Sweet 16: Kentucky vs Ohio State | Prediction & Pick

Kentucky to face Ohio State for the first time in nearly three decades

Kentucky avenged last year’s Elite 8 loss against West Virginia, setting up their first tournament meeting in 24 years with the number one team in the nation in Thursday’s East Regional Semifinal at the Prudential Center in Newark NJ.

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#4 Kentucky (27-8, 10-6 SEC) vs. #1 Ohio State (35-2, 16-2 Big Ten)

Date/Time: Friday, March 20, 9:45 PM EST
Venue: Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Broadcast: CBS

Money Line: Kentucky +210, Ohio State -250
Spread: Ohio State -6
Over/Under: 140

No. 1 overall seed Ohio State defeated Kentucky in first round, 91-77 back in 1987. The teams have met five times in the NCAA Tournament since 1945, with the Wildcats repeatedly on the losing end.

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But this year’s Kentucky team has proven they can win the big games, pulling it out all the stops along the way to the Sweet 16. The Wildcats needed a buzzer-beater to sneak past No. 13 seed Princeton before excusing a very good Mountaineers squad by eight points.

Meanwhile, Ohio continues to steamroll the opposition and has been by far one of the best all-around teams in the country all season. The Buckeyes dispatched Texas-San Antonio by an eye-popping 29 points in the round of 64, and then destroyed a hopeful George Mason, 98-66 in round two.

They rank 10th defensively (59.6 points allowed per game) and 19th offensively (77.6 points per game). They also rank second in the nation in overall field goal percentage (49.9 percent) and first in three-point field goal percentage (42.4 percent).

They are led by two all-around athletes, forward Jared Sullinger, and shooting guard Jon Diebler.

Sullinger, who averaged a double-double on the season, put up 11 points and nine rebounds against Texas-San Antonio, and 18 points and eight boards against George Mason. Diebler plays well into the offense and is absolutely noxious from 3-point range. He shoots an incredible 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Like Ohio State, Kentucky also relies heavily on a couple key players.

Freshman guard Brandon Knight leads the Wildcats with 17.4 points per game. Knight only managed two points against Princeton, but those two points turned out to be the game winners that sent the Tigers packing at the final whistle.

Knight rebounded in Kentucky’s bout with the Mountaineers, pouring in 30 points.

However, the Wildcats cannot rely on Knights efforts alone if they want to oust the Buckeyes. They will need an all out effort from the entire bench especially from big Josh Harrellson. The 6-foot-10, 275-pounder will likely be matched with Sullinger. But his defensive skills will only be a portion of his participation, as he will be needed offensively as well. He scored 15 points and added 10 rebounds against Princeton, then followed up that performance with 15 points and eight boards against West Virginia.

Defense will be key if the Wildcats want to survive the Sweet 16. They have been solid defensively, ranking 57th in the country with 63.6 points per game allowed on 39.3 percent shooting (12th in the nation).

The odds makers have the Ohio State Buckeyes as a -6 point favorite with an over/under of 140.

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Prediction: While I think Kentucky’s size and talent may force this game down to a few clutch plays. In the end, Ohio State’s pure athleticism and momentum will be enough to grind out a win in a very physical, defensive minded battle.

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