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Unless you live under a rock, you know the Ohio State men's basketball team will be without freshman center Greg Oden probably until the Big Ten season because of an injured right wrist. The 7-footer from Indianapolis Lawrence North was the consensus high school player of the year in 2005-06.

That leaves the Buckeyes a little undersized with 6-foot-8 center Matt Terwilliger, 6-9 junior college transfer forward Othello Hunter and 6-7 forward Ivan Harris, who is more of an outside shooter than inside banger.

Until then, the Buckeyes probably will try to mask their weaknesses (size, interior defense, help-side defense, rebounding, bench depth) by playing to their strengths and the other "Thad Five" newcomers in Dunbar's Daequan Cook, guard Mike Conley, forward David Lighty and Hunter.

OSU will take — and make — a bunch of 3-point shots. Jamar Butler, Ron Lewis, Harris, Cook, Lighty and Conley can fire from distance. Even Terwilliger has shown he can knock down the occasional triple.

The Buckeyes can play small ball, running with speedy point guards such as Butler and Conley.

Shooting percentages and assists should be high as long as turnovers don't cause problems. At least eight players could be starters on most college teams.

BUCKEYES BY THE NUMBERS

1 — Ohio State was picked to finish tops in the Big Ten, despite just one returning starter.

4 — McDonald's All-Americans on OSU's roster (Ivan Harris, Daequan Cook, Greg Oden, Mike Conley).

2-10 — Range of OSU's national ranking by most national publications and experts.

14 — Number of national TV games, including matchups against North Carolina and national-champion Florida.

27.2 — Combined scoring averages of returners Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler, Ivan Harris and Matt Terwilliger.

SEASON STORYLINES

Undersized early: Minus 7-foot freshman center Greg Oden, how will the undersized young Bucks respond to a challenging early schedule that includes road games at North Carolina and defending national champion Florida?

How good is Oden? When Oden suits up, will he live up to the hype of freshman legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Patrick Ewing? If he does, will he dominate and lead OSU to a Big Ten title and/or the Final Four?

Eyes on the NBA: No matter how the season's story is written, how many of the "Thad Five" will return? They'll all be NBA draft-eligible after the season, including Dunbar's Daequan Cook, whose steady play could be a key.

2 PLAYERS YOU KNOW NOW

Junior G Jamar Butler averaged 10.1 points per game last season as a starter. The Lima Shawnee product was second in the Big Ten with a 2.5 assist/turnover ratio. His role could change with so many young shooters available. His knowledge of the Big Ten is invaluable.

Senior G Ron Lewis is OSU's leading returning scorer (11.2 points per game) despite being a sixth man. The senior co-captain (along with Butler) is a legitimate scorer who needs polish on the defensive end. He has scored in double figures in 58 of 92 college games.

2 PLAYERS YOU WILL KNOW IN JANUARY

Freshman C Greg Oden has an NBA-ready body and, even better, the right temperament. He's a thinker but can reach down deep for a mean streak. What would make one of the best center prospects even better? How about being ambidextrous? With his right hand immobilized much of the time since his June surgery, Oden's been practicing left-handed shots.

Junior F Othello Hunter will face taller and more experienced post players until Oden's return. He'll get some help from Matt Terwilliger, but may not have to win the inside battles. If the Bucks can hold their own in the paint, the guards can outscore opponents. In the exhibitions, Hunter showed flashes of the shot-blocking and moves that made him so sought-after.

ABOUT THE COACH

Thad Matta, 39, has made a major impact in Columbus, going 46-18 in his first two seasons with the Buckeyes. OSU won the Big Ten regular-season title last season. The Illinois native has the fifth-most Division I wins of any coach through six seasons. His 148 wins have come at Butler (24), Xavier (78) and OSU (46). Assistants: John Groce, Alan Major, Dan Peters.

TICKET INFORMATION

No tickets are available for any Big Ten home games. There are select tickets available for the season-opening Black Coaches Association Classic and home games against San Francisco, Youngstown State, Valparaiso, Cleveland State, Iowa State and Coppin State.

Call (800) GO-BUCKS for information.

To buy tickets online, go to ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com or various ticket brokers.