FanHouse ThadMatta

In an effort to talk about something college basketball-related other than scandals in the summer, let's talk best current coaches. We'll attempt to order the top 25 current coaches in the nation. This is about the present and the future, not the distant past. What a guy did in the mid-90s doesn't matter near as much as the direction his program is currently headed. Past pedigree also matters, to an extent. For the perfect mix of past accomplishments with present achievement and a paved road for future success, look no further than the man atop the list.

In 2008, the Big Ten sent only four teams to the NCAA tournament. None reached the Elite Eight The Big Ten toiled down with mid-majors in conference RPI and were nationally maligned as the "Average 11." This past season, however, the league enjoyed a resurgence. It ranked only behind the ACC in conference RPI. Seven schools earned a berth into the NCAA tournament, and Penn State won the NIT. Michigan State toppled the defending national champions and two number one seeds en route to a national runner-up finish.

For the third straight year, Ohio State has lost a 7-footer to the NBA draft after only enjoying him for one season. Like Greg Oden and Kosta Koufos before him, B.J. Mullens is out the door after his freshman year. The 19-year-old from Canal Winchester, Ohio won the Big Ten sixth-man of the year in his freshman season, but didn't really flash NBA-ready skills consistently.

Mullens averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 boards a game, and he never appeared dominant. His best game against worthy competition was a 17-point, 8 rebound outing against Purdue. He only had double-digit rebounds once all season. This could cause some question as to whether or not he's ready.

When Tom Izzo told CBS he didn't believe his Spartans were worthy of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, he apparently knew what he was talking about. Though they headed into the game with a realistic shot at a top seed, Michigan State was worked over, especially in the second half, by Ohio State in Indianapolis Saturday.

In fact, the Spartans looked bad enough that their previous hold on a No. 2 seed could now be in danger. They came into the game with a lofty RPI (fourth), but you could easily argue there are eight better teams right now.

---

---

This week, the Illinois Fighting Illini made their first appearance in the polls since the end of the 2005-2006 season, and, apparently, they are planning on an extended stay. Tuesday night they summarily disposed of a very respectable Ohio State team, 67-49. Though OSU is still missing a key cog in swingman David Lighty, this was a quality victory for the Illini.

The inside duo of Dominique Keller and Mike Tisdale proved too much inside for the Buckeyes, as the two combined for 27 points on 11-17 shooting.

When the ball is tipped -- in a sure-to-be blowout of Indiana by Gonzaga -- Saturday at 1:30, it will mark the first time basketball is played in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. While there have been some complaints from fans in the upper levels of the stadium, I personally think it's a phenomenal venue. As I stated in a FanHouse in the Stands for a Colts game, the concourses and exits are designed beautifully. You will rarely feel crowded when trying to reach your seats, and the restroom lines are nowhere near any concession stands.

I'll be very interested to see how everything works out for basketball, but space shouldn't be an issue, since half of the stadium will be unused. You can view a picture of the basketball setup by clicking here. I believe it's going to be a very solid basketball stadium for years to come, with many final fours in its future -- beginning in 2010 and coming back in 2015.

The Miami Hurricanes missed their leader tonight. All-ACC guard Jack McClinton was ejected in the first half of their ACC/Big Ten Challenge game against Ohio State after he took a swipe at Anthony Crater.

After passing the ball, McClinton swiped or slapped or smacked Crater in the face. It wasn't much, but it did tick off Buckeyes coach Thad Matta who made sure the officials took some sort of action. After a lengthy conference, they gave McClinton a flagrant foul and ejected him from the game. By the way, McClinton did this right after Crater hit him. Crater stayed in the game.

What made it worse is that the Canes had suspended sophomore point guard Eddie Rios before the game. Rios violated team rules and has been suspended indefinitely.

Miami, who was up by 12 when McClinton was thrown out, blew a second half lead and lost, 73-68.

Last week I assessed Ohio State's chances of making the NCAA Tournament by saying, "At this point, the Buckeyes would need to win all three of their remaining games -- at Minnesota, home against Purdue and Michigan State -- to have any shot of an at-large bid. They're NIT bound."

So when the Buckeyes lost to Minnesota, I figured that was just about it. But maybe not. Ohio State managed an 80-77 win over Purdue last night, a win that at least puts the Buckeyes back in the conversation among bubble teams, although they might need to both beat Michigan State and win a couple of games in the Big Ten Tournament to make it to the Big Dance.

"I told our guys this week, 'I need you to play ridiculously hard,' '' Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. ". . . I think they had an appreciation for the battle.'' The Buckeyes are a totally different team than the one we were watching a year ago, but playing ridiculously hard is exactly what they're doing.

Meanwhile, Purdue's loss means that Wisconsin will win the Big Ten regular season title. All the Badgers need to do is beat Penn State tonight and Northwestern on Saturday -- which they certainly will -- and Wisconsin is atop the Big Ten. It's been a great season for the Boilermakers, but the Badgers are the class of the conference.

Throughout the season we'll look at bubble teams and assess whether they have a better chance of ending up in the NIT or NCAA Tournament.

Team: Ohio State Buckeyes

Record: 17-11 (8-7 Big Ten)

Good Wins: Syracuse on a neutral floor is only win against a team in the RPI Top 50.

Bad Losses: At Iowa, at Michigan

Comments: The Buckeyes missed an opportunity to pick up by far their biggest win of the season last night at Indiana. John Gasaway at Basketball Prospectus wrote on Tuesday that Ohio State was the Big Ten's only bubble team and added, "The Buckeyes look surprisingly good on paper in part because Thad Matta's team has benefited from a back-loaded schedule." They've lost the first two of four tough games in that back-loaded schedule.

Other Views: Ohio State ranks 51st in RPI, 27th in the Pomeroy Ratings and 37th in the Sagarin Ratings.

Verdict: At this point, the Buckeyes would need to win all three of their remaining games -- at Minnesota, home against Purdue and Michigan State -- to have any shot of an at-large bid. They're NIT bound.