Who needs this stinking month anyway? After watching loose ball gifts roll to Jon Diebler so that he could sink 21 points from beyond the arc, after watching Ohio State celebrate another regular season Big Ten championship, after watching a Value City Arena that wasn't even full, say goodbye to their likely NPOY and lottery pick superstar Evan Turner, I became filled a terrible syrupy concentrated bitterness.

Ohio State has been pulling in NBA lottery talent year after year, and no one in Columbus seems to care. Meanwhile here in Champaign we seemingly have one truly special player, the first in several years, and we are in danger of not making the tournament.

Today is the sort of day that makes me want to completely ignore everything that is basketball. To just say screw it and ignore basketball for a couple days. I will not be doing that, of course.

Steve Lavin said that this game ended when Bruce briefly pulled Demetri McCamey from the game in the first half after two quick fouls. Jeff Jordan comes in and does what he has done more and more lately, turn the ball over and make bad passes, and the Buckeyes are spurred to a 12-0 run. You could say that yes, that is when the tide was turned, (the Illini did not lead again) but through most of the second half, the game was still very much up for grabs.

With eight minutes to go in the game, the Illini were down only seven points. In the final eight minutes they would be outscored by the Buckeyes.13-6, with the Illini scoring no points in the last four minutes.

The problem last night was an inability to score in the closing minutes of the game. Something we can safely say was the polar opposite of the game against Minnesota.

A similar problem: the foul differential. The Illini once again struggled to get to the line, and once again committed far too many fouls on defense. Tisdale fouled out again, for the first time in some time, and his presence was most definitely missed, on both ends.

With two very big games against Wisconsin looming, and with Jon Leuer back to make more ridiculous 3 pointers along with Jason Bohnannon, allowing Jon Diebler, another one dimensional player to do the only thing he does at all is not a good sign.  If you are guarding him, do not rotate in to help in the lane, do not allow him to get separation, and most of all DO NOT LOSE HIM ON SCREENS  he cannot create his own shot, but he will not miss the open ones, and neither will those two Badgers.

The Buckeyes did not run near as much zone as they did in Champaign, a fact which surprised me, given the game against the Gophers. As I have been told before, you should not try and dribble penetrate against a zone. Well even against the man defense last night, the Illini did not try to dribble penetrate. Demetri McCamey has a talent going to the basket, he can draw fouls, he can dish to the open man. Let him do his thing. At this point, when perimeter shots aren't falling anyway, what do you have to lose?

Argh. It's a long time til Sunday.