There are official polls and then there are unofficial, opinion polls from some of the larger media outlets. And … if someone’s keeping score, we might as well check in on where Ohio State stands. In the case of Buckeye hoops, it is starting to rise on both accounts. Not only is it up in both the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll and AP Polls, but OSU has also risen in the latest ESPN Power Rankings.
Ohio State had been on the outside looking in but jumped into the power rankings last week, and now have risen even further. ESPN only ranks the top sixteen teams, so you know the Buckeyes are at least in that population, but where, and why?
Here’s what Jeff Borzello says about OSU and where he ranks them.
NEXT … Ohio State in the ESPN CBB power rankings
N0. 10 – Ohio State Buckeyes
What Borzello says about Ohio State
“The Buckeyes would have been in the thick of the Big Ten hunt had they been able to close out a home win over Purdue last week. But Chris Holtmann’s team bounced back in impressive fashion with a 12-point road win at Wisconsin on Saturday, the third straight weekend Ohio State has notched a key win away from home. Rutgers and Illinois were the Buckeyes’ two victims earlier this month. They also received some good news on Saturday, with the return of starting point guard C.J. Walker. The former Florida State transfer had missed the last four games with a right hand injury and didn’t start against the Badgers, but he came off the bench to score eight points and dish out three assists in 24 minutes.”
NEXT … What we say
What we say about Ohio State
While there has been some significant growth with this team, there still needs to be a better effort on the defensive end. The team is highly efficient on offense and can score from multiple positions on the floor. But there have been a couple of games as of late where there hasn’t been a killer instinct on the defensive end.
Teams that are truly great take care of business against teams they should, and Ohio State is still evolving in that area. Still, with all the fresh faces, injuries, and need to make parts fit this year, the Buckeyes appear to be ahead of schedule. I’m not sure I’d quite put this team up in the top ten just yet, but it’s trending in that direction.
E.J. Liddell’s evolving and improving game could take Ohio State deep into March
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