Ohio State Shows Guts; No Glory in Loss to Kansas

Early Saturday afternoon, Ohio State's worst fears were realized when the university confirmed shortly before tip that OSU star Jared Sullinger would not play against Kansas. While the game produced flashes the Buckeyes could win a brutal road test for the gipper, the Jayhawks had other plans.

The void created by the absence of the 6-9 sophomore proved to be costly in Lawrence, as Kansas raced out to an early 9-2 and never looked back en route to a 78-67 win.

In the Buckeyes win against Duke, Sullinger suffered back spasms and missed last Saturday's game against Texas-Pan American. Ohio State Head Coach Thad Matta hoped that Sullinger, whom he said was making progress throughout the week, would be ready for Saturday's clash of titans. As Sullinger tried to stretch in the locker room prior to Saturday's game, however, the staff determined he was not yet ready.

In the first half, it was especially clear how much the Buckeyes missed their big man.

Kansas torched the nets early at Allen Fieldhouse, shooting nearly 70 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes of action. As the Jayhawks got to the rim nearly at-will against the Buckeyes, Ohio State was not having as much luck on their end without Sullinger. The Buckeyes shot 8-of-24 in the first half and turned the ball over nine times.

For William Buford, it was especially bleak.

Ohio State's steady senior was noticeably bothered by the defensive pressure from Kansas guard Travis Releford. Buford had a dismal half shooting, going 1-of-7, and had just 4 points at the break. To make matters worse, he and Aaron Craft both picked up two early fouls. Perhaps Ohio State's saving grace was 12 first-half turnovers by Kansas, and 15 crucial points by sophomore DeShaun Thomas.

As Thomas was responsible for over half of Ohio State's first half scoring, his three triples helped keep the Buckeyes in striking distance. It also set the tone for what looked like a possible second half spark.

Thomas, in fact, picked up the second 20 minutes where he left off: with a 3-pointer. As Ohio State narrowed the deficit to three, the Buckeyes defensive intensity picked up, their passing looked more crisp and Buford caught fire.

Despite the boisterous Allen Fieldhouse crowd, the Buckeyes and Jayhawks engaged in a tug-of-war down the stretch. Every time Kansas made a run to extend the lead to double-digits, looking like they would put Ohio State away, the Buckeyes answered with a run of their own to get back within 4-6 points.

Buford shook off a sluggish, if not substandard first half by doing down low to do the dirty work. Buford was able to call for the ball on the block and get untracked in the post. Though he was just 7-of-16 from the field in the second half, he added another 17 points to his previous half's tally.

Eventually, however, Ohio State's moral victory still translated into its first loss on the season.

Kansas All-American Thomas Robinson, who fans were eager to see face off with Sullinger, started wearing Ohio State's frontcourt down. Though Robinson didn't pick up his first rebound until nearly midway through the second half, his skills around the rim were too much for the Buckeyes.

As Robinson started catching the ball further in the post, Ohio State had to come from further distances to double. The result was the lethal shooting of Elijah Johnson. The junior was 5-of-7 from 3-point range, as he was left open on several occasions. Kansas reserve forward Kevin Young added a pair of 3-point daggers himself, and the Jayhakws finished with an impressive 9-of-17 from distance. Robinson finished with 21 points and added seven rebounds. Johnson and Young combined on 29 points of their own.

While Ohio State's loss was Kansas' gain, the Buckeyes won't have to endure the sting for too long. Ohio State's staff is hopeful Sullinger will return as early as Wednesday against S.C. Upstate, and will long forget about this game once the Big Ten begins.

There were undoubtedly some positives as well as some negatives that came to the forefront in the Buckeyes' first road test of the season. On one hand, Ohio State showed grit and toughness in a hostile environment, and didn't ever seem to concede to the crowd's urging that they relent. However, Ohio State also struggled to finish at the rim with Sullinger, as the length of Robinson, Young and Kansas post player Jeff Withey bothered the Buckeyes all day.

It remains to be seen if Ohio State need worry about playing without Sullinger for longer stretches. As is, they're still a title contender. In fact, No. 1 Kentucky also found life on the road rather difficult, falling Saturday to Ohio State's B1G basketball rival, Indiana. The media might take it easy on the Buckeyes in the newest poll, somewhat forgiving this loss without Sullinger, and they could remain as high as No. 2 or No. 3 on Monday with perhaps only Syracuse and Louisville passing them.

Nonetheless, rankings as well as these December losses won't hurt much, if at all. Ohio State is still the overwhelming favorite to win the Big Ten. And with wins against Duke and Florida already to its credit, the Buckeyes will have the inside track toward a No. 1-seed in the NCAA if it takes care of business the rest of the season.

Thomas finished with 19 points for the Buckeyes, while Craft added 11 and a team-high six assists. Kansas point guard Tyshawn Taylor had an impressive 13 dishes, though Craft helped induce seven turnovers by Taylor.

In the end, Ohio State has nothing more than a moral victory to hang their hat on. While moral victories don't count for much, neither do early losses. In the end, at least there's light at the end of the tunnel.