Keita Bates-Diop got the deserved headlines at the time, but it was the play of Marc Loving that still has Ohio State coach Thad Matta raving.
With three seconds left in a Feb. 28 home game against No. 8 Iowa, Bates-Diop blocked from behind Mike Gesell’s attempted tying shot to help seal a 68-64 victory for the unranked Buckeyes. But while it was an example of Bates-Diop’s length affecting the game, it might not have been possible had Loving not made a key off-the-ball defensive move.
As Gesell drove up the right side of the court with Iowa trailing by two points, senior Peter Jok was spotting up in the left corner for a three-pointer.