By: Yannis Koutroupis (HoopsWorld.com) — Ohio
State came into the season without much fanfare, expected to duke it out with the like of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois for third place in the Big Ten, behind Michigan State and Purdue. Thanks, in large part, to the spectacular play of Evan Turner, Ohio State finished the season tied for first. And Turner was just getting started. In the conference tournament and in Sunday’s second round win over Georgia Tech, the 6’7″ junior has played like the candidate for National Player of the Year he is, including a game-winning shot from just inside half court in the conference tourney and a 29 point, nine rebound and nine assist performance in the team’s 75-66 win over the Yellow Jackets. The Buckeyes’ short bench (Head Coach Thad Matta plays four players 34 minutes, or more, per game) is a bit of a concern as they advance deeper into the tournament.

It has been a trying year for the Volunteers, with suspensions, a dismissal (of perhaps the team’s best player, Tyler Smith), and the reality that rival Kentucky is back on the map
with the arrival of John Calipari to run the Wildcats program. Through all of that, Tennessee is still standing. Head Coach Bruce Pearl plays a ridiculous eleven players at least eleven minutes per game and has ridden senior forward Wayne Chism, on the floor and in the locker room. Tennessee doesn’t have much star power on its roster, but has epitomized the word team all year long. In two tournament games, the Vols have allowed their opponents to shoot just .382 from the field (42-110) and .295 from behind the three-point line. Ohio State will have its hands full against this balanced, defensively oriented squad that flusters its opponents.

HOOPSWORLD’s PICK: Ohio State. It’s Ohio State’s drugs online without prescription region to lose now and it’s just too hard to go against Evan Turner especially after the show he put on in Round of 32.

HoopsWorld’s senior college analyst Luke Byrnes also contributed to this report.

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