Ohio State vs. Kentucky: it’s the premier showdown of the Sweet 16 and could be the best game of the 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket so far. But what should we expect when the Jared Sullinger-led Buckeyes meet Brandon Knight and the Wildcats? We’ll find out at 9:45 p.m. Friday from Newark, according to the 2011 NCAA Tournament schedule, and Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will have the call on CBS.
Sweet 16 Predictions, Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Kentucky Wildcats, 9:45 ET Friday
Ohio State’s looking more and more like the eventual national champion. The Buckeyes were dominant against George Mason, clobbering the Patriots by 32, and only because the insertion of reserves helped dam a torrent of threes. If David Lighty and Jon Diebler are both hot in the same game, it’s nearly impossible to beat Ohio State; if those two and Sullinger are playing well, it’s going to take Herculean effort to take down the Buckeyes.
Kentucky has length that should worry Buckeyes shooters, but asking Terrence Jones and Josh Harrellson to stop Sullinger is a fool’s errand. Kentucky’s best hope is in its shooting: Knight has a very good stroke (38.4% from deep), but Darius Miller (46.9%) and Doron Lamb (44.6%) are both at another level entirely, and DeAndre Liggins (40.7%) is no slouch. Heck, even Jones’ “No, no, no ... YES!” threes have gone in over 30% of the time. If Kentucky can establish enough of an inside presence to kick to open shooters, Big Blue has a chance to take down the No. 1 overall seed.
Star Watch: Knight is the key to that plan, though. He was virtually invisible against Princeton (two points, though they came on the game-winner) and unmissable against West Virginia (a career-high 30 points). Should he be able to beat Aaron Craft or whoever the Buckeyes throw on him, Kentucky’s going to have ample opportunity to topple the titan.
Prediction: Talk yourself into Kentucky if you like: Ohio State’s the smart pick. And past the first weekend, smart picks like the Buckeyes — who will win this one 80-70 — aren’t bad ones.
More Reading: SB Nation’s Ohio State blog Along the Olentangy has plenty more on both the Buckeyes’ hoops squad and Jim Tressel’s future, while Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue has everything for the inquisitive Wildcats fan.
Need help catching up with all the action? Here’s a printable NCAA Tournament bracket and an updated Sweet 16 schedule.
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