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

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Jake;2112241; said:
Teams have figured out they really don't have to worry about Smith and Craft on the offensive end, so they collapse on Sully. Buford can't create his own shot the way ET could and he doesn't have Diebler scaring the hell out of our opponents from the arc, so William has less space to operate. The result has become fewer open looks leading to poorer shooting, less scoring and frustration. DT is the one guy who can create his own shot and he's been doing it to keep us in games but he can't carry us alone.

Someone needs to become that scary three point threat to open up the floor. Smith shoots a good percentage from the arc (38.8%), but takes fewer than 2 three point shots a game. Craft shoots 32.4% from outside so teams pretty much dare him to take it. They'd much rather have that than most of our other options. Until we can spread out the defense don't be surprised to see more efforts like we've seen of late against top opponents. The weaker teams aren't good enough to apply that pressure to us.
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IMO, Buford needs to BE Diebler. It's clear that he struggles creating his shot, and he'd be much better off spotting up after a post entry or running off screens. My biggest gripe with the offense is that Buford doesn't get many set plays called for him, which is by far where he is his best.

I also think Lenzelle needs to slash more. He had plenty of open looks, but clearly UM felt comfortable with that. The only way he is going to draw attention is if he starts taking the ball to the basket. Thompson too, as I thought he played well enough on D to warrant significant minutes here on out. Gotta bring something on the offensive end though.

Seems like teams have figured Craft out on the offensive end. Give him the jumper, stay in front of him, and collapse the paint when he drives. Last night was tough for Sully too as he had nowhere to go and they were flopping like UEFA stars. He really relies on getting to the line, and the officials were letting that game get physical on the block. Morgan should have fouled out before halftime, but it is what it is.

If we can get that kind of production out of Thomas on a routine basis, I feel much better about our O. He demands attention, crashes the offensive boards with the best of them, and can consistently finish in the paint. He needs to be option 1b for the rest of the year.

To your point, we just don't have the shooting threats this year. I don't see anybody as that stretch-the-floor 3-point threat other than Buford. Just gotta hope somebody else (or 3) gets hot soon.
 
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It is mental.

It isn't just contested shots, which were something he excelled against in the past, between his fadeaway, his high arc, or his mid range brilliance.

He is missing free throws. he is missing set plays with open looks. He is missing runners. He is missing layups.

He had this exact same problem with Diebler. he has not shaken that funk since Kentucky, at least not consistently
 
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jwinslow;2112480; said:
It is mental.

It isn't just contested shots, which were something he excelled against in the past, between his fadeaway, his high arc, or his mid range brilliance.

He is missing free throws. he is missing set plays with open looks. He is missing runners. He is missing layups.

He had this exact same problem with Diebler. he has not shaken that funk since Kentucky, at least not consistently
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He's also forcing a lot. There were a few times that he took a tough shot with 25 left on the shot clock. He's missing the shots he is used to making, sure, but he's also missing a lot of high difficulty shots that aren't productive shots for a guy trying to find his stroke.
 
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SI.com/Luke Winn:
Magic Eight: Kentucky, New Mexico among possible national champions


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/luke_winn/02/21/Magic.Eight/index.html#ixzz1n8Rx9eN4

What the Magic Eight Ball does is identify a pool of eight teams that's guaranteed to contain the national champion. Not the entire Elite Eight or the Final Four -- only the champ. That sounds easy, but there's a catch: It can't pick all the obvious options, or simply regurgitate Nos. 1-8 from the polls. A few longer shots need to be included, and the omissions are as significant as who makes the cut. This is what the Eight Ball sees, on April 2 in New Orleans:
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​

OHIO STATE. The markets are down on the Buckeyes, who've dropped to a season-low No. 8 in the AP poll and are unlikely to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. But it's worthwhile to keep in mind that they still have the country's most efficient defense -- one that forces turnovers at a high rate, limits opponents to one shot and keeps fouling to a minimum. Jared Sullinger's offense is just as good as it was during his freshman year, and he's become a better all-around defender due to his weight loss. If William Buford heats up again, as should happen, Ohio State will be the scariest No. 2 seed since UCLA's loaded 2006 squad.
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OMISSIONS WARRANTING EXPLANATIONS...

