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Lady Basketball Buckeyes Tidbits 2005-2006 Season

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CPD

3/14/06

<H1 class=red>Buckeyes are a No. 1 to right eyes

</H1>Committee's decision elates OSU, irks Vols' Summitt


Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus- Brandie Hoskins sprang from the chair in coach Jim Foster's living room and landed in the lap of teammate Jessica Davenport. It was a combination of elation, validation and surprise that sent her flying.

Monday night, the Ohio State women's basketball team earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament that eluded the Buckeye men on Sunday.

Ranked No. 2 in both voting polls, but ranked No. 7 in the mathematical RPI rankings based partially on the records of opponents, the Buckeyes were far from a lock for a No. 1.

When they slid into that final top seed in the Albuquerque Regional, it was obvious how much it mattered to a team that feels like it has been fighting for national respect since losing by 16 points to LSU on Dec. 15.

"LSU beat us fair and square," Hoskins, a junior, said, "but we're just so much better than people think and we can start showing people that by being a No. 1 seed."

The Buckeyes finished 28-2, winning both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, their only other loss at Purdue by two points on Jan. 1.

Their 19-game winning streak is the second-longest in school history. Their victories in that stretch include one over Oklahoma, a No. 2 seed, three wins over No. 4 seed Michigan State and two wins over the Boilermakers, who also earned a No. 4 seed.

But the loss to LSU, which finished 27-3 and is the No. 1 seed in the San Antonio Regional, was their litmus test. Playing without injured starting point guard Ashley Allen, Ohio State trailed by as many as 23 in the second half of that loss.

Foster's favorite stat of the season is that the Buckeyes are 20-0 when Allen is in the starting lineup. And though the coach, who earned a No. 1 seed three times while coaching at Vanderbilt, didn't jump at the announcement, his thin smile let everyone know his team was seeded exactly where he thought it deserved to be.

"I think it's the body of work," Foster said. "We won the regular season and the conference tournament. How many teams did that?"

Not everyone agreed with the seeding, like Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, whose team was seeded No. 2 in the Cleveland regional.

"I don't know what we did wrong," Summitt told the Associated Press. "You have to look at the strength of schedule. We're No. 1, and if I'm not mistaken Ohio State is No. 21. And their conference is No. 7. Those two things don't add up."

This is the second time the Buckeyes have been a No. 1 seed. They reached the national title game as a top seed in 1993, losing to Texas Tech. Their Albuquerque bracket is not filled with as many potential pitfalls as the Cleveland regional, the toughest in the field. But the road could at least be uncomfortable.

A potential second-round opponent is Notre Dame, coached by Muffet McGraw, who started her college coaching career at Saint Joseph's as an assistant to Foster. Foster hates to play friends, and he's so tight with McGraw, he's the godfather of her only child.

Beyond that, only one of five experts on espn.com picked Ohio State to reach the Final Four. Last year as a No. 2 seed, the Buckeyes reached the Sweet 16, their farthest foray into the tournament since 1993. They lost to No. 3 seed Rutgers 64-58.

Now, as a No. 1, "I think it's nice, but it means we have a target on our back," junior center Jessica Davenport said.

They'll take the target. It means people think they're good.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479
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Upvote 0
I think good ol' Espin could have found someone other then a ex-Tennessee player to be an analyst/commentator on their selection show. I think that if you're supposed to be analyzing things you really need to keep your obvious bias to yourself. I suppose an argument could be made for the Vols but that still is no excuse to piss and moan and try to put down other schools. But then again that's probably what the talking heads were hoping for. The Lady Bucks are just as deserving of their number 1 seed as any of the other schools.
 
Upvote 0
Dispatch

3/14/06

OSU on top of the world

. . . Or at least Albuquerque regional bracket with the No. 1 seed

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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WILL SCHILLING | DISPATCH The OSU women’s basketball team gathered at coach Jim Foster’s house last night to watch, and celebrate, its NCAA Tournament selection.
20060314-Pc-E1-0700.jpg



Three No. 1 seeds had been announced, and as ESPN went to commercial break last night, nervous glances were exchanged and hands were wrung.

The Ohio State women’s basketball team and approximately 40 onlookers were jammed into coach Jim Foster’s living room, watching the NCAA Tournament selection show amid pizza boxes and shelves of family photos.

Would the NCAA reward the Buckeyes for their 28-2 record, 19-game winning streak and No. 2 ranking in the polls? Or would talk of the Big Ten’s low Rating Percentage Index (7) drag OSU down?

When the show returned, Ohio State’s name filled the No. 1 line for the Albuquerque regional bracket, and the balloon of tension burst.

Players whooped with joy and threw their arms in the air. A gleeful Brandie Hoskins fell over onto Jessica Davenport’s lap on a couch.

Apparently, being recognized as a No. 1 seed meant something.

"Man, it was nerve-racking; they put us last," Hoskins said. "But it was great. I was just happy."

The Buckeyes will play No. 16 seed Oakland (Mich.) on Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind., 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 7 p.m. game.

An on-air debate over the Buckeyes’ worthiness almost immediately tempered OSU’s elation. Analyst Kara Lawson said she thought OSU’s schedule was not as strong as that of Tennessee, a No. 2 seed.

Foster’s living room was silent.

Analyst Stacey Dales-Schuman then defended OSU. When she called the Buckeyes "a potential Final Four team," shouts again filled the room.

Later, ESPN.com analysts Nancy Lieberman and Beth Mowins chose Ohio State as their biggest surprise of the brackets.

Foster brushed off the debate.

"The whole premise of television today is to have controversy," he said. "So you hire people and you give them some controversial sound bites and you run with it."

With a twinkle in his eye, he continued, "Now, fortunately, a lot of those shows have been canceled."

Foster said he was confident the Buckeyes would be a top seed.

"It’s the body of work," he said. "I think it’s (winning) 19 games in a row, I think it’s winning the regular season (and) winning the conference tournament. I think it’s a pretty simple formula when you really sit down and look at it."

Being a top seed will allow OSU to avoid No. 2-seeded Maryland and No. 3 Baylor until the Elite Eight of their regional.

But beyond that, being a top seed was a point of pride. The only other Buckeyes team to be seeded No. 1 was the 1993 squad that went to the Final Four.

"Obviously, they’re showing you some respect," said Katie Smith, the star of that 1993 team. "You still have to go out and play the game. But nah, it’s awesome. It’s something they should be proud of."

Davenport said the No. 1 seed "put a target on our backs."

But Hoskins said the Buckeyes welcomed that.

"We want that target, because I know we can handle it," she said. "There’s not a team in this tournament that we can’t beat, and we know that."

Oakland (15-15) landed its tournament berth by winning the Mid-Continent Conference tournament. The Golden Grizzlies are making their second NCAA appearance.

If Ohio State wins Sunday, it would play the winner of Notre Dame and Boston College on Tuesday. OSU beat Boston College 66-61 in overtime in December in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

[email protected]
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Upvote 0
Hey, Pat! Breaking news! If you want a #1 seed, don't lose to two unranked teams in the last two months of the season!

Since OSU's last loss, January 1 at 4-seed Purdue, UT has lost four games, including games to unranked 6-seed Florida at UT, at unranked 5-seed Kentucky, a 22 point spanking at 1-seed Duke, and a loss at home to 1-seed LSU. So...while we were running off 19 straight wins, you were going........16-4! 16-4 IS impressive, and you beat some very good teams, but