Ohio State basketball vs Tennessee prediction for NCAA Tournament second round
Ohio State (26-6), the No. 4 seed in the Birmingham 3 region, plays its second-round NCAA Tournament game against the No. 5 seed Tennessee (23-9) on Sunday at Value City Arena.
The Volunteers advanced to the second round by beating South Florida 101-66 Friday.
Ohio State, meanwhile, reached the second round thanks to a 71-51 win earlier in the day over Montana State.
Here is what to know about Sunday's NCAA Tournament matchup:
Ohio State women’s basketball NCAA Tournament history
This year marks Ohio State's 29th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the Buckeyes are 33-28 in tournament games.
For Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff, this is his seventh NCAA Tournament with the Buckeyes, and the program is 4-2 in second-round matchups under his leadership.
Last year, the Buckeyes beat the No. 15 seed Maine 80-57 as the No. 2 seed in the first round. Ohio State was then upset in the second round by No. 7 Duke 75-63.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Talaysia Cooper and the Tennessee Volunteers breakdown
Tennessee is led by guard Talaysia Cooper, who entered the tournament averaging 16.7 points per game and was shooting 44.8% from the field. The second-team All-SEC honoree also paced her team in steals (3.1) and blocks (0.7).
Buy Ohio State NCAA tickets vs. Tennessee
Zee Spearman (6.1 rebounds) and Samara Spencer (4.7 assists) are also standouts for the Volunteers.
Ohio State and Tennessee last met on December 3, 2023, a road game the Buckeyes' won 78-58. Cotie McMahon, then a sophomore, had a game-high 19 points.
The Buckeyes also won a 2022 matchup against Tennessee, however, success in the series has been rare. OSU is 3-10 all-time against the Volunteers with the only other victory coming in 1981.
Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Tennessee prediction
Ohio State's greatest struggles this season have come against teams with strong frontcourts, and Tennessee relies heavily on Cooper, a 6-foot sophomore transfer guard from South Carolina who's been battling an ankle injury and didn't start against South Florida.
The Volunteers outrebound their opponents by an average of just 3.4 boards a game, ranking them No. 93 nationally in rebounding margin. And, although Cooper's defense is elite, the Vols' field goal defense as a team is ranked No. 322 with opponents shooting 43.8% against them.
That being said, the Vols have incredible momentum coming off a dominant performance against the Bulls of South Florida.
So, the Buckeyes will have to play well, but if they do, they should move on.
Who will the winner of Ohio State vs Tennessee face in the NCAA Tournament third round?
If the seeds hold, Ohio State will face No. 1 Texas in the third round. It is also possible the Buckeyes will see No. 16 William & Mary, No. 8 Illinois or No. 9 Creighton. Those teams are all playing Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State vs Tennessee predictions for March Madness second round
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