Why Ohio State will win

Ohio State has a dynamic combination of steeled veterans and skilled freshmen who can give the school its second NCAA tournament championship and first since 1960.

The Buckeyes have the country’s best center in 7-0 freshman Greg Oden, who has improved immensely in the course of the tournament.

Saddled with foul trouble in three tournament games, Oden kept his cool to become a force in the second half of the South Regional final against Memphis. He leads the Buckeyes in scoring at 15.4 points a game.

If Oden keeps up that pace, there might be no one to match the player expected to be the No. 1 pick if he enters the June NBA draft. The exception could be Georgetown’s 7-2 center Roy Hibbert, a likely NBA lottery pick.

If Oden and Hibbert neutralize each other in Saturday’s national semifinals, the Buckeyes’ backcourt could carry them behind freshman point guard Mike Conley Jr., who gets better with each game. He was named the South Regional’s most outstanding player for averaging 19 points in victories against Memphis and Tennessee.

Conley and Oden have been teammates since sixth grade. They played hundreds of games together on the club circuit and teamed at Indianapolis’ Lawrence North High, winning three state championships. Their chemistry is an intangible.

The Buckeyes essentially start two point guards, and junior Jamar Butler often is overlooked. He was a top point guard in the Big Ten last year. ESPN analyst Steve Lavin recalls a few Big Ten coaches saying Butler was more valuable last season than former Buckeye Terence Dials, the conference’s 2006 player of the year.

Ron Lewis, who has been every bit as vital as Conley, completes the backcourt. The 6-4 guard, a fifth-year senior, is playing the best basketball of his career. He leads the Buckeyes in scoring in NCAA tournament games (21.8 points).

Ohio State’s fate could rest with its reserves. On his best days, 6-5 guard Daequan Cook is an NBA first-round draft pick. At his worst, his shot selection is poor and panicky.