COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes find themselves in a favorable position in the race for an NCAA Tournament berth following a significant victory over No. 8 Purdue. With just two regular season games remaining, the Buckeyes (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten) travel to Penn State on Wednesday night before hosting Indiana on March 7.

Buckeyes Boost Tournament Odds

The win against Purdue has dramatically shifted Ohio State’s tournament outlook. As of February 26, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 38 in the NET rankings, a key metric used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. They also hold a ranking of No. 46 in Wins Above Bubble, another committee-utilized category.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently lists Ohio State as the second team among the Last Four In for the tournament. ESPN’s Bubble Watch indicates the Buckeyes now have an estimated 80% chance of making the tournament.

Penn State Aims to Spoil Ohio State’s Run

Ohio State will face a Penn State team (12-17, 3-15 Big Ten) coming off a 71-69 victory over Iowa. Despite their record, the Nittany Lions have shown the ability to challenge opponents, and this game represents a Quad 2 opportunity for the Buckeyes, a category in which Ohio State holds a 6-2 record.

The Nittany Lions could be without guard Kayden Mingo, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, according to coach Mike Rhoades.

Key Players to Watch

Bruce Thornton is averaging 20.0 points per game for Ohio State and is 30 points away from becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer. He also needs 13 more rebounds to become only the second Big Ten player in history to reach 2,000 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds.

John Mobley Jr. Is currently shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc, the highest three-point percentage in the Big Ten. He scored 21 points against Purdue despite playing with a broken finger, stating, I’m not used to having two fingers (taped) together on my shooting hand. Obviously, you wish to have the four fingers spread out. But it was just a lot of time in the gym with my dad, just knowing the right mechanics to be able to shoot with the tape.

For Penn State, Josh Reed scored 25 points in their recent win over Iowa.

Bracketology Update

Current bracket projections show Ohio State as a potential No. 10 seed, facing No. 7 seed Miami (Fla.) in St. Louis. CBS projects the Buckeyes as a No. 9 seed, playing No. 8 seed Clemson in the first round. BracketMatrix.com, which aggregates 105 different bracket projections, has Ohio State appearing in 91 brackets, ranging from a No. 9 to a No. 11 seed.

BartTorvik.com projects Ohio State as a No. 9.6 seed and gives the Buckeyes a 92.7% chance to make the tournament.

Looking Ahead

The Buckeyes’ final regular season game against Indiana will be crucial. A loss to Penn State could quickly diminish their progress toward securing an NCAA Tournament bid.