Back in the Dance
Ohio State men’s basketball makes its first NCAA Tournament in four years as a No. 8 seed and will play TCU in Round 1.
Ohio State knows the path for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes were selected as a No. 8 seed to the Big Dance. Ohio State will face No. 9 seed TCU in the first round. If the Buckeyes win, they’ll likely face No. 1 seed Duke in the second round. The Buckeyes and Horned Frogs will play on Thursday in the tourney's Greenville region in Greenville, South Carolina.
GREENVILLE BOUND. Lets get it. #GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/k1xXufrvZ7
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 15, 2026
Ohio State enters the NCAA Tournament after catching fire in March. The Buckeyes suffered one of their worst losses of the season at Iowa, falling 74-57, on Feb. 25, then rattled off a four-game winning streak that effectively clinched their tourney berth. OSU upset then-No. 8 Purdue, smoked Penn State and Indiana to close the regular season and got revenge on the Hawkeyes in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State took Michigan, the Big Ten regular season champion and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, to the wire in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, though the Buckeyes ultimately fell, 71-67.
The Buckeyes will be a dangerous team for any top seed to see in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where seasoned guards like Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. often thrive. They played their best basketball of the year leading into the Big Dance. That said, Ohio State hasn't been to the Sweet 16 in 13 years.
First, however, there is TCU to worry about. In any case, the Buckeyes will be dancing for the first time since 2022.
