#2 Ohio State 64, Penn State 62 (Final)

[jimotis4heisman]

the reality is we have the same weaknesses we had two months ago. the things i pointed out then and some poeple were blind to them. now the ski is falling. the reality is we have improved in these areas, but treams scout to levels most of you wouldnt comprehend by this point in the season. matta runs a very small number of sets allowing teams to be even more prepared for teams in the regular season. the second time around even more so. though the way the schedule works this year is messed up this is "second time around" part of the season in my book. a team like psu is out the ncaas, the nit and and you can bet theyve been practicing for a week or two to "shock the world"

our weaknesses are improving, but at the same rate at this point teams are targeting those areas harder now than they did two months ago or even a couple weeks ago, this is from the amazing depth of sccouting inivolved. look at a team like msu they ran 60 or sets in the game against us, and you have to believe matta had them prepped on everyone. come tourney time this scouting and prep time doesnt exsit like it does in b10 play...

 

[Jaxbuck]

I still think that the measuring stick is the Wisky game...

If we would of won this game by 30 we would of all been excited, but what did it really prove...

I think this sums it all up pretty nicely. We all have theories and all are pretty well reasoned out and have some validity to them.

Regardless of all the stuff we are talking about however, this team is still an enigma due to the weakness of our B10 slate. We won't really know jack shit untill we play Wisky again and maybe won't even know then. You can go several different ways with interpreting the 3 losses on the road to 3 good teams. You can also go a couple of different ways with the way they have handled a pretty weak schedule outside of those 3 games. You can even start to debate how weak some of the B10 teams really are(Purdue, PSU and IU come to mind).

One minute I have the feeling this team isn't anywhere near as good as their record, ranking or eventual seeding. The next minute I can see them making aserious run IF they get a lot better, in a short amount of time, at the mental side of the game.

All in all one big fuck-if-I-know kind of team.

 

[LitlBuck]

Not trying to make excuses b/c I am just as upset as some of you are at the reason that it was actually close, but what the hell do you do when all of a sudden your same shots that you were making in the first half just arent falling and you feel, not to long ago I was knocking them shots down and then you see that same shot wide open again, you feel hell I made it a while ago and I know I can make it and I am open, and we need a little booster to get our team going, well hell I will just fire it up, and I think it will go.

Sorry, I had not read all the previous posts.

You say you're not making excuses but then you bring up the fact that the team is so young. Well, the young guys have had all season to become older. If they are still playing this game like they are still in high school then we are in big trouble.

I guess the thing that bothers me is that if the 3-point shot stops falling then you ought to have enough sense to try something else. There were a lot of intermediate jump shots that could have been taken last night but the guys settled for the three. Lewis and Harris are both seniors and should know better. I totally disagree with you when you say Harris has improved this year. I would have said that at the beginning of the season but not now. You also say that some players play better coming off of the bench and that's where Lewis was coming from last year.

For Luke Witte and Mark Wagner, I don't want to lose a basketball game ever at Minnesota. I still have hard feelings about that incident. With that being said, I guess we both want the team to succeed but have different opinions on how to go about it. So until we shove the Gophers into their rat hole I think we are beating this up pretty good.

Go Bucks!

 

[crazybuckfan40]

the reality is we have the same weaknesses we had two months ago. the things i pointed out then and some poeple were blind to them. now the ski is falling. the reality is we have improved in these areas, but treams scout to levels most of you wouldnt comprehend by this point in the season. matta runs a very small number of sets allowing teams to be even more prepared for teams in the regular season. the second time around even more so. though the way the schedule works this year is messed up this is "second time around" part of the season in my book. a team like psu is out the ncaas, the nit and and you can bet theyve been practicing for a week or two to "shock the world"

our weaknesses are improving, but at the same rate at this point teams are targeting those areas harder now than they did two months ago or even a couple weeks ago, this is from the amazing depth of sccouting inivolved. look at a team like msu they ran 60 or sets in the game against us, and you have to believe matta had them prepped on everyone. come tourney time this scouting and prep time doesnt exsit like it does in b10 play...

Exactally, and I kinda get the feeling that Matta much like Tressel tries to hide some stuff against weaker teams and just beats them with better talent...

All in all one big fuck-if-I-know kind of team.

Exactally...

Sorry, I had not read all the previous posts.

You say you're not making excuses but then you bring up the fact that the team is so young. Well, the young guys have had all season to become older. If they are still playing this game like they are still in high school then we are in big trouble.

