Latest / Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning / 2026 NCAA Tournament: Ohio State vs. TCU Preview

Transcript

2026 NCAA Tournament: Ohio State vs. TCU Preview · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buckeyes tomorrow morning. From Monday, March sixteenth, I'm
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: your host, Tom or the ball State game in one
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: hundred and seventy three days, the game against Michigan in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty seven days. Our friends at Grateful Grittel,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Columbus's favorite food drug. They are now on uper eats,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: grub Hub, and Ordash. Just search for Grateful Girdle there
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: or check out grateful Griddel oh dot com for more.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: My recommendation would be to think about that on Thursday
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Friday this week when the NC DOUBLEA Tournament tips off,
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: and for the first time in several years, the Ohio
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: State Buckeyes are going to be part of that NC
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: DOUBLEA tournament. They got some good news on Sunday evening
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: on the CBS broadcast, joined by Tony Gerderman at Puckeheadle
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: dot com. Now, Tony, this was the first time in
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: it feels like a long time that Ohio State was
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: not sweating out selection Sunday, one way or together. It
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: felt like they played their way in pretty comfortably and
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: felt like they got a completely fair, very logical spot
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: on the bracket.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: Although Tom, you are correct with an eight seed. I
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: did get a text saying, you know, because we know
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: the eighth seed, if you win that, you play the
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: one seed, complaining that Ohio State won too many games
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: down the stretch. Oh Jake Deebler did too much down
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: the stretch, and they put him on the eight to
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: nine line instead of the ten to seven lines. So
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: good news, America. Ohio State fans are still a little
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: bit unhappy about making the tournament. Good day.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Ohio State fans are unhappy. Nature is healing, Yes, it
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: is a there were you know, three three weeks a
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: month ago, there was a lot of I don't understand
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: why Ohio State. I would be happy if Ohio State
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: just made the tournament. You know, why can't they just
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: make the tournament? And okay, well, now they have done that.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: I have a feeling the field goals that is not
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: a basketball term, not at least in this context. The
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: field goals. The goal goal, you know, may may have
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: moved a little bit, but we will We'll see how
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: far they need to go to keep everyone happy. The
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: matchup with TCU, it's an interesting one because you'll hiho
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: State coming in pretty hot. At this point, they've really played,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: really well down the stretch. TCU has also played well
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: down the stretch. They are nine to two in their
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: last eleven games, and much like Ohio State, won their
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: first game in their conference tournament on the fancy TV
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: floor in the Big Twelve and then had played a
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: competitive game but lost to a much better Kansas team.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Much like Ohio State, kind of ran into a played
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: a very competitive game against Michigan in the Big Ten tournament,
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: not on the TV floor, but got a chance to
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: play a pretty solid game before sort of bowing out there.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: So you know, TCU, you have taken a look at
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: the TCU roster. We're not going to pretend that we
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: have had an encyclopedic knowledge of the TCU basketball program
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: inside and out before oh about thirty minutes ago. But
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: it's the Internet. We can all be microwave experts. So Tony,
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: what are some early takeaways on TCU basketball from your
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: intense study?
