Yes, Ohio State in in! As expected, the Buckeyes were selected as a No. 11 seed and will take on Big Twelve Tournament champion and No. 6 seed Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Here are some initial thoughts on the Buckeyes’ path and landscape of the tournament. But first, here’s the official bracket thanks to the official Twitter feed of NCAA March Madness.
Next … Thoughts and observations
Some initial thoughts and observations on Ohio State’s path and selection
- The Buckeyes were apparently good enough in the selection committee’s eyes to miss that “first-four” matchup in Dayton. Really good news there. It’s hard enough to win a game in this tournament without having to play another game against another quality team.
- Tulsa, Oklahoma is 810 miles from the campus of Ohio State. That’s not going to be an easy travel path for Buckeye fans. The drive is about twelve hours straight and it’s not easy to get a straight flight by plane either.
- By contrast, Ames, Iowa is 493 miles and about seven hours by car. Still an effort, but a much easier one. You can bet OSU fans will be outnumbered.
- On that note, it’ll be interesting to see how many fans in scarlet and gray make the trek out to Oklahoma. The expectations for this team are low and only the die-hards are likely pony up the cash and time for a potential one and done deal.
- As a reminder, the last time Ohio State and Iowa State matched up in the NCAA Tournament, this happened. This highlight is definitely not the “one shining moment” in Cyclone history. On another note — Long live Aaron Craft.
- If I’m Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm, I don’t know that I like the matchup with Ohio State. When the Buckeyes put it all together, they can play with anyone. Plus the Cyclones don’t have a particular tall front-line, meaning Kaleb Wesson should be able to do some damage.
- The path to advance through the first weekend is better than it could have been in other regions for Ohio State. If the Buckeyes can pull the upset against the Cyclones, I’d rather have No. 3 seeded Houston as opposed to a Purdue or LSU.
- That might be the ceiling though, and even then that would clearly be a far-reaching over-achievement. The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the Midwest are North Carolina and Kentucky. Those matchups would be a nightmare scenario for Ohio State.
- The game time for the tussle with Iowa State is a late Friday night affair set for around 9:50 PM Eastern. That’s great for viewing. No skipping work and plenty of time to lather up and get ready for some late-night drama.
- Lastly, remember this: A first round exit from the NCAA Tournament is and always will be better than making a run through the NIT Tournament. If you want to be a basketball school, you don’t go to the NIT. End of story.
