COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Buckeyes begin their 73rd trip to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as the 6th-seed in the South Region.
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Ohio State meets 11th-seeded Dayton in the second round Thursday at First Niagara Center in Buffalo (12:15 p.m./CBS). The winner will face either No. 3 Syracuse or No. 14 Western Michigan Saturday.
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Florida, Virginia, Wichita State and Arizona are the top seeds in a tournament that gets underway in earnest on Thursday following a four-game first round Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton.
The Buckeyes (25-9) have been one of the most up-and-down teams in the field, rising to No. 3 nationally after a 15-0 start only to lose five of six and fall out of the Top 25.
Ohio State lost to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament semifinals.
Michigan is the second-seed in the Midwest after falling to Michigan State in the conference title game. The Spartans are the No. 4 seed in the East. Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa also made it into the tournament field from the Big Ten.
Dayton and Ohio State are located about an hour apart, with their last meeting coming in the NIT in 2008.
The connections between UD and OSU go beyond just calling Ohio home. The Flyers (23-10) are led by former Ohio State assistant coach Archie Miller and the brother of Arizona coach Sean Miller. OSU transfer Jordan Sibert leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game.
Dayton lost in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals to keep them on the NCAA bubble. The Flyers last made the tournament in 2009.
The Buckeyes have played in 10 Final Fours and finished as runner-up four times, with an NCAA title in 1960. Ohio State has played in four-consecutive NCAA “Sweet 16s,” a record accomplishment for the Buckeyes and the longest active streak in the country.