Why is this news?: Ohio State basketball signee leaves Columbus empty handed, pistol team wins championship

OSU signee A.J. Harris ends up with 19 points & 5 assists but Dayton Dunbar falls to Defiance, 46-45, in state semis. Tough loss for Harris.

— Tim Shoemaker (@TimShoemaker) March 27, 2015

2015 Ohio State basketball signee A.J. Harris was in Columbus Friday competing for a Division II state title. Harris was part of the championship winning team his freshman year and was looking to end his high school career with another big win. He was in this exact position just two years ago when a pair of missed shots resulted in a disappointing finish in the semifinal round; unfortunately, bad luck struck again as Harris and team missed winning this year's semifinal round by just one point.

This was his last chance for redemption before he calls Value City Arena his home court. Not one to miss watching a future player in his element, Ohio State men's basketball head coach Thad Matta was sitting right behind Dayton Dunbar's bench with his eyes on Harris.

Harris just drove through three defenders to give Dunbar a 41-37 lead. Matta turned to Dave Dickerson, who was covering his mouth smiling

— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) March 27, 2015

"I think we can be so much better ... You could say we're a spring ahead (of last year)."

- DL Joshua Perry, Ohio State Buckeyes

The football players are back from spring break and practicing in pads. By the looks of it from the video below, they Buckeye coaches are encouraging quick feet and one-handed catching ability.

"To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher."

- Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State athletes are stars on and off the field, as evidenced by the announcement of the 735 Big Ten winter sport athletes recognized with Academic All-Big Ten honors. Of those honored, the Buckeyes accounted for 78 student-athletes, from basketball, gymnastics, men's ice hockey, swimming and diving and wrestling.

The swimming and diving teams led the way with 21 male recipients and 18 females, followed by 14 men's hockey members, 12 wrestlers, 7 women and 4 men gymnasts, and 2 women's basketball players.

"For the second-consecutive season and seventh time in program history, the Ohio State pistol team was crowned champions at the Pistol Intercollegiate National Championships on Thursday."

- Ohio State Buckeyes

This is quickly becoming the year in which the terms "Ohio State University" and "National Champions" are becoming synonymous, and the pistol team did their part to strengthen this argument. The Buckeye pistol team traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia to participate in the Pistol Intercollegiate National Championships this week and left with some new hardware. Ohio State finished first in the open team competition, and the women's team clinched second place in the women's competition. Freshman rising star Irina Andrianova earned first place in women's sport pistol, her first collegiate individual national title.

Confirmed: Legends jerseys out, Pride stickers back in, at Michigan -> http://t.co/Axsujpk6hE pic.twitter.com/Vd1Fciykwl

— Phil Hecken (@PhilHecken) March 27, 2015

In Michigan's latest attempt to copy Ohio State, they will be reverting back to their style from back when Jim Harbaugh was their shining star. Luckily for Buckeye fans, new stickers shouldn't drastically improve their actual football playing ability.

STICK TO SPORTS:

• Ohio State makes strides in cancer patient care by focusing on genetics
• Columbus Ice Hockey Club player earns NHL/Thurgood Marshall scholarship usually given to high school players
• Apparently there is more to do in Columbus than just drinking...so they say anyway
• This 2-year old just shattered an Indian national archery record
• The NCAA and Big Ten take on politics with Indiana's signing of a controversial LGBT discrimination bill