G/F Evan "The Villain" Turner (2010 Naismith Winner)

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State PG Evan Turner is making the transition look easy
Mike DeCourcy
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

Evan Turner is averaging 19 points and 17 rebounds through two games.

Jim Matta got it half-right. He told his son it was a good thing all-Big Ten star Evan Turner was moved from forward to point guard, "or nobody would have anything to talk about," Thad Matta said.
Well, there is football.

Ohio State fans talk about that sometimes.

Even in Michigan week, though, many are wondering how the Turner-to-point experiment will hold up when exposed to the kind of peer review a team such as North Carolina can administer. Through two games, Turner's conversion has been a spectacular success. His averages -- 19 points, 17 rebounds and 7 assists per game -- are the stuff of cartoon characters, or maybe Oscar Robertson. Those games were against Alcorn State and James Madison, however. There will be greater challenges.

Told he has looked comfortable making the transition, Turner said, "I don't want to jump the gun. It's only been two games."

It is not common for players who've never functioned as fulltime point guards to successfully switch to college basketball's most demanding position. We've seen some terrific players try: D.J. Strawberry at Maryland, Chris Hill at Michigan State, Justin Gray at Wake Forest. It didn't really work for any of them.

Turner, who is 6-7, played inside last season. It wasn't his true position, either. Frequently compared to Portland Trailblazers star Brandon Roy, Turner is built to play on the wing. But even as a power forward Turner often heard Matta tell him to go get the ball and initiate the Buckeyes' offense.

"I was all for it," Turner said about Matta's request that he try running things fulltime. "I always thought playing the point guard spot was a fun position. I thought it would be easier because of the type of shooters we have, the versatility we have as a unit."

Ohio State PG Evan Turner is making the transition look easy - Mike DeCourcy - College Basketball - Sporting News

 

[bkochmc]

Tough game for Turner against UNC, though his final 'positive' stat line doesn't show it (9-14FG, 5-6FT, 23 points, 11 rebounds). As others said in the game thread his game seemed to elevate when he was playing the off guard and not point. I think Hill played sufficiently well last night to garner some more minutes and get Turner off the point for larger spells of the game.

 

[naptownbuck]

Tough game for Turner against UNC, though his final 'positive' stat line doesn't show it (9-14FG, 5-6FT, 23 points, 11 rebounds). As others said in the game thread his game seemed to elevate when he was playing the off guard and not point. I think Hill played sufficiently well last night to garner some more minutes and get Turner off the point for larger spells of the game.

Another very good effort from Turner, sometimes it is not your night, but you can always control effort, and that was evident by his inspired play on the boards versus a bigger North Carolina team.

PJ Hill brings excellent energy off the bench, and maybe he has earned more minutes at point guard, I don't know. But after re-watching the game, I still don't think he would have done any better than ET in the context of that first half. ET really didn't have any problems with the ball pressure up the court. He ran into trouble when nobody on Ohio State could buy an outside shot (one of tOSU's main weapons), thus forcing Evan to take on multiple UNC guys with length. That is where the turnovers came from, mostly in the 1st half and early 2nd when Ohio State was searching for something....anything....that would result in points.. His early offense initiation wasn't that bad, but nothing will look good in this offense if shots are not falling. William took some ill-advised shots in the first half, he almost literally shot tOSU out of the game, and Diebler shot poorly in the first half too.

When Shulman calls ET OSU's point guard, it's kind of a misnomer. Evan is our top scorer, best attacker, one of our best rebounders, and is just as good of a ball handler than HIll & AO. He has to do everything, so he is obviously not a true lead guard like Mike Conley. This is elementary stuff that I thought most operated with, but then we see comments like "ET is not a point" as if that is saying something new, well duh he's not a true point, but he puts Ohio State in the best position better than anyone else. (not directed at you, just in general)

Hill's best attribute is his energy, this is how he affected the game last night. Yes he can initiate offense (i.e call a play), but we haven't seen Hill as this great creator yet..I mean how many assists did he have last night? You can argue that he is capable of freeing ET up a bit, and I agree, however the 2nd half last night shouldn't be a good example of that imo. Why because it was easier for all the Buckeyes to play better in that 2nd half. Coach Matta ideally wants to have Turner, Diebler, & Buford on the court together. Now he might want to re-think that, but I know he didn't foresee William & Jon starting the game that poorly from outside. North Carolina shot 7 less threes than Ohio State, but still made more. Evan Turner did not take any of Ohio State's 21 three point attempts. (yet I did see him driving and kicking to open jump shooters on occasion in the first half, the shots didn't fall)

imo the offense is largely the same whether it be PJ or Evan bringing the ball up the court. We have jumpshooters around Evan & David..the only guys who are a consistent thread to get to the rim. Buford brings more offense than Hill, but it is obviously not going to be a good look if he can't hit anything, and then you have lovable PJ Hill playing his heart out and affecting the game with his energy.

