The #2 Ohio State (26-7) vs. #15 Iona (20-13) game will be a battle of two different offensive styles.

Big Ten basketball is known for a “first team to 50, wins the game” style of basketball. Iona has an offensive philosophy of “we’re trying to score 100 points, as fast as possible.”

Which team will dictate the pace of the game?

“America’s White Boy” favorite Aaron Craft could be this year’s tournament darling. (see: Adam Morrison, Stephen Curry)

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

The Ohio State Buckeyes had a solid Big Ten basketball season. They didn’t win their marquee non-conference games against Duke and Kansas, but they chocked up enough big wins in-conference. Most of their big wins came when it mattered. They’ve beaten Indiana, Michigan State (twice), Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin in the last month.

Fort Wayne, Indiana product Deshaun Thomas loves to shoot the ball. If Iona gets their way and speeds up the game, Thomas could score 40 points. Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr., and Sam Thompson could see a spike in their production as well.

The Iona Gaels have a bunch of scorers with David Laury rebounding their misses. Lamont Jones, Sean Marmand and Laury could all score 20+ points in any game.

Ohio State’s lack of an inside post player will not be a problem against the swiss cheese defense Iona bring the court. I predict Ohio State to control the pace for most of the game and beat Iona in a moderately average scoring game.

Prediction: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes

Need more basketball action? Check out Watch Like A Champion and get all of your hoop updates, trivia, and tournament talk! Then enter to win a Samsung 60″ LED TV, Galaxy Note Tablet, Panasonic Cordless Phone System, and One Year of Free Service through the Cox Ultimate Entertainment Sweepstakes! http://shout.lt/gD9t/