First look: What to know about TCU’s matchup with Ohio State — and maybe Duke
TCU didn’t need to wait long to find out its seeding for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, with the Horned Frogs being one of the first four teams revealed as the No. 9 seed in the East Region.
The Horned Frogs (22-11) will face No. 8 seed Ohio State (21-12) on Thursday in Greenville, South Carolina, with a chance to likely face No. 1 overall seed Duke (33-2) in the second round Saturday. The Blue Devils will face No. 16 seed Siena (23-11) in the first round.
TCU and Ohio State head to Greenville playing well, with the Horned Frogs having won nine of their last 11 games and the Buckeyes having won four of five.
Here’s a quick look at Ohio State and Duke:
Players to know
Ohio State
Bruce Thornton: The senior guard will be the top priority for TCU’s defense, as he has become one of the most prolific scorers in the country. Thornton averages 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists and was voted second-team All-Big Ten.
John Mobley: The sophomore guard is another high-level scorer for the Buckeyes who averages 15.7 points and 2.7 assists while shooting 41.8% from 3.
Devin Royal: The 6-foot-6 junior forward is Ohio State’s leading rebounder with 5.7 per game while also providing 13.7 points per game.
Christoph Tilly: The 7-foot senior center from Germany provides Ohio State great size at the rim while averaging 11.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Duke
Cameron Boozer: The potential National Player of the Year, the 6-9 freshman forward is in the running to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft after averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to the ACC regular-season and tournament championships. Boozer was ACC Player of the Year.
Isaiah Evans: Another potential lottery pick, the 6-6 sophomore guard has taken a big leap this season. He is averaging 14.9 points and 3.1 rebounds and was voted third-team All-ACC.
Cayden Boozer: Boozer’s twin brother will have a much bigger role in March Madness after the injury to point guard Caleb Foster. The 6-4 guard is averaging 7.1 points and 2.8 assists.
Key results to know
Ohio State and TCU share a number of common opponents.. The Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 64-63 on Nov. 16, while TCU fell to the Fighting Irish 87-85 in overtime on Dec. 5.
The Buckeyes went 0-3 in their matchups with Michigan, losing by an average of 16.5 points in the regular season before falling by four in Friday’s Big Ten quarterfinals. TCU fell to Michigan 67-63 on Nov. 14.
Ohio State split its season series with Wisconsin, defeating the Badgers 86-69 on Feb. 17 while Wisconsin took the first matchup 92-82 on Jan. 31. TCU defeated Wisconsin 74-63 on Nov. 28.
The Buckeyes finished 29th in the NET rankings with a 5-12 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games. TCU finished 39th but was 13-9 in Quad 1 and 2 games.
Duke finished No. 1 in the NET rankings with a staggering 23-2 record in Q1 and Q2 games. The Blue Devils defeated Florida, Arkansas, Kansas and Michigan State, among others. Duke’s only losses came to Texas Tech and North Carolina.
Key numbers for the first round
The Buckeyes average 79.8 points per game, which is good for 85th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. The efficiency of the offense stands out, as the Buckeyes rank 65th in 3-point percentage at 36.0% per game.
The Buckeyes are shooting over 58% on their 2-point attempts, which ranks 28th.
Ohio State is a lackluster rebounding team, averaging 33.2 per game, which only ranks 286th nationally. This is certain to be an area TCU will try to exploit.
The Buckeyes are an average defense that lacks rim protection, with Ohio State averaging just 2.4 blocks per game, 317th nationally, despite having a 7-footer on the roster.
