As done annually in recent years, the NCAA tournament selection committee has released its list of the top 16 teams (the top four in each region) as of now, just over four weeks before Selection Sunday, on the NCAA March Madness from the CBS Bracket Preview show. And if the season ended now, Ohio would be the # 1 seed.
If the season is over today, here are your four 1 seeds …
– Gonzaga
– Baylor
– Michigan
– Ohio St. pic.twitter.com/kYxIYTKGIr– March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) February 13, 2021
Ohio State is listed as the fourth overall seed and the last No. 1 seed behind Gonzaga, Baylor and archrival Michigan. In the currently projected support, Ohio would be in the same region as Villanova’s No. 2 seed, Virginia’s No. 3 seed and Texas Tech’s No. 4 seed.
The moment we all look forward to !!
If the season is over today, here are your 16 SEEDS OF MORE !! pic.twitter.com/cAwoLyDYR2
– March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) February 13, 2021
The Buckeyes came out of nowhere this season, racing to a 16-4 record with a strong record showing victories over Illinois (ranked second), Iowa (ranked second), Wisconsin and Rutgers (twice).
As mentioned, this came as a surprise to most, as Ohio State was ranked 23rd at the start of the season and fell completely from the ranking on January 9th. They moved up to 4th place in the strength of eight wins in nine games.
The Buckeyes have been one of the most effective offensive teams so far this season, led by EJ Liddell, who is scoring 14.9 points per game, and Duane Washington, just behind with 14.8 points per game.
The official selection of this year’s NCAA Tournament key, which will be played entirely in the state of Indiana due to the COVID-19 protocols, will take place on March 14.