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2009-2010 Men's Basketball (Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Champions)

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majorpayne27;1572593; said:
Slightly troubling to hear Zisis is out of shape. With Dallas potentially out for the beginning of the year, we're probably going to need some minutes from him.

It will be nice to see some man-to-man this year. I still think we'll see the zone look for the majority of the time, but it's nice to have the option.
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I think by the beginning of the season that our backup center will be in shape to give us some minutes provided. I am pretty sure that Thad will make sure of that:wink2:

It will be interesting to see how much man-to-man they do play this year but they do have more depth so that will be very beneficial. I also won't be able to complain about the other teams getting wide-open threes:(
 
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Change of Plans: Bucks to Run More ?Man' in 2009-10
By Brandon Castel

For two years Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta has lived and died by the zone defense.

Convinced his young teams could not handle the rigors of man-to-man defense, Matta implemented a match up zone aimed primarily at protecting his young seven-foot stars Kosta Koufos (two years ago) and B.J. Mullens (last season).

With both players off toiling in the NBA, it looks like Matta and the Buckeyes could find themselves running less zone and more man during the 2009-10 season as they return every player on the roster besides Mullens.

"Yeah, I think so," said Ohio State's sixth-year head coach when asked if man-to-man will be the team's base defense this season.

"We played man-to-man every single day last year in practice. We spent quite a lot of time in August (going over) the concepts and what we were trying to get established."

The zone was a big part of what helped the Buckeyes win the post-season NIT title two years ago when they held teams to just 32 percent from behind the arc, but that number spiked to nearly 35 percent last season as teams appeared to have a better understanding of how to attack the OSU defense from the perimeter.

"We've all taken it as a challenge because last year we took a lot of criticism for the zone. We had been playing the zone for two years and teams started to pick up on it," said junior swing man Jon Diebler.

"We are embracing the challenge of learning how to play man-to-man. We've done a great job of listening to the coaches and picking up the concepts and conditioning ourselves for what it takes to play man-to-man."
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The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More
 
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OSU men's basketball: Rise and shine for morning practice
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Given his druthers, what young man would not choose to play instead of work, even if the play is really work in disguise?

So when class scheduling conflicts forced the Ohio State men's basketball team to practice in the morning this season, there was no dissent among the players.

"Even though I love school with all my heart," guard P.J. Hill said, smirking, "I just love getting up and getting my work in. I just feel like I'm starting my day off right. I love it. Great idea by Coach."

Actually, coach Thad Matta had little choice: Class conflicts affected not only his team but the women's basketball team, an athletic department spokesman said.

In contrast to recent seasons, when the men practiced at 3 p.m., they're starting at 8 a.m. this season. Their classes are scheduled in the afternoon.

The planned $20 million practice and office facility for the men's and women's programs, which includes a new practice gym for the men, would alleviate the teams having to schedule around each other. But construction cannot start until all necessary funds are committed.

Regardless, Matta isn't sure morning practice isn't a better way to go than the traditional after-school workouts. (The women's team is practicing from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. this season.)

"I want to see how it goes in the morning because we'll be able to feed our guys, give them a great meal at training table right after practice, then send them to class," he said.

"It kind of frees the guys up in the afternoon to handle their academics, and if we need to, we can come back sometimes to watch film or even walk through (in the evening). I think it's good for our guys."

It's not out of the ordinary, either. The players routinely train in the morning during the summer with strength and conditioning coach Dave Richardson, and their small-group skill sessions with coaches that started in September also began at 8 a.m. Full-squad practice started Oct.16.

"The way we've been doing it now, at 8, guys have been doing a great job coming in prepared and not sleepy-eyed," guard Jon Diebler said. "It'll help us. It'll help build a routine, force guys to go to bed earlier and get that routine set for when we go into the season."
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BuckeyeXtra - OSU men's basketball: Rise and shine for morning practice

Turner’s position switch leads to uncertain rotation
By Nick Otte
[email protected]
Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It’s no secret that the Ohio State men’s basketball team wants to run its offense through Evan Turner.

Coming off a season in which he led the team in nearly every offensive category, the junior will again be the Buckeyes’ focal point, but from a new position.

Turner, who spent the majority of his first two years as a forward, is expected to transition this season into OSU’s point guard position.

However, his move to the point creates a log jam on the Buckeyes’ roster. Both P.J. Hill and Jeremie Simmons played significant time at the position last season and there is debate where each will fit in this year.

Perhaps the easiest and most likely solution for Simmons, a senior, is to move him to shooting guard. The former junior-college transfer is thought to be one of the better outside shooters on the team, and said he expects to see time at both positions.

