Ohio State up to No. 12 in AP Poll after Big Ten runners-up finish
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Despite a 33-point loss Sunday to now No. 2 Iowa in the Big Ten title game, the Ohio State Buckeyes ended this week moving up in the national rankings.
Ohio State (25-7, 11-4) has moved up two spots in the final AP poll before Selection Sunday as the No. 12 team in the country entering the NCAA Tournament. The move up comes after a week where the Buckeyes went 2-1 in the conference tournament in Minneapolis.
In its quarterfinal game, the four-seeded Buckeyes beat Michigan for a third time this season in a close battle 81-79. That set up a semifinal showdown with top-seed Indiana who Ohio State upset 79-75 after mounting the biggest comeback in Big Ten tournament history. The run came to end at the Target Center on Sunday when Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark notched a triple-double in the 105-72 victory over the Scarlet & Grey.
The Hawkeyes conference title moved them up to No. 2 in the AP poll while Indiana dropped just one spot to No. 3. Both teams look likely to be awarded No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tournament. Ohio State seems poised for a three or four seed, giving them home-court advantage for two possible March Madness games.
Selection Sunday, where the 68-team bracket is announced, takes place Sunday evening. The NCAA tournament's first round starts Mar. 17.
AP Poll (Mar. 6, 2023)
| 1 | South Carolina |
| 2 | Iowa |
| 3 | Indiana |
| 4 | Virginia Tech |
| 5 | Stanford |
| 6 | Maryland |
| 7 | UCONN |
| 8 | Utah |
| 9 | LSU |
| 10 | Villanova |
| 11 | Notre Dame |
| 12 | Ohio State |
| 13 | Duke |
| 14 | Oklahoma |
| 15 | Texas |
| 16 | Gonzaga |
| 17 | UCLA |
| 18 | Michigan |
| 19 | North Carolina |
| 20 | Colorado |
| 21 | UNLV |
| 22 | Washington State |
| 23 | Tennessee |
| 24 | Arizona |
| 25 | Middle Tennessee |