Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
It’s official, both of Ohio State’s basketball teams are going dancing. The OSU men find themselves on a No. 8 line and will take on TCU in the first game on Thursday. Then, the Buckeye women earned a third seed and will host Howard to open up the action on Saturday.
Before Ohio State started its run in the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament last week, we asked Buckeye Nation what their excitement levels were for the two postseason runs. We now have the results, and, for a “football school,” it sure seems like Buckeye fans are pumped up for the action.
Check out the responses below, and if you want to share your thoughts on the results or enthusiasm for the hoops teams, hit the comments at the bottom of the article. Also, if you want to flex your basketball knowledge muscles as the NCAA Basketball Tournaments approach, you should absolutely be doing it on the FanDuel Sportsbook, since they are sponsoring this article.
Question 1: What is your current excitement level about the OSU men being in the NCAA Tournament?
There was a lot riding on this season for Jake Diebler. Despite being only his second season as the men’s team head coach and bringing in the No. 7 recruit in the country (small forward Anthony Thomas), if his squad didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, there would have been folks calling for him to be replaced.
Now that they have not only made the Big Dance, but are heading into the postseason on a hot streak, a majority of survey respondents are “Over the moon” about the team making the tournament field. And, to be honest, that was a bit of a surprise to me, as I expected more people to go with more of the level-headed (or even cynical) options, like “It should happen every year,” which, to be fair, is not wrong.
But, I am excited that so many people across Buckeye Nation are ready to cheer on this team, because every extra game we get to watch Bruce Thornton in scarlet and gray is a gift.
Question 2: What is your current excitement level about the OSU women being in the NCAA Tournament?
The survey questions for the women were a bit different because we threw in a response about Kevin McGuff’s team hosting the first two rounds of the tournament again this season. That ended up being the top response, but it was followed closely by the “Over the moon” option that led the men’s half of the survey as well.
I am hopeful that the enthusiasm for OSU WBB hosting games translates into raucous crowds at The Schott for the games on Saturday and Monday. Regardless of what the outside opinion is, Buckeye fans love them some basketball, especially when their teams are playing well.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.