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

[TooTall]

It's kinda scary to think about that article, THEN think what LaQuinton Ross will do to prove that article wrong. We have so much depth, it isn't even funny. Well, maybe a little funny. :p

 

[kippy1040]

I feel like he's giving certain players large minutes in some games and zero minutes in others. For example, Weatherspoon, Amir, Sibert, and Thompson all have had games where they got a good 15 minutes (not because of injury or blowout). As if to see how they'd play given rotation minutes instead of them all only getting 4-5 minutes a game.

I agree here with this. This is about the most depth of talent that i have ever seen here at Ohio State. It's a blessing in a way but it could be bad in a way, if he (Thad Matta) can't keep these guys happy in thier rotating roles that he has them in. And now with the issues that Sullinger is dealing with, then Coach has no choice to but to try and convince all these guys that their roles are more important than ever.

Amir williams and Ravenell have to realize thier playing time will have to go into a higher gear until Sullinger can get back into comfort mode and playing stronger. I see so much potential in weatherspoon also. I just hope Thad has a good game plan in regards to utilizing these guys. They all kind of remind me of the Fab 5 from michigan back in the 90's. And thats saying something.

 

[LitlBuck]

Matta acknowledged after the Miami game that, with Sullinger in and out of games and practices because of injuries the past month, the offense has regressed since kicking Duke?s butt on Nov. 29. Pollsters seemingly understand, having kept the Buckeyes at No. 2 even after their loss at Kansas, without Sullinger, on Dec. 10. January will give them a chance to regain their edge against a slate of teams expected to finish in the lower half of the Big Ten standings.

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Ohio State?s defense is the second-most efficient in the country to Wisconsin?s, according to the Pomeroy ratings. The Buckeyes thrive off creating turnovers and limiting opponents? rebounds and free throws.
Lamar did not make a three-point field goal, the first OSU opponent to toss a bagel from behind the arc since Connecticut in the 1992 NCAA Tournament.

Aaron Craft ranks among the top 10 nationally in steals per game and is the straw that stirs his teammates on defense. He also has a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Deshaun Thomas has a Big Ten-leading 82 field goals and is shooting 54.3 percent from the field.

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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/12/26/osu-mbk-insider-12-26-gvkfd96k-1.html​

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3-n67RQnrU"]Matta, Buford, Craft ready to start B1G play - YouTube[/ame]

 

[LitlBuck]

Was it the officials?

Or does the Ohio State men?s basketball team need to do a better job of defending without fouling?

Coach Thad Matta can?t answer the first question, at least on the record, or the Big Ten will garnish a fraction of his wages.

As for the second, two games into the conference season might be too small a sample to reach any conclusions.

But in those two games, a team that traditionally under Matta has committed among the fewest fouls of any Big Ten team has committed among the most, including 22 in a loss on Saturday at Indiana in which Ohio State?s three top scorers were burdened by foul trouble.
?I don?t know if I see a pattern just yet,? Matta said yesterday before the Buckeyes practiced for a game tonight against Nebraska in Value City Arena. ?But we have to do a better job of not fouling.?

Ohio State is ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll, a fall of four spots after the loss to the Hoosiers.

In the past five seasons, the Buckeyes have been whistled for the fewest or second-fewest fouls in conference play. Their average in any of those seasons was not more than 15.4 per game, which they averaged last season.
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?That?s always something we?ve tried to get accomplished,? said Matta, whose defenses have been among the stingiest in the Big Ten during that time.

But Ohio State?s first two conference games last week, against Northwestern and Indiana, had more fouls called on both teams ? 39 and 42, respectively ? than in any of the other 10 games played, and only Northwestern (40) finished the first week of play with more fouls than Ohio State (39).

And that was with the Buckeyes intentionally shying away from contact in the second half at Indiana as Jared Sullinger and William Buford played with three and four fouls.

?Coach Matta told me just don?t foul, give it up,? Sullinger said afterward. ?That obviously played a role in the game.?

Indiana scored on 16 of 24 possessions, and 33 of its 41 second-half points, after Sullinger was called for his third foul with 12:22 left in the game.

The 22 fouls on the Buckeyes matched their season high in a 78-67 loss at Kansas, a game in which they intentionally fouled four times in the last 1:26.

more
http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/01/03/matta-buckeyes-must-reduce-fouls.html

 

[LitlBuck]

By Bob Baptist

Thad Matta had a telling answer on his radio call-in show this week when asked if he has any players this season who practiced like David Lighty did.

?Nope,? the Ohio State men?s basketball coach said, ?and that?s what drives me insane.?

It is a coaching axiom that teams, and players, play as they practice. Seasoned teams, such as last year?s Buckeyes, usually bear the fruits of their labor. With Lighty among three seniors leading the way, Ohio State won the Big Ten championship, the conference tournament and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

?It was something I was fortunate enough to see and experience as a freshman,? sophomore guard Aaron Craft said.

About half this team didn?t, though, and thus has had to learn some of it the hard way.

