Our Honor Defend

I know… I know.  I know.  No one likes me blogging about the women’s basketball team.  However, this is kind of a big deal so you’ll just have to suffer through it or not read it.   Ohio State’s women’s basketball team has just concluded its 5th consecutive season with a Big Ten conference championship.  It is only the second time that feat has been accomplished in conference play (previously: Ohio State from 1983-1987).

The Ohio State-Penn State matchup Sunday night at Value City Arena was more of a crowning ceremony than anything else.  Ohio State didn’t need to win this game in order to ensure an outright crown.  Iowa ran out of games in order to close the deficit, so too did Michigan State.  Further, with Purdue and Michigan State closing their respective seasons against one another, no scenario could emerge outside of a Purdue victory where the Buckeyes would have to split a conference title.  As it happened, a loss by Purdue at the hands of the Spartans gave the Lady Boilers 5 conference losses on the season.  All Ohio State had to do against Penn State was idle for 40 minutes towards a successful conclusion to the 2008-09 regular season.

The Buckeyes turned the occasion into a thorough celebration by blasting the Lions.  The lady Bucks were already routing the Nitts at intermission, 44-28, before coasting to a 74-63 victory.  Afterwards, the festivities began in earnest.

The Big Ten Tournament in Conseco Fieldhouse is next for the Buckeyes.  Ohio State gets a first round bye as the #1 overall seed in the conference and should be plenty rested for the winner of the 8-9 game between Penn State and Illinois.  The Buckeyes should be a favorite in whoever they play.  They routed Penn State (aforementioned) and swept Illinois this season, winning both games by wide margins (67-35,68-51)¹.

The Buckeyes also have their sights set on a successful run in March.  It has something that has sadly eluded Jim Foster and his Lady Buckeyes since he arrived in Columbus.  In spite of numerous tournament runs while at Vanderbilt, Foster has never gotten further than the Sweet 16 while at Ohio State.  Further, with such successful regular seasons under his belt, most of these early tournament exits have been severe disappointments.

The opportunity arises this March as the Buckeyes seem all but assured a spot in the Columbus, Ohio subregional to start the tournament.  The women’s basketball selection committee affords greater emphasis to proximity than the men’s basketball selection committee.  If so, I encourage anyone in town to go out and support the Buckeyes as I can’t imagine ticket prices will be all that high.

I think the only criticism I can offer will be directed at Value City Arena’s A/V crew.  After the game concluded, someone decided to fire up Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”.  As a guy who knows the entirety of the Kool and the Gang catalog, I must object to that choice of song.  That song sucks.   It does.  It really does.  But let me get this straight: The women’s basketball team wins a Big Ten championship, and a Kool and the Gang song must get played… and you didn’t go with “Ladies’ Night”? You know, a song that is clearly, objectively superior in quality and context (again: women’s basketball) to “Celebration”? And you didn’t go with it? C’mon people.

Regardless, congratulations are definitely in order for Jim Foster, his staff, and, most importantly, the ladies continuing this impressive run in Big Ten women’s basketball.

And, of course, to wrap this up… as always…

1. That said, the Illini bounced out the top seeded Buckeyes from last year’s tournament. [↩]