Lenzelle Smith Jr. News

Deshaun Thomas or no Deshaun Thomas, the goals of the Ohio State basketball team heading into the 2013-14 season remain the same - a Big Ten regular-season championship, a Big Ten tournament title and a run to the Final Four.

Michigan's Trey Burke, right, and teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. walk down the court during the second half of their NCAA Final Four semifinal game against Syracuse The Big Ten Conference might be losing a handful of high-profile players to early entry in the NBA draft and dozens more to graduation, but it shouldn't stop business as usual for the ... (more)

In today's what-have-you-done-for-me-lately age of college basketball, it has seemed like a lifetime since Ohio State brought in a top-notch recruiting class.

The college basketball offseason makes Bo Ryan's offense look fast. It is approximately seven months of a hoop-less void that tests the patience of the most ardent fans across the country.

Although many programs would consider a conference tournament championship and Elite Eight appearance a successful campaign, the Ohio State basketball team fell short of its lofty goals in the 2012-13 season.

Young Ohio State basketball fans may take the program's recent success for granted, but the Buckeyes went through some lean years before Thad Matta took over the helms.