Ohio Teams to Make the Big Dance!
By Craig Trapp
Dayton Flyers and an Early Exit
The Dayton Flyers will probably make the NCAA tournament because their record is 18-2 but if you take a closer looks at the Flyers you will see that they will probably not make it past the 1st weekend maybe not day 1. Dayton should be really worried about there weak schedule as the strength of schedule is 143rd. They were able to defeat Marquette and Auburn neutral courts early in the year and also have a home win against Miami, Oh. Unless Dayton falls apart the Miami of Ohio win probably put the Flyers in the dance and will keep the Red Hawks out. The Flyers two loses came on the road to an average U Mass team and a decent Creighton team. Their RPI ranking of 47 is close to my power poll ranking which has them at 50th. The success in the tournament will depend on the play of Chris Wright (12.8) and Marques Johnson (12). Wright is a very athletic forward who has an impact on both sides of the ball. Don’t look for the Flyers to get past the 1st weekend.
Ohio State Buckeyes Heading to the Sweet 16 Unless……
The Buckeyes will make it to the Sweet 16 unless they are given an 8 or 9 seed which could happen then look for the Bucks to only last until the weekend. The Buckeyes were disappointed last year when they didn’t receive a bid to the tournament and went on to win the NIT only one year removed from playing in the final four. The Buckeyes are currently 13-5 and have played the 6th hardest schedule in the country. The RPI rankings have them listed at 31 but have them in my top 25. The bucks have impressive wins @ Miami, Florida, in Indianapolis against Notre Dame and a home win against Butler. This team will be battle tested playing against some very good defensive squads in the Big Ten. If team leader, David Lighty, makes it back from his injury, future NBA Lottery pick BJ Mullens continues to progress and freshman William Bufford keeps improving the Buckeyes will be a tough out. The Buckeyes Evan Turner is having a sensational season and does everything for the Bucks, a team that would make a nice longshot to make it to the sweet 16.
XU Best in Ohio and A10
The Musketeers are 17-2 and ranked number 8 in my power poll. They have played the 11th hardest schedule in the country and will not be intimidated by anyone in the tournament. This team was embarrassed at Duke and then lost their next game to Butler but has been on a roll of late. They had two big road wins at Virginia and LSU. This is a veteran team led by Derek Brown and BJ Raymond. Sensation freshman Holloway keeps improving and Love is beginning to emerge at center. This team could also make it to the sweet 16 and depending on the seeding the elite 8.
As you know if they make the tournament they have a chance to win the title. If you like one of the Ohio Teams you can get a good price. The following are the odds makers numbers:
Dayton +25000
Ohio State +10000
Xavier +8000 (best value)