Observations from Day 2 of the Big Ten women's basketball tournament:

--When I asked Jenna Smith after the game if the realization had hit her that she will never participate in an NCAA tournament, you could hear the sadness in her voice. Arguably the greatest player in school history, Smith will leave Illinois this spring without ever having appeared on the game's grandest stage, and that's simply a shame. Players who work as hard as Smith, who put so much into winning, deserve to be in the NCAA tournament. And, as a senior, she deserves to finish her career in the spolight of the NCAAs. 

Again, to me, sadness in the prevailing sentiment. Smith's contributions to the program -- and those of fellow senior Lacey Simpson -- are impossible to quantify, though the numbers that each player has compiled will go a long way in describing those contributions.  

--Illinois deserves credit for hanging in against a foe that has more talent and big-game experience. The Illini were down by 16 midway through the second half but rallied to cut the deficit to six. That type of perseverance is a great trait, but one can't help but wonder if it might have come in handy a few more times during the regular season.

--Rarely is it so easy to pinpoint the game's biggest possession. But Friday's focal point was clear: When Illinois cut the OSU lead to six points with 5 minutes left, the Illini had the ball and a chance to get even closer.

The crowd was roaring. OSU was on the ropes. Illinois' confidence was burgeoning, thanks to a 16-4 run. But the two players who have carried Illinois for the last two seasons -- Smith and Simpson -- misfired on the same possesion, and the Buckeyes were able to close it out down the stretch. 

--In a couple days, we'll take a look at the Big Ten landscape moving forward, especially as it pertains to the 2010-11 season. I'll even offer my predictions on the Big Ten standings for next season. Might as well make a fool of myself early.