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12/28/05
12/28/05
OSU MEN’S BASKETBALL
Non-major Gardner-Webb can be major pain
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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One week before the start of the Big Ten men’s basketball season, Ohio State is still undefeated and, for the first time in four years, nationally ranked. But the Buckeyes are still somewhat of a mystery.
Either their nonconference menu of mid-majors has proved meatier than it used to — six of their eight wins are by 10 points or fewer — or their time of reckoning is just around the corner.
"I’m going to shoot you straight. We’ve got a lot of things to work on," center Terence Dials said yesterday. "But I also think the teams that have come in, a few of them are (NCAA) Tournament-bound."
That might also describe the team coming into Value City Arena tonight.
Gardner-Webb was voted the preseason favorite in the Atlantic Sun Conference. It returns all of its starters from an 18-12 team that shared the league championship last season.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs opened with an 83-80 loss at North Carolina. The Tar Heels made a threepoint basket with 1.8 seconds left to win. Little more than a week later, a three-point play by guard T.J. McCullough with 3.2 seconds left gave the Bulldogs a 73-72 win at Minnesota, which was without its best player, injured guard Vincent Grier.
In other words, Gardner-Webb looks like another land mine waiting to blow up the Buckeyes’ streak of 67 consecutive home wins against non-major opponents. The last loss was to Bowling Green on Dec. 22, 1994, in St. John Arena.
"They’re no cupcake," Dials said.
Coach Thad Matta said that was his intent when he put together the schedule. The Buckeyes have been taken to the wire by Butler (overtime), Belmont and Tennessee State.
"I want us to compete," Matta said, "because I think that’s one of the biggest things we’re still trying to establish here, that level of competitiveness and that attitude of preparing and what it takes to be successful.
"The good thing is, in eight games, we’ve seen a lot of different scenarios. I don’t think we’ve gotten too much fool’s gold from teams."
J.J. Sullinger said Matta warned the four senior co-captains when he showed them the schedule before the season that it was not as soft as it might appear.
"He said, ‘Listen, you might not know where these teams are located or who they are, but they can play. You need to know that and you need to tell the rest of the team that,’ " Sullinger said. "So we knew from the very beginning that no team was going to be like a night off for us. We knew we were going to have to do more than just show up and play."
Last Friday during a 74-65 win over Tennessee State might have been the first time the Buckeyes did not heed the warning. Matta blamed a defensive effort that he said has been on the wane lately.
"Anytime you get a taste of success, young people tend to veer off from what got you there," Sullinger said. "I think our minds are back on track and we’ll take care of the loose ends. But we almost learned a lesson from it, and it would have been a tough lesson, being ranked for the first time and then all of a sudden you’re back out of it."
Matta said he plans to continue to upgrade future nonconference schedules to the point that the Buckeyes someday will play more homeand-home series against higher-profile opponents and fewer one-and-dones against obscure mid-majors. Before that can happen, however, attendance in Value City Arena must increase so the program can meet its budgetary goals even when it plays fewer home games than it does now.
"We’re not there yet," Matta said, "but I think it’s coming."
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
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. Lets go Bucks. hopefully there will be other fans there looking to make some noise.
