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Ohio Bobcats vs Creighton: 2021 NCAA Tournament game preview, TV schedule

By Karl Heiser

Mar 12, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Ohio Bobcats guard Jason Preston (0) drives to the basket against Toledo Rockets guard Keshaun Saunders (24) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Ohio Bobcats guard Jason Preston (0) drives to the basket against Toledo Rockets guard Keshaun Saunders (24) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Ohio Bobcats hope to reach the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. They face the Creighton Bluejays in the Round of 32.

TV Schedule: Monday, March 22, 6:10 PM ET on TNT

Arena: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana

The Ohio Bobcats won the 2021 MAC Tournament and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 13 seed. The Selection Committee matched them against No. 4 Virginia in the first round – always a tough out in March. Despite the Cavaliers’ trademark Pack Line defense, Ohio had a fighting chance as they entered the game with a dynamic offense led by junior point guard Jason Preston.

Preston, a walking triple-double, led the Bobcats to the upset victory over Virginia, 62-58. The junior finished with 11 points, eight assists, and 13 rebounds. Senior forward Ben Vander Plas finished with 17/4/5, and sophomore Ben Roderick added 15 points of his own. As a team, Ohio shot 42% from the field, 30.4% from three, and outrebounded Virginia 38-29.

No. 5 Creighton narrowly escaped an upset in the first round to UC Santa Barbara. They came away with a one-point victory, 63-62. Marcus Zegarowski led the Bluejays with 17 points and eight assists.

The Creighton-Ohio matchup pits two efficient offenses against each other. Ohio finished the year at No. 30 for Adjusted Offensive Efficiency per KenPom. Creighton finished at No. 13. Seeing two offensively-minded point guards face off in Zegarowski and Preston should be extremely fun to watch.

Ohio seems to have a distinct disadvantage when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. Creighton finished at No. 40 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while the Bobcats sit all the way back at No. 178. However, Ohio was able to limit a UVA team that is excellent at converting open looks to 35% from the field and 25% from deep. Creighton is a faster team that takes more three-pointers, but ideally the same defensive effort will be effective to slow them down.

Next. Biggest Takeaways from 2021 Round of 64. dark

So far, the 2021 NCAA Tournament has delivered on the promise of March Madness. Both these teams have star point guards and solid offenses. Creighton’s “live by the three, die by the three” philosophy will likely catch up with them eventually, and I personally don’t want Jason Preston to exit the tournament this soon. Let’s give this one to the Bobcats in the name of fun.

Prediction: Ohio 70, Creighton 66