Buckeyes earn Number 2 seed in Midwest

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Hours after easily winning the Big Ten tournament title on Sunday, the Ohio State Buckeyes received a No. 2 seed and a trip to Milwaukee to play UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA tournament on Friday.

Now the Buckeyes have to rest and regroup for another major challenge.

"It all depends on our minds and our mentality, how we go into the tournament," said Evan Turner, the Big Ten's player of the year and tournament MVP. "I think as long as we're going in to win it, we're fine."

The winner of UCSB and Ohio State advances to meet the winner of seventh-seeded Oklahoma State and 10th-seeded Georgia Tech in the second round.

Ohio State couldn't have asked for a much better geographic draw. The Buckeyes always carry a large fan base when they hit the road, whether it is to an NCAA tournament or a football bowl game, and Milwaukee is an easy drive from Columbus. Should the Buckeyes make it out of the first weekend, they would play in St. Louis -- also a manageable trip for Buckeyes followers.

Ohio State (27-7), winners of 15 of 17 while taking a share of the Big Ten's regular-season title, will be making its 22nd trip to the big tournament. Three years ago coach Thad Matta's team lost in the championship game to Florida. David Lighty, then a freshman, is the only member of the current team who made that trip to the title game.

"If we come ready to play every game and our minds are right, our mentality is right and we take no prisoners, hopefully we can make it to the Final Four," said Lighty, a redshirt junior who missed most of last year with a foot injury.

The 15th-seeded Gauchos (20-9) won a share of the Big West regular-season title and took the conference's automatic berth by winning the tournament.

Ohio State, on a seven-game winning streak, beat Minnesota 90-61 in the Big Ten finale earlier on Sunday behind Turner and Lighty.

There was some speculation that the Buckeyes might sneak into a No. 1 seed. But those went to Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse.

The Buckeyes stood at 1-3 in the Big Ten when Turner was just coming back from a month layoff after breaking two bones in his back. They won 13 of their final 14 conference games, then swept through the Big Ten tournament.

"Obviously, you'd like to have the 1 (seed)," Matta said. "But what these guys have accomplished from the time Evan came back, it's been amazing."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)