Ohio State ready for ‘Final Four’-caliber North Carolina at Madison Square Garden

In three-plus years of Division I basketball, Sean McNeil has been blessed to see among the nation’s most storied venues. Kansas’ Phog Allen Fieldhouse, Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Lahaina Civic Middle are all bucket-list locations for basketball devotees, and the Ohio State graduate switch guard has performed inside every of them.

None of them fairly prime the expertise McNeil mentioned the No. 23 Buckeyes may have Saturday afternoon after they play North Carolina at Madison Sq. Backyard as a part of the CBS Sports activities Traditional (3 p.m., CBS).

“I’ve performed in some fairly cool arenas, however this may be No. 1,” McNeil mentioned. “Simply the atmosphere, you understand while you’re in Madison Sq. Backyard, The World’s Most Well-known Enviornment, it’s actually cool. I’m trying ahead to taking part in.”

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McNeil was in his first season at West Virginia when the Mountaineers performed St. John’s on the area, a recreation the Purple Storm received, 70-68, on Dec. 7, 2019. In any other case, there isn’t lots of expertise on the area for the 2022-23 Buckeyes. However whether or not it was sixth-year ahead Justice Sueing with 106 school video games below his belt, or freshman guard Bruce Thornton, in line for his tenth profession look, the chance to play the Tar Heels at an historic venue is one thing Ohio State is trying ahead to experiencing.

However as Thornton mentioned, it’s not simply in regards to the venue but in addition in regards to the alternative to face final 12 months’s nationwide runners-up.

“It’s a really massive deal,” he mentioned of taking part in on the Backyard. “That’s a staple for basketball. As a basketball participant, that’s one of many locations you’ve acquired to get off the bucket listing, to play at. I’m very excited, particularly taking part in North Carolina.”

With a roster boasting the 14th highest roster continuity from a season in the past in accordance with KenPom.com, the Tar Heels opened the 12 months as preseason No. 1 within the Related Press ballot after shedding to Kansas within the nationwide championship recreation. Beneath second-year coach Hubert Davis, a first-round choose by the Knicks in 1992 who would spend 4 years with the crew, North Carolina grew to become the quickest crew to open the season No. 1 after which fall out of the rankings totally. A four-game shedding streak towards high-major competitors dropped the Tar Heels from the highest 25, however they enter Saturday having received consecutive video games towards Georgia Tech and The Citadel.

Monday, Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann mentioned the Buckeyes are getting ready for a crew that “can get to a Last 4, there’s no query” despite their 7-4 begin.

“You recognize with this Carolina crew, it’ll even out,” he mentioned. “They’ll get on a run. They’re actually gifted. They’re well-coached. They’ll be effective. They’re definitely as gifted as any crew we’ve performed. Like lots of groups they’ve had a pair stumbles early. It’s November and December.”

North Carolina is led by fourth-year middle Armando Bacot, a 6-11, 235-pound drive who’s averaging 16.4 factors and a team-high 11.3 rebounds per recreation however has missed one recreation with a proper shoulder harm. He has scored in double figures in all 10 video games he’s performed this season and pulled down a career-high 23 rebounds in a win towards James Madison on Nov. 20.

He’s achieved it regardless of taking considerably fewer pictures per recreation (10.2) than major guards Caleb Love (15.5) and RJ Davis (12.5). The Tar Heels have taken roughly one third (33.7) of their pictures from 3-point vary and made solely 31.5% of them, good for No. 255 nationally.

Ohio State is restricted opponents to 27.9% 3-point taking pictures, the Twenty seventh-best mark within the nation.

“Bacot’s an amazing participant (together with his) dimension and physicality,” Holtmann mentioned. “That’s the most important factor. Can rating within the low publish. He’s a tremendously gifted participant.”

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Zed Key, Ohio State’s third-year middle who hails from Lengthy Island and can make his Backyard debut in entrance of a big private cheering part, figures to attract major obligations to battle Bacot.

“UNC isn’t a nasty crew,” he mentioned. “They’re getting lots of hate proper now as a result of they misplaced a pair video games. Bacot is a very good participant.”

Traditionally, it’s a matchup North Carolina has dominated. The Tar Heels are 12-3 all-time towards the Buckeyes and have received each conferences between the faculties on this occasion. It’s solely the sixth time Ohio State enters the sport ranked larger than North Carolina; the Buckeyes are 2-3 in these video games together with a 74-49 win at North Carolina on Dec. 4, 2019.

A win Saturday would mark the primary consecutive Ohio State wins towards the Tar Heels.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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