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2013-14 Ohio State Men's Basketball (Official Thread)

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I'll say it, I was going into the Big Ten Tournament hoping that we would flame out quickly in the postseason tournaments, if only so I could put myself out of my misery. I wanted more for Aaron Craft's senior season than this, but this team just left me frustrated and miserable. It wasn't the losses. It was the inconsistency and mental weakness that permeated everyone. I looked at the roster and saw Aaron Craft and a bunch of guys whose games just never quite made the transition to being college stars. At times, watching Lenzelle Smith and Amir Williams play just fills me with regret because I wanted more from them, even if I was unfair.

I turned on the Nebraska game just in time to see Ross's technical. The following few minutes of basketball only reaffirmed my feelings. We were down 18 to Nebraska, and the team just looked lost. Then, we fought back and won. And the next day, Michigan came out possessed and we fought back again. Even though we lost, this team won me over. Every time the got hit in the jaw by Michigan, they kept getting back up. They won me over (even though it will just be long enough for my heart cut that one last time... we better not lose to Dayton...)

I just can't help but think that this team is so close to turning the corner and finally "getting it." We need one player to start scoring, not unlike Ross was for us last year in the tournament. Maybe they won't get there, but if they do, they could turn into a team that we remember fondly. I still can't believe that it is a possibility.
 
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NastyNatiBuck said:
I'll say it, I was going into the Big Ten Tournament hoping that we would flame out quickly in the postseason tournaments, if only so I could put myself out of my misery. I wanted more for Aaron Craft's senior season than this, but this team just left me frustrated and miserable. It wasn't the losses. It was the inconsistency and mental weakness that permeated everyone. I looked at the roster and saw Aaron Craft and a bunch of guys whose games just never quite made the transition to being college stars. At times, watching Lenzelle Smith and Amir Williams play just fills me with regret because I wanted more from them, even if I was unfair.

I turned on the Nebraska game just in time to see Ross's technical. The following few minutes of basketball only reaffirmed my feelings. We were down 18 to Nebraska, and the team just looked lost. Then, we fought back and won. And the next day, Michigan came out possessed and we fought back again. Even though we lost, this team won me over. Every time the got hit in the jaw by Michigan, they kept getting back up. They won me over (even though it will just be long enough for my heart cut that one last time... we better not lose to Dayton...)

I just can't help but think that this team is so close to turning the corner and finally "getting it." We need one player to start scoring, not unlike Ross was for us last year in the tournament. Maybe they won't get there, but if they do, they could turn into a team that we remember fondly. I still can't believe that it is a possibility.
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They definitely played their best ball in those comebacks. I would hope that they will win a couple games in the tourney, as I believe they can. Ross stepped up, Scott and ADV stepped up at times, Sam as well. Just need contributions from everybody, and they could make an Elite 8 run.
 
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NastyNatiBuck said:
I'll say it, I was going into the Big Ten Tournament hoping that we would flame out quickly in the postseason tournaments, if only so I could put myself out of my misery. I wanted more for Aaron Craft's senior season than this, but this team just left me frustrated and miserable. It wasn't the losses. It was the inconsistency and mental weakness that permeated everyone. I looked at the roster and saw Aaron Craft and a bunch of guys whose games just never quite made the transition to being college stars. At times, watching Lenzelle Smith and Amir Williams play just fills me with regret because I wanted more from them, even if I was unfair.

I turned on the Nebraska game just in time to see Ross's technical. The following few minutes of basketball only reaffirmed my feelings. We were down 18 to Nebraska, and the team just looked lost. Then, we fought back and won. And the next day, Michigan came out possessed and we fought back again. Even though we lost, this team won me over. Every time the got hit in the jaw by Michigan, they kept getting back up. They won me over (even though it will just be long enough for my heart cut that one last time... we better not lose to Dayton...)

I just can't help but think that this team is so close to turning the corner and finally "getting it." We need one player to start scoring, not unlike Ross was for us last year in the tournament. Maybe they won't get there, but if they do, they could turn into a team that we remember fondly. I still can't believe that it is a possibility.
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The comeback at Michigan State was just as unbelievable (and that was against a healthy MSU, not the hurt, watered-down version that Michigan luckily faced twice). It was kind of a shame how the team lost its way shortly thereafter. But it was nice to see that kind of fight again at the end of the year (in the final game of the regular season, OSU showed a lot of fight too, against an again-healthy MSU--OSU won a tough one in which MSU had the Bucks on the ropes several times).
 
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Well so much for this season....

fatlady.jpg
 
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The Buckeyes had the longest active streak of Sweet 16s - four - snapped today. After 35 games there still was no answer to the holes left in the offense by the early departures of Sully and DT. This team won 25 games mostly on grit and determination.
 
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Jake said:
The Buckeyes had the longest active streak of Sweet 16s - four - snapped today. After 35 games there still was no answer to the holes left in the offense by the early departures of Sully and DT. This team won 25 games mostly on grit and determination.
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This team gave it a great run this year, for a team that can't score they were about as good as they could be. They weren't even in the top-100 of teams in the country offensively yet were in the top-25 almost all year and won 25 games, you don't see many teams pull that off. I'm just glad for them that they were able to win 25 and make the tournament, as their talent didn't suggest that they were capable of much if anything more than that.
 
