GAME: No. 12 Missouri (22-11) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (24-7).

REGIONAL: West, Second Round.

TIME: Saturday, 3:20 p.m. EST.

SITE: The Pit; Albuquerque, N.M.

After whining before its opening-round NCAA tournament game, Ohio State is just happy to be playing in the second.

With their complaints behind them, the fourth-seeded Buckeyes meet 12th-seeded Missouri in a bid to advance to the round of 16.

Ohio State grabbed a piece of the Big Ten's regular-season championship with Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The Buckeyes followed it up with a conference tournament title.

But they believe they were slighted by the NCAA selection committee, which gave the Buckeyes a fourth seed and sent them to Albuquerque, N.M., in the West Region. Meanwhile, Illinois was also given a fourth seed and played close to home in Chicago in the Midwest Region.

The Buckeyes let their grievances be known, but they changed their tune after Thursday's 69-64 scare against 13th-seeded Davidson. In the victory, Brian Brown scored a career-high 33 points and Terence Dials added 18 for Ohio State.

"Albuquerque is somewhere I've never been before," said Brown, who shot 13-for-19 and eclipsed his career high of 27 points. "We are very happy to be moving on."

After being upset by Utah State in the first round last season, Ohio State, making its fourth straight trip to the NCAAs, seeks its first Sweet 16 appearance in since 1999.

"I was a little surprised at how that worked out," coach Jim O'Brien said. "Let me make this perfectly clear: If you would have told us in December we were going to be a fourth seed anywhere, we would've jumped up and down like you can't believe."

"We did not play with a chip on our shoulders," he said. "We are not up on a soap opera about seeding. I mean, 'soap box."'

Missouri was just happy to get a bid to the tournament after winning its first nine games but ending the season with 11 losses in 23 contests. The Tigers went from the No. 2 ranking in December to not getting a vote in either poll at the end of the season.

However, they regrouped Thursday in a 93-80 win over fifth-seeded Miami. Clarence Gilbert led the Tigers with 20 points, Rickey Paulding netted 16 and Kareem Rush added 15.

"I think this team is playing its best basketball now," said Missouri coach Quin Snyder. "There's been a higher level of commitment."

Also making its fourth straight NCAA appearance, Missouri is looking to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Missouri - F Travon Bryant (6.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg), F Paulding (11.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg), C Arthur Johnson (12.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg), G Rush (19.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg), G Gilbert (17.1 ppg, 3.2 apg). Ohio State - F Dials (6.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg), F Zach Williams (9.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), G Brown (16.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg), G Brent Darby (13.0 ppg, 2.8 apg), G Boban Savovic (12.1 ppg, 3.8 apg).

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Missouri - At-large bid, Big 12. Ohio State - Automatic bid, Big Ten champion.

ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Missouri - 15-19, 20 years. Ohio State - 37-19, 21 years.

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