Is Ohio State a team of destiny? Or just one playing too close to the edge?They were very fortunate to win this game. In the first half, Tennessee was simply magnificent. That was some of the best, prettiest, most entertaining basketball we've seen in a while.
Basketball could conceivably be defined this way:Â it's a sport where fans sit through a lot of bland competition and wait for a scintillating performance like that.
Unfortunately for them, UT couldn't keep it up, and Ohio State roared back. They were significantly down to Xavier over the weekend and pulled that one out, too.
Next up they'll get Memphis. The Tigers beat Texas A&M, 65-64, on free throws, which has been a problem this season. The battle for the Final Four should be spectacular.
In the West, Kansas barely survived Southern Illinois, 61-58, and UCLA outlasted Pitt, 64-55.
Friday nights games:
- 7:10 PM ETÂ No. 5 Butler at No. 1 Florida
- 7:27 PM ET No. 6 Vanderbilt at No. 2 Georgetown
- 9:40 PM ET No. 7 UNLV at No. 3 Oregon
- 9:57 PM ET No. 5 USC at No. 1 North Carolina
Florida has been doing the same thing Ohio State has, namely, cutting it close. Can Butler pull it off? We've been wrong a lot this year, but we'll stick with Florida. We'll take Vandy in the second game, Oregon in the third, and UNC in the nightcap.