Many of the Big Ten men's basketball coaches agree: Jim O'Brien deserves a lot of credit for the team he has put together at Ohio State this season.

A year after losing his top two players — Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn — O'Brien has his team locked into the NCAA Tournament, even though the Buckeyes were predicted to finish No. 8 in the Big Ten. Ohio State has had its share of struggles this season with an early loss to Valparaiso, a home defeat to Penn State and a few blowout losses, but the Buckeyes have proven they are one of the strongest squads in the conference.

"They've had a really nice year and Jim is deserving of a lot of that credit because he's done a really nice job with this team," Illinois men's basketball coach Bill Self said. "The emergence of Brian Brown is the key to their team."

Ohio State has surprised some teams in the conference because 6-foot-11 center Ken Johnson has proven himself to be one of the top big men in the country and 6-foot-4 guard Brian Brown has stepped up his game in the past few weeks. Ohio State's two biggest wins of the season came in Columbus, Ohio, when the Buckeyes upset Illinois on Feb. 22 and Michigan State by nine in late January.

The Buckeyes showed their ability to bounce back after a loss in the Illinois and Michigan State wins. After getting beaten by the Illini and the Spartans by a combined 30 points, Ohio State came back later in the season to beat both Big Ten teams.

"Coach O'Brien has done the best job in the league," Iowa men's basketball coach Steve Alford said. "They've really worked hard and got a lot of things done, more than a lot of people thought. He's gotten things out of players that might have been a year away."

O'Brien credits his team's surprising success on hard work and being able to react to many different situations thrown at them this year. Although he said it was one of the most stressful seasons he has had in his career, the fourth year coach added it has been one of the most exciting.

The Ohio State head coach also complemented associate head coach Bruce Parkhill for adding an extra sense of leadership to the bench. Parkhill, who used to be the men's basketball coach at Penn State, is in his first year with the Buckeyes.

"Bruce has been great because he brings the head coaching perspective," O'Brien said. "He's brought a calming influence. He's been an absolute marvelous addition to our staff."

The praise for O'Brien has come from throughout the entire conference, from every coach top to bottom, and Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo is no exception. The Spartans have split their season matchup with Ohio State, and Izzo said most of the credit belongs to O'Brien, because his attitude and work ethic have helped develop his players. Izzo not only mentions O'Brien's name with the best coaches in the Big Ten, but in the entire country.

"With what they lost last year, he's brought some guys along and he's done a great job," Izzo said. "Without a few mini-upsets, Ohio State would be playing for a championship this weekend."