The 2012-13 Ohio State basketball season didn’t exactly cement head coach Thad Matta’s legacy in Columbus, but it certainly added to it.
The Buckeyes started the season ranked in the top five of the initial AP Poll despite the fact that superstar Jared Sullinger and steady performer William Buford had both departed from Columbus. The lofty ranking for a team that was surrounded by question marks was a testament to the consistently excellent program that Matta has built at Ohio State.
It all seemed to be business as usual through 10 games. The Scarlet and Gray stood at 9-1, with the lone defeat coming at the hands of the loaded Duke Blue Devils in the nearly unwinnable environment of Cameron Indoor Stadium. In fact, the Buckeyes controlled the first 35 minutes of that contest before Duke ultimately seized victory.
Concerns started to creep in after a disappointing home loss to Kansas, and then Buckeye Nation went into full panic mode following a decidedly mediocre 8-5 start to Big…
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