OSU-ISU: When styles collide

DAYTON, Ohio - It's Iowa State's multipronged offense against Ohio State's multi-thorned defense.

Today's NCAA tournament West Regional third-round game (11:15 a.m., Central time, CBS) at the University of Dayton Arena pits two teams that both wear red, but don't look much alike.

The second-seeded Buckeyes, 27-7 and winners of their last nine games, rely on a power game and bellybutton defense. Tenth-seeded Iowa State, meanwhile, uses a spread-out offense and makes a nation-leading number of 3-pointers.

ISU scores 79.6 points per game, fourth-best in the country. OSU allows 58.3 points per game, 20th-best nationally.

The Cyclones need to do many things well today, probably on a par to what they did in their 76-58 second-round victory over Notre Dame here Friday night. Perhaps foremost: Protect the ball. They certainly did that against the Fighting Irish, with a mere six turnovers.

Ohio State averages 6.8 steals. It often seems as if junior guard Aaron Craft gets that many himself. He indeed had six Friday in OSU's 95-70 win over Iona. He has 72 this season. Teammate Shannon Scott has 62, and he hasn't started a game.

“Craft is as good as I've seen,” Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg said Saturday. “He's so good at dominating a game, and then with Scott together in the lineup - and the two of them are playing a lot together now - it's maybe the best defensive tandem in the backcourt in the country.

“I think the biggest thing for our guards in this game is making simple, easy plays. You can't go out there and try to get by (Craft) making a bunch of different dribble-type moves. He's too good. He'll flat out take the ball from you.”

The Cyclones also face an imposing OSU front line, quicker and with more hops than Notre Dame's. It starts with first-team All-Big Ten junior forward Deshaun Thomas and his 19.6 points a game. But sophomore Sam Thompson, who nearly blew the roof off the arena Friday with a one-hand jam on an alley-oop, has emerged as a force at both ends of the floor. He had 20 points against Iona.

Iowa State seeks to make its deepest foray in this tourney since 2000. Today's winner advances to the West's regional semifinals in Los Angeles Thursday night.

Ohio State has reached the Sweet 16 in each of the previous three seasons under Coach Thad Matta, including a Final Four appearance last year. The West has been rocked with upsets, so today's victor would be a serious Final Four contender. Arizona awaits the winner.

“We have to be as sound as we possibly can,” Matta said. “We're not going to stop them from making threes. You've just got to go play after play after play and do the best that we can.”

“If we can stay calm, stay collected, and continue to run our motion offense, be patient,” said ISU senior Chris Babb, “I think we'll be fine.”