It’s that time of year again; the time when irritability rises, productivity drops, and sleep is an option. In other words, it’s March Madness.
The favorite heading into the tournament is overall No. 1 seed Ohio State. However, their road will not be easy, as the selection committee did them no favors by placing them in arguably the toughest region, the East.
By: Justin Mertes-Mistretta
The only game that is a guarantee for the Buckeyes is in the first round, which is technically the second round with the recent expansion of play-in games. They will face the winner of Texas-San Antonio and Alabama State. Since the tournament was expanded to 65 teams in 1985, the 1 seeds are undefeated against 16 seeds. Could the expansion to three more teams break the jinx? I’d say crazier things have happened, but I would be lying. It’s not going to happen.
When Ohio State moves onto the field of 32, that is when the “fun” begins for the scarlet and gray. After its first game, the Buckeyes could potentially face a Final Four experienced coach in all of their next games.
In the East region, there are eight coaches, including Thad Matta, who have coached in at least one Final Four (Jim Larranaga, Jay Wright, Bob Huggins, John Calipari, Mike Davis, Jim Boeheim, and Roy Williams).
Taking a glance at the top four seeds in the region – Ohio State, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Kentucky – you could make a case that this could be the final four if the teams were spread out to separate regions.
Beyond the top four teams, the lower seeds aren’t a cakewalk either. A potential second game could be against 8 seed George Mason, who is 16-1 in their past 17 games. Then there is 5 seed West Virginia, that made it to a Final Four last year. Finally, factor in Xavier and Washington, that both made it to the Sweet 16 last year, and you have yourself one of the toughest regions in recent memory.
As if the selection committee wasn’t tough enough on Ohio State, they decided to place them in Newark, which wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for Syracuse and North Carolina being in their region.
If there is one thing the selection committee shouldn’t be criticized for, it’s bias. After all, the head of the selection committee is Gene Smith, Athletic Director of Ohio State itself.
Before the brackets were revealed, the Buckeyes were one of the favorites to win it all. However, looking at their atrociously tough placement, I question if this team can even make it out of their region.
Ohio State has gone 32-2, with their only losses at Wisconsin and at Purdue, where nobody wins. However, this is a team that has let not-so-great teams hang around at times. It will also be interesting to see how freshman Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft, two very vital members of this squad, handle the tournament pressure. The biggest concern is keeping Sullinger out of foul trouble, because this team really lacks depth, especially in the frontcourt.
Is this a team that could win it all? Absolutely. They were ranked No. 1 overall for a reason. But, they sure were shafted by the committee.
When it is all said and done: While Ohio State may have a few concerns here and there, it is far and away the most talented team in America alongside Kansas. In a vacuum, I would peg the Buckeyes to face off with Kansas for the National Championship. But, given the absurd difficulty of this region, I see an earlier-than-expected exit.
While George Mason would be a tough matchup, I think Ohio State is a lock to make the Sweet 16. However, I think the Buckeyes will run into an under-seeded Kentucky team, fresh off their SEC tournament title, that is peaking at the right time. The Wildcats will be the most athletic team that this Buckeye team has faced all year and will get Sullinger in foul trouble, ultimately knocking the overall No. 1 seed out of the tournament.
Think I’m crazy? Who do you have coming out of this region? Let me know by commenting below.
Justin Mertes-Mistretta is a senior writer for TheSportsBank.net. Follow him on Twitter at MertesMist_tsb or read his blog here.