Local team desperately wants to miss NCAA Tournament

Ohio State will be playing this Sunday against Wisconsin without star center Kaleb Wesson, per an announcement from Chris Holtmann and report from The Athletic’s Bill Landis.

Wesson, who was originally suspended prior to Ohio State’s blowout loss to Purdue for a violation of Ohio State Athletics Department policy, has been very obviously missed by the Buckeyes. Ohio State followed up their 35 point loss to Purdue with an 18 point loss to the worst team in the Big Ten, Northwestern. Without Wesson, the Buckeyes have shot a combined 33/112 (29 percent) from the field, and have been outrebounded by 14.

Now, with just one game left before the Big Ten tournament against a Wisconsin team led by dominant big man Ethan Happ, the Buckeyes are still without their star, for reasons that have yet to be specified. Wesson wasn’t suspended by the NCAA, nor was he suspended by the Big Ten, or as far as we can tell, even the higher ups at Ohio State, meaning this decision is made mostly, if not entirely by the actual basketball program. That’s, uh, certainly one approach to making the NCAA tournament.

Big Bob spotted on crutches

Early reports from Ohio State’s first two spring practices have been almost exclusively positive, with glowing praise for several star players, and new faces like Justin Fields and Josh Proctor, along with quite a few others. There is, however, some negative news for the Buckeyes, though it’s unclear just how negative it is at this time. Earlier today at practice, defensive tackle Robert Landers was seen on the sideline with at least one crutch, favoring his left leg.

Because Ryan Day is quite a few days out from his next media session (March 23), we have no real way to learn more about Big Bob’s injuries, though with no official announcement otherwise, we can likely assume that nothing too terrible has happened, and that he’ll be sidelined for a relatively short amount of time.

“On Sunday, a big part of that vision will become reality for Oden. When the Buckeyes honor their seniors before playing Wisconsin in the final home game of the season, it will be a group that will include Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft who has spent the last three years working with the team first as a manager and now as a student coach.”

- Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State will have one extra senior out with CJ Jackson, Joey Lane, and Keyshawn Woods during their senior day festivities on Sunday against Wisconsin: Greg Oden. Per a report from Adam Jardy, the former Buckeye big man, number one overall draft pick, and current student coach will be graduating from Ohio State with a degree in education, sports industry.

Word up to Greg on doing the dang thing and getting back to school to finish up his degree. It takes a lot of willpower to go back, and he absolutely deserves the recognition Ohio State is going to give him, as do all of the other seniors. Let’s hope Greg has a permanent spot in the basketball program if he wants one after he graduates.

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This week in shameless plugs

• You should check out our awesome spring preview series, entering its third day.
• Send in your football questions to the Hangout in the Holy-Land!