It was a long night of film study for Jake Diebler on Sunday.
Ohio State is preparing to tackle TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Diebler took a brief break from those preparations to meet with the media on Monday and preview the matchup, the Buckeyes' first game in the Big Dance in four years.
"I think they're a really good team," Diebler said. "And I think we're a really good team. And if you look at the way these two teams have played recently, too, I think it is exciting. We're anticipating an absolute big-time, big-time game."
Diebler specifically praised the Horned Frogs' physicality and aggression on the defensive end, where TCU has been one of the nation's more efficient units despite no player in its starting lineup standing above 6-foot-8.
"I think those guys play bigger," Diebler said. "They've got good length and athleticism than maybe some of the guys we're used to seeing in the Big Ten, right? So I think their size is still impactful. It's just different than what we see sometimes. I think for us, the things that we've stressed are going to be really important in this game. Obviously, rebounding and taking care of the ball. And we've seen some of their defensive schemes, like what they are trying to do, we've seen that this year at times. So we have some stuff to reference, I think, which is valuable."
Catch the full 20-minute interview with Diebler at the top of the page three days out from Ohio State and TCU's clash. They'll tip off at 12:15 p.m. Thursday on CBS.
