Ohio State men’s basketball better make the NCAA Tournament or risk losing fans’ interest

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If you follow Ohio State men’s basketball or, really college hoops in general, you understand that making the NCAA Tournament is the litmus test of a successful season. Period.

Make the Big Dance and your team did its job. Miss it and, depending on the program, the trapdoor opens under you. Duke is expected to make it every year. Ditto Kentucky, Kansas, Villanova and maybe a dozen other bluebloods known for basketball. Gonzaga needs to make it. And Michigan State. Indiana used to be in that champagne crowd, but severe slippage has occurred in Bloomington, where the Hoosiers are expected to miss for the sixth time in eight years, not counting the COVID season.

Ohio State is in the second-tier group that should make seven of every 10 tournaments, but as I have written many times, OSU is first and foremost a football school, and football schools tend to be hit-and-miss when it comes to advancing deep into March Madness. It’s not the norm to see Alabama, Texas and Notre Dame reach the Elite Eight, much less contend for national championships. Too busy lifting weights.

Buckeyes should make NCAA Tournament more often than not

But the Buckeyes at least should make the tournament more often than not, seldom miss it two years in a row and never miss it three consecutive seasons. Chris Holtmann made the tournament four of seven years, which would have been five of seven if not for COVID canceling the 2020 tourney. But OSU missed the past two years. Last season, they came up just short after Jake Diebler replaced Holtmann in February.

Earning a bid into the 68-team NCAA Tournament is not equivalent to making the 12-team College Football Playoff, which Ohio State is expected to do every season – or else. But it still matters a lot, both financially – each tournament game is worth about $2 million to the Big Ten – and as a way to generate interest in the program.

Creating fan interest is key at Ohio State, and a so-so team that misses the NCAA Tournament makes it too easy for…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/ohio-state-mens-basketball-better-110826325.html

Author : The Columbus Dispatch

Publish date : 2025-02-21 11:08:00

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