When does Ohio State play Loyola in NCAA tournament?

Posted: Mar 17, 2022 / 09:00 AM EDT

Updated: Mar 16, 2022 / 08:34 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio State is getting ready for its first-round matchup against Loyola Chicago in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes and Ramblers are the first game Friday, which tips off at 12:15 p.m. in Pittsburgh.

OSU is No. 7 seed in the South Regional.

The Buckeyes limp into March Madness having lost four of their last five games, including losses to Penn State, Maryland, and Northwestern — three of the worst teams in the Big Ten. The loss to Penn State came in the second round of the Big Ten tournament.

“We’ve kind of gotten the memo that everyone’s counting us out,” senior Justin Ahrens said. “The main thing for us is to come out and be the tougher team and more competitive team. We take care of those two things, we’ll be all right.”

Ohio State will hold a shootaround in Pittsburgh from 12:30 to 1:10 p.m. Thursday.

The Buckeyes might have to play without forward Kyle Young (concussion protocol) and center Zed Key (ankle) who are both a game-time decision, according to coach Chris Holtmann.

Scouting Loyola Chicago

The biggest difference between the Buckeyes and Ramblers is defensive efficiency. Loyola ranks 23rd in the country in that category while the Buckeyes rank 130th.

“They hang their hat on the defensive end. They’re outstanding on that end, I think arguably the best defensive team we’ve played,” Holtmann said. “I think they’re the most physical team we’ll have played all year.”

Loyola’s ability to defend is an issue for the Buckeyes, who are far from an offensive juggernaut. OSU ranks 104th in points per game (73.8), but the good news for Buckeyes fans is that is the Ramblers also average 73.8 points per game, so it will come down to whether OSU can play better defensively.

“Offensively, they were really good. They were good in transition, they were good at really attacking and they’ve got tremendous shooting across the board,” Holtmann said. “Our ability to defend them both in transition and half-court is going to be really important.”

Recent NCAA tournament history

Ohio State’s loss as a No. 2 seed to No. 15 Oral Roberts a year ago has not been forgotten by players on that team.

“[That loss] has been on our minds since the day it happened,” Ahrens said. “It was something we had in mind when we were working all last summer, throughout the whole season, so we’re excited to get out there on Friday and cut loose.”

There’s also been a lack of March Madness success for the Buckeyes compared with Loyola in recent years.

OSU hasn’t managed to get past the second round since 2013 while Loyola went to the Final Four in 2018 and the Sweet 16 in 2021.

“They’re a very old, strong, physical team and that’s why I think they’ve had so much success,” Holtman said about Loyola.