Ohio State’s men’s basketball team huddles during the Ohio State-Wisconsin game Dec. 11, 2021. Ohio State won 73-55. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
For the fourth time under head coach Chris Holtmann, the Buckeyes will be dancing in March.
Ohio State men’s basketball received the No. 7 seed in the South Region of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Sunday and will play No. 10 Loyola Chicago Friday. The Buckeyes’ region is dominated by top four seeds: No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Villanova, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Illinois.
The Buckeyes are one of three Big Ten teams in the South Region, joined by No. 4 Illinois and No. 11 Michigan.
Ohio State’s first-round opponent Loyola Chicago will enter the tournament 25-7 after a conference slate which saw the Ramblers go 13-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Ramblers earned an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the MVC Conference Tournament.
Ohio State has yet to miss the NCAA Tournament under Holtmann — outside of the tournament’s cancellation in 2020 — and holds a 2-3 record in March Madness games since he took over the program. The Buckeyes became just the ninth No. 2 seed to lose in the first round last season, falling to No. 15 Oral Roberts March 19, 2021.
