Top two seeds clash in Texas



The Buckeyes appear to be under more pressure than their opponent.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Ohio State and Memphis are seeded 1-2 in the South Regional, each boasting 33 wins and only three losses.
They have the nation's two longest winning streaks: 20 straight for the Buckeyes, 25 in a row for the Tigers.
Both are coming off gritty one-point wins.
So, going into their Final Four-or-bust matchup today (4:30 p.m./WKBN-27), who does the advantage go to?
Logic points to the Buckeyes because of the tougher road they've traveled -- having gone through a Big Ten schedule, as opposed to Conference USA for Memphis -- and the fact Ohio State has Greg Oden. Even if the fabulous freshman is coming off two rough games, that might only mean he's ready to take out his frustrations on someone.
Extra motivation
Plus, the Buckeyes have a little extra motivation in trying to deliver the national championship their football cohorts failed to bring back to campus.
The football-basketball ties have become stronger after their last two wins have featured miraculous comebacks and tight finishes, reminiscent of the '02 football team that won it all. Football coach Jim Tressel even sends frequent text messages to basketball coach Thad Matta.
Most of all, there are the expectations that come along with having been ranked No. 1 going into the tournament.
"There's no room for error now," said freshman point guard Mike Conley Jr., whose free throw with 6.5 seconds remaining provided the final point in an 85-84 victory over Tennessee Thursday night. "You have to pay attention in every scouting session and every time we watch film. There's no time for people to mess up right now."
Hmm. That sort of pressure might indicate the real advantage goes to Memphis.
The Tigers flaunted how loose they're feeling when they met with reporters Friday. The news conference bordered on slapstick at times.
Among the highlights: coach John Calipari making a bizarre comparison about buffaloes and geese going to the edge of a cliff, all sorts of references to the C-USA champs trying to crash the Final Four party and 6-foot-9, 260-pound Joey Dorsey proclaiming he has the physical edge over 7-foot, 270-pound Oden.
"I'm Goliath," Dorsey said, smiling wide. "He's the little man."
Dorsey knew he'd be asked a lot of questions about defending Oden, so he came prepared. He quickly mentioned that he averages more rebounds per game than Oden.
Of course, he didn't bother noting his lead is a not-so-whopping 0.38 per game. Or that Oden was ahead until grabbing a season-low three boards against Tennessee; one more and the big men would be tied.
"I'm going to outwork him to every ball," said Dorsey, who is built like Karl Malone. "I think I'm going to have like a 20-rebound night. Coach Cal said, 'This is going to be your breakout game.' "
Another good story not marred by facts is Calipari's take that everyone keeps waiting for Memphis to crumble.
Defying odds
"We may be the first Cinderella two-seed in the history of the tournament," Calipari quoted assistant Rod Strickland, the former NBA point guard, as saying.
Calipari went on to suggest that the NCAA and CBS don't want Memphis to win, although he said so with humor, not anger. When questions came back about why he thought those things, he smiled and noted that he never exactly said that.
But he didn't deny it.
"We're not in a BCS league," he said. "We're not one of those schools that's supposed to do this. We're doing it with an unorthodox style."
And?
"I kind of enjoy it."
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