The field of competitors in the 2012 NCAA Tournament has been whittled down from the initial 68 teams, all the way to the Final Four. One of the four teams traveling to New Orleans for a shot at the national championship is the Ohio St. Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Region, hoping to build on their strong Big Ten season and showcase Jared Sullinger, just one year removed from winning National Freshman of the Year.
The first game for the Buckeyes in the tournament came in the Round of 64, when they handily defeated the No. 15 seed Loyola, Md. Greyhounds by a final score of 78-59. In the round of 32, they similarly had little trouble knocking out the No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, 73-66, to advance to the Sweet 16. They met up with No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats in the regional semifinals and put up another decisive win, 81-66.
In the regional finals, the Buckeyes had by far their toughest challenge in the bracket, as they went up against the No. 1 Syracuse Orange, who entered the tournament as the second overall seed. In the end, the Buckeyes prevailed by a final score of 77-70 to send Syracuse backing and reach the Final Four.
If the Buckeyes want to make it to the championship game, they have another tough task ahead. They'll be taking on the No. 2 seed from the Midwest Region, the Kansas Jayhawks.
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