COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 3: Deshaun Thomas #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes is congratulated by teammates Aaron Craft #4 and William Buford #44 after sinking a basket while being fouled by the Nebraska Cornhuskers on January 3, 2012 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Nebraska 71-40. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

2012-2013 Ohio State Basketball

Any fan of Ohio State basketball should be excited about the 2012-2013 season for the recent changes that provide a lot of promise for this organization. While this basketball team has always been known for talented players (Jerry Lucas, Dennis Hopson, Jimmy Jackson, Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger) , this will become even more obvious this year. Younger talent will help with production on the court as a result of increased speed and agility (Shannon Scott, Amedeo Della Valle). When you add these traits to the experience factor that some of the veteran players will bring to the game (Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr, and Deshaun Thomas come to mind), you find that this combination is perfect for the creation of a successful season on the court.

Any fan of this basketball team would be advised to look for tickets in order to see the magic live at the Schottenstein Center. Student ticket packages sold out in less than 5 minutes earlier this month when all 2,400 went on sale. There is nothing like being able to see some of the best players in the NCAA live and in person. Many of these players have the ability to become professional NBA players in the future, seeing them today will give you the first look at what promise and potential can turn into when provided with the proper coaching staff.

Anyone looking for a buckeye preview would be excited to find out that this team will play Purdue, Penn State, Michigan and Indiana this season. If you know anything about basketball in the NCAA, these games are going to be an amazing experience for anyone that is lucky enough to see them live. However, you also have the option of simply following your favorite team from the comfort of your own home on ESPN and the Big Ten Network for the most part. The passion that you develop for this team is a matter of following them every season and going through the best and the worse, enjoy the ride with this team.

2012-2013 Roster

32    Lenzelle Smith, Jr.    Guard    6-4    210    JR    Zion, Ill (Zion-Benton)
3    Shannon Scott    Guard    6-1    185    SO    Alpharetta, Ga. (Milton)
14    Alex Rogers    Guard    6-2    200    JR    Cincinnati, Ohio (Christian Brothers Univ.)
2    Andrew Goldstein    Guard    6-3    200    JR    Marlboro, N.J. (Marlboro)
33    Amedeo Della Valle    Guard    6-5    190    FR    Alba, Italy (Findlay Prep)
4    Aaron Craft    Guard    6-2    195    JR    Findlay, Ohio (Liberty Benton)

12    Sam Thompson    Forward    6-7    200    SO    Chicago, Ill. (Whitney Young)
1    Deshaun Thomas    Forward    6-7    215    JR    Ft. Wayne, Ind (Bishop Luers)
10    LaQuinton Ross    Forward    6-8    220    SO    Jackson, Miss. (Life Center Academy (N.J.))
30    Evan Ravenel    Forward    6-8    250    SR    Tampa, Fla. (Brandon)
34    Jake Lorbach    Forward    6-7    210    SO    Elyria, Ohio (St. Edward)

23    Amir Williams    Center    6-11    250    SO    Detroit, Mich. (Detroit Country Day)
55    Trey McDonald    Center    6-8    240    SO    Battle Creek, Mich. (Battle Creek Central)