Ohio State sophomore forward Keita Bates-Diop called Saturday’s win over Kentucky “a turning point in our season” on Monday. And while that remains to be seen with over three months to play in the year, there’s no denying the Buckeyes’ stunning upset of the now-12th-ranked Wildcats was critical for this young team.
The win had a little added meaning for head coach Thad Matta.
“I’ll be honest with you, [the win] was big," Matta admitted Monday. "One thing I thought about going into the game was when Brandon Knight hit that shot on us [in the 2011 NCAA tournament] and we had the best team in college basketball that year and I felt like we had a chance to win the national championship with that team.