2015 NCAA Tournament Profile: Ohio State Buckeyes

By Connor Muldowney
Ohio State
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 23-10 (11-7 Big Ten)

West Region — Seed: 10

RPI: 39

BPI: 17

Conference: Big Ten

How They Qualified: At-large berth

 

After a hot start to the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes are limping into the postseason — they went just 6-5 in their last 11 games. Thad Matta has put together yet another solid team — no surprise there — and although it struggled in the final stretches of the year, the Buckeyes have a chance to put together a third Elite Eight run in four years.

This is the seventh-straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Matta and it’s one of those teams that no one can quite put a finger on as players like D’Angelo Russell and Jae’Sean Tate give this team a very high ceiling.

 

What You Need to Know:

Leading Scorer: D’Angelo Russell (19.3 ppg)

Leading Rebounder: D’Angelo Russell (5.6 rpg)

Leading Passer: Shannon Scott (5.9 apg)

Bad Losses: none

Good Wins: vs. Maryland

 

With no bad losses this year, the Buckeyes have a solid resume for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Just as there are no bad losses, the Buckeyes also have few good wins such as one against one of the league’s best teams in Maryland.

This team has a ton of young talent like Russell — a likely top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft — and Tate, but the drop-off from Russell to the next best player, Sam Thompson, might be too great. Russell is the only go-to player on the team and that might hurt Ohio State in the tourney.

Can Russell lead this team to a Final Four run in his first year as a collegiate athlete? Find out this weekend.

 

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].

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