Lenzelle Smith on Ohio State’s struggles: Every other team in the Big Ten is laughing at us
By Jack Crosby
It’s safe to say that, despite all of the other struggles this season, the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team hit rock bottom on Wednesday night when they were defeated by the Penn State Nittany Lions at home. While the team has still been lingering arounf the Top 25 polls, you can all but mark it down that they won’t be come this Monday.
After the game, Lenzelle Smith spoke to the Columbus Dispatch, and he was not shy in making his feelings known about what has happened to the former favorite to win the national championship, including calling it all “embarrassing.”
"“This hurts the most out of every game since I’ve been at Ohio State,” Smith said after Penn State ended an 18-game losing streak to the Buckeyes by winning 71-70 in overtime at Value City Arena. “We’ve got to get back to being a team and wanting to win.”He was just warming up.“As a team, we don’t care enough. It’s embarrassing. Every other team in the conference is laughing at us. They’re on top of the world.”What exactly, Lenzelle, are the Buckeyes lacking?“Toughness. Character. Camaraderie. Leadership,” Smith said, making sure to stress that as a senior he takes responsibility for those team deficiencies, which have played a role in the recent downturn."
After beginning the year 15-0, everything fell apart after they lost to the Michigan State Spartans, and they’ve now lost five of their last six games.