It's no secret football is king at Ohio State.
That fact will never change thanks to historical achievement spawning a tradition with few peers that not only celebrates the past but helps shape a future for continued success.
Though the Buckeye men's basketball program has had its own share of glory, it's no match for past gridiron achievements which largely secures the program's place as 2nd fiddle.
That fact has never been more clear in the wake of the football program's last two national championship seasons, occurring in 2002 and 2014.
Even for self-described diehard Buckeye fans, many simply can't conjure up the desire to rabidly follow the men's basketball team while enjoying a lengthy football national championship hangover.
Factors such as how exciting and good the basketball team is/was in the seasons following football titles certainly have an impact on fan interest – and there's no debating the warts of the 2002-03 and 2014-15 squads – the fact is these two teams have toiled in relative obscurity and share a handful of similarities.
The 2002-03 basketball Buckeyes were probably thankful for the anonymity as they finished with a dismal 17-15 record in what turned out to be Jim O'Brien's next-to-last season in Columbus.
Just four years removed from a Final Four run and one year removed from a B1G tournament title, the squad was a sad 3-8 versus ranked teams, losing their first five matchups including three early season losses to teams ranked 4th in the land.
The roster makeup was that of a one-man band with senior Brent Darby leading the squad in minutes (38.1) points (18.3), assists (4.4) and steals (1.8) per game. The second-leading scorer, Sean Connolly averaged a mere 11.8 points in support and was was also the second-leading assist man with 1.9 per game. In fact, Darby's 141 assists on the season were just eight less than the rest of the starting five combined.
Fellow starters included names like Connolly, Velimir Radinovic, Zach Williams and Matt Sylvester or Shun Jenkins.
Despite a severe lack of elite talent producing a 7-9 record in B1G regular season play and an 8th-seed in the conference tournament, the Buckeyes unleashed an improbably exciting run the the league title game before falling to Illinois.
The run was as fun to watch as it was shocking as Darby put the team on his back at a level exceeding his already-yeoman's work during the regular season slate.
In an opening round tilt with Iowa, Darby tallied 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds while hitting the game-winner via a driving layup with 1.8 seconds left. The next morning, Darby chipped in 16 points including four free throws in the last :39 to help take down top-seeded Wisconsin and earn a spot in the semifinals against Michigan State.
In a game that will be forever known for Charles Bass Off The Glass, Darby was a boss with 23 points, five boards, four steals and three dimes, putting Bass in position to bank in the legendary free throw with :06 left to give Ohio State a 55-54 win.
Finally, in the championship game loss to Illinois, Darby turned in a 27 point, six rebound effort to cap a tremendous individual season that was largely ignored by fans.
Trying to evade the shadow of the football team's improbable march to the College Football Playoff championship, this year's edition of Buckeye basketball isn't headed for the same dreadful won-loss record as its 2002-03 counterparts but that doesn't mean there aren't similar characteristics.
Thad Matta's squad, just three years removed from the Final Four and two years removed from a B1G tournament title has also struggled against legit non-conference competition. The Buckeyes fell into big holes against then-5th-ranked Louisville and then-24th-ranked North Carolina before clawing back to make the final scores look respectable though anyone who watched easily saw a talent (and toughness) gap.
This year's group has also fared better in league play but still boasts a relatively disappointing 8-5 mark. The clearest similarity to the O'Brien's 2002-03 team is how Matta's current outfit so heavily relies on one standout player to carry the load.
D'Angelo Russell, a clear one-and-done with the talent to be a top-five draft pick, is in a different talent stratosphere compared to Darby but their numbers relative to teammates are comparable. Darby has the statistical edge though Russell is playing with a superior supporting cast.
As one of the best freshman performers in school history, Russell is currently leading the team in points (19.1) and rebounds (5.8) while ranking second in assists (5.5) and steals (1.7). The squad's second-leading scorer, Marc Loving, stands at just 11.2 points per game giving Russell nearly an eight point scoring cushion compared to Darby's roughly five point edge over Connolly.
Currently slotted 5th in the league standings, the Buckeyes are just one game out of 2nd place in what is a decidedly mediocre year for the B1G. As such, despite the lack of a post threat and consistently dependable complimentary performances especially from the seniors, this squad still has a chance to make some noise in March if Russell gets hot enough to carry the team.
The question is, whether a run materializes or not, how many people will be paying attention?