But in the end I agree, I think we may need to see a healthy mix of PJ & Evan at point, just to switch things up. Our star needs to play well vs a team like UNC, but he also needs help, and I don't think he should end up being the goat for this game.

 

[Buckskin86]

One of Evan Turner's offseason goals, besides improving his ballhandling and his ability to pass with either hand, was maintaining an even keel in the face of adversity. He did not against North Carolina while being double- and triple-teamed and committing 10 turnovers, and I asked him after the Cal game whether that was a priority for him against the Bears.

"Obviously I got frustrated (against Carolina) because certain situations were kind of irritating to me throughout the game," Turner said. "But you really prepare for the game, you get your emotions into the game and it happens.

"I was really just trying to have fun today. I don?t think last night I had fun and it kind of led to certain situations."

As far as being able to put the game behind him quickly with less than 24 hours until the next game, Turner said, "I?ll probably think about this until the day I die.

"But honestly, we knew we needed to bounce back and have great motivation and great momentum to go into the rest of our non-conference games. We?ve got to keep moving on as a team and be prepared for whatever comes next and just keep growing as a team. (The North Carolina game) let us know we need to keep growing as a team and keep getting better and show maturity."

Coach Thad Matta always preaches big picture at this time of the season, maybe one reason his teams usually meet his expectations of playing their best basketball in March.

After a Sports Illustrated writer suggested that Turner, because he is not a traditional point guard, does not look entirely comfortable or confident at the position, Matta said, "As nerve-racking and stressful as these two games were, that?s the great thing as you walk out of here, what you learn this early.

"The last two games before we got here, you could just dribble around, dribble around, dribble around and shoot a layup. Now, there?s shot-blockers down there (near the basket), there?s quickness. So hopefully we can build on that."

The waiting game (Hoops & Scoops: an OSU basketball blog)

 

[NUTS4theBUCKS28]

any word on whether or not he'll stay for next season....
i'd hate to lose another great player to the draft before he graduates

 

[Buckeye Nut]

any word on whether or not he'll stay for next season....
i'd hate to lose another great player to the draft before he graduates

I doubt that decision has been made yet. If it had someone would've posted it.

 

[Bill Lucas]

Those decisions are made after the season about 100% of the time. At least that's when they are disclosed. Let's enjoy the season and endure those lame discussions after basketball is completed for the year.

 

[Buckskin86]

OSU's Turner Named Big Ten Player of the Week Again
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009
Story by Mike Anthony

Photo Credit: cleveland.com
It's the second straight week that he's won the award.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State?s leading scorer (21.8 ppg) Evan Turner collected his second consecutive weekly honor after recording his fourth double-double in as many outings in the Buckeyes? two-game stint at Madison Square Garden last week.

Turner began the week with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds to fuel the late comeback against North Carolina on Thursday. The Chicago native added four helpers and two steals against the reigning national champions, but OSU?s rally would ultimately fall short as the No. 4-ranked Tar Heels escaped with a slim 77-73 win.

Turner powered the Buckeyes once again on Friday as Ohio State rolled past No. 13 California, 76-70, to claim third place in the 2K Sports Classic. The 6-7 guard tallied a season-high 26 points while connecting on nine of 14 shots from the floor.

Turner is the first Buckeye to open the season with four straight double-doubles since Clark Kellogg began the 1980-81 campaign with five consecutive. On the week,

OSU's Turner Named Big Ten Player of the Week Again - WBOY-TV - WBOY.com

One-on-one with OSU?s Evan Turner
By Jason King, Yahoo! Sports

Ask anyone who follows Ohio State?s program ? or college basketball, for that matter ? to list a position for Buckeyes standout Evan Turner and the common response is a blank stare.

Turner passes like a point guard, hits outside shots like a 3-point specialist, slashes like a small forward and rebounds better than most centers. Even Turner isn?t sure what to call himself.

?I guess you should just say that I?m a basketball player,? Turner said. ?I pass and I dribble and I shoot and I play defense ? all the things you?re supposed to do.?

And he does them well.

A 6-foot-7 junior, Turner leads Ohio State in points (21.8), rebounds (14.8) and assists (6.0). There aren?t many players out there as well-rounded as Turner, an All-American candidate who had 23 points and 11 boards last week against North Carolina. Less than two weeks earlier, he posted a triple-double ? 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists ? in a season-opening victory over Alcorn State.

