Ohio State advanced to the Sweet 16 on Sunday thanks to a three-pointer in the waning seconds by Aaron Craft, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Ohio State vs. Iowa State: Buckeyes advance in 2013 NCAA Tournament, though not without controversy
Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft made headlines Sunday in more ways than one.
Joe Robbins
Afterward, though, Craft was the center of attention for another reason; he earned a charge late in the contest that may have been the wrong call -- the NCAA went so far as to issue a statement on the matter -- but SB Nation’s Iowa State blog isn’t blaming the officials for the Cyclones’ demise.
Personally, I’m choosing not to put the loss on the refs, but the charge call does bring to light the widespread problem of referees continuing to allow defensive players to slide under offensive players after they’re already in the air, which is a player safety issue, and in my opinion, the part of the Clyburn/Craft charge that is somehow being ignored. Duke is especially good at this, and it’s dangerous.
Over at Ohio State blog Land-Grant Holy Land, Buckeyes fans were understandably celebrating Craft’s late-game magic. It may not have been the play that Ohio State drew up for those final seconds, but it worked out in the end.
What seemed in real time like a poor decision given Craft’s shaky shooting much of the afternoon (and historically from distance), the attempt splashed. Instantaneously Craft’s already held in high regard legacy was multiplied to next level status in Ohio State basketball lore. [Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta] joked after the game that they should erect a statue outside Value City Arena.
Craft has made less than 30 percent of his three-point attempts this season, but for Ohio State on Sunday, that below-average shooting percentage proved irrelevant at the most crucial of times. The Buckeyes will face Arizona in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night.
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