Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes on wrong side of bubble after Illinois defeat, NIT still in play

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Buckeyes on wrong side of bubble after Illinois defeat, NIT still in play

Another Quad 1 win would have done wonders for Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament resume Friday. The Buckeyes needed one, really.

They almost got it, too, leading 2-seed Illinois by as many as 10 points in the second half of the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. But 10-seed Ohio State couldn’t hold off the Fighting Illini, not with serious foul trouble and, ultimately, untimely rebounding shortcomings.

Quick whistles proved to be a thorn in the Buckeyes’ side, as they were called for 27 fouls, as opposed to Illinois’ 13. That resulted in a significant free throw disparity: The Illini attempted 32, whereas Ohio State got only 13 chances at the charity stripe. When all was said and done, Terrence Shannon Jr. had as many free throws as the Buckeyes as a whole.

The Illini erased their 10-point deficit with a 13-3 run, which was fueled by 6-foot-9, 255-pound center Dain Dainja, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Dainja bullied his way down low and scored seven points during that stretch, including three on an and-one that tied the game at 59-59.

From that point forward, the Big Ten foes went back and forth. Although two Buckeyes starters fouled out — center Felix Okpara and guard Evan Mahaffey — a Jamison Battle 3-pointer lifted Ohio State ahead, 74-71, with under two minutes to go. But the Buckeyes didn’t score again. Meanwhile, Illinois cashed in on six more free throws, with Shannon leading the way to the tune of a game-high 28 points.

The loss snapped a five-game Ohio State win streak and put a stop to the program’s inspiring NCAA Tournament push under interim head coach Jake Diebler. The combination of several 1 seeds losing in their respective conference tournaments and other bubble teams picking up signature wins the last two days has dropped the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament bid percentage down to 7.7%, per BartTorvik. And they’re currently in the “Next Four Out” category of Joe Lunardi’s ESPN bracket projection.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the season is over for Ohio State.

“We’ve earned the right to play in the postseason, considering where we were to where we are now. I just think that’s such a great thing,” Diebler said. “And we may have fallen a little short [of the NCAA Tournament], we’ll see. Certainly, we’ve worked our way onto the bubble.

“But I think postseason is absolutely there for us in some way. And we’ve got a lot of guys who will embrace that.”

As of Saturday morning, Ohio State is projected as a 2-seed in the NIT by various sites. The feeling in the Target Center locker room postgame was that whether the Buckeyes will participate in the NIT will be a team decision. It’s worth noting that schools like Ole Miss, Indiana and Memphis have already indicated they won’t accept a bid if offered.

That said, Ohio State, which is 6-2 and a completely different team under Diebler, has reason to keep playing.

“I feel like there’s a lot more basketball to be played with this team,” sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “I feel like I’m not ready for it to be over, especially with this group of guys. I know next year may not look the same. So I feel like I just want to take advantage of the time I have left with these guys.

“I feel like we are amazing competitors. And I feel like if it is the NIT, I feel like we can make a really good run and show the world what we’re capable of.”

Gayle’s backcourt partner, Bruce Thornton, shared a similar sentiment postgame when he was asked about the prospect of playing in the postseason, even if it’s not the NCAA Tournament.

“I definitely want to represent the ‘Ohio State’ across my chest. It doesn’t matter how many games I’ll play at Ohio State, I’m gonna play my hardest 100% each and every time because it bigger than me.

“It’s all about my guys and about the program and Buckeye Nation that’s behind each and every game. I’m always proud for that ‘OH’ on my chest.”

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS. The NIT Selection Show is later that night at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

How it happened: Recap of Ohio State’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal loss

Illinois imposed its size advantage over Ohio State right from the get-go. The Buckeyes did their best to combat it, but, unfortunately for Diebler and Co., that aggressiveness got them in foul trouble.

Still, Ohio State survived a first-half scoring drought and even took a double-digit lead in the second half, in large part because its freshman duo of Devin Royal and Scotty Middleton each drilled consecutive shots in big moments.

Illinois staged its comeback in the back half of the second period, which made for a thrilling end to the quarterfinal matchup.

To read more about how it all went down, head on over here.

What we know about Buckeyes search for next running backs coach

Ohio State football, on the other hand, is still on spring break. But the Buckeyes are tasked with finding a new running backs coach following the departure of Tony Alford, who took the same position with Michigan earlier this week.

Lettermen Row emptied the notebook about what we know surrounding the program’s search for a new assistant to fill the vacancy left by Alford.

Check it out here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 168 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 259 days

Are you a Lettermen Row member yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on X, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.