During a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports, Turner talked about his progress, his team and his life off the court.

Q: You averaged 17.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in 2008-09. Still, as well as you played as a sophomore, you seem to be taking things to a new level this season. What?s the biggest difference?

A: I just think I?m maturing mentally more than anything. Coach [Thad] Matta always says that when your mind is right, your game is right. So now that I?m mentally ready, I?m able to do a lot of different things.

Photo Turner and the Buckeyes hope to challenge in the Big Ten.
(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Q: You were a member of the U.S. team that captured the bronze medal at the World University Games in Serbia over the summer. What was that experience like?

A: I was pretty upset that we lost overseas. That really wasn?t cool at all. I don?t really know what to say about it, other than it was a tough situation and I was glad to be able to get back around my teammates.

One-on-one with OSU's Evan Turner - College Basketball - Rivals.com

 

[crazybuckfan40]

any word on whether or not he'll stay for next season....
i'd hate to lose another great player to the draft before he graduates

No decision will be made till end of season, but I will say that I belive if one of Buford or Turner comes back I put the chances higher for Turner...

He likes it here, but will he pass up 1st round money two years in a row?

As for the pg, I would like to see a little more mix of ET and PJ...Not just because it frees up ET some, but it gives guys like Diebler and Buford some rest time...And PJ can shoot the ball, so you don't lose that putting one of Diebler, Will on the bench...

And my thing is if we are going to play small we need to run more, which means we need to get guys more rest...I would also say I would like to see Offut and Simmons more as well...

 

[bkochmc]

Dana O'Neil: Evan Turner perseveres through tragedy - ESPN

Turner perseveres through tough times

Through childhood sickness and the death of a friend, OSU star shines on and off court

By Dana O'Neil
ESPN.com
http://search.espn.go.com/dana-o-neil/
Lost in her own grief on the night her son committed suicide, Barbara Moll reached for the ringing telephone and heard the sound of her own pain in the voice of a 16-year-old boy.
J
im McIsaac/Getty ImagesOhio State's Evan Turner has wowed NBA scouts with his versatility and eye-popping stats (21.8 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 6.0 apg).


He was so overwrought, she could barely make out what he was saying, sobbing so hard it took her a minute to figure out who it was that was calling.

Nearly five years to the day later, Moll flips on the television and sees that same boy. He is the picture of strength and confidence, a chiseled 6-foot-7 point guard turning NBA scouts' heads and breaking college opponents' ankles.

But Moll immediately can see past the glory of today to the pain of yesterday.

Evan Turner wears No. 21 at Ohio State. It's the same number Barbara's son, John, wore in the last season of his life.

"He told me he tried to get that number in his junior year of high school when he moved up to varsity, but couldn't," Moll said. "So when I saw him at Ohio State, I knew."

In the first two weeks of the college basketball season, no one has skyrocketed out of the gate quite like Turner. Debuting with a triple-double against Alcorn State -- only the second in the history of the Buckeyes program -- he has posted a double-double in every game thereafter and is averaging an eye-popping 21.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

 

[OState29]

Congrats to Evan on his second triple double of the season. This was a rather "quite" triple double. I was greatly impressed by his effort on defense especially his shot blocks and chasedown LeBronesque "goaltend". I was glad I got to witness this one in person.

 

[DZ83CK]

2 triple doubles in a span of 5 games - that's quite an achievement! But he did play almost the entire 40 minutes vs. Lipscomb ...

 

[crazybuckfan40]

2 triple doubles in a span of 5 games - that's quite an achievement! But he did play almost the entire 40 minutes vs. Lipscomb ...

Starting to bother me...Not just Turner, but the way we have done this with Matta here...

It has caused us to have dead legs late in the season, not developing some talent, and having talented kids transferring out...

 

[NateG]

2 triple doubles in a span of 5 games - that's quite an achievement! But he did play almost the entire 40 minutes vs. Lipscomb ...

I went to both of the Triple Double games. Maybe I should go more...

 

[schwab]

2 triple doubles in a span of 5 games - that's quite an achievement! But he did play almost the entire 40 minutes vs. Lipscomb ...

From what I gathered in the post-game studio analysis, Turner is the only BigTen player ever to have earned 2 triple doubles in their CAREER, let alone 2 in the same month? If so, I am quite shocked at that stat. You know, it was just last week that Ice Cube messed around and got one.

Grats to Evan, and something tells me that there are about 3 or 8 more on the way this season. Gonna be fun to watch.