Editor’s note: This begins Mark Wiedmer’s weekly series on some of the NCAA’s top basketball teams.
Remember Evan Turner, the 2010 national college basketball player of the year? The guy who led the entire Big Ten in scoring while finishing second in the league in both rebounds and assists?
Remember how Ohio State’s immediate future looked so uncertain after Tennessee knocked the Buckeyes out of last year’s Midwest Regional semifinal round and Turner said hello to NBA life and goodbye to Columbus?
Somehow, Ohio State has apparently moved on quite nicely. After Sunday’s 67-64 victory over Minnesota, the second-ranked Buckeyes stand 16-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten heading into Wednesday night’s game at Michigan.
If the football Buckeyes can overcome the expected loss of quarterback Terrelle Pryor to the NFL this offseason as seamlessly as their basketball counterparts have adjusted to life without Turner, OSU should be considered a preseason pick to reach next year’s BCS title game.