Can the Ohio State basketball team make a run in the Big Ten Tourney?

After losing four straight games to end the regular season, the Ohio State basketball team is looking to regain its momentum in the Big Ten Tournament. Can they make a run?

The Ohio State basketball team is one of the most fickle teams in the country. They have some of the best wins in the country. On any given day they can beat any team in the country because of how good their offense is. Their closing ability has been an issue recently though.

Ohio State didn’t make a single bucket the last 4+ minutes of the Illinois game after having control. All they had to do was make one or two shots down the stretch and they would have ended their losing streak. It’s an issue they had against Michigan State too.

The defense might be the biggest problem though. Ohio State has allowed too many easy buckets in the last four games. Michigan scored 92 on them and both Iowa and Illinois scored 73. While 73 isn’t a ton of points, it’s the way those points were scored that is the issue.

The Buckeyes have issues getting back in transition. If they do in fact want to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament, they have to be better with their transition defense. They are much tougher to score on in the half-court. They have to make teams truly earn their buckets.

Ohio State will not have an easy road to a Big Ten Tournament title. Both of their potential first-round opponents have beaten them already this season, as has their potential second-round opponent. They are 1-4 against the teams they would face in the first two rounds.

But if the Buckeyes truly are an elite team, they will win at least those first two matchups. This is their chance to show everyone that the first half of the season wasn’t a mirage.