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, my intense study of this would be like the
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: old days where you'll up the USA today and on
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: Monday and you're looking, oh, these guys, Oh well, well
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: these guys have no shot, you know, because you could
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: become an instat expert. But you know, just looking at
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: at TCU doesn't have a ton of size. Tallest regular
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: players six' eight and their front court is six, eight
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: six seven and six, seven and so they don't have
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: they don't have A Christoph tilley right and they're six
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: eleven seven foot for the like The buckeyes. Do and
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: the other thing is their their back court doesn't shoot
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: the ball from deep all that. Well jade And pierre
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: thirty six percent from three And brock carding twenty seven
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: percent from three of those in their two main scoring.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: Guards and so there seems like there's an opportunity there
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: For Ohio state, to you, know there's an. ADVANTAGE i
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: always like to look at the back court When i'm
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: doing all my MY usa today prognosticating and see what
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: kind of how well a team shoots with their, guards
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: and frankly anybody from, deep BECAUSE i think you can
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: make a run with that In Ohio state has that OVER.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Tcu but like you, SAID TCUs on a roll right.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: Now they are in a role right. Now they're also
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: a pretty experienced. Team and this is a you, know
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: this is twenty twenty six experienced where most of these
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: players are experienced from other. Places for, Example Brock, harding
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: one of the guards you just. Mentioned he was At
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: iowa last, year so that the Name Ohio state fans
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: may know From Big ten. Play one of the THINGS
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: i always looked at one of MY Usa today stats
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: is the. Guards how do they shoot free? Throws And,
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: harding for, example only about a sixty five percent free throw,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Shooter because of, course if it's close and, late who's
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: going to have the? Ball probably the. Guards who are
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: you going to be? Fouling probably the. Guards that's one
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: of those THINGS i always kind of took a look.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: At in the modern, Times, tony we are going to
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: move PAST Usa today into the year of Our lord
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six and our Friend Ken, Pomeroy and that's
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: THAT'S i look, now it is no longer nineteen ninety.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: Six i'm no longer looking in the newspaper can palm
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: looking at just the sort of statistical matchup between these two.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: Teams Ohio state much much better. Offensively they are seventeenth
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: nationally and this is a per possession tempo adjusted offensive.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Rating they're seventeenth in the nation in SCORING tcu down
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: at eighty. First they just they don't score the ball
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: nearly as efficiently As Ohio, state. Whoever on the defensive
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: side of the, BALL dcu twenty third in the, Nation
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: Ohio state fifty. Third neither team plays with a ton of.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: TEMPO dcu kind of won sixtieth in the Nation Ohio
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: state two hundred and fifty. First so no one's going
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: to be trying to really really turn this into A
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Tony Bennett virginia. Slog no one's going to be turning
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: this into A Paul westfall Loyal La merrymount kind of.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: Game this feels like a matchup THAT i look at
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: AND i think for An Ohio state team that is
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: certainly not perfect but has the ability to score reasonably,
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: well this feels like a matchup that is a definitely
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: a winnable matchup For Ohio.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: State, YEAH i would agree with. That and one of
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: the reasons THAT i do is because you, know their
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: top two scores are their front court. Players they're they're
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: Forward's David Ponch Xavier. Edmunds, now they're those guys shoot many.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: Threes so it's they don't threaten you from all, over,
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: right they just threaten you from paint adjacent, Places and
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: SO i feel like that helps The Ohio state defense
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: helps them maybe stay, compacted and you, know we'll see
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: how THEY i know you said they, defend And Ohio
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: state can stretch anybody out because they'll have five players
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: on the court that can shoot the. Three and that's
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: always a paint Including christoff telling not that he specializes in,
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: it but he can spread The he can help spread the,
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: floor maybe get some get him at the top of the,
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: key and then go to town against some of the
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: shorter defenders FOR. Tcu But i'm with, YOU i like
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: this matchup For Ohio state based on pretty much what
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: we've talked about size and lack of. SHOOTING i also
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: think it always comes down to how quickly do you
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: get accustomed to the arena and the court you're playing,
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: on and the sight lines and all of those. Things
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: being In. Greenville AND i told you we did a
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: show basketball. SHOW i think the last basketball show we
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: did About Ohio state and how they look like they
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: were IN i told you they probably end up somewhere
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: In greensboro and Played duke in a second. Round so
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: everybody should be able to. DRIVE i got the green part,
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: RIGHT i did not get the villa or the borough. Part,
