INDIANAPOLIS — The Ohio State Buckeyes will be in the NCAA Tournament. Just not in 2016. MORE: Top photos from Big Ten Tournament | Get B1G scores, stats Next year, when their young lineup has more time to grow, the Buckeyes will be a serious threat. There is no team in the Big Ten Tournament that looks better in its uniforms, more imposing, and Ohio State makes plenty of plays to indicate this is not just somebody’s All-Airport team. But their 81-54 quarterfinal loss Friday night to No. 2 seed Michigan State didn’t include enough of them. “You’ve got to look at Michigan State. They had a lot to do with that,” coach Thad Matta said. “When you play a great team, every time you make a mistake they make you pay.” The Buckeyes’ faint 2016 tournament hopes were not treated gently by Denzel Valentine and Michigan State. Valentine contributed 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, just short of a triple-double, and he might have gotten there if he hadn’t received an extended rest because there’s another game Saturday afternoon. DeCOURCY: Unlikely hero saves Michigan Michigan State built a 33-26 lead in the first half and then stormed out of the break with a 14-2 surge that effectively ended the game. Thad Matta had to watch; Brutus couldn’t. (Getty Images) “There were some miscommunications, and they turned them into points,” forward Marc Loving said. Ohio State started two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior against the Spartans (27-5). …
Continue Reading: For Ohio State, it’s wait till next year; Big Ten blowout confirms it
