ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The question has been asked, in various ways, since the beginning of the season, and the answer figured to get a little more clarity here last night.

How good is this enigmatic Ohio State basketball team?

It’s good, obviously. The 22-4 record it lugged into Crisler Center told us that much even before the Buckeyes squared off against Michigan. But was it No. 3 good as it was to start the season, No. 2 good as it was for a while, or No. 6 good as it is supposed to be now? Was it Final Four good or Sweet 16 good? Or is it, as the last week suggests, simply not that good?

This game didn’t answer the question conclusively – there’s too much of the season left for that – but the Buckeyes’ 56-51 loss contributed to the growing sense that their youth may keep them from getting to the places their talent could take them.

This team has been a bit of a head-scratcher, and the loss only added to the confusion. The Buckeyes were 0 for 9 from beyond the arc in the first half and took several of those threes without even looking inside to sophomore all-American Jared Sullinger. At times, OSU’s shooting was eerily reminiscent of its befuddling 14 for 53 shooting during last Saturday’s 10-point home loss to Michigan State.

The Buckeyes were 19 for 49 (38.8 percent) last night and sometimes looked as though they couldn’t have scored if they were shooting in an empty arena.

“There were open shots, we just missed shots,” Sullinger said. “As soon as we start making shots I think this will be a pretty good basketball team.”

The record says it is that already. But the raw talent hints at something more and some of the results even scream it. The Buckeyes beat No. 7 Florida 81-74 and hammered No.2 Duke 85-63 in the nonconference season and beat Wisconsin on the road for the first time since 2000.

But their youth – or something – keeps getting in the way. They unexpectedly lost at Indiana and Illinois, suffered that home loss to the Spartans and now this.

“I’m worried, as a team,” sophomore forward Deshaun Thoams said. “We can’t afford to lose at this stage. I’m kind of worried because as a team we want to make history.”

History?

“I think we can get that Big Ten championship, third in a row, and a national championship,” Thomas said. “That’s history. I mean last time Ohio State won a national championship was 1960. That’s what we’re focused on, the big picture.”

National championship talk seems pretty far fetched at this point, unless you subscribe to the theory that the ball just didn’t go down in two of their last three games. OSU coach Thad Matta seems to believe that,. at least publicly. He admitted that he wants Sullinger to get the ball more, but didn’t complain about most of those three-pointers that the Buckeyes couldn’t hit. He seemed as exasperated as the players by some of the misses.

“We had one point where we had a wide open shot, got a rebound, had a wide open shot, another rebound, had a wide open shot and we’re staring 0 for 3,” Matta said. “They were so open I felt good when they let them go. That’s college basketball.”

This is also college basketball: Success is mostly defined during the post-season. So whether the Buckeyes’ shooting woes are due to poor shot selection, sagging confidence or simple luck, there is still plenty of time for the Buckeyes’ play to catch up to their talent.

Whether it does may depend in part on how much this young team matures. William Buford is the only senior on the roster and the other four starters are freshmen or sophomores.

“We’re up and down,” Thomas said. “Many games we’re out here shooting and we’re knocking down shots in the first half and then we’re off. We’re not playing like we’re capable of playing. When we come together as a team, we’re a top 10 team. We can’t be beat. If we just keep that faith and believe in our team, we can make a run.”

bhunter@dispatch.com

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for the Dispatch.