It all begins on Thursday.
That afternoon, fifth-seeded Ohio State takes on either Minnesota or Northwestern in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. Both teams beat the Buckeyes earlier this season, though they have each endured significant struggles over the past couple of months, meaning they’ll be clear underdogs. If things go as head coach Chris Holtmann and his players hope, that’ll just be the first of four games in four days.
So, what has to happen for Ohio State to make a run in the conference tournament? Here are five key factors.