NCAA Tournament: Arizona meets Ohio State in a Revenge Match

NCAA Tournament: Round 3 – Arizona Wildcats will Play Ohio State on Saturday at 2:15 PM PST/MST on CBS in a revenge match, oh and by the way, the coaches are close friends!

Mar 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward LaQuinton Ross (10) shoots the game-winning shot against Arizona Wildcats guard Mark Lyons (2) during the second half of the semifinals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Staples Center. Ohio State defeated Arizona 73-70. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Why is this a “revenge” match?

We have been here before, but it was 2013 at the Staples Center for the Sweet Sixteen game against Ohio State and Coach Thad Matta. After a fierce battle, the Buckeyes ended up on top and moved on to the Elite Eight, the score was 73-70; a three point win.  Yes, the score was close, very close, only one “three point basket” close.  Unfortunately it was scored with seconds to go by Ohio State’s LaQuinton Ross.

I remember it like it was yesterday, the Wildcats and Buckeyes were tied at 70-70, we all thought the game was going into overtime, but by some miracle Ohio State’s Ross came down the court, pulled up beyond that arc and shot a three, it went in!

Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats were probably guarding Aaron Craft , Ohio State’s star player at the time, and even though there was a man on Ross, and the thousands of Wildcat fans in the lower bowl were praying, the ball sailed through the net and hushed the crowd.  There are only two players on the current Wildcats roster that remember how it felt; Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley.  Kaleb and Brandon were held to only 4 points against the Buckeyes in the game while T.J. McConnell was sitting at home watching.

The Coaches of both teams have coached together before:

That last game in 2013 was the second time Thad Matta (played for Butler) and Sean Miller (played for Pittsburgh) had met. Their friendship goes back 20+ years as they coached together at Miami of Ohio and Xavier.  Coach Miller left Xavier to be the Head Coach of Arizona. They have met twice in the NCAA tournament, this last game and a second-round NCAA tournament game in 2007.

Mar 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Solomon Hill (44, left) dribbles against Ohio State Buckeyes forward Deshaun Thomas (1) during the second half of the semifinals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Staples Center. Ohio State defeated Arizona 73-70. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

These two coaches were so close, that when Thad Matta left Miami of Ohio under Herb Sendek for Xavier in 2001 to be the Head Coach, he hired Sean Miller as his top assistant. Matta had let Miller, his then pregnant wife and two sons move in with him for a couple weeks to help the deal go through while the Millers looked for a house.

Coach Matta knew why he won that last game. According to Bill Livingston, writer for Cleveland.com, here is what he said after the game in March 2013:

"“The difference in that game and this one was that I had coached those guys at Xavier and recruited a lot of them,” said Matta. “So that was just so unique in itself, that you’re looking out and seeing guys that I coached a couple of years earlier in the Elite Eight, and now I’m coaching against them.”"

Thad Matta coached headed up the Xavier program for three years, then left Xavier good hands with Sean Miller. Both coaches used the Xavier head coaching job as a stepping stone: Matta went to Ohio State, and  five years later Coach Miller went to the Arizona Wildcats.

Brian Jeffries and Ryan Hansen from the IMG Network pregame analysis:

Basically, it will come down to rebounding and if Arizona can guard D’Angelo Russell, a 6’5″ guard, a McDonald’s All-American, make more rebounds and force turn-overs.

Fansided’s Jackson Flickenger of Ohio State’s “Scarlet and Game” site had this to say about the upcoming Arizona vs. Ohio State game:

“Ohio State showed resiliency against VCU. They also proved how good they can be when all they are on the top of their game. Arizona is going to be a tough team to beat, but you never know what could happen this time of the year. You always have a chance to win when D’Angelo Russell is on your team.”

Brandon Ashley and T.J. McConnell took to the microphones to answer questions on the upcoming Ohio State Round 3 game –

They talk about the two coaches, S

tanley Johnson

and LeBron references from yesterday and how to win the game tomorrow.

The Players have done their homework, here from them on the upcoming game:
  Arizona Wildcats Men’s Basketball, A Players Program (@aplayersprogram), summed up all the key data for us nicely in the following tweet:

Our prediction:

Arizona 68 Ohio State 61, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson defending D’Angelo Russell.

Next: What are the Experts saying about Arizona in the NCAA Tournament?