Buckeyes crack top 10, but still behind MSU, Purdue

2/12/2018

COLUMBUS — Ohio State men’s basketball is ranked in the top 10 for the first time in four calendar years.

The Buckeyes, fresh off an upset at Purdue last week, are ranked No. 8 in the most recent Association Press top 25 poll, which the AP released Monday. Ohio State jumped six spots from No. 14.

Ohio State’s new ranking is their first in the top 10 and highest since January, 2014, when it was ranked third.

The Buckeyes currently have a one-game lead on the rest of the Big Ten field, and head-to-head tiebreakers against Michigan State, Purdue, and Nebraska, who are in second through fourth places, respectively.

Even with a 2-0 week and their place atop the Big Ten standings, Ohio State remains behind both the Spartans (No. 2) and the Boilermakers (No. 6) in the AP poll.

Michigan, ranked No. 22, is the only other Big Ten team inside the top 25.

Ohio State (22-5, 13-1) faces back-to-back road games in the penultimate week of the Big Ten regular season. The Buckeyes travel to Penn State on Thursday, then visit Michigan on Sunday.

OSU’s lone conference loss came by way of a buzzer-beater from Penn State last month.

The Buckeyes were seeded 14th overall in the NCAA Tournament field in a preliminary bracket released by the selection committee Sunday.

Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 419-724-6110 or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz