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Ohio State Basketball: How Big Ten teams will fare in the first round

By Charlie Lockhart

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 17: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts as his team plays the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Breslin Center on February 17, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 17: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts as his team plays the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Breslin Center on February 17, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans watches action during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans watches action during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Ohio State is one of eight Big Ten teams to be invited  to the NCAA tournament, but how many will make it to the second round?

A win over Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament earned the Ohio State Buckeyes an NCAA Tournament bid joining seven other conference teams. How many of them will make it to the second round though.

We at Scarlet And Game will make our predictions on first round games involving Big Ten teams. See if you tend to agree with Thomas Scurlock, Blake Biscardi, Shayne Nissen or me.

We will look at the top seeded team from the Big Ten and work our way down to the lowest seed.

Michigan State vs. Bradley

Tom:  The Spartans three-year run of underperforming in the tourney ends this year.

As the best No. 2 team, they were slighted a bit by the NCAA Committee getting put into Duke’s region. Not that they need any, but that should provide extra incentive.

Bradley won’t put up much of a fight.  Spartans run away early in the second half.  75-61.

Blake:  Tom Izzo’s squad is one of the best in the nation and we’re snubbed off of the 1-seed  line, in my opinion. They will be playing with a chip on their shoulder and rout Bradley which will begin Sparty’s run toward Minneapolis.

Shayne:  There always seems to be those NCAA Tournament shockers every year but I don’t think this will be one of them. We all remember the Denzel Valentine led Spartan team that fell to a 15 seed a few years ago.

This Spartan team however is too battle tested to let a letdown such as that happen again.

CL:  Michigan State is limping into the tournament but this will be a game where Cassius Winston should get some rest to take it easy on his sore foot. Nick Ward will get much-needed playing time as he is working his way back rom an injury.

The Spartans roll to an easy victory.

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