“[The coaches] still want me to play some point guard because I can handle the ball,” Simmons said, “but I think I’ll play a little more wing this year.”

It is also possible that because the Buckeyes plan to have a faster pace on offense this year, both Turner and another point guard could be on the court simultaneously, Simmons said.

“I like the up-tempo ball,” he said. “We can have two point guards out there at the same time because it’s like the spread offense. Everybody can bring up the ball.”

For Hill, also a former junior-college transfer, competing for play time is nothing new. He entered last season as a third-string point guard, behind both Simmons and Anthony Crater. But when Crater transferred out of the program after just 10 games, Hill found himself in competition for the starting spot.

In the team’s 26th game of the season, and the 49th game of Hill’s career, the senior made his first start. After waiting his turn for nearly two years, he appeared to be ready to take the reins as the Buckeyes’ point guard.

Now Hill might have to take a back seat again. It is inevitable that as Turner takes over the position, Hill will see less playing time than expected, but he said he fully supports the change.

“Evan, he’s real versatile and he can do a lot of stuff for us,” Hill said. “Coach [Matta] believes that, and I believe too, that wherever coach puts him at will be best for the team and will make us successful.”

While some may see the move as a demotion for Hill, he said being designated to a backup role is more positive than negative.

“It definitely doesn’t take away from my game,” Hill said. “It actually adds to it, because it makes me work harder and then be more productive in the time that I’m on the court.”
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http://www.thelantern.com/sports/turner-s-position-switch-leads-to-uncertain-rotation-1.832111
 
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Up-tempo offense and man-to-man defense sounds like it could be a fun season this year watching the Buckeyes.
In contrast to recent seasons, when the men practiced at 3 p.m., they're starting at 8 a.m. this season. Their classes are scheduled in the afternoon.
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One reason why I give props to the student athletes. Their student life really isn't their own.
 
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For once, Buckeyes boast basketball experience
BY RUSTY MILLER ? Associated Press ? October 29, 2009

COLUMBUS -- It's as if Ohio State coach Thad Matta has graduated from teaching kindergarten to advanced calculus.

For a change, he doesn't have a roster full of newbies. His starting center didn't move on to the pros. When he looks at his players he's not met by freshmen with blank stares and nervous smiles.

The Buckeyes are hardened veterans, with almost everyone from the 2008-09 team back including a couple of players who weren't able to play because of injury or because they were sitting out a year after transferring.

Matta, 127-46 in five years at Ohio State, has had freshmen dominate his team for the past three seasons. He relishes what lies ahead.

"This is the first time that I can honestly say that this team has been to every Big Ten venue," he said. "You look at last year's team, we went to play an ESPN GameDay game at Madison, Wis., on national television -- and not one of our players had ever played in the building before. So from that standpoint, the expectation is that they've been through it, they have an understanding of what needs to happen and how it needs to happen."

Back are all five starters from a 22-11 team, not counting captain and team defensive pillar David Lighty, who broke his foot seven games into the season and received a medical redshirt.
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For once, Buckeyes boast basketball experience | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | Zanesville Times Recorder
 
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Preseason basketball polls are much like preseason football polls, they don't mean much but it is nice to see 5 Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 25 and Illinois sitting right there at 27. The nice thing about Ohio State's schedule is that three of their nonconference games are played against teams that are ranked in the top 10 so perhaps we can climb quickly and it definitely will help our SOS come tournament selection time:)
 
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Don't discount Bucks and Illini in Big Ten race

Friday, October 30, 2009

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Illinois coach Bruce Weber didn't dismiss Michigan State's or Purdue's chances to win the Big Ten title or compete for a Final Four.

But he said it would be a mistake to dismiss Ohio State as a contender.

At Big Ten media day Thursday near O'Hare Airport, Weber reminded those sitting close to him that the Buckeyes are loaded. And they are, albeit with guards who will be somewhat interchangeable throughout the season.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta said he will start junior Evan Turner at the point. But don't really call Turner a point guard. He's a playmaker who will handle the ball, initiate the offense and ensure that fellow guards William Buford, Jon Diebler and David Lighty get their hands on the ball as well, before Turner likely gets it back on many a possession.

The ever-versatile Evan Turner will shift primarily to the point for the Buckeyes this season.

Turner was strictly a wing for the bronze-winning U.S. World University Games team this summer, with Penn State's Talor Battle and Villanova's Corey Fisher as the primary playmakers. But Turner was quick to remind me Thursday that he led that team in assists. He had 18, two more than Purdue's Robbie Hummel, five more than Battle and six more than Fisher. He also had only six turnovers, six less than Battle and 13 fewer than Fisher.

