Not saying it couldn't happen but to say we win one we're going to win the next? Against Kansas? Who was not missing starting pg like unc? Bit of a reach.

Yeahhhh they were virtually the same roster who eviscerated us by 50 the year prior. And they got better. We weren't winning that one.

So you think in today's world of not being able to keep talent, that Ohio can make a Final Four?

Yes. You still have to shoot for it. Otherwise you might as well drop down to D2 and be in the same position as football.

In today's climate that means having a tremendous coaching staff that hits on 5-7 new incoming freshmen and transfers every year and hoping that you're able to pay them enough to come to Athens for one shining moment.

The likelihood just dropped another few decibels from an already low percentage. But that's what it is.

This is a bit of a stray thought, and admittedly an out of the box idea, but all of the comparisons to the minor leagues make be wonder. Is there a future where mid-majors and major programs develop loose affiliations for this purpose?

You could imagine coaching trees playing out this way. Think about the Thad Marta coaching tree which extends to Ohio State, Xavier, Butler, Dayton, etc.

Say Chris Holtman's recruiting a kid but thinks he's a little raw, or has a bunch of upperclassmen and there isn't gonna be much playing time. In theory he could send him to Akron and Groce where he'd play in a similar system, see more minutes, and if a spot opens head back to Ohio State. Not ideal from a mid major's perspective, but it might result in more talented players coming if they felt they had a path to the right major program. Almost like the loan system in European soccer.

Excellent point!