No. 2 seed Ohio State (31-7) vs. No. 2 Kansas (31-6)
Approximately 8:50 p.m. ET
Against the tourney field: Ohio State 15-5, Kansas 15-6
Tourney trail: Ohio State – Loyola-Maryland 78-59, Gonzaga 73-66, Cincinnati 81-66, Syracuse 77-70; Kansas – Detroit 65-50, Purdue 63-60, North Carolina State 60-57, North Carolina 80-67
When they met before: Kansas prevailed, 78-67, in Lawrence on Dec. 10. Thomas Robinson scored 21 points while Elijah Johnson added 15 for the host Jayhawks. The Buckeyes played without Jared Sullinger (sore back). William Buford (21) and Deshaun Thomas (19) combined for 40 points for the Buckeyes.
Why Kansas could win: 1) Robinson was always no worse than one of the three best players in the country this season, always causing opposing coaches to game-plan extensively for his presence; 2) When Tyshawn Taylor has played at his best, he’s been as good as any point guard in the country; 3) Jeff Withey and Elijah Johnson have evolved into elite-level players.
Why Ohio State will win: 1) Sullinger was in street clothes in the first meeting (sore back); he will command double teams nearly every time he touches the ball on the offense end Saturday; 2) Aaron Craft is the most complete point guard in this field and, in his own way, impacts games from the defensive end nearly as much as does Anthony Davis of Kentucky; 3) Deshaun Thomas has been the most versatile and effective scorer in the tournament and will test the Jayhawks’ defense as much as will Sullinger.
Frank’s call: Ohio State, 72-70, in what may turn out to be the best game in the entire tournament
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