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

[buckeyes_rock]

He is the best player I've seen since I've started watching OSU hoops (mid/late 90s), followed by Mike Conley/GO and Michael Redd.

He's very fun to watch...sure has come a long way since his first year. His decision making has grown by leaps and bounds. Watching him break down defenders and just blow by them on the way to the hoop is fun stuff! He has a special talent and how lucky are the Bucks to have landed him. Don't answer that. :)

It would be amazing if he were to win the National Player of the Year honor despite missing those 6 games.

 

[bkochmc]

He is the best player I've seen since I've started watching OSU hoops (mid/late 90s), followed by Mike Conley/GO and Michael Redd.

Agree... he's matured nicely from "Evan Turnover" to "Evan Takeover". He might be the best I've seen in Scarlet and Gray since I've started watching around the Kellogg era. That's hard for me to say since I am a big fan of Jim Jackson's play at Ohio State. He can take over games in ways Jackson could not and his arsenal is a little more potent.

 

[Dryden]

It would be amazing if he were to win the National Player of the Year honor despite missing those 6 games.

The fact is he has a real shot on the National PoY-circuit because he missed 6 games. It became painfully obvious how good a player he is when the Bucks struggled without him. Wall's tantrum couldn't have possibly come at a better time for ET. Also, there's the feel-good "broke his back and was back on the floor in a month" angle. The decision makers that give out trophies love underdogs and comeback stories.

 

[BrutusBobcat]

The fact is he has a real shot on the National PoY-circuit because he missed 6 games. It became painfully obvious how good a player he is when the Bucks struggled without him. Wall's tantrum couldn't have possibly come at a better time for ET. Also, there's the feel-good "broke his back and was back on the floor in a month" angle. The decision makers that give out trophies love underdogs and comeback stories.

Agreed. Also, if you look at how much higher OSU is in the media poll than the coaches' poll, and how quickly that rise has occurred since Turner's return, that's a good indication of the feelings out there on him in the press, and these awards ARE won in the press. Right now, no one is getting more love in their coverage than Turner. It helps that he's a kid with strong character, too. When you've got people calling him the most versatile college player since Penny Hardaway, you know the hype machine is cranked up to 11.

 

[NFBuck]

Grant Hill anyone???

Very early and very good call. ET's all around game reminds me a good bit of Grant Hill during his Piston years...

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State big-time basketball star Evan Turner covets Big Ten title
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer
February 06, 2010

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Assuming Evan Turner leaves Ohio State after this season to be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft, he might depart with some national Player of the Year awards and a statistical season as a junior rarely matched in the history of college basketball.

But he hasn't won much yet. There was that NIT title as a freshman. But he's 0-1 in the NCAA Tournament. And after the Buckeyes won consecutive Big Ten titles in 2006 and 2007, they've finished fifth and in a three-way tie for fourth in Turner's first two seasons.

"You're nothing without winning," Turner said Friday. "If you don't win, then what you did the whole time doesn't really matter."

Ohio State big-time basketball star Evan Turner covets Big Ten title | Ohio State Buckeyes - cleveland.com - - cleveland.com

 

[OhioState001]

Getting major love from College Gameday right now! POTY?!!!

 

[OregonBuckeye]

32 pts
7 rebs
5 assists
4 steals
0 to's
12-22 fg's

Filthy.

 

[MaxBuck]

32 pts
7 rebs
5 assists
4 steals
0 to's
12-22 fg's

Filthy.

Evan Monster.

 

[buckeyes_rock]

I don't think Turner's ability should be questioned.....he is a very good player who possibly could develop into a great player.....

Interesting to go back and read stuff from years ago. I'd say Junkie made a pretty decent call here.

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

John Wall, Sherron Collins and John Scheyer headline Cousy Award list - ESPN

No Evan Turner... Ridiculous. And anyone who argues he isn't a point guard hasn't watched a minute of tOSU basketball this season.

 

[RB07OSU]

He is the best player I've seen since I've started watching OSU hoops (mid/late 90s), followed by Mike Conley/GO and Michael Redd.

Agreed, though the Michael Redd and Scoony Penn days were my first. Turner just flat takes over a game like nobody else here has since I have watched OSU basketball. As bk pointed out, "Turnover Turner" is gone and taking care of the ball and unselfish play has made him so much better.

 

[Dryden]

Evan wins his fifth Big Ten Player of the Week award this season, tying Glenn Robinson's conference record.

Illini's Demetri McCamey, Ohio State's Evan Turner players of week - ESPN Chicago

McCamey, Turner players of week

Given the news that his former players Illinois' Demetri McCamey and Ohio State's Evan Turner were named co-Big Ten Players of the Week on Monday, St. Joseph High School coach Gene Pingatore joked that he wanted the NCAA to enforce a new rule.

"What the heck, they've been so much fun to watch that I wish they could stay in college for 10 years," Pingatore said. "It's awesome. I'm really proud of them. They've had an excellent year so far, and hopefully they'll continue it."

McCamey earned the award for the first time in his career after scoring 22 points and dishing out 11 assists in a victory over Michigan State on Saturday and having 15 points and seven assists earlier in the week in a victory over Iowa.

For Turner, it was his fifth time receiving the award this season, which ties former Purdue star Glenn Robinson for the single-season record. Turner averaged 29.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals in wins over Iowa and Penn State.

Ohio State travels to Illinois on Saturday. Both teams are 8-3 in the Big Ten.

 

[zincfinger]

He is the best player I've seen since I've started watching OSU hoops (mid/late 90s), followed by Mike Conley/GO and Michael Redd.

I think it's pretty clear at this point that he's the best Buckeye cager since Jim Jackson. It's not as clear to me as it is to bkochmc that Turner ranks above JJ, but it's a good comparison and an interesting question. Both are probably among the top-5-or-so best overall basketball players in the BigTen in the past 20 years.

 

[zincfinger]

This team can maybe do Sweet 16 at best but it is no depth on the bench to compete with the other teams that will make it that far.

That may be be correct, and I don't want to give short-shrift to the importance of quality depth - it's very important, but don't underestimate the impact that the presence of one transcendent player can have on a team's NCAA tournament prospects. Just as one example, the '98-99 Miami Redhawks made it to the Sweet 16 with one transcendent player (Sczerbiak), one pretty good player (Frierson), and other than that, a bunch of guys that really didn't belong on the same court with most of the players they were facing in the tourney. I think OSU is in a better position. That's certainly not to say OSU is a lock for the Sweet 16 or beyond, but I think with Turner they've got a strong enough core that it's very possible, despite less-than-ideal depth.