The Ohio State men’s basketball team upset No. 22 Iowa at home on Tuesday night 90-70. After falling on the road to Maryland Saturday, the Buckeyes picked up a crucial home win over the Hawkeyes which will go a long way in determining whether or not they make the NCAA Tournament.
As of right now, Ohio State sits at 18-10 overall and 8-9 in conference play, though the numbers are a little misleading. The Buckeyes do sit one game below.500 in the Big Ten but the conference is as strong as ever, with 7 teams projected to make the tournament, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
Here is how Ohio State stacks up in all of the rankings categories after last night’s big win in Columbus.
ESPN CBB Power Index
BPI: 31/6 in Big Ten
SOS: 20/10 in Big Ten
SOR: 33/7 in Big Ten
The Buckeyes rank within the Top 35 for the Basketball Power Index, strength of schedule and strength of record lists. However, they lie outside the Top 5 in each category within the conference.
As of right now, Ohio State is just past the bubble conversation for the NCAA Tournament and safe in the field of 64. However, the Buckeyes do have three regular-season games left before the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.
Left on the schedule are road games against No. 14 Purdue and Northwestern before a home finale with No. 19 Wisconsin.
Ohio State picked up its first ranked win of the season on Tuesday against Iowa and has a shot at two more over the next few weeks, not including the tournament.
Barring anything unexpected like a long losing streak, the Buckeyes should be able to make the NCAA Tournament.
