Here’s a look at the matchups involving Big Ten programs in the NCAA tournament first round, which begins Thursday afternoon:
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (Greenville, Thursday, 12:15 p.m., CBS)
The first game of the tournament on Thursday pits the Buckeyes, in the tournament for the first time since 2022, against the Horned Frogs, coached by Jamie Dixon.
TCU is very good defensively, ranking in the top 25 of KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metrics, while Ohio State should have an advantage in the backcourt with Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr.