Ohio State of Mind: Why Buckeye Basketball Team Is Still Being Disrespected

The round of sixteen was underway last night, and the biggest storyline wasn't Duke's collapse against the Arizona Wildcats.  Nor was it the Butler Bulldogs' slaying of another basketball giant, the Wisconsin Badgers.

Nor was it even the fact that despite the upsets that have gone down, the University of Connecticut, a traditional basketball powerhouse, is still in the NCAA tournament.

No, the question of the day still remains when and where the Ohio State Buckeyes, the No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA tournament, will be knocked out.

Nevermind the fact that Ohio State has defeated its first two opponents rather handily, shooting above 50 percent from beyond the arc in the process.  Or that Jared Sullinger, the freshman sensation at forward, continues to play at a high level despite worries that he would run into conditioning woes as the season wore on.

The Buckeyes have four players who average double figures on offense, play great team defense and are as unselfish as any team in the country.  Why then, does it seem there is a strong contingent who believe the Buckeyes won't make it to Houston.

The answer is simple.

First of all, Ohio State is considered to be a football school.  As such, many believe the Buckeyes can't handle traditional basketball powers such as North Carolina, Connecticut or Kansas.  Yet the Buckeyes are still in the tourney despite the fact that other basketball powers, namely Duke and Syracuse, are not.

Then there is the argument the Ohio State is not deep enough to win it all.  Yet Ohio State won 32 games in regular-season play with only a seven-man rotation.  With a week to rest, Ohio State should be good to go for another couple of games, as long as they stay out of foul trouble.

Finally, the doubters point to the Buckeyes' weak non-conference schedule as a reason they will not win it all.  They may have a point.  But for all the talk about how strong the Big East was this year, they only have two of their 11 teams left in the tournament.  Scheduling does play a part this time of year, but ultimately the games are won on the court.

So as the Sweet 16 winds down, the media and fans can continue to disrespect the Buckeyes.  As long as they keep winning, it doesn't really matter.