Why Ohio State basketball will lose to Loyola Chicago

The Ohio State basketball team got a really bad draw in the NCAA Tournament. Here’s why they won’t make it out of the first round.

Before you accuse me of being too pessimistic, I will also write an article later today about why the Ohio State basketball team will beat the Ramblers. I’m going to give you a look at both sides to show what each team can exploit in the other to give themselves the best chance to win.

The Ramblers are a problem. That much is certain. They made the Final Four in 2018 as an 11-seed and made the Sweet 16 last year after beating an Illinois team that was a 1-seed. This team is for real and has the experience in the NCAA Tournament that they need.

Ohio State has no such tournament success to lean on. They have yet to win more than one game in the NCAA Tournament. Worse than that, they have been on a horrendous slide to end the season. They finished by losing four of their final five contests, most of them to inferior teams.

The main reason why the Ramblers will win is because of their efficiency shooting the ball. Loyola Chicago is the 10-best team in the country when it comes to three-point percentage. They make 38% of their threes. That’s a major issue for a Buckeye team that can’t defend guards.

They aren’t just good from three though. The Ramblers are 17th in the country in field goal percentage as a whole, making 48% of their shots. Ohio State’s defense is going to get massacred by the drive-and-kick that the Ramblers can do, or they might just simply blow by their man to the hoop.

It’s a horrendous matchup for the Buckeyes. Their defense is so bad that Loyola is going to feast offensively. Unless they get the Ramblers in foul trouble, it could be yet another first-round exit for the Buckeyes.