They are ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll.
ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme moved the Buckeyes up to a four seed in his latest NCAA tournament field projection, which means (if the tournament committee agrees) a strong showing at the conference tournament in Indianapolis this weekend should clinch the opportunity to host first- and second-round games.
RELATED: Mitchell named Big Ten Player of the Year
Could they have some local company if that happens?
The committee has recently made a concerted effort to keep teams close to home in order to boost attendance, so it stands to reason Dayton or Wright State could join the Buckeyes in Columbus if things break right.
For the Horizon League regular season co-champion Raiders, that almost certainly means winning their conference tournament. Their RPI was 135 as of Feb. 28.
Dayton, the Atlantic 10 co-champion, is 45th in the RPI, and Crème projects them as an 11 seed this week with fellow A-10 member George Washington a 10 seed.
RELATED: Dayton’s Kelley Austria named A-10’s top defender
However the final seeds shake out, the committee has the discretion to adjust them to make enable easier travel, avoid rematches and prevent conference teams from playing each other too early.
About the Author
