ATLANTA – David Lighty sat in the corner of the Ohio State locker room, mentally preparing himself from the barrage of questions he was about to receive from the onslaught of reporters.

His smile, however, had other plans. Thrilled by the 67-60 OSU victory and his great overall play, Lighty answered every question with a chuckle and proved this is just kids playing a game, no matter how big.

“It is a real happy moment for me” Lighty said when asked to place this moment with other lifelong accomplishments. “When something like that happens, you really don’t know how to describe it. You’re just so happy and pumped that you’re helping your team win.”

He also said this was a lifelong dream and a scenario he has re-enacted as a child on the courts outside his Cleveland home.

“Even when we were little, me and my friends would play outside, and I would set the timer on my oven,” he said. “We would play quarters or halves and we would count down 10, nine, eight seven and then the beeper would go off and someone would win the National Championship.”

The Buckeyes are one win away from making that childhood dream a reality and No. 23 has been a huge key to OSU’s success. As a top bench player for the scarlet and gray, Lighty has contributed on both sides of the court.

Averaging 16.4 minutes, 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds, his numbers might not jump out, but it is his work outside the statistical column that has made him a key asset.

Known as a “shutdown” defender, the Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate has made his living all season stopping the opponent’s top offensive players.

Perhaps his most shining play in the NCAA tournament was when he stymied stars such as Tennessee’s JaJuan Smith, Memphis’s Chris Douglas-Roberts and Georgetown’s All-American Jeff Green.

“If coach wants me to go in there and defend their best offensive players, I have to have that mindset to go in there and stop them the best that I can,” Lighty said.

OSU coach Thad Matta said he believes Lighty has and will do some special things defensively.

“I have told David he has the chance to become one of the best defenders in Ohio State history,” Matta said.

Offensively, Lighty is not asked to do much, but with the recent absence of AP first-team All-American Greg Oden due to foul trouble, he has elevated his game and made big shots.

During OSU’s 85-84 win against Tennessee, Lighty’s old-fashioned three-point play to end the first half, his right corner three with 2:44 remaining in the second half, which tied the game and a late game free throw were crucial in helping OSU advance to the Elite 8.

The freshman’s five points, including another three-point play off a Mike Conley Jr. fast break pass with 1:43 left in the second half, helped OSU pad its lead against the Hoyas.

Lighty credits his coaches during his early hoop years for teaching him to take pride in displaying a complete array of basketball skills.

“My middle school coach Byron Jackson instilled in me the all-around game, never just settle for offense and play great defense,” he said.

Dylan Horowitz can be reached at [email protected].