OSU Student Writer Predicts Undefeated Season, Calls Out B10

The Boiling Point: A writer for the Ohio State student newspaper predicted the Buckeyes will finish the season undefeated and called out the Big Ten’s other teams for failing to sufficiently test them before the NCAA Tournament.

Ohio State student Ben Axelrod (contact him here) is confident in his Buckeyes. The columnist at the Ohio State student newspaper, The Lantern, is so confident, in fact, that he predicts the Buckeyes will finish the regular season undefeated, despite trips to Purdue and Wisconsin still remaining on its slate.

"“After watching the Ohio State men’s basketball team’s first 24 games — 11 of which were against Big Ten opponents — there is no doubt in my mind that the Buckeyes can, and should, enter the NCAA Tournament with an unblemished record,” he said in a column today."

Axelrod goes on to talk about how Purdue, with E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, is the only other team in the Big Ten with an NBA caliber player on its roster and says that Ohio State is quickly going to find out in the NCAA Tournament that Penn State and Northwestern are no Duke and Kansas.
(More after the jump)

He’s got a point. The problem is, isn’t Duke going to find out that same thing? Guess what, Virginia is no Ohio State and Colorado definitely isn’t a Kansas.

"“Using the talent in the Big Ten to prepare for Duke’s crop of NBA prospects — including seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler — would be the equivalent of using a night out in Columbus, Ohio, to prepare for a trip to Las Vegas.”"

Hey Axelrod, that’s why Ohio State is currently No. 1 in the nation: most people agree there isn’t a better team in college hoops. What, exactly, do you want Ohio State to face to “adequately prepare it”? Should the Pacers travel to Columbus?

Purdue has the No. 8 RPI in the nation. Wisconsin has the No. 6 RPI. Illinios has the No. 15 RPI. Guess what Duke gets to face: No. 12 North Carolina and No. 21 Maryland. Who’s better prepared there?

"“From Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade to Greg Oden and Joakim Noah, NBA-ready prospects have been as much of a staple of the Final Four as cutting down the nets and “One Shining Moment.” The Buckeyes have those types of players, but can they overcome teams with equal, or greater, talent?”"

Seriously, does he understand the point in the No. 1 ranking? Guess what, George Mason also made the Final Four. Butler did too. That’s why it’s called March Madness. And who did Oden face that prepared him so well? Didn’t he face Northwestern and Penn State too?

All I can think is it must’ve been a slow news day at the Lantern and Axelrod was desperate for a column.