#2 Ohio State 70, #15 Davidson 62 - NCAA Tournament (Final)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/17/06

Posted on Fri, Mar. 17, 2006
BUCKEYES SCOUTING REPORT

Ohio State vs. Davidson

Time: 12:15 today, University of Dayton Arena.

Records: Ohio State (25-5), Davidson (20-10).

Coaches: Thad Matta (45-17) is in his second season at Ohio State; Bob McKillop (282-212) is in his 17th year at Davidson.

Notebook: Davidson has lost to three teams in the 65-team tournament field, to Duke (84-55), Syracuse (90-80) and North Carolina (82-58). Davidson's last two opponents in the NCAAs, Ohio State (2002) and Michigan (1998), had to vacate their victories over the Wildcats for NCAA violations. All five of Davidson's legitimate NCAA victories came in the 1960s under coach Lefty Driesell. McKillop's son, Matt, a senior guard, is averaging 6.3 points per game, the lowest of his career, but hit 10-of-18 3s and averaged 12.0 points in three Southern Conference Tournament games. Senior guard/forward Brendan Winters leads the Wildcats in scoring (17.3 ppg, 20.7 in the conference tournament), while senior forward Ian Johnson is tops in rebounding (6.5 rpg, 7.0 tournament). Ohio State is 16-2 in NCAA openers, not counting four appearances from 1999-2002 that were vacated.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/17/06

Buckeyes confident with Matta

Friday, March 17, 2006


[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer[/FONT]




DAYTON - The Ohio State Buckeyes have something to say to those who consider them overrated and primed for a first-round NCAA upset at the hands of Davidson.

“To anyone who thinks that, all they have to do is look at Thad Matta’s past record in the NCAA tournament,” forward Matt Sylvester said. “He’s proven it time and time again. He’s one of the best in the country at getting his players ready for the NCAA tournament.”

Davidson Coach Bob McKillop agrees.

Asked what concerns him the most about playing the second-seeded Buckeyes (25-5), McKillop said, “They are extremely well coached and will be well prepared. They are not looking at this as a 15 (seed) versus a two.”

In other words, the big, bad Buckeyes from the Big Ten aren’t looking past the Wildcats (20-10), the champions of the Southern Conference, to a possible Sunday matchup with Big East bully Georgetown.

“I have been on that side before,” said Matta, who was an assistant coach on teams that were seeded 16, 14 and 12. “I understand that when the ball gets thrown up tomorrow you can throw those seeds out the window.”

Matta’s first Ohio State team went 20-12 last year but the school banned it from going to the tournament to mitigate NCAA sanctions for violations that occurred under his predecessor, Jim O’Brien.

The last time Matta took a team to the NCAA tournament two years ago, Xavier rode three senior stars — Romain Sato, Lionel Chalmers and Anthony Myles — to the regional final.

Matta is 6-4 in NCAA play.

“You are only as good as your leader,” forward J.J. Sullinger said.

This year’s Buckeyes are built along the same lines, with four senior starters — three in their fifth year. Terence Dials, the Big Ten’s player of the year, is the big man inside, with Sylvester, Sullinger and Je’Kel Foster filling in around him. The point guard is sophomore Jamar Butler.

The Buckeyes captured an outright Big Ten title for the first time in 14 years and have won seven of eight and 11 of 13.

Yet there are good reasons to think the Buckeyes may be vulnerable.

Foster led the nation in 3-point shooting for the first 21 games, but was just 2-for-24 behind the arc in the conference tournament.

The Buckeyes as a whole have not been shooting well, either. Over the last six games — granted, five of them were victories — they are shooting 40 percent from the field and 23 percent behind the arc.

With his father rebounding for him, Foster shot “approximately 1,000” shots to work on his technique and build his confidence. Foster is Ohio State’s best defender, but when he’s not making shots the Buckeyes aren’t the same team they were down the stretch in conference play.

“Even though Ohio State has been struggling (with its shooting) we still know they’re a great team,” Davidson forward Ian Johnson said. The last time both teams were in the NCAA tournament four years ago, they also met in the opening round. Davidson, seeded 13th, pushed the Buckeyes to the limit before falling, 69-64.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

3/17/06

If threes not falling, OSU will turn to defense

Rugged Big Ten games prepare Buckeyes to turn up the pressure

Friday, March 17, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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DAYTON — Six of the past seven years, the Big Ten has had at least one of the final eight teams standing in the NCAA Tournament. In three of those six years, including last year, it had two. The reason, in Jamar Butler’s expert opinion, is what happens in the 10 weeks leading up to the tournament. "The Big Ten’s very physical," the Ohio State point guard said. "It’s hard to score. If the offense isn’t going, you have to play defense and get wins that way.


"That’s why I think you see at least two Big Ten teams in the Elite Eight almost every year. I think that’s due to defense."

If the Big Ten-champion Buckeyes (25-5) are to be one of them this season, or even taste the Sweet 16, they might have to do it with their defense.

