5 On Your Side Sports Blog

David Lighty's eyes were wide as basketballs. Mine, too. We stood in the doorway of Rupp Arena, staring at the banners, the blue, the bigtime. Lighty, the freshman from Cleveland (VASJ), could not hide a smile as he took one final look before heading to Ohio State's lockeroom.

He's excited. Heck, I'm excited.

There is nothing necessarily spectacular about Rupp Arena. It is barely older than I am, but has seen so much sacred basketball. Before his death in 1977, legendary 'Cats coach Adolph Rupp called it home. Kentucky calls it home. And since 1985's Final Four, the NCAA Tournament has made itself at home here.

Even Rick Pitino still feels at home, though any blue-blooded Kentucky fan within earshot is likely to show him the door (they can only hope Stanford does the same to Pitino's Louisville team on Thursday afternoon).

The common expectation around media room circles here is that Ohio State will make itself right at home at Rupp, starting with a swat of pesky 16-seed Central Connecticut State. Sure, coach Thad Matta stressed the Blue Devils (not those Blue Devils) can boast some great guard play. And that may be true. But how will they defend 7'2"?

Ah, the equalizer. Just Greg Oden's presence gives Ohio State the edge in rebounding, defense, and intimidation.

Lighty's eyes did not get as wide again until I asked him about his favorite Greg Oden moment. Take your pick, was the gist of his response.

There's something different about this Buckeyes lockerroom on the eve of the Tourney opener from last year's. Granted, CCSU doesn't quite threaten to challenge the #1 Buckeyes like Davidson did last March in Dayton. But funny, that lockerroom was heavy on veterans like Matt Sylvester and Terrence Dials. This one is young. It's excited. And maybe it doesn't know any better than to just keep doing what they've been doing since November.

30 wins say that plan seems to work for them.