Double dose of bad news halts Ohio State's momentum
Just when it seemed Ohio State was on the verge of getting back into the hunt for an NCAA tournament bid, the Buckeyes endured a double dose of bad news that halted their momentum.
First they learned standout wing Jae'Sean will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Friday. Then they squandered a chance at a badly needed marquee win when they fell 81-62 at home to Michigan State on Tuesday night.
Bryn Forbes scored 27 points and sank seven 3-pointers to help Michigan State extend a five-point halftime lead to an insurmountable margin. The 19-point victory was the largest the Spartans have scored against the Buckeyes during Thad Matta's tenure.
Tuesday night's loss leaves Ohio State 18-11 overall and 10-6 in the Big Ten, but don't let that respectable conference record fool you. The Buckeyes would be nowhere close to the NCAA tournament bubble if the season ended today because their record against quality teams is poor.
Ohio State has the resume of an NIT team thanks to a 2-8 record against RPI top 100 opponents and a trio of losses to sub-100 teams Memphis, Texas Arlington and Louisiana Tech. The Buckeyes do have victories over Kentucky and Michigan, but the next best team they've beaten might be Northwestern.
The only hope Ohio State has of getting back into the hunt for an NCAA bid is its daunting remaining schedule. If the Buckeyes can stun Iowa at home and Michigan State in Columbus, that could be enough to get them back within striking distance entering the Big Ten tournament.
That goal seemed remote before Tate's injury. It's even more unlikely without the valuable scorer and versatile defender.
Tate had started all 28 games prior to Tuesday and was averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. Ohio State's release noted he had been battling the shoulder injury for awhile, but he clearly aggravated it during Saturday's victory against Nebraska.
Freshman Mickey Mitchell started in Tate's place against Michigan State and went scoreless in 21 minutes. Ohio State got just 10 points from its bench as a whole.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
