
The state of Ohio has some great NCAA Basketball talent and will continue for the 2019-20 season. But who is the best team overall?
There are currently thirteen Division One NCAA Basketball programs in the state of Ohio ranging from a team in the Big 10 Conference to the Horizon League. Ohio is a big basketball state and has some of the best fans in the country, from the Flyer Faithful to the Block O at Ohio State. There’s a lot of different storylines all over the state we’ll touch on from coaching changes to national contenders to intriguing nonconference matchups against some of the nations best.
This upcoming season promises to be a good one for fans of college basketball in the state of Ohio so I wanted to give my pre-season power rankings for all thirteen teams. I also want to give fans the complete schedule breakdown of every single game that’s been released where an Ohio team plays another team from Ohio.
November 6th- Cincinnati @ Ohio State
November 9th- Wright State @ Miami
Novermber12th- Youngstown State @ Akron
November 16th- Kent State @ Wright State
November 25th- Kent State @ Ohio State
December 4th- Toledo @ Cleveland State
December 7th- Cleveland State @ Kent State
December 7th- Cincinnati @ Xavier
December 15th- Cleveland State @ Bowling Green
December 21st- Wright State @ Toledo
Miami, Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio, Akron, are all in the MAC and will all play each other at least once this season.
Wright State, Youngstown State, and Cleveland State will all see each other at least once this season.
*This list may change as some teams have yet to release their nonconference schedules*
The two games that stick out the most of those nonconference games between Ohio teams are the Ohio State and Cincinnati clash at Ohio State and the Crosstown Shootout between Cincinnati and Xavier. There are high expectations in Columbus for Ohio State this year as well as both Cincinnati schools, the Ohio MAC schools look to claim their conferences automatic bid after Nate Oats left Buffalo for Alabama. How many teams from Ohio will we get to see in the NCAA Tournament this year? I’m hopeful for at least four hopefully five. It’s early but here are my Ohio Preseason Power Rankings for all 13 schools.