After defeating Miami on Saturday, Ohio is a win away from the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Whatever was said in Ohio's locker room after its 23-point loss to Central Michigan about a month ago, has ignited the Bobcats.
The Bobcats look like a completely different team since their 72-49 loss to the Chippewas, and Ohio's 76-64 win over Miami on Saturday reinforced that newfound transformation.
After starting Mid-American Conference play 2-4, Ohio (18-8, 9-5 MAC) has won five straight and seven of its previous eight games.
The Bobcats have matured, yes, but they have taken the next step and evolved from being a conference dweller, to a competitor within the conference, to finally a powerhouse.
Remember, Ohio was a team that won just 10 games 11 months ago.
"There have been times this year when I’ve thought that we were at least a year away (from leading the MAC),” Ohio coach Saul Phillips said. “But that’s silly talk right now.”
Phillips deserves credit for Ohio's metamorphosis.
He recruited Jaaron Simmons, Jordan Dartis, Kenny Kaminski and Gavin Block, while integrating a fast-paced offense with veterans Antonio Campbell and Treg Setty.
Campbell and Setty were originally recruited by former Ohio coach Jim Christian and flirted with the idea of transferring after Phillip's first season.
But the two's loyalty to Phillips' system has paid off.
Campbell has garnered MAC Player of the Year talk, recording 14 double-doubles this season while averaging 26 points and 15 rebounds in the previous three wins. He had 20 rebounds against the RedHawks on Saturday.
"That's my job, my job is to rebound," Campbell said. "And I kept (Miami) off the glass."
Setty has seen an increase in production under Phillips, too. The redshirt senior from Maysville, Kentucky averages 10 points on 47 percent shooting in 26 starts — all career-highs for Setty.
"(Phillips) preached to us all preseason that we're going to be a 'streaky' team," Setty said earlier in the year. "We're going to go on big streaks where we hit a lot of shots, and we're going to go on bad streaks where we don't hit a lot of shots. But, the main thing is just staying consistent."
After being "streaky" for about two-thirds of its season, Ohio's finally finding consistency. Its only a win, and an Akron loss, away from taking the No. 1 seed in the MAC.
Simmons, who Phillips persuaded from Houston, has helped with his court vision. He's been in the top three in assists (eight per game) in the NCAA.
Block and Dartis have helped too with their spacing and shooting. Block had 14 points and Dartis had eight Saturday.
Kaminski adds another layer of shooting around the perimeter.
With a variety of pieces at his availability, Phillips said now that Ohio has found its consistency and is in striking position for the No. 1 seed, the Bobcats won't change up its autonomy.
"Sports are very fair from the standpoint that if you put in the work and make the right decisions on the court, it will pay off," Phillips said.
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