BOSTON — Jared Sullinger often replays in his mind Ohio State’s Sweet 16 appearance last year.
He remembers the top-seeded Buckeyes going into the shootaround before the game against Kentucky — cocky, unfocused, prime upset material.
“We felt like we were Ohio State,” Sullinger said. “We were going to show up, and Kentucky was going to roll over.”
Kentucky won 62-60, and shortly thereafter Sullinger, the 2011 Big Ten freshman of the year, announced he would return for his sophomore season rather than enter the NBA draft. Tonight, Sullinger and the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7) get another chance at an Elite Eight berth when they take on sixth-seeded Cincinnati (26-10) in an NCAA East Regional semifinal.
Ohio State lost in a regional semifinal the last two seasons, and climbing over that wall is far more important to Sullinger than climbing in NBA draft stock.
“This decision was the best for me and my goals,” Sullinger said. “I want to leave, if I leave, winning. As long as we’re winning, I’m happy.”
The 6-foot-9 forward, named a first-team All-American on Tuesday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, has averaged 17.4 points and 9.1 rebounds to help the Buckeyes to 29 wins. To make it 30, he’ll have to push past a familiar foe playing for an unfamiliar opponent.
Despite sitting just a two-hour drive from each other, Ohio State and Cincinnati are meeting for only the second time since the 1962 national championship game. But Sullinger knows Bearcats forward Yancy Gates from high school ball in Ohio. Sullinger expects a physical, Big Ten-like matchup.
“I’ve been guarding a lot of good big men this season,” said Gates, who averages 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds. “It’ll just be another challenge.”
Sullinger had plenty of help on offense in the first two games of the tournament. Sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas scored 49 points, senior guard William Buford totaled 30 and sophomore guard Aaron Craft added 17 points and 10 assists in the third-round game against Gonzaga.
“It shows that when we do decide to open up and try to use our other weapons, that it makes it hard for teams to guard us,” Ohio State sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. said.
High-flying affair •PHOENIX — It’s a safe bet to expect an up-and-down game between Marquette (27-7) and Florida (25-10).
The Gators lead the nation in 3-pointers with 9.8 per game, and both teams average in the neighborhood of 76 points. Las Vegas set the over-under at 145½ — 16 points higher than any of the other three regional semifinals tonight.
Rim shot •BOSTON — Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, when asked about his team’s us-against-the-world mentality: “I don’t think it’s the whole world. Three-quarters, maybe. I think there are some people in China that aren’t upset with us.”
NCAA Tournament
MEN’S SWEET 16 PAIRINGS
Today’s games
East Regional, Boston (KCNC-4)
No. 1 Syracuse (33-2) vs. No. 4 Wisconsin (26-9), 5:15 p.m.
No. 2 Ohio State (29-7) vs. No. 6 Cincinnati (26-10), 7:45 p.m.
West Regional, Phoenix (TBS)
No. 1 Michigan State (29-7) vs. No. 4 Louisville (28-9), 5:47 p.m.
No. 3 Marquette (27-7) vs. No. 7 Florida (25-10), 8:17 p.m.
Friday’s games
South Regional, Atlanta (KCNC-4)
No. 3 Baylor (29-7) vs. No. 10 Xavier (23-12), 5:15 p.m.
No. 1 Kentucky (34-2) vs. No. 4 Indiana (27-8), 7:45 p.m.
Midwest Regional, St. Louis (TBS)
No. 1 North Carolina (31-5) vs. No. 13 Ohio (29-7), 5:47 p.m.
No. 11 N.C. State (24-12) vs. No. 2 Kansas (29-6), 8:17 p.m.