?We?ve probably practiced this team harder than most teams that we?ve had,? Matta said after the No. 6 Buckeyes routed Nebraska on Tuesday, ?and a lot of that has to do with the youthfulness and the immaturity of this team, and not quite understanding the level that they must compete at.?

Some of that immaturity could have factored into the loss at Indiana last Saturday.

ESPN analyst Dan Dakich said during the Indiana-Michigan telecast on Thursday that Matta had told him he had to get on his team the day before Ohio State played the Hoosiers. Dakich also said he thought the Buckeyes were acting ?silly? as they went through pregame warm-ups.

more
http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/01/07/buckeyes-learning-importance-of-practice.html

 

[Bestbuck36]

I was looking at box scores today and noticed that Syracuse has 20 players on their roster. The Buckeyes have 14. What is the reason for that kind of differential? Its hard enough getting playing time for 10 players let alone 20

 

[heisman]

I was looking at box scores today and noticed that Syracuse has 20 players on their roster. The Buckeyes have 14. What is the reason for that kind of differential? Its hard enough getting playing time for 10 players let alone 20

Scholarship limit is 13, so they must have 7 walk-ons. I think our only walk-on is Alex Rogers.

 

[DZ83CK]

I was looking at box scores today and noticed that Syracuse has 20 players on their roster. The Buckeyes have 14. What is the reason for that kind of differential?

Nobody wanted to be the ball boy. Needed replacements.

 

[buckeyeinfla]

why don't I fear playing at Illinois tomorrow? I was more concerned about Iowa than illinois

 

[Bestbuck36]

Could be because our boys are awesome when they have their heads on straight.


Defense. If they play like they did vs Iowa, we'll run over Illinois on our way back to Columbus to jackstomp Indiana. If they play like they have other things on their minds, it'll be an acid indigestion game with a very narrow outcome.

Is Buford going to get his head out this game is a question also.

 

[Buckskin86]

Is this why Buckeyes are fouling?

The first half at Iowa on Saturday looked like a replay of seven days before at Indiana when Ohio State began accumulating fouls and three starters headed for the bench with two apiece.

The Buckeyes handled the burden much better against the Hawkeyes, so it wasn't the issue after a 29-point win that it was after the four-point loss to the Hoosiers.

But the question remained: Why did the Buckeyes, traditionally among the teams committing the fewest fouls nationally, suddenly get rung up in their first two Big Ten road games?

"In the Big Ten, you know you?re going to have some homemade calls," Jared Sullinger said.

But Iowa coach Fran McCaffery suggested the Buckeyes brought it on themselves, at least against his team.

"The first half, they were really physical," McCaffery said. "They committed 10 fouls. Or, should I say, 10 were called?"

That provokes another question: Is Ohio State playing more physically on defense because, with coach Thad Matta using his bench more, it can afford to because it has more fouls to give?

"Last year, we had trouble stopping them but we could score against them," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said yesterday.

cont..

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/...012/01/01-09-12-why-are-buckeyes-fouling.html

 

[korchiki]

This team is really missing Diebler. The entry pass from other guys to Sully isn't working. No one can consistently knock down the 3 so the defender is cheating low to double Sully.

Tough game. Hope we can learn from it.

 

[CHU]

Don't know to feel happy or sad when people rush the court multiple times when they beat you at home.

It's either happy because you've made it or sad that your team lost.

I remember 8-22 seasons (O'Brien's first year).

 

[Buckskin86]

Frustrated introspection isn't unusual for Ohio State basketball: Doug Lesmerises analysis
Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS -- "One problem we have is that we just sit back and wait for somebody else to do something," said the Ohio State point guard.

"Me and coach talked and we don't know what we can do to get guys ready to go night in and night out. I mean, we had some guys ready to go and some guys weren't," said the Ohio State point guard.

"You never know what team is going to show up," said the Ohio State point guard. "Some games we play hard and some games we don't. And every time we don't the other team makes us pay for it."

Is this one Buckeye repeating himself? No, it's proof that the midseason bump Ohio State hit Tuesday night with a 79-74 loss at Illinois isn't new. History proves that the Buckeyes could go either way from here. In one previous year, one of those comments preceded a run to the Final Four. In another year, one of the comments preceded a collapse that left the Buckeyes out of the NCAA Tournament.

The first quote was from Mike Conley Jr. in February of 2007, the second was from Jamar Butler in February of 2008 and the third was from Aaron Craft on Tuesday night. All three times, the Buckeyes were talented and frustrated, the first time days after a near-loss at Penn State, the second immediately after a loss at Iowa and the third after a loss at Illinois.

Both Craft and Jared Sullinger, the only two Buckeyes brought out to speak with reporters after blowing an 11-point second half lead to the Illini, questioned the effort and togetherness of the team. The words could have been directed at scorers William Buford and Deshaun Thomas, at any of the five freshmen the Buckeyes are waiting to get consistent contributions from, or at themselves.

"We need more guys to put their foot down and say enough is enough. We have to come together as a basketball team," Sullinger said. "We've got to like each other on the basketball court."

cont...

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2012/01/frustrated_introspection_isnt.html