YOUR YET-TO-BE-MENTIONED TEAM. Your feelings are hurt. SI is biased and the concept of this column is stupid, anyway. You're going to post this on your message board.
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:lol:
 
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Let's not give up quite yet

By Todd Jones

Our myopic nature keeps us staring at the Ohio State basketball team until all we see are flaws. A couple of losses further narrow the focus, and suddenly a team that is 23-5 and ranked No. 8 in the nation seems to be on a fast train to nowhere.

Even OSU coach Thad Matta fights the temptation to view his Buckeyes in a vacuum after nearly 30 games and more than 100 practices.
?You can lose perspective,? he said.

Ohio State does need some fixing, notably on offense. The ball doesn?t go through Jared Sullinger enough. Too often it clangs off the rim on perimeter shots that are rushed before a half-court set can blossom into a better look
.
The Buckeyes, however, remain in the Big Ten title hunt heading into their final three regular-season-games ? including Sunday at home against No. 16 Wisconsin ? because they consistently defend with intensity, control the boards and protect the ball.

Yes, the Buckeyes are 2-2 in their past four games, but they are still as capable as any other team of earning a Final Four trip.

Flawless teams don?t exist. Just look around the nation this week:

? The top two teams, Kentucky and Syracuse, each trailed by 13 points in the first half before rallying for wins over Mississippi State and South Florida, respectively.

? Two other top-10 teams lost by double digits: No. 3 Missouri by 10 to Kansas State and No. 9 Georgetown by 18 to Seton Hall.

? And the team the Buckeyes trail in the Big Ten standings, No. 6 Michigan State, trailed for all but two minutes of the second half before pulling out a win at Minnesota. One night later, Wisconsin lost to Iowa.
In other words, this week has been indicative of the season?s parity at the top of college basketball.
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morehttp://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/02/25/dont-give-up-on-this-osu-team-just-yet.html
 
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Jake;2112241; said:
Teams have figured out they really don't have to worry about Smith and Craft on the offensive end, so they collapse on Sully. Buford can't create his own shot the way ET could and he doesn't have Diebler scaring the hell out of our opponents from the arc, so William has less space to operate. The result has become fewer open looks leading to poorer shooting, less scoring and frustration. DT is the one guy who can create his own shot and he's been doing it to keep us in games but he can't carry us alone.

Someone needs to become that scary three point threat to open up the floor. Smith shoots a good percentage from the arc (38.8%), but takes fewer than 2 three point shots a game. Craft shoots 32.4% from outside so teams pretty much dare him to take it. They'd much rather have that than most of our other options. Until we can spread out the defense don't be surprised to see more efforts like we've seen of late against top opponents. The weaker teams aren't good enough to apply that pressure to us.
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It is even worse than I thought:

We are 224th in the nation in 3 point shooting at 33.2% this season. Last season, we were 1st at 42.3%. That is the single biggest difference between last year's team and this year's crew.
 
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They need to push the ball more. Get transition shots and outman the defense at the basket. This, especially when they can't buy a jump shot.

3 times yesterday I saw a 3 on 2 for our side only to watch the guy with the ball dribble into the paint and back out again to wait on the offense. Thats awful basketball IQ by all 3 players on the break. No spacing. No leadership. No aggressiveness to control the situation.

I don't know who is to blame but somebody needs to pull their head out and fast.
 
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I kept expecting someone to call Dave. Buckeyes were very predictable, until Craft started shooting in the second half. Sully appears to be lackluster and the team is flat. They need to slash more often, pull people off of Sullinger. More importantly, these young men need to sit down and recommit to each other. They need to look each other in the eyes and realize that they cannot do it alone. They are not playing like a team. They are not having fun anymore. Unless they fix those two problems, it really doesn't matter, does it?
 
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buckeyescott11;2115953; said:
Those teams also had veteran leadership, players who can create and make their owns shots, could hit outside shots, and played pretty good defense all year.
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In 07 that team was just bored with the season and waiting for the tournament to turn it on.
 
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buckeyescott11;2115953; said:
Those teams also had veteran leadership, players who can create and make their owns shots, could hit outside shots, and played pretty good defense all year.
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That's kind of the point isn't it? They had all that and still lost 3 of their last 5. It's a long season and I believe they will show up ready to dance.:oh:
 
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Lou270slant;2115995; said:
That's kind of the point isn't it? They had all that and still lost 3 of their last 5. It's a long season and I believe they will show up ready to dance.:oh:
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I see your point but the point I was trying to make is that all of those things that I mentioned we lack. While it's possible we can make a run, after the way things have gone since Illinois I'm not holding my breath.
 
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