The Ohio State Buckeyes (24-10) came into the 2015 NCAA Tournament as an afterthought, grabbing a #10 seed and a date with a VCU Rams team many fans and analysts picked to end OSU's March run.
That didn't happen, as D'Angelo Russell took charge in the overtime period to lead the Buckeyes to a thrilling 75-72 win in Portland. Now, Ohio State is tasked with upending the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champion Arizona Wildcats (32-3).
Here's 3 reasons why we think Ohio State will upset Arizona in the Round of 32.
1. D'Angelo Russell
If we had listed Russell as reasons one, two, and three why the Buckeyes will upset Arizona, would you really have been surprised? Russell dropped 28 on VCU on Thursday, going 10-for-20 from the field and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Add in six gritty rebounds and two steals for the freshman point guard, and it was (at least) a top-ten all-time individual performance in Buckeyes history. Expect the entire offense and defense to revolve around Russell's energy again and positive things to happen as a result.
2. Neutralizing Arizona's rebounding edge
Arizona's most dominant efforts of the 2014-15 season have come when they've held a major advantage on the boards. In fact, the Wildcats outdistanced the entire Pac-12 by far with a conference-leading +8.8 rebounding margin per game. However, Ohio State is no slouch on the glass, finishing third in the Big Ten in rebounds (35.8) and offensive rebounds (11.3) per game. Ohio State's tenaciousness and wits when it comes to boxing out will serve to neutralize one of Arizona's distinct strengths.
3. Outside shooting
Arizona was a better overall shooting team during the 2014-15 regular season, but Ohio State was more accurate from long range (.373 to .362). Ohio State went 6-for-15 (.400) from distance against VCU, but we expect an even better night with the Buckeyes looking to spread out the floor against the Wildcats' bigs. Ohio State hits on closer to 50% of their threes (with Russell leading the way) to send Arizona home early yet again.
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