Just joining the Ohio State hoops bandwagon? Here’s what you need to know

After the Ohio State football team’s disappointing loss ot Miami in the College Football Playoff, did you put away all of yoru scarlet and gray gear for a therapist-mandated period of mourning? If so, it’s time to haul that stuff out of the closet, because, believe it or not, the OSU men’s basketball team kicks off the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in just a few hours, and — in other potentially shocking news — they are favored to win!

If the thought of watching meaningful Buckeye men’s basketball in March has reignited a fire inside of you that had been dormant since the Thad Matta era, have no fear, there is still time to get caught up on everything you need to know to root on this year’s squad.

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I am going to break down the very basics of what you need to know about this team. It won’t make you an expert, but when you tun in to watch the No. 8 Buckeyes take on the No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS, you will at least be able to carry on a conversation about the team with your fellow Ohio State fans.

The record

Head coach Jake Diebler’s team finished the regular season 20-11 and did not lose back-to-back games until they fell to then-No. 15 Michigan State, 66-60, on Feb. 22 and then got embarrassed by Iowa three days later, in a game that was not as close as its 74-57 would indicate.

However, since then, the Buckeyes have been playing with a newfound crispness and precision that has eluded them in recent years. In the month of March, they are 4-1 (including two games in the Big Ten Tournament). That span has covered wins over then-No. 8 Purdue, Penn State, Indiana, and Iowa, and a nail-biting 71-67 loss to then-No. 3 Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

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Coming into the tournament, the Buckeyes are 5-11 in Quad-1 games, holding victories over Northwestern, UCLA, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Iowa. Additionally, four of their losses were by two or fewer possesions, and seven were by single digits.

In Quad-2…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/just-joining-ohio-state-hoops-120100276.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-19 12:01:00

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