There must be a jinx. There is no other way to explain it.

There is no other way to explain Ohio State Coach Randy Ayers falling on the ice outside St. John Arena. Diagnosis: An injured leg and a pair of crutches.

There is no other way to explain the Buckeyes' leading scorer, Derek Anderson, crumpling into a heap while driving through the lane against Michigan last Sunday. Diagnosis: A torn anterior cruciate ligament and the end of a season.

And there is no other way for tragedies like Ricky Dudley's to make sense. Dudley, a 6-foot-7 forward, will attend his brother's funeral tomorrow, while the Buckeyes (10-13, 3-9 Big Ten) take on Penn State (10-10, 3-8) at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall.

"It's one of those unfortunate situations that no one has control over," Ayers said. "We certainly are with Ricky right now in our thoughts and prayers."

It has been that kind of year for Ohio State basketball. Setback after setback has doomed the Buckeyes to an unfamilar position in the second division of the Big Ten.

Senior Jimmy Ratliff will start in Dudley's place. Sophomore Greg Simpson will start in Anderson's place.

The Buckeyes are now looking to senior Lawrence Funderburke to salvage their season. Funderburke, who scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in Ohio State's 79-57 win over Penn State on Jan. 19, is the Buckeyes' bread-and-butter inside.

Funderburke will look to deny the ball to Lion center John Amaechi more effectively than he did against Illinois' Deon Thomas Tuesday night. In the Buckeyes' 80-68 loss to Illinois on Tuesday, the Illini center went to the free throw line 22 times.

"Lawrence told me (yesterday) he was not only concerned about our guys losing this year, but next year," Ayers said.

The Buckeyes will attempt to snap a three-game losing streak against the equally struggling Lions, who have dropped four in a row. Penn State was shellacked at Minnesota Wednesday night, 94-66.

Of course, the Lions now return to the comfortable confines of Rec Hall, where they upset Minnesota and Purdue earlier in the year.

"We're just going to come back out Saturday and see what happens," Lion Coach Bruce Parkhill said in a radio interview Wednesday night. "I think you can learn from everything."

Just ask Randy Ayers.

"I think someone told me, 'If you stay in this profession long enough, you'll be exposed to a little bit of everything,' " Ayers said.

But not all in one year.