The Edge

Coach: Thad Matta, five years at Ohio State, three years in NCAA tournament.

How they got here: At-large bid.

They'll keep winning if: They embrace their inner underdog. While beating Siena is no cinch, the Buckeyes were 10-1 this season against nonconference opponents, including victories against Miami (Fla.), Butler and Notre Dame. Ohio State was 11-0 when scoring 70 or more points and 18-4 when holding their opponents to fewer than 70 points. The Bucks were 16-2 when ahead at the half and were nearly impossible to overtake down the stretch, compiling a 19-1 record this year (113-5 under head coach Thad Matta) when leading with five minutes remaining.

Memorable moment: Ohio State erased a 14-point second-half deficit against then-No. 22 Miami (Fla.) in a 73-68 victory in Coral Gables, Fla., on Dec. 2 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. It was the Buckeyes' first road win against a ranked team since defeating Michigan State in 2006. Ohio State shot 55 percent (17-for-31) from the field in the second half, including 6-for-9 from 3-point range, and finished with nine steals and seven blocked shots. Sophomore guard Jon Diebler (6-6, 205) scored a game-high 20 points. It was the first of five wins against Top 25 foes for the Buckeyes.

Evan Turner

Go-to guys: Sophomore swingman Evan Turner (6-7, 205) garnered All-Big Ten and NABC All-District 5 first-team honors and led the Buckeyes in scoring (16.8), rebounding (6.9), assists (3.9) and steals in the regular season. He shot 51.6 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from behind the arc and tallied seven double-doubles. Guard William Buford (6-5, 190) was voted the Big Ten freshman of the year after leading all conference rookies with 11.1 points per game in the regular season. Buford scored in double digits 18 times and shot 92.5 percent (37-for-40) at the free-throw line. Freshman center B.J. Mullens (7-1, 275) was named Big Ten sixth man of the year after scoring 9.1 points per game and shooting 64.5 percent from the field (70.3 percent in league play).

Strengths: Ohio State entered the Big Ten tournament ranked 13th in the nation in field-goal percentage (48.4) and 18th in blocks (5.3 per game). In Division I, only Connecticut (12.2) and Central Connecticut State (14.7) committed fewer personal fouls per contest than the disciplined Buckeyes (14.8), who made more free throws (366) than their opponents attempted (364) in 29 regular-season games.

Weaknesses: The Buckeyes ranked 10th in the Big Ten in 3-point defense (36.1 percent) and their 233 3-pointers allowed were 25 more than their closest conference competitor. They are not at full strength, either. Junior wing David Lighty (9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds) has been sidelined since mid-December with a broken left foot and sophomore forward Nicola Kecman was lost for the season in January with a torn left ACL. Freshman point guard Anthony Crater, a top recruit, transferred to South Florida after just 10 games.

Coach: John Thompson III, four years at school, three years in NCAA Tournament.

How they got here: At-large bid; Midwest first round: def. No. 15 UMBC 66-47

They'll keep winning if: Unlike Davidson, which is reliant on sophomore Stephen Curry to score 25 a night -- or 40, as he did in a narrow first-round win over Gonzaga -- the Hoyas don't need Roy Hibbert to go for 20 and 10 every night to dominate. It's a good thing, because Hibbert is not that kind of player. The Hoyas have good depth and the guard play is better than most credit Georgetown for, not to mention the Hoyas play a style that will bother most teams in the bracket, unless they meet Wisconsin in the Sweet 16. If the Hoyas keep playing strong defense and making all the key plays in the final four minutes, as was typical in the regular season, Georgetown might challenge for a Final Four seat. The Hoyas aren't a team that blows out top opponents, but when the time comes to hit a shot or get a stop in the final seconds, Georgetown's veterans come through.

Memorable moment: Georgetown seemed to sleepwalk through the early season, and lost early tests against Memphis and Pittsburgh. But the team followed the Pitt loss by blowing out Notre Dame by 19 points in one of the few Georgetown games that didn't come down to the final few minutes. It's victory over Louisville in the Big East regular-season finale was more typical, as the team clinched the title with a three-point win.

Roy Hibbert

Go-to guys: Roy Hibbert is the All-American at center, and the player sure to be in the NBA next year. But Jonathan Wallace has been the guy who's taken most of the big shots for the Hoyas this season. He's such a good foul shooter that the ball is usually in his hands late in games.

Strengths: Georgetown is a veteran team that knows exactly what it has to do to win and exactly where everyone is supposed to be on the court. Jesse Sapp runs a solid, efficient point, and Jonathan Wallace and Austin Freeman can both score points in bunches. The Hoya defense pressures opponents into turnovers and bad shots, and usually controls the paint with Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing Jr. They rarely panic and always find the open man, and the Hoyas aren't going to beat themselves.

Weaknesses: The Hoyas sometimes struggle to score, particularly when Hibbert is less involved in the offense. The center can still get taken out of the game by determined opponents and has times when he's less inclined to be aggressive. Jonathan Wallace has been hot and cold from beyond the arc this season, and apart from Austin Freeman and DaJuan Summers, nobody is going to score on offense based on athleticism alone. The Hoyas also keep their opponents in the game most of the time, so every game seems to come down to the wire.

As a No. 13 seed last season, Siena knocked off Vandy. It's not at all a stretch for that to happen against Ohio State. The Saints are well-balanced and strong shooters from the perimeter, though not necessarily from 3-point range. The Buckeyes would be wise to take advantage of their size and wear down the Saints.