Before I preview this game I want to review the fates of the 2 seeds so far in this NCAA Tournament. As of right now, 9pm Central, the 2 seeds sit at 1 win (Ohio State), 2 losses (Duke to 15 Lehigh and Missouri to 15 Norfolk St.) and 1 yet to play (Kansas vs 15 Detroit). Just had to point that out.
Based on the way the Zags played against West Virginia, particularly inside against Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli, this isn't as daunting of a match up as I had expected on Selection Sunday. Granted Jared Sullinger is a better player than either of the Mountaineers' bigs. Rob Sacre was a beast down low on Thursday and if he keeps that up Sullenger could easily be slowed down. He had only 12 points against 15 seed Loyola (Maryland) in the Buckeyes' first game of the tournament. Any less than that from the lottery pick and the Zags stand a very good chance of the upset.
It's not just Sullinger though. Gary Bell will have his hands full with senior guard William Buford who averages 14.7ppg. Pangos will likely get matched up with Aaron Craft, a sophomore guard with 4.6 assists and 8.6 points per game. While Sullinger is the Buckeyes' star and Buford their main outside threat, forward Deshaun Thomas has been the go to guy of late. He averages 15.4ppg but has gone over 20 in 3 of their past 4 games, including a 31 point performance against Loyola on Thursday. I expect to see Harris shouldering most of the load defensively against Thomas. Guy Landry Edi will be busy collapsing on Thomas and Sullinger when Harris and Sacre need help.
For Gonzaga to win it comes down to two things, the same two things that they needed in the West Virginia game. Strong interior defense from Rob Sacre and Elias Harris on Sullinger and Thomas. Then Pangos needs to feel at home in Pittsburgh once again. Columbus isn't as close to Pittsburgh as Morgantown is (185 miles compared to 75) but Ohio State is a much, much larger school than West Virginia, so expect a lot of Ohio State alumni and students to be in the crowd. I have no fear that Gary Bell will be intimidated, he has performed well in the hostile environments all season. So if Pangos is on as he was last game, the Zags' freshman backcourt should be able to hold their own against the Senior/Sophomore back court of Ohio State.
Once again Guy Landry Edi should be a spark plug for the Zags in this game. He only had 6 points last game but four of them came on two emphatic dunks. His athleticism and ability to fly in for awesome dunks can lead to momentum shifts that quiet hostile crowds. His offensive performance is an added bonus to his rock solid defensive ability. A double team of Edi and Sacre is about as athletic a duo you will see in the nation.
With the Zags coming off their best team performance of the season and the way they match up with the Buckeyes, this is going to be one heck of an exciting game. The skill edge probably lies with Ohio State, but the same can be said with 2 seeds Duke and Missouri who both lost today.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
11:45am PDT
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2 Ohio State Buckeyes (28-7, 13-5 Big 10) vs 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-6, 14-2 WCC)
TV: CBS
Radio: 101.1 FM (Inland Northwest), Westwood One Radio Network (Nationwide), (also streaming online at www.oldies1011.com)
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