Volunteers Take on Red-Hot Buckeyes in Sweet-16

It is no coincidence that 3 Big-10 schools remain in the sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. This conference is built on defense, and just like football……defense wins championships! The Purdue Boilermakers may have been the best team in the conference for most of the season, but the loss of their best player (Robbie Hummel) has put them in an underdog position for much of the tournament. There is no question who the hottest team in the Big-10 is. The Ohio St Buckeyes are riding a 9 game winning streak thanks much in part to the best college basketball player in the country.

Evan Turner is averaging 20 points per game in a conference that has a reputation for defense. The Buckeyes would have easily been a number 1 seed had Turner not missed 5 games. During his absence, Ohio St went 2-3 with losses to a mediocre Michigan team and Minnesota. Now that they are full strength, they look like they may have the depth and momentum to take the NCAA title.

While Turner is without question their go-to player, they have several players that have enough talent to play at the NBA level. William Buford and Jon Deibler are the other guards in the Buckeyes 3-guard set. Together they combine for almost 28 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Many experts say that guard play is essential in the “Big Dance” which is why Ohio St has a great chance of making the final game. Defensively they are far superior to the Tennessee Volunteers, but they have a tendency to not finish opponents off when they have the chance.

The Vols are a scrappy team that has the ability to win games in several different ways. They can beat you in a high paced shootout as they did with the Ohio Bobcats last round, or they can slow things down and take advantage of their solid half court offense. Wayne Chism is second on the team in scoring, but is clearly the leader for this Tennessee team. He’s averaging 12.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while locking down their oppositions big men inside the paint. Scotty Hopson is having his best year so far from the guard position. His 12.5 points per game lead the team, and like Chism he has the capability of putting the locks on whomever he’s guarding.

This is a very interesting match-up in terms of styles. Both teams have been red-hot (Volunteers are 7-1 in their last 8 games), and they each have a never-say-die mentality. It would be hard to imagine either team running away with this one. I anticipate a highly contested match-up that comes down to the final few seconds. Tune in Friday night as the Vols and Buckeyes battle for a spot in the Elite-8.

Related posts:

1. Red Hot Kentucky looks to Shock Buckeyes Friday
2. Spartans and Buckeyes Meet in Big-10 Battle
3. Buckeyes & Boilermakers in Big-10 Top 25 Showdown
4. Buckeyes host Blue Devils in Top 5 Showdown
5. Top Ranked Buckeyes face Wolverines Thursday Night

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