"I grew up as a point guard," said the 6-foot-7 Turner, who had team highs in assists (131) and turnovers (117) last season for the Buckeyes. "I'm out there trying to make plays. It's basketball."

Matta said he's already seen tremendous improvement in the six weeks since Turner arrived back on campus. He's handling the position without hesitation.

"He's a very good passer and he can get to the foul line," Matta said of Turner's ability to generate points with his team highs in free throws made (175) and attempted (222) last season. "He'll get other guys in position to succeed. The ball will come back to him."

Matta said Turner was used quite a bit as a point toward the end of last season. The coach said he doesn't care about labels.

"I'm not thinking of what could go wrong here as if I can't come up with anything else," Matta said. "It's not like, 'Oh man this is scary.' I like him being out there. It gives us great size, too."

The Buckeyes are in a position of flexibility because of the return of Lighty, who played in only seven games last season because of a broken foot.

"No pain at all," Lighty said of his current condition. "I've got my bounce back and I can cut without hurting."

Lighty said teams may have to double-team Turner at the point, opening up shots for the other guards like himself, Buford and Diebler. The Buckeyes will be a shooting team this season, with all four of these guards having the ability to knock down 3s, especially Buford and Diebler.

But for this to work well, OSU forward Dallas Lauderdale has to be playing.

Lauderdale broke a bone in his right hand in the preseason and had surgery to insert three screws in it. Matta said Lauderdale has been conditioning of late and should be back in practice next week with a cast, as well as a "quarterback jersey" so he doesn't get hit. But Matta said Lauderdale should be ready to play in the Nov. 9 opener against Alcorn State, and the coach would be stunned if Lauderdale isn't playing when the Buckeyes take on North Carolina at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 19 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
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Andy Katz's Daily Word: Watch out for Ohio State Buckeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten - ESPN
Updated: October 30, 2009
Team preview: Ohio State
Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 season, exclusively on Insider
Insider
Blue Ribbon Yearbook

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 334 Division I teams. To order the complete 2009-10 edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit Blue Ribbon Yearbook - BLUE RIBBON YEARBOOK ONLINE or call 1-877-807-4857.

(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM
Taken together, Thad Matta's five years at Ohio State can't be viewed as anything but wildly successful, especially at a place where football always has been and will be king.

Consider: ? Two Big Ten championships. ? A trip to the national title game. ? Twenty or more wins in every season, with a per-year average of 25.4. ? Tons of high-level talent rolling in, with more to come. Matta has what may end up as the nation's No. 1 recruiting class in 2010 -- anchored by yet another one-and-done-type center, hometown stud Jared Sullinger. "I'm pleased with where we are and with what's happened," Matta said. "I like the position we're in."

Yet since that NCAA championship game loss to Florida in 2007, Matta's program has been in what seems like a frantic state of transition. Six players have left Ohio State for the NBA since then, five of them early, including one-year centers Greg Oden in 2007, Kosta Koufos in 2008 and B.J. Mullens last June.

The Buckeyes followed up the NCAA runner-up season with an NIT bid, then got back to the NCAA tournament last season before a crushing first-round loss to Siena. Matta's roster has had very little continuity, which begs the question: Will he stop recruiting the elite players, as some coaches have done, and start focusing more on guys who will stick around for more than a year? "Absolutely not," he said. "I love the caliber of player we're bringing in. We lost three freshmen in five years, and three were from Ohio and two from Indiana where I'm from. We're going to continue to recruit those areas, it's that simple."

At times, Matta lets himself imagine what this year's starting lineup could have been: Mike Conley Jr. at point guard, Daequan Cook at shooting guard, Evan Turner at small forward, Koufos at power forward and Oden at center. And Mullens off the bench.
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Team preview: Ohio State - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
 
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I am putting this post here rather than in Evan Turner's thread because it affects and brings in the entire team.

Lee Caryer writes an excellent blog on Bucknuts on his reservations about playing Turner at the point. I think that he brings up some very valid points.

#1 P.J. Hill was doing a pretty good job at the end of last season running the point and why take away perhaps the best SF in the Big 10, if not the country, to play PG when Hill was being more than adequate at the end of last year.

#2 goes with #1 in that you are taking the best SF in the country and trying to play him at a position which he really hasn't played that much. Sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

#3 if we are going to play a lot of man to man defense who is going to guard the other teams quick PG. That certainly is not Turner's forte and you don't want to take Lighty away from the basket. He also makes a very good point about playing the zone defense. In that less athletic teams can beat teams who play a zone defense. That was proven quite a few times last season IMO

#4 Turner and the other three big guns can all play 30 minutes a game and when in the game play defense with more intensity knowing that they will not have to play the full 40 minutes.

He also brings up a very good point that Turner can be used like Jim Jackson and move to the PG at critical times during a game. Jackson was moved to the PG quite a bit during his playing days when it came down to crunch time.

If you are truly interested in a Ohio State basketball read, I would recommend reading this entire blog and then get right back to Buckeye Planet:)
 
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LitlBuck;1579656; said:
I am putting this post here rather than in Evan Turner's thread because it affects and brings in the entire team.

Lee Caryer writes an excellent blog on Bucknuts on his reservations about playing Turner at the point. I think that he brings up some very valid points.

#1 P.J. Hill was doing a pretty good job at the end of last season running the point and why take away perhaps the best SF in the Big 10, if not the country, to play PG when Hill was being more than adequate at the end of last year.

#2 goes with #1 in that you are taking the best SF in the country and trying to play him at a position which he really hasn't played that much. Sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

#3 if we are going to play a lot of man to man defense who is going to guard the other teams quick PG. That certainly is not Turner's forte and you don't want to take Lighty away from the basket. He also makes a very good point about playing the zone defense. In that less athletic teams can beat teams who play a zone defense. That was proven quite a few times last season IMO

#4 Turner and the other three big guns can all play 30 minutes a game and when in the game play defense with more intensity knowing that they will not have to play the full 40 minutes.

He also brings up a very good point that Turner can be used like Jim Jackson and move to the PG at critical times during a game. Jackson was moved to the PG quite a bit during his playing days when it came down to crunch time.

If you are truly interested in a Ohio State basketball read, I would recommend reading this entire blog and then get right back to Buckeye Planet:)
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It seems like to me that playing Turner at the point just saves us the time of trying to pass it to him once we get into our offense, he'll already have the ball.

Seriously though I think that the SF position is one of our deepest on the team. I would sacrifice some of PJ's minutes to get Lighty and Offut more time, as well as Buford in certain situations..
 
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OSU men's basketball: Big men available to spell Lauderdale
Sarikopoulos, Madsen to step up while center heals
Sunday, November 1, 2009
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

With Dallas Lauderdale expected to miss few if any regular-season games, coach Thad Matta said he is changing little if any of his plan for the Ohio State men's basketball team.

That does not mean the Buckeyes won't play differently with Zisis Sarikopoulos or Kyle Madsen at center instead of Lauderdale.

"We have three different styles of big men," forward David Lighty said.

Sarikopoulos and Madsen are expected to be fit for inspection Wednesday night when the Buckeyes play an exhibition game against Walsh in Value City Arena.

Lauderdale, meanwhile, will be out awhile longer with a broken bone in his right hand. There is "no chance" he will play against Walsh, a team spokesman said.

"I think they'll do fine holding the fort while I'm out," Lauderdale said.

Wednesday will be three weeks since Lauderdale had surgery to insert three screws in the bone to stabilize it. The initial prognosis was for him to miss four to six weeks. He will have the hand X-rayed this week.

"We've got him doing some things in practice," Matta said. "We put a quarterback jersey on him where nobody can hit him. He's able to condition. The hand therapy is going great. So hopefully we have him right around the opening of the season or right thereafter."

The opener is Nov. 9 against Alcorn State in Value City Arena.

While Lauderdale is out, the Buckeyes will play with two centers who have different strengths than the 6-foot-8, 255-pound junior, whose long arms and athleticism make him a potentially prodigious shot-blocker and rebounder.

Sarikopoulos, 7 feet and 265 pounds, is a third-year sophomore from Greece and well-schooled in the European style of post play.

"He's a very big body, very strong, and an excellent passer," Lauderdale said. "He's a threat down low because if you don't guard him, he will score, and if you double-team him, he'll find the open man."

Madsen, 6-9 and 240, is a fifth-year senior -- a first-year graduate student, actually -- from Dublin Coffman who can do more facing the basket than with his back to it.

"When he comes in, he does more popping to the corner and opens things up by hitting jump shots," said Evan Turner, the prime beneficiary of an uncongested lane. "And if somebody helps off (him) and you pass it to Kyle, he's not missing that baseline jumper. It's in there every single time."

Matta said Madsen "really shot the ball well" during preseason drills.
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BuckeyeXtra - OSU men's basketball: Big men available to spell Lauderdale
 
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