Buckeyes late slide continues with home loss to Illinois

COLUMBUS — Ohio State had nearly a week between games for the first time all season.

The Buckeyes were hoping to use that time to correct the issues that plagued them during their three-game losing streak.

And while the Buckeyes looked like a re-energized and improved defensive team against No. 4 Illinois, they closed the regular season by dropping their fourth-straight game in a 73-68 loss to the Illini inside the Schottenstein Center. Ohio State (18-8, 12-8 Big Ten) battled for 40 minutes in a game that came down to the final minute, but still couldn’t find a way to win.

With the loss, the Buckeyes missed out on a chance at a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament next week; they’ll be the No. 5 seed and play Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis.

But before the Buckeyes can turn their full attention to the Big Ten Tournament and beyond, Lettermen Row is breaking down Three Points from the Ohio State regular-season finale.

Buckeyes close regular season on low note

Three weeks ago, Ohio State was one of the hottest teams in the country, ranked as one of the top five teams in college basketball and was riding a long winning streak. That now feels like forever ago for the Buckeyes, who dropped their fourth-straight game to end the regular season and limp into the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes have played an absurd, brutal schedule down the stretch, and that has played a role in the recent losing skid, but Ohio State is among the best teams in the league, a team that should be able to still do some damage in the Big Ten Tournament. It still could have a chance to win it. But the Buckeyes now enter the conference tournament on a low note.

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn was a problem for Ohio State. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Illinois controls paint to down Ohio State

Ohio State hasn’t had a size advantage — or any advantage in the paint — often this season. That didn’t change against 7-footer Kofi Cockburn and Illinois. Cockburn had 12 points and the Illini dominated the Buckeyes in the paint for 42 points near the basket. Ohio State tried to battle Illinois in the paint with forwards E.J. Liddell and Kyle Young, as well as freshman big man Zed Key, but the Illini were still able to score in the paint with their big men and by driving in for easy shots, a margin that proved to be the difference and doom the Buckeyes to their fourth-straight loss.

Buckeyes turn full focus to Big Ten Tournament

With the home loss to Illinois to close out the regular season, Ohio State will enter the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 5 seed and play Thursday afternoon. The Buckeyes were as high as the No. 3 seed just three weeks ago, but the current four-game losing streak to close out the regular season has caused the Buckeyes to slip down to No. 5 and miss a chance to advance directly into the quarterfinals with a double bye. If Ohio State wins its first Big Ten Tournament game, it will face the No. 4 seed , which is likely to be Purdue, a team that beat the Buckeyes twice already this season, both at home and on the road.

The regular season hasn’t ended the way the Buckeyes wanted, but they can still make a run deep into the Big Ten Tournament before moving on to the Big Dance.