I guess the thing that bothers me is that if the 3-point shot stops falling then you ought to have enough sense to try something else. There were a lot of intermediate jump shots that could have been taken last night but the guys settled for the three. Lewis and Harris are both seniors and should know better. I totally disagree with you when you say Harris has improved this year. I would have said that at the beginning of the season but not now. You also say that some players play better coming off of the bench and that's where Lewis was coming from last year.

For Luke Witte and Mark Wagner, I don't want to lose a basketball game ever at Minnesota. I still have hard feelings about that incident. With that being said, I guess we both want the team to succeed but have different opinions on how to go about it. So until we shove the Gophers into their rat hole I think we are beating this up pretty good.

Go Bucks!

I have been in games and those are your thoughts, it is easier for guys to sit back and say after the game attack the basket, don't shoot that shot, but in the heat of the moment, you always feel that shot is yours...

You have to feel that every shot you take is going to go in...If coach starts telling you that is a bad shot, when you are wide open and you have made them earlier in the game, one starts to think that coach doesnt have confidence in me...

 

[MaxBuck]

My concern is that, for the second year in a row, the Buckeyes' shooting proficiency is dropping like a stone as the season progresses. The personnel are different for the most part, so it's not just the specific individuals. And it cannot be a result of playing time, because our depth this year allows Butler and Lewis (the main holdovers with PT from 2005-06) to rest more than they could last year.

So what is the problem? Is it random, or is it a result of some coaching decisions? I don't know.

One problem I have is with the idea of "settling for the 3." It does, after all, count an extra point when you make one, so shooting them when you're open (if you're proficient at doing so) is usually a good idea. It isn't "settling" for anything.

 

[Bestbuck36]

We lose experience and gain ability if we exchange Cook for Lewis. You arent getting any less of a shooter by bringing Cook in and in fact may get a little more because Cook will bring in the mid range shot and take it to the basket. Cook will also get more rebounds. On defense its mostly a wash.

Hunter and Harris is a bit different but you have to take into account whom else is on the court as well. With Hunter in we have a monster low presence that he and Oden provide and I can see each game how they are getting more and more comfortable together. When Harris is on he provides a nice chance for a Buckeye run cause he really can heat it up. On the other hand that may be the biggest reason for him to come off the bench. After taking a pounding down low for 5 or 6 minutes you bring in Harris and maybe Lewis to build a quick lead with opportunistic shooting.

At the start of the game everyone should have fresh legs. Guarding the perimeter is easier with fresh legs, no shit right? Pound em early. Get the other teams in foul trouble for a change. Make the defenses sag the middle then substitute judiciously. Catch the other team sagging the middle with Lewis or Harris after dribble penetration by our points and increase the leads. If you watch our games again the first 8 minutes are always tight as the other team gets some midrange jumpers or even layups. Its not til Oden steps up and starts crushing people do we usually make a move. Why wait until 8 minutes in to do this? Add some support for Greg early with Hunter and get out in front early. Bring in our shooters at the 5 or 6 minute mark and build a double digit lead before Greg gets his first rest. With the talent on this team we can come at teams in waves. If we started to do more of that early, these lessers teams won't have the legs or the confidence late in the game for these shitty comebacks.

 

[Bestbuck36]

You have to feel that every shot you take is going to go in...If coach starts telling you that is a bad shot, when you are wide open and you have made them earlier in the game, one starts to think that coach doesnt have confidence in me...

Good statement. Basketball and baseball are a great deal about confidence. Football you can go on adrenaline and hatred alot but you have to be confident to make pressure shots in basketball. Now just tell our boys what it takes to play defense. Heart or pride mostly.

 

[BB73]

This thread seems to have many more comments about the second half than the 33-4 run the Buckeyes put up in the first. That's human nature, I guess.

I think the second half letdown can be a good learning experience. I know it happened before with the Spartans, but that was a good team with a veteran leader. Hopefully the PSU game will allow Thad to convince the youngsters of the importance of every possession, regardless of the opponent, before it costs the team in a tourney game.

I think those that criticized Matta's ability to coach, or make in-game adjustments, are kidding themselves as they vent some frustrations.

Hopefully all of the Buckeyes will be convinced to just leave the fricking ball alone after it goes through the basket. That was a turning point in the game.

The fact that PSU had only 3 team fouls in the first 19 minutes of the second half shows the lack of aggressiveness.

 

[LitlBuck]

This thread seems to have many more comments about the second half than the 33-4 run the Buckeyes put up in the first. That's human nature, I guess.

I think that's because it's a 40 minute game and we only played good for 20 minutes.