The very first game of the NCAA Tournament featured two teams less than 70 miles apart from each other. It was a classic case of Big Brother vs. Little Brother; Ohio State taking on Dayton.
This Ohio State team came into the tournament as a six seed, which may have been slightly higher than expected. Many of the pre-tournament brackets had them slated at a five seed. Maybe, if they had been a five, they could have avoided the unwinnable (and strangely fit for television drama) situation they found themselves in. Taking on an eleventh seeded Dayton team could be the worst thing that the Buckeyes could have had happen going into this tournament.
For Dayton, playing the role of the Little Brother, you have nothing to lose. No matter who you play in the Big Dance, you are the underdog. So, they were approaching this game like it was their last no matter who was in the other locker room. Then to find out it is Ohio State? This is a team that is considered the premiere team of your state, a team that you recruit against, and not to mention, the same team that your own starting guard Jordan Sibert transferred from. This is the opportunity you have been waiting for to prove yourself against the Big Brother, and can be used in recruiting pitches until you face them again, IF you win.
For Ohio State, the obvious Big Brother, it is the exact opposite. You come into this game knowing that if you win, you were expected to, and if you lose, you choked. You know that the other team is going to be fired up; you know that the neutral site will become an away game if the score is close, and you know that for the other team, there is no bigger moment than right now. The only way to survive if you’re the Buckeyes is to show up, fired up, and ready to go from the opening tap. This is far from a guarantee for a team that has showed such inconsistent effort all season long. And this game was no different.
From the opening tap, you could see that Dayton was playing like a team with nothing to lose, and Ohio State just didn’t match that intensity. They were out-hustled the entire game. Even though the score was always close, the Flyers played harder than the Buckeyes on seemingly every possession.
You would think that at some point the light bulb would go off and Ohio State would realize that they had to turn up the intensity to win this game. That light bulb apparently burnt out. Even in the second half when it looked like they could take control of the game; stupid plays kept Dayton alive. Multiple turnovers where guys just seemed to lose a grip on the basketball, defensive break-downs where someone completely forgot where their man was, and the cardinal sin; fouling on a three point attempt.
It just seemed like Dayton’s day. After an Ohio State bucket to put them up one and a Dayton time out with 10 seconds left, you could almost visualize exactly how it would play out. The Buckeyes showed a lack of effort guarding the inbound pass (something they are considered one of the best in the country at doing) they somehow managed to apply zero pressure. Then a floater from Dayton’s Vee Sanford put them ahead by one point with three seconds to go in the game. Ohio State does not call a time out, and Aaron Craft (playing his final game as a Buckeye) would never let anyone else control their fate. His shot nearly went in, but in a fitting fashion, fell to the floor along with the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere. Dayton wins in stunning fashion 60-59.
Bottom Line: Could Aaron Craft have given the ball up for a teammate to get a clearer look? Maybe. But, is this the reason they lost? No. The Buckeyes lost this game because they failed to match the energy of their opponent. They didn’t play as hard as necessary to win in the tournament. They lacked the emotion that can carry a team the way it carried Dayton in this game. It has been a repeating problem for this team, and fittingly led to the end of their season.
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