The Ohio State basketball team won’t get a shot to play for a national championship this year. They were left out of the field of 68 on Sunday night, which was fully expected after the loss to Illinois on Friday evening. Instead, the Buckeyes accepted an NIT bid. They will keep playing basketball for a couple more weeks.
This will be a good chance to keep building what they have already started under Jake Diebler. Now that Diebler is officially the head coach, the Buckeyes can play more freely. These players know who their leader will be next year and beyond. So what are their chances of actually winning the entire NIT as a two-seed?
The Ohio State basketball team can win the NIT
They have a really good chance to win the NIT if they continue doing what they have done over the past month. If they keep playing with pace and defending the three-point line, they can beat anyone. Their first game will be Tuesday night at 7 pm against Cornell. That will be at the Schott and will be the fans’ first chance to cheer on Diebler as the permanent head coach.
Ohio State has a favorable draw on their side of the bracket. If they are able to beat Cornell, they play the winner of Virginia Tech and Richmond, both of which the Buckeyes would be favored over. They haven’t won the NIT since 2007, so it would be nice to see them make a run and win a postseason tournament.
This is a chance to keep their momentum high. The Buckeyes were one of the hottest teams in the country prior to that Illinois loss. They can use that momentum to have a great offseason too. Gaining even more momentum with a good showing in the NIT would be even better.
The juice is back with the Ohio State basketball program. It’s good to see.
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