The Buckeyes seem to be adopting something of an underdog mentality despite being the seed-line favorite in their first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.
"We kind of got the memo that everybody's counting us out," senior forward Justin Ahrens said in an interview session Wednesday. "Coach (Chris Holtmann) gave us that message – not that he had to, because we kind of understood that."
Ohio State has dropped four of its past five games entering the Big Dance, and its early exit in last year's tournament may be a factor in some picking No. 10 seed Loyola to get past the Buckeyes in Pittsburgh on Friday.
But with more than a week off in between games, Ohio State will have more time to prepare for the Ramblers than its had during a hectic schedule to end the regular season and begin the Big Ten Tournament.
To hear what Holtmann, Ahrens, Cedric Russell and Malaki Branham said about their preparation, as well as the matchup in general, check out the videos above and below.
