Ohio State is back in the NCAA Tournament after a three-year hiatus, gearing up to face TCU in a first-round showdown in the East Region. Set in Greenville, S.C., at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, this matchup tips off at 12:15 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
The Buckeyes, holding a 21-12 record, made a strong case for their at-large bid with a vital four-game winning streak. This impressive run featured a home victory over No.
8 Purdue and a Big Ten tournament triumph against Iowa. However, their momentum was halted by a narrow 71-67 loss to top-seeded Michigan in the quarterfinals.
For the first time since 2022, Ohio State saw its name on the tournament bracket. Their opponent, TCU, boasts a 22-11 record and finished sixth in the fiercely competitive Big 12.
The Horned Frogs enjoyed a six-game winning streak of their own, highlighted by a road win against No. 11 Texas Tech, before falling to No.
17 Kansas in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.
The victor of the Ohio State-TCU clash will advance to face the winner of the Duke versus Siena game. Duke, the top seed with a 32-2 record, takes on No. 16 seed Siena, who stands at 23-11. Details for Saturday's second-round games will be confirmed late Thursday night.
Should the Buckeyes secure two wins this weekend, they’ll move on to the East Regional at Washington, D.C.'s Capital One Arena from March 27-29. Potential matchups there could include Kansas or St. John's, with other formidable teams like Connecticut, Michigan State, and Louisville lurking in the South Region.
This marks the first NCAA Tournament appearance for Ohio State's second-year head coach, Jake Diebler, in his head coaching role. Diebler, previously an assistant under Thad Matta and Chris Holtmann, brings valuable tournament experience to the table.
The Buckeyes last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2022 under Holtmann, where they defeated Loyola Chicago before bowing out to Villanova. Now, with a fresh opportunity, Ohio State is eager to make its mark once again.