An interesting new tidbit following Michigan’s dominant victory over Ohio State this weekend may suggest legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli played a role in that win.
The Buckeyes’ chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament in March have slowly been slipping away due to the team’s inconsistent play for much of the season. After winning six straight to start their 2025-26 campaign, they have gone 9-8.
However, their matchup on Sunday offered a massive opportunity to avoid a fourth straight year outside the tournament. This weekend, Ohio State welcomed rivals Michigan to the Schottenstein Center with a chance to elevate their tourney status in a big way if they could beat the top-five school in the college basketball rankings.
However, Spanish big man Aday Mara had the best game of his college career. The 7-foot-3 junior scored 24 points, pulled in six rebounds, and posted two blocks as he led a dominant 21-point victory for the Wolverines over the Buckeyes.
Ohio State bumped from the Schottenstein Center for Andrea Bocelli rehearsals?
Ohio State losing to Michigan this weekend wasn’t a stunner since the Wolverines are a title contender in 2026 and OSU is struggling. However, it might have been a little closer if the Buckeyes had not had their practice regimen messed up by a certain Italian legend.
Andrea Bocelli was in Columbus last week to kick off a 30th anniversary world tour. In a new edition of the Bill and Doug podcast, Columbus Dispatch reporter Adam Jardy revealed that the tenor was in the Schottenstein Center for much of the week to rehearse for the tour. Meaning Ohio State players were not allowed to practice in the arena like they normally would.
Did that change to Ohio State’s usual preparation, especially for such a huge game, affect how they played on Sunday? Probably not, but it certainly didn’t help. It also isn’t a great look for the university since the basketball team got bumped from a practice ahead of a huge game against Michigan so the tenor could practice his singing.
