Did Ohio State make the 2023 NCAA Tournament? Qualifying status of team explored
The Ohio State Buckeyes did not qualify for the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The fate of the team was sealed by the loss to the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday. The Buckeyes lost the Big Ten semifinal game 80-66, finishing their season.
The Buckeyes began the 2022-23 season with three straight wins. However, their overall record at the end of the season was 16-19. Additionally, they were 5-15 in the Big Ten Conference, finishing 13th.
Ohio State has won one national championship, but that happened in 1960 with a 75-55 victory over the California Golden Bears. Ever since then, the team hasn't been able to capture another title.
Ohio State missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 season
The last time the Buckeyes failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament was in the 2016-17 season. Six years ago, the team finished 17-15 overall, 7-11 record in the Big Ten.
Since then, the Buckeyes have enjoyed moderate success. They've lost in the second round three times and had one first-round exit. When the NCAA Tournament was canceled in 2020, the team was 21-10, including 11-9 in the Big Ten.
This is the first time that the basketball team will miss March Madness under Chris Holtmann. The 51-year-old coach took over the team in 2017 and has achieved decent results. However, the 2022-23 season simply did not work out for the Buckeyes.
You may be interested in reading: NCAA TV schedule 2023: How to watch, timings, dates, and more
Holtmann has 12 years of experience. Before Ohio State, he coached Butler and Gardner-Webb. He's been with the Buckeyes for 198 games and has led the team to 123 wins.
During his first season with the team, Holtmann managed to go 25-9 as the Buckeyes finished second in the conference. However, they were eliminated by the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue won the Big Ten tournament
After their victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten championship game.
Despite having a six-point lead with 25.3 seconds left in the team, the Boilermakers allowed Penn State to close to a single point. In the end, they prevailed 67-65 and secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
You may be interested in reading: Which Big Ten teams are in NCAA March Madness 2023?
In their first game of the tournament, the Purdue Boilermakers will play either Texas Southern or Fairleigh Dickinson. The game will take place on Friday and will be broadcast on TNT.