NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) – Central Connecticut will have to beat the top-ranked team in the nation to make it past the first round.

The Blue Devils (22-11), who beat Sacred Heart 74-70 on Wednesday night to win the Northeast Conference tournament championship, were given a No. 16 seed Sunday in the NCAA’s South region. They will play top-seeded Ohio State (30-3) Thursday at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.

The Buckeyes beat Wisconsin Sunday to win the Big Ten tournament. Ohio State’s only losses were on the road to North Carolina, Florida and Wisconsin. Star freshman Greg Oden missed the first seven games of the season recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but he has been one of the most dominant players in the country since.

“It’s a major task and a challenge and we look forward to doing the best we can,” said Central coach Howie Dickenman. “Ohio State will know that they played a mentally tough team from New Britain called Central Connecticut.”

CCSU ran away with the Northeast Conference regular season championship, going 16-2 in league play and 9-0 at home. The Blue Devils play in a 3,200-seat gym, dress only nine players, and start nobody over 6-foot-7.

Mojica, a former walk-on who was named the NEC player of the year, averages about 17 points per game, as does Tristan Blackwood, a junior guard from Toronto. Obie Nwadike, the team’s power forward, is listed in the media guide as 6-4, but Dickenman acknowledges he’s much closer to 6-2.

Despite his height, he averages more than 14 points per game and 11 rebounds.

He’s the only player under 6-6 in the country ranked in the top 20 in rebounding.

This will be CCSU’s third trip to the NCAA tournament since 2000. They lost in the first round on both previous trips, 88-78 to Iowa State in 2000, and 71-54 to Pittsburgh in 2002.

AP-ES-03-11-07 2246EDT