Ohio State basketball: Why Buckeyes have a great shot at making the Sweet 16

The Ohio State basketball team is preparing for their round of 32 matchup in the NCAA Tournament with the 2nd-seeded Villanova Wildcats. Seeing their name next to Ohio State’s is awfully scary for how much of a powerhouse Villanova has been. However, I think the Buckeyes have a really good shot at upsetting the Wildcats and making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

The Buckeyes are coming off arguably their best defensive performance of the season. They held Loyola Chicago to only 41 points in the win. They applied great pressure on the perimeter, stayed strong on the inside, and blocked shots, and got deflections which was a huge factor in the win.

Villanova’s offense is much more efficient compared to Loyola Chicago’s offense. They can spread the floor with really solid wing play. You also can’t forget about their 3rd-Team All-America guard in Collin Gillespie.

This game will be much different than Ohio State’s first-round win. Villanova is the higher seed in this one and a lot of people aren’t too high on the Buckeyes. However, after how the Buckeyes played against Loyola Chicago, I do think there are a lot of advantages for the Buckeyes in this matchup with the Wildcats.

First, this Ohio State basketball team matches up really well with this Villanova team.