Ohio State defeated Illinois in the Big Ten semifinals Saturday, then claimed the conference title by whipping Iowa on Sunday. The NCAA tournament selection committee rewarded the Buckeyes with a ticket to Albuquerque as the fourth seed in the West Regional, the tournament’s strongest bracket.
And the Fighting Illini? They were also a fourth seed, in the Midwest. But they received a trip to nearby Chicago for the first two rounds. From there, Illinois would advance to nearby Madison, Wis., for the regional final.
This was among several eyebrow-raisers when the NCAA men’s basketball tournament brackets were unveiled Sunday.
This year the brackets have been divided into “pods” that allow teams from different regions to play in the same building in the first two rounds. The committee hoped to place as many teams as close to their campuses as possible.
But the committee, meeting in a downtown Indianapolis hotel suite, did not wait to see how the Buckeyes fared in their game a few blocks away in Conseco Fieldhouse.
“As we do this tournament, we can’t wait till the last minute to bracket,” said selection committee chairman Lee Fowler, athletic director at North Carolina State. “I know that Ohio State was one of four teams that tied (for the regular-season title with Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin). It was pretty difficult for us to decide which teams were better and which ones weren’t.”
Ohio State figured it proved that by sweeping two games with Illinois this season.
The Buckeyes weren’t the only team with a beef. Gonzaga, ranked seventh in the AP poll, drew a sixth seed in the West.
“If there’s one program that knows you’ve got to throw the seeds out starting tomorrow, it’s us,” coach Mark Few said on ESPN. “So we’re going to do that.”
Field of 65
*To be played in Chicago
EAST REGIONAL
#1 Maryland vs. Play-in winner
#2 UConn vs. #15 Hampton
#3 Georgia vs. #14 Murray St.*
#4 Kentucky vs. #13 Valparaiso
#5 Marquette vs. #12 Tulsa
#6 Texas Tech vs. #11 S. Illinois*
#7 N.C. State vs. #10 Michigan St.
#8 Wisconsin vs. #9 St. John’s
MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 Kansas vs. #16 Holy Cross
#2 Oregon vs. #15 Montana
#3 Miss. St. vs. #14 McNeese St.
#4 Illinois vs. #13 San Diego St.*
#5 Florida vs. #12 Creighton*
#6 Texas vs. #11 Boston College
#7 Wake vs. #10 Pepperdine
#8 Stanford vs. #9 W. Kentucky
SOUTH REGIONAL
#1 Duke vs. #16 Winthrop
#2 Alabama vs. #15 Fla. Atlantic
#3 Pittsburgh vs. #14 C. Conn. St.
#4 USC vs. #13 UNC-Wilmington
#5 Indiana vs. #12 Utah
#6 California vs. #11 Penn
#7 Oklahoma St. vs. #10 Kent St.
#8 Notre Dame vs. #9 Charlotte
WEST REGIONAL
#1 Cincinnati vs. #16 Boston U.
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 UIC
#3 Arizona vs. #14 Santa Barbara
#4 Ohio St. vs. #13 Davidson
#5 Miami vs. #12 Missouri
#6 Gonzaga vs. #11 Wyoming
#7 Xavier vs. #10 Hawaii
#8 UCLA vs. #9 Mississippi
PLAY-IN GAME
Alcorn St. vs. Siena
