will be lost to graduation, but%^$O’Brien%^$will add three recruits that should fit into the mix.
Now the Buckeyes can bask in one of the greatest turnarounds ever in%^$college%^$basketball.%^$
O’Brien already knows how far the Buckeyes have come.%^$
“I’m hoping that in some small way we’ve been able to restore some of the%^$respectability to Ohio State’s basketball program,” he said.
