Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten (24-8, 15-3)
Ohio State entered the season with low expectations. Many saw it as a rebuilding year with a new coach and a roster that did not mesh well together in the past. The Buckeyes dropped four games before the bulk of the Big Ten hit, but once it hit they were all in. The Buckeyes were #1 in the conference all year long until Penn State happened, not once but twice! After two Nittany Lions losses and a loss to rival Michigan, the Buckeyes sit pretty at tied for second overall in the conference. The emergence of Keita Bates-Diop has propelled this storied program from a rebuild to national contention. Will their tournament inexperience hurt them or will their hunger to redeem the Ohio State name prevail?
Big Wins: 12/4 Michigan (71-62), 1/7 Michigan State (80-64), 2/7 at Purdue (64-63)
Bad Losses: 11/26 vs Butler (66-67), 1/25 Penn State (79-82), 3/2 vs Penn State (68-69)
Coach: Chris Holtmann
Why They Can Surprise:
The Buckeyes can surprise because they are hungry. This whole season has been about restoring honor to The Ohio State name and to get back among the national contenders. One season in and Chris Holtmann has made believers of us all. The team bought in and players like Jae’Sean Tate and Bates-Diop shined in ways they couldn’t under Thad Matta. The players will be looking at the tournament as the real test and if they can handle Purdue and Michigan State, what’s stopping them from taking that mentality to the finals?
Why They Can Disappoint:
The Buckeyes could disappoint with offensive woes. Ohio State averages 75.8 points per game, which puts them at 120th in the nation, a number lower than we are accustomed to when talking about national contenders. In their most recent regular season losses, Ohio State hit a wall scoring 56 then 62 in back-to-back games. If Bates-Diop isn’t hitting, the question remains if the Buckeyes can still maintain winning ways.
Probable Starters:
CJ Jackson, Junior, Guard, 12.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.8 rpg
Jae’Sean Tate, Senior, Guard, 12.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, 6.2 rpg
Kam Williams, Senior, Guard, 8.2 ppg
Keita Bates-Diop, Junior, Forward, 19.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Kaleb Wesson, Freshman, Forward, 10.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Key Role Players:
Andre Wesson, Sophomore, Forward, 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Andrew Dakich, Senior, Guard, 2.9 ppg, 2.0 apg
Musa Jallow, Freshman, Guard, 2.6 ppg
Micah Potter, Sophomore, Center, 4.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 75.8 (120th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.7 (41, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.5 (25, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.5 (48, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (263, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 6.8 (263, 11)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.6 (121, 6)
Rebound Margin: 5.3 (38, 2)
Assists Per Game: 14.8 (102, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (71, 8)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NIT First Round win over Akron
2016 NIT Second Round loss to Florida
2015 NCAA Round of 64 win over VCU
2015 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Arizona
2014 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Dayton
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Iona
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Iowa State
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Arizona
2013 NCAA Regional Final loss to Wichita State
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Loyola Maryland
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over Gonzaga
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Cincinnati
2012 NCAA Regional Final win over Syracuse
2012 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Kansas
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas-San Antonio
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over George Mason
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Kentucky
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC-Santa Barbara
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgia Tech
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Tennessee
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Siena
*all team stats through 3/4
