OSU eyes top slot in poll

The Buckeyes have not been ranked No. 1 since 1962.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The last time Ohio State was No. 1 in the AP men's basketball poll, John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas and a sub named Bob Knight were leading the Buckeyes to the NCAA championship game.
That was 45 years ago, but after Greg Oden and No. 2 Ohio State breezed to an 85-67 victory over Minnesota Sunday, Hondo and the General might finally have some company.
Oden had 19 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, Ron Lewis scored 16 points and Mike Conley Jr. finished with 10 assists and five steals for Ohio State, which is looking for its first No. 1 ranking since 1962.
"Right now it doesn't mean as much as it would at the end of March in the tournament," Conley said. "Regardless of what ranking we are -- 1, 2, 3, 4 -- it doesn't matter to us. We're trying to get better as a team and hopefully make a run."
The Buckeyes (24-3, 12-1 Big Ten) have won 11 in a row, with losses only to heavyweights Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin this season.
Lawrence McKenzie scored 22 points for the Gophers (9-18, 3-10), but he didn't get near the help from his supporting cast that Oden did. The Gophers lost their fifth straight and 10th in their last 12.
Up for grabs
The No. 1 ranking is up for grabs after top-ranked Florida lost at Vanderbilt Saturday night, but Ohio State isn't the only team to have a legitimate claim.
Third-ranked Wisconsin (26-2) is the only Big Ten team to beat the Buckeyes this year and travels to Columbus for a showdown with Ohio State next Sunday.
Fifth-ranked UCLA (23-3) also could make the jump to No. 1 after soundly beating No. 19 Arizona 81-66 on Saturday.
Being ranked No. 1 heading into selection day would give Ohio State the inside track on the top seed in the St. Louis bracket. Coach Thad Matta was asked after the game about the advantages of staying close to home as opposed to being seeded in, say, the Meadowlands.
"You just named sites and I didn't even know there were sites," Matta said.
Foul trouble
Oden was able to get position easily throughout the first half, but foul trouble kept him from taking over the game until the second half.
After McKenzie's three-point play, Oden backed down the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Bryce Webster with ease, then turned and dunked right over him as if he wasn't there. Webster responded by drawing Oden's second foul on the next possession down the floor, sending the 7-footer to the bench with 7:30 to play.
That's when Oden's high school teammate took over. Conley had a steal and layup to get things going, then added another steal and alley-oop pass to Lewis to give Ohio State a 38-26 lead.
The Buckeyes never looked back, and now they're looking toward a No. 1 ranking.