Steve Silverman

If Ohio State is going to come away with the national championship, resiliency is likely to be the greatest single factor.

It certainly has been in the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes were on the precipice of defeat against Xavier in the second round and Tennessee in the Sweet 16 matchup, but head coach Thad Matta’s team would not accept losing either time.

The Buckeyes certainly have plenty of star power with Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. The two freshmen honed their skills at Lawrence North (Indianapolis) High School and play with a sixth sense of knowing where the other will be at all times. But more than the chummy story of the two best friends/buddies/future NBA stars playing together in college, the story of Ohio State’s success is the team basketball that Matta has been successful at bringing to Columbus.

Throughout the tournament, Oden and Conley have had plenty of help. Ron Lewis has stepped up his game as the senior knows that every time he laces up his shoes it could be his last college game.

He has been determined to go out with a winner. During the postseason, he has averaged 19 points a game. Lewis, a senior guard, did not even averaged double-figures during the Big Ten season.

Lewis is shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 45.9 percent from outside the arc and 91.4 percent from the line while also ranking third on the team in rebounds, third in blocked shots and second in steals.

Conley may have come away with the outstanding player award in San Antonio, but there was quite a bit of support for Lewis. Not only did he lead the charge in the second half in the miracle comeback win over Tennessee, he also scored 22 points against a Memphis team that got worn down by Ohio State’s relentlessness.

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The team play travels all the way down the bench. David Lighty, a 6-5 freshman from Cleveland, had a three-point play with less than a second remaining in the first half against the Volunteers to give Ohio State a lift before halftime. Lighty contributed 7 points and assist in that game and added 7 more along with 6 rebounds in 19 minutes against the Tigers.

The Buckeyes also got a lift from freshman guard Daequan Cook, who contributed 9 points in the win over Memphis. Junior guard Jamar Butler (8.6 ppg) and senior forward Ivan Harris (7.6 ppg) have been doing the job all season.

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A team of role players who make a great supporting cast would be a classic Cinderella story if they didn’t have their stars to make headlines. But Oden and Conley give this team the core of a champion.

Oden, of course, has been projected as the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the NBA draft this June should he decide to leave. He is a 7-foot, 280-pound athlete with unlimited potential. At a time when pivot players of ability are few and far between, Oden is reminiscent of a cross between the defensive genius of Bill Russell and the power of Shaquille O’Neal on offense.