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: right but it's All Green. TOWN i think we all
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: know that in the. State, yes, incorrect but there's an
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: opportunity For ohio state fans make the drive South. Carolina
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: it's probably ten, hours maybe, nine and go watch your
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: team play against a team that's gonna certainly fight like,
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: heck and they did pretty well in The big. Twelve
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: and then you've Got duke fans and USC unc fans
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: also there as, WELL i, believe so a grand time
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: could be head by.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: All and you know this is a you, know it's
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: It's South. Carolina so half of the state Of ohio
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: in The march month Of march is probably down In
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: South carolina, anyway based on you, know the not exactly
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: scientific sample but pretty decent sample Of ohio residents THAT
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: i am aware. Of BEFORE i let you, GO i
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: do want to just kind of hit on some of
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: the bigger picture stuff, here which is first tournament birth
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: For Jake diebler in his second, season first tournament birth
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: For Bruce thornton in his fourth. Season you have to
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: feel pretty darn good for both of those guys who
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: have had some ups and downs over the last few
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: years and very nearly made it last. Year ended up
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: on the wrong side of the. Bracket really really strong
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: performance down the stretch this year and really earn that
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: spot this.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: Year, yeah it's kind of telling that in previous years
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: or in some teams will allow media to get a
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: look at the the the waiting for the, announcement to
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: see the, celebration and this one was kind of a private,
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: team uh situation Where i'm sure there was a lot
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: of just like, finally you. Know and For Bruce, thornton
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: who said it himself after he set the scoring record last,
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: week said he could have, Left he could have done
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: what everybody else does and, left but he wanted to
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: be a Buck eye for, life and it would be
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: sad if you're a Buck eye for life and you
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: never make THE ncaa. Tournament so he gets to do that.
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: Now And Jake diebler gets, monk gets the monkey off
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: his back for a little bit and kind of resets
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: the clock for himself on term in terms of you,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: know what you've got to get done and then what
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: what goals you've got to? Set but also like this
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: is not this is not the final destination for what
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: this program wants to. Be and it certainly enough the
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: final destination for What Jake tebler Or Bruce thornton want to.
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: Be but it's good to see that they finally got
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: to this point because then maybe it makes the next step.
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: Easier and, yeah as you, Mentioned Ohio state did do
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: this as a private. Event they did make some footage
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: of that celebration. Available put that over the over the
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: screen right, now so you can just sort of get
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: a sense for what that was like.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: There so, perfect.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: But it does feel like this is sort of the next.
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: Step this is not, congratulations you've Reached, uh it's been a.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: While my kids are not that not, old not quite
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: that young. ANYMORE i forget what the the the castle
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: at the end Of Candy land is. Called they're not there.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Yet they're still kind of wandering their way through, that
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: through that, path but they are certainly this has been
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: like significant tangible progress this. Year progress went even within
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: the course of the season For Ohio. State progress sort
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: of in the big picture For Ohio. State they're to
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: a point now where they haven't been for several. Years
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: it feels like this season the positive trend line has
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: been pretty clear over the course of this. Season and you,
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: know if they can win one game and maybe keep
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: things at least competitive Against duke in the second. ROUND
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: i think you've got, to as An Ohio state basketball,
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: fan sort of, Recognize, yeah that's a. Win that's a
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: very very positive result for this.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: Season, yep And, tom That castle Was Castle grays. Call but,
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: yeah it's every, team just about every team ends the
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: season with a. Loss right in college, basketball it's good
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: to be good to get a couple of postseason, wins
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: including The Big Ten tournament and whatever else. Happens this
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: was the, goal, Right making the tournament was the, goal
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: and now let's see what it leads.
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: To all, Right, well The buckeyes will take ON tcu On.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: Thursday we do not have a tip off time, yet
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: but that will be coming up. Shortly we'll let you
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: know when we know all of. That we'll be talking
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: about a little bit of basketball this. Week we'll be
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: talking about a little bit of football this. Week there's
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: a bunch of talk about this week and we hope
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: to be talking about all of it with you at
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: Bucke huddle dot com and at YouTube dot com Slash Buckeye.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: Huddle that'll do it for. Today thank you guys all
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: for joining. Us have a great. Day we'll talk to you.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Tomorrow