They enter their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament today — against 15 th-seeded Davidson (20-10) in University of Dayton Arena — with frosty shooting hands, having made 24.7 percent of their three-point attempts in their past nine games compared with 42.9 percent in the first 21. But they won seven of those nine games.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta said he thinks his team can still win without shooting well.

"I think it helps us when we make shots," Matta said, "but by no stretch do I think (we have to). We’ve beaten some great basketball teams not shooting the ball well. I’m proud of the fact we’ve done that. It’s the thing I’ve been harping on all year because you know there’s going to be days like that."

Matta routinely picked at the Buckeyes’ lack of "awareness" on defense through the first two to three months of the season. He hasn’t mentioned it as often the past month. They put together a watershed 40 minutes in beating Illinois on Feb. 12, and Matta called a 52-51 victory over Indiana in a Big Ten tournament semifinal last Saturday "one of the better" defensive games the Buckeyes have had this season.

"We’re still not 100 percent. There are still episodes," Matta said yesterday.

"But when you think back to January, playing Michigan State, and you have five miscues that lead to 12 points, I think we’ve cut those down.

"We’re getting better at being able to do two things at one time. I think our post defense has gotten better. I think we’re better at guarding the ball one-on-one. We’re just more active defensively. That’s been one of the major battle cries."

The Buckeyes led the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 73.4 points in conference games. But they also finished fourth in scoring defense (64.2), were the only conference team to hold opponents below 30 percent (28.3) three-point shooting and had the lowest turnover rate (11.1) in the conference, so the offense rarely put the defense in bad position.

"It makes things a lot easier on the big guys when the opposing guards have pressure on them," center Terence Dials said. "It definitely starts with the backcourt and . . . it gets contagious. Guys want to play defense and play a lot harder.

"We’ve gotten better at that as the season went on. Especially when we’re not shooting well, we have to play good defense to win games."

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he noticed a difference in the Buckeyes the second time the Spartans played them, on Feb. 22.

"You can’t live and die with the three-pointer. To win in the league or win in the tournament, you better be able to check somebody," Izzo said.

"This team has improved defensively. If they’re shooting the ball well, that makes them capable of making a legitimate run."

[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

3/17/06

Friday, March 17, 2006

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

3/17/06

Buckeyes get warm welcome in Miamisburg

OSU finishes game plan at high school gym

By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON | Ohio State will find out today whether it has home-court advantage for the NCAA tourney at UD Arena. But the Big Ten champs had plenty of fans on their side Thursday at the court they picked for their pregame tune-up.

The Buckeyes practiced for about 90 minutes at Miamisburg High School — a short jaunt from their hotel near the Dayton Mall — and students and staff turned the visit into an impromptu pep rally.

The gym was decorated with numerous posters, and coach Thad Matta and his players received a huge ovation while being escorted through the lunch room afterward.

"The principal played the Ohio State fight song (over the p.a. system), and the students stood up and cheered," first-year varsity basketball coach Brian Bales said.

Although the Buckeyes later practiced before the public for about 40 minutes at UD Arena, they put the finishing touches on their game plan for Davidson at Miamisburg. And for Bales, it was like being treated to a personal coaching clinic.

"I was so impressed with Ohio State's coaches," Bales said. "It's very easy to see why they're successful and why they're able to recruit the players they get. They're getting ready for the NCAA tournament, but they were very willing to talk to me and just share anything I wanted to know."

Having only known Matta from a distance, Bales gained a new appreciation for the approachable second-year coach after studying him up close.

"His biggest strength is his rapport with the players," Bales said. "It's something I want to model myself after. You can tell they want to play for him."

Contact Doug Harris at 225-2125.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta watches his team practice Thursday, March 16, 2006 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio for their first-round NCAA basketball tournament game against Davidson on Friday. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

A few pics from practice....

Ohio State guard J.J. Sullinger shoots during bsketballpractice Thursday, March 16, 2006, at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Ohio State plays Davidson Friday inthe first round of the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State guard Jamar Butler shoots during practice Thursday, March 16, 2006 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio for the team's first-round NCAA basketball tournament game against Davidson which takes place on Friday.
(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Ohio State center Terence Dials goes up for a basket during practice Thursday, March 16, 2006 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio for the team's first-round NCAA basketball tournament match up with Davidson on Friday.
(AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Ohio State coach Thad Matta watches his team practice Thursday, March 16, 2006 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio for their first-round NCAA basketball tournament game against Davidson on Friday.
(AP Photo/Al Behrman)

 

[BB73]

Tipoff in less than 1 hour.

O-H

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I-O

Just a quick note......Twigs is still a game time decision at this point.....

 

[rocketman]

O - H!

WTF is the CBS channel in the Tampa Bay area?!!

EDIT: FUCK! They don't have it on!

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

I-O!!

 

[Bucklion]

OH-

 

[BB73]

Foster's making nice decisions. I've gotta go to the bar. The Chicago station is switching to Wiscy.

 

[Zurp]

IO

Where's the updates?

 

[scarletandgrey]

GO BUCKS!!!!

 

[SanAntonioBuck]

13-12 tOSU, 12:30 left in 1st