CHICAGO - For months, NBA scouts have called Ohio State freshman Greg Oden the consensus No. 1 pick in June's NBA Draft without seeing a dominating performance from the big man.

But on Friday, he single-handedly catapulted the top-ranked Buckeyes past Michigan, 72-62.

The loss likely eliminates any real NCAA Tournament dreams for the Wolverines (8-8 Big Ten, 21-11 overall), who are still without a marquee victory this season.

After allowing Ohio State to jump out to a 12-point lead to begin the second half of this afternoon's second-round Big Ten Tournament game, Michigan had narrowed the deficit to just three following a 3-pointer by senior Lester Abram. That's when Oden ended any doubt about his talent and in the process, ended any real chance of the Wolverines reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

He poured in five consecutive points to give the Buckeyes a cushion they would never again relinquish.

For the game, Oden had 22 points, including 15 in the second half alone. But his presence wasn't felt in just the scoring column. The freshman had eight rebounds and four blocks, while disrupting countless other endeavors to the paint by Michigan players.

It was clear from the time Ohio State came out of the locker room for the second half that Oden had decided enough was enough. He hit a jump hook on the Buckeyes' opening possession. He followed that a minute later by stuffing Michigan senior Courtney Sims twice in a row on point-blank layup attempts.

Michigan had some success defending Oden early on, limiting him to just three field-goal attempts in the first half. But Sims picked up his fourth foul with over eight minutes remaining in the game. The Wolverines chose not to double team Oden, and he consistently manhandled smaller defenders down the stretch.

It didn't help Michigan that its top scorer, senior Dion Harris, was a horrendous 1-for-13 from the floor, netting just nine points in his final Big Ten Tournament appearance.

And after the Buckeyes went on an 11-4 run to begin the second half, the Wolverines could not be careless with the ball. But Harris and point guard Jerret Smith committed five turnovers apiece. Michigan had 16 turnovers as a team.

The first half didn't go as planned either.

Sims and Smith both got into early foul trouble, limiting their effectiveness. Sims was held scoreless, while Smith was largely ineffective running the offense.

Luckily for the Wolverines, Abram and freshman DeShawn Sims had seven and six points, respectively, to keep Michigan competitive. It was a welcome sign for both, as each has battled their own personal demons this season.

Abram, who finished with 13 points, had been in a season-long funk that culminated with a 1-for-10 shooting performance in Thursday's opening-round win over Minnesota.

Sims has struggled all season after his younger brother, Marcus Pruitt, was shot and killed on his way home from school in November. But the freshman showed his heart and determination picking up most of his points on the offensive glass.

Despite the poor play of its stars, Michigan kept itself close because of its aggressiveness on the glass. The Wolverines had 22 offensive rebounds and outboarded the Buckeyes, 47-25.

But Michigan learned the hard way that sometimes a talented player like Oden can negate any type of effort and hustle advantage. And sometimes what you really want - an NCAA Tournament berth - you just can't have.