Young Bucks developing leadership qualities.................Rich in experience, Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft entered the season green on leadership. The sophomores took the reigns during a mid-season swoon and changed the Buckeyes' fortunes.
__________________ Meyer is back. Deal with it Florida.
Ohio State men's basketball: Streak stays alive
Buford scores career-high 29 points to help Buckeyes turn back gritty Boilermakers
The top-rated defense in college basketball did not play like it last night. Fortunately for Ohio State, William Buford finally played like his old self again.
Seven straight points by the Buckeyes’ slump-ridden senior broke open a tie game in the last five minutes and third-ranked Ohio State held on in its closest home game of the season to turn back Purdue 87-84 in Value City Arena.
Buford scored 21 points in the second half and finished with a career-high 29 for the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2 Big Ten), who maintained sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
“Offensively, I knew I had to pick it up,” said Buford, whose run came with Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft on the bench with four fouls apiece.
Sullinger scored 18 points but, after returning to the floor with 1:25 remaining, limped off 18 seconds later after appearing to fall on his left side after trying to rebound a missed Purdue shot. He did not return.
“It felt a little funny. I didn’t want to risk injuring myself worse,” Sullinger said.
There was no immediate word from Ohio State on the nature of the injury.
“We’ll find out,” Sullinger said when asked if it was serious.
The win was Ohio State’s 39th in a row at home since a 60-57 loss to Purdue on Feb. 17, 2010.
Continued............
__________________ Meyer is back. Deal with it Florida.