Since new coach Jim Foster came to town nine months ago, the Ohio State women’s basketball team has gone back to the future.
With hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the last four years, the Buckeyes have completed their retro look by dusting off their former home, St. John Arena, for a pair of games this season.
With the state high school wrestling tournament taking over the Schottenstein Center until Saturday, the move was somewhat forced on the Buckeyes.
There are ulterior motives to the relocation, though.
The upcoming NCAA women’s basketball tournament will feature neutral first and second rounds for the first time, just like the men’s tournament. By playing at least one game on the old stomping grounds, OSU is eligible to put in a bid to host first and second round games in the building, said OSU athletics director Andy Geiger.
The plan is to bid every year to host the tournament games, and Geiger said the arena has plenty of room to host a sub-regional. In addition, the department is looking at placing a bid to host the women’s Final Four at the Schott.
But the move is not all business.
Last night’s season finale made the 10th anniversary of the Buckeye’s national runner-up team even more fitting, since it was honored on the floor where it had much of its success. Many of the current Buckeyes have looked up to that team over the last decade.
Throughout the last month, the team has had an up close look at one of the leaders of the Final Four team. Katie Smith, who plays for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, has been training with the Buckeyes in preparation for the upcoming season.
But for Geiger, playing a few contests in St. John brings about the chance to relive the old days, not only for himself, but for the fans as well.
“This is a great basketball building, I love to see games here,” he said. “From a spectator’s point of view, it’s a great environment, and we’re blessed we have lots of nice facilities.”
St. John was the home to Buckeye basketball since it was built in 1956 until the close of the 1998 season, when both hoops teams moved across the river.
Some of the current Buckeyes did not have to be introduced to the building. A handful of them competed for state high school championships or remembered watching the older Buckeye teams play on the same floor.
What St. Johns provides is an intimate environment to play the game. Fans are virtually right on top of the players, and, unlike the Schott, the noise compounds. The noise, as well as the tradition, is what hits the most.
Senior D’wan Shackleford described the first time she stepped on to the floor in preparation for the Texas game as feeling “awesome times infinity.”
“It was awesome, I can’t even explain it,” she said. “We came out here and kind of started shooting for the pregame shoot-around, and you know we had a good vibe going on and it proved worthwhile.”
