COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State basketball will start the most crucial stretch of the regular season with their toughest week of the Big Ten schedule. The Buckeyes have rebounded from a dreadful January by winning five of their last six games, which now has them ranked No. 25 in the AP poll. They’re 18th in the NET rankings, which carry more weight for the NCAA selection committee. The system replaced RPI last season and evaluates a team’s strength of schedule and the quality of its wins and losses. Ohio State has opportunities to guarantee its NCAA Tournament ticket, as five of its final six games will be against quality opponents. It wasn’t in that same position halfway through February last season despite the similarity in records. “We’re very different when you look at the quality of wins across the board, it’s a significant difference,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “Every…
Continue Reading: Can Ohio State basketball lock up a spot in NCAA tournament with successful week vs. Iowa and Maryland?
