Ohio State Earns No. 7 Seed In NCAA Tournament, To Play Loyola Chicago On Friday
After losing four of its final seven games in the regular season and being bounced in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State has earned a No. 7 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The Buckeyes, who enter the tournament at 19-11 overall and 12-8 in conference play, will take on No. 10 seed Loyola Chicago in the South Region. The game will be played in Pittsburgh at 12:15 p.m. on Friday.
The Ramblers, who won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament with a 25-7 overall record, are most known for their run to the 2018 Final Four, as well as last year’s Sweet 16 appearance. They also gained popularity because of their team chaplain, 102-year-old Sister Jean.
Ohio State and Loyola Chicago have played four times, with the Buckeyes winning all four games, including matchups in the 1955-56, 1960-61, 1961-62 and 2006-07 seasons. None of them were tournament games, however.
This marks the 35th NCAA Tournament appearance for the Buckeyes, who will look to avoid the same fate as last year, when they failed to advance past the opening round with a loss to No. 15 seed Oral Roberts as a No. 2 seed.
It’s also the fourth tournament appearance for head coach Chris Holtmann, though Ohio State has not advanced past the first weekend in any of those seasons. If the Buckeyes beat the Ramblers, they’ll face the winner of No. 2 seed Villanova and No. 15 seed Delaware on Sunday.
Ohio State is one of a nation-leading nine Big Ten teams in the bracket, including regular season champions Illinois and Wisconsin, tournament champion Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Rutgers. The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights will notably play First Four games in Dayton to kick off the tournament.
That said, every first-round matchup can be found below:
East Region
No. 1 Baylor vs No. 16 Norfolk State
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette
No. 5 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 12 Indiana or Wyoming
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Akron
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech
No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 14 Yale
No. 7 Murray State vs. No. 10 San Francisco
No. 2 Kentucky vs.
South Region
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Bryant or Wright State
No. 8 Seton Hall vs. No. 9 TCU
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan
No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Longwood
No. 7 Ohio State vs No. 10 Loyola Chicago
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Delaware
Midwest Region
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi or Texas Southern
No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Creighton
No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Richmond
No. 4 Providence vs. No. 13 South Dakota State
No. 6 LSU vs. No. 11 Iowa State
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Colgate
No. 7 USC vs No. 10 Miami (Fla.)
No. 2 Auburn vs No. 15 Jacksonville State
West Region
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Georgia State
No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis
No. 5 UConn vs. No. 12 New Mexico State
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vermont
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Notre Dame or Rutgers
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Montana State
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Davidson
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Cal State Fullerton
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