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I felt pretty bad about having to miss the broadcast last night to chair a meeting. During a few breaks, after checking the score, I felt better about missing it.

Looking back on this season is very disappointing, not because they did not achieve anything. A 25 win season is an accomplishment and they beat some top teams. The disappointment for me is that they could have achieved so much more.

Losses to teams that should have been beaten (e.g., Penn State) and pathetic shooting performance from the field and foul line sufficiently illustrates that this Buckeye team did not play consistently to its potential.

Is that because they started out 15-0 against weak competition, shot up the polls, and then crashed in the reality of Big Ten competition? Perhaps, but then they had victories against some pretty good teams down the stretch. It does seem that the loss at Michigan State was a turning point. Recall the team's comments about being the laughingstock of the Big Ten after losing to Penn State.

Can the failure to play to the team's potential be due to individuals? Perhaps. An inescapable conclusion is that this team failed to identify a go to player in the post and their shooting from outside was atrocious. That's a deadly combination for any team with aspirations for a deep Tourney run. There is the evidence of some players working well below an acceptable work rate. But, this criticism can be levelled against several players and one has to wonder why there was insufficient motivation to work harder (e.g., mental, unannounced injuries?)

Could team dynamics explain things? At least in part. Good teams find ways to play to their strengths, in ways that overcome individual weaknesses. This team entered the season with more experience than Buckeye teams for some time. They clearly failed to play to their potential as a team, not only as individuals but as a team.

Is this a coaching problem? Perhaps. The coaching staff should have been able to help players address the shooting problems. Coach Matta said several times that he didn't know what to do with the team or how to explain their performance. However, there isn't a college coach with more than ten years experience who hasn't had the experience of a team that refused to be motivated.

Coaches can manage team dynamics to a point--but they can't make a dog hunt that doesn't want to hunt.

How's this for a likely scenario? The team entered the season with very high expectations. They were lucky to go 15-0 against a weak schedule, which looked a lot better than it was as the season went on and the marque team crashed (e.g., Marquette, Notre Dame). They bought into press reports that they could pull out any game and their #2 ranking. So, when they lost in East Lansing and then followed with that horrible run, neither the coaches nor the team were prepared to manage team dynamics of a team that could not longer reach its goals. The vision of a Big Ten championship and a deep run in the Tourney was shattered when they were embarrassed by TSUN at home.

My mentor taught me an important lesson as a young executive, "What don't feed out, feeds in." When goals were so high, the reality of a moderately successful season looks like a dramatic failure and you can bet that every Buckeye player heard that mantra on a daily basis in Columbus, Ohio.

Looking for reasons to explain their mounting losses and loss of prestige, is it not likely that individual players started blaming each other for losses in the locker room? If so, a loss of team motivation is a predictable outcome.

So, who's responsible? The answer would seem to be the players and coaches. Coach Matta and his players coming back need to regroup and work on team-building immediately with the incoming players. There is a lot of work to do.

Whatever the strength of their schedule, a 25-win season is one for the books. Rather than focus on the negative, Buckeye fans, especially those in Columbus, need to celebrate the accomplishments of the seniors and get behind this team for next year.
 
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In the vein of the above a 25 win team has 4 starters 3 contributors, a RS Freshman. plus an above avg freshman class coming in Why isn't this a 30 win team next year? The players (my choice) or the coach?Or will they win 30 and go to the final four?
 
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Re: Whatever the strength of their schedule, a 25-win season is one for the books. Rather than focus on the negative, Buckeye fans, especially those in Columbus, need to celebrate the accomplishments of the seniors and get behind this team for next year.

Twenty five wins are great; however, (unfortunately) I'm a "the glass is half empty" guy. What sticks in my craw is how we lost (and in a few cases who we lost to in) the other 10 games. There were far too many inconstant stretches in close games (and frequently to inferior teams), i.e turnovers, missed layups, missed FTs, poor shot selection, bad rebound positioning, and at times standing around looking for the "other guy" to do something.
 
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I do not know where to put this so I will put it here but I was just wondering if the Syracuse boards are as upset over Boeheim's coaching and recruiting as much as some of the people on here are over Matta's coaching and recruiting since both teams lost to Dayton.

Charles Barkley made a good point regarding Syracuse and their zone defense in that it allows lesser teams, not talking about Dayton, to hang around when they do not have the same talent that Syracuse has. I think that is a very solid point.
 
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Steve19 said:
Given the undefeated start, expectations were very high for this team. Perhaps that is why so many people seem to think of this team as some kind of failure.

Here's why I don't. Between the departure of Fred Taylor in 1976 and Thad Matta's arrival in 2004, Ohio State had only two years in which they won 25 games or more. Fred Taylor managed it only 4 times.

This team makes 6 times that the Buckeyes have won 25 or more under Matta. They are not yet done and, given that they regain their confidence shooting

There was a long period I am hoping that Ohio State will spend the days before the tournament, taking 2000 or more shots a day (1000 at the free throw line) and otherwise resting. They look completely exhausted and need to put their own disappointment behind them and regain their confidence shooting.

Personally, with the right draw, I think that they potentially can go deeper than the Sweet 16. Rest. Lots of shooting. Eye of the Buckeye.
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Most of Taylor's regular seasons were 25 games long and the NCAA only took 16 teams. It's hard to win 25 under those circs.
 
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