Ohio State was doomed for a crash landing to close a disastrous season.
Criticism of Chris Holtmann reached a fever pitch during a demoralizing losing streak that seemed to have no end in sight, and the Buckeyes hit rock bottom entering the final week of February.
Then things changed. Ohio State snapped out of its funk, won five of its final seven games and became the lowest seed to ever reach the semifinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. Before tip-off on Saturday, the Buckeyes were just two wins away from an automatic NCAA Tournament berth, and suddenly a nearly impossible prospect didn’t seem so far-fetched.