Ohio State still has a conference tournament to play, but regardless of when and if the Buckeyes are bounced in the Big Ten Tournament this weekend, Chris Holtmann's squad is facing a significant layoff between now and the start of the NCAA Tournament.
In order to secure Madison Square Garden – which is traditionally reserved for the Big East the week before the NCAA's – the Big Ten moved its conference tournament up a week, setting up a scenario in which all of its teams will be off for more than a week before the Big Dance.
At the beginning of the year, the extended layoff wasn't expected to be an issue for Ohio State, yet the Buckeyes have surprised everyone by rattling off a 24-7, 15-3 record in the regular season and earning a No.