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2011-2012 Men's Buckeye Basketball (Final Four Season)

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Ozone media day pics...

http://photo.the-ozone.net/default....000&PhotographerID=0&RowCount=12&PageNumber=1
 
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Goodman Preseason Tour: Thoughts from Ohio State
Posted on: October 18, 2011
By Jeff Goodman

- Deshaun Thomas' body received a Sullinger-esque makeover. While the plan was for him to bulk up when he arrived on campus, that didn't work - and he lost about 10 pounds and is now able to do more than just shoot the ball (that's still his bread and butter). I'm not sure that Thomas isn't the key to this team, because Ohio State needs a big-time shooter to replace Jon Diebler - and Thomas is capable.

- Matta wants - and needs - William Buford to be more aggressive and get to the line with more frequency. He's the lone upperclassman who has played on this team and needs to become more assertive than he's been in the past.

- The most surprising performance came from Lenzelle Smith, a seldom-used guard a year ago who may just be the frontrunner to earn the fifth and final spot to start this season. The other four will almost certainly go to Sullinger, Buford, Craft and Thomas. However, Smith has shot it well, he's strong, athletic, plays with a motor and can defend. "I need him to be out Ronald Nored," Matta said. That's a high expectation, but Smith can be a quality glue guy who brings multiple assets to the table this year.

- Don't be shocked if Matta throws Craft and freshman point guard Shannon Scott out there together at times. They are both small floor leaders, but both shoot it well enough - and Craft is about as good of a defender as you'll find, so the Buckeyes could probably get away with it on the defensive end.

- Matta called freshman forward Sam Thompson the "most athletic player I've ever coached." It's easy to see why. He's a high-flyer, but his skill level is further along than many people gave him credit for. Plus, Thompson is a high IQ guy - so look for him to get playing time this season. "It's freakish," Matta said of Thompson's athletic ability.

- One of the new big men will need to step up to take the minutes vacated by veteran Dallas Lauderdale. The candidates: BC transfer Evan Ravenel and freshmen Amir Williams and Trey McDonald. Right now the minutes would go to Ravenel because of his experience, but the 6-foot-11 Williams could catch him - if he learns to play hard - later in the year. "I think Amir can help us rebound the ball and affecting shot around the basket," Matta said. "He's still learning."

- Sophomore J.D. Weatherspoon has the athletic ability, but will also need to play hard consistently to get in the rotation.

- Ohio State assistant Chris Jent is a huge addition to this coaching staff, replacing Brandon Miller - who left the business. Jent said he wouldn't have left the Cleveland Cavs if it wasn't for the combination of Matta and being at his alma mater. He also said it'll allow him to be a more well-rounded coach. "It's an opportunity to coach the other side of the ball," said Jent, who was coaching the defense with the Cavs.
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http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/32802089
 
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Ohio State men's basketball: Coaches search for Lighty-like performer
By Bob Baptist
The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday October 19, 2011

Thad Matta is like Linus without his blanket right now.

He had it for five years, but it?s gone for good, and the Ohio State basketball coach is searching for a replacement as the Buckeyes reinvent themselves for a new season.

?I think the biggest void we?re going to have to fill is Dave Lighty on defense,? guard Aaron Craft said. ?He covered up a lot of mistakes that other people made just by how hard he played.?

While Greg Oden recovered from wrist surgery in 2006, Lighty began his freshman year in the starting lineup because he was active and tough enough to guard power forwards. At one point or another during his career, he guarded all five positions.

?He?d get switched on a guy in a game,? Matta said, ?and I was like, ?I don?t care. He can guard anybody.? ?

Asked last week, before the start of preseason practice, if he has anyone like that on this team, Matta said, ?We?re working on that. That?s something we?re challenging these guys with.?

Jordan Sibert, Lenzelle Smith Jr. and J.D. Weatherspoon are among those being challenged.

cont....
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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/10/19/coaches-search-for-lighty-like-performer.html
 
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Luke Winn's Top 16 Frontcourts
Ohio State
#3

Jared Sullinger, DeShaun Thomas, Amir Williams, Trey McDonald
Opponents had a miserable time trying to stop Sullinger during his freshman year; he spent the whole offseason shedding body fat, which means he'll be far less likely to tire late in games. Beware: Thomas, who had limited minutes off the bench as a freshman, should assume a big scoring role.
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Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mu...-16-frontcourts/content.14.html#ixzz1bGB4xJSY

Luke Winn's Top 16 Backcourts
Ohio State
#4

Aaron Craft, William Buford, Jordan Sibert, Lenzelle Smith Jr.
Craft is a tenacious, on-ball defender who made the Big Ten's All-Defensive Team (and was named the league's top sixth man) as a freshman. Buford, the team's best backcourt scorer and second-best NBA prospect after Jared Sullinger, passed on the draft to make another run at a national championship.
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Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mu...p-16-backcourts/content.13.html#ixzz1bGBKev32
 
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- The most surprising performance came from Lenzelle Smith, a seldom-used guard a year ago who may just be the frontrunner to earn the fifth and final spot to start this season. The other four will almost certainly go to Sullinger, Buford, Craft and Thomas. However, Smith has shot it well, he's strong, athletic, plays with a motor and can defend. "I need him to be out Ronald Nored," Matta said. That's a high expectation, but Smith can be a quality glue guy who brings multiple assets to the table this year.
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Anybody else shocked by this???
 
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NINJA BUCK13;2016425; said:
Anybody else shocked by this???
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Not really. That 5th spot was WIDE open. Lenzelle is a really solid all-around player and it was widely specualted that it would be a good ball handler that got that 5th spot (like Scott), but Lenzelle can really score as well. The fact that he was seldom used last year had MUCH more to do with the fact that he missed the entire preseason and a small portion of the year last year recovering from injury. Like I said in his thread earlier, excited to see how he plays this year. I think he's going to do really well.
 
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starBUCKS;2016626; said:
Trey looks like a big boy.
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Yea he is. Did you mean Amir? He's a biggie too. He's up to 6'11/245.

Trey's big in the upper body. I think he has s bright future. Should be a solid rotation player by his RS-Soph season or even sooner if some of our bigs leave early and Parker/Coleman don't commit.






*Ravenel will be a very solid player this season. Look for about 4ppg & 4rebs.
 
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Buckeyes are #3 in the Coache's Poll
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/usatpoll.htm

Also, Mark Titus wrote an article about OSU for Grantland:
Why Ohio State Will Win the National Championship
Club Trillion weighs in on the Buckeyes' hopes this season

By Mark Titus POSTED OCTOBER 20, 2011

I can't believe I agreed to do this. As a lifelong fan of two of the most tortured franchises in all of sports (Cubs and Vikings), I should know better than to jinx my team by publicly declaring that it is the favorite to win the title before the season even starts. It goes against everything I believe in, and all but guarantees that this season will end with nothing but colossal disappointment. Yet here I am, inexcusably about to explain why Ohio State is the team to beat in college basketball this year.
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http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7123675/why-ohio-state-win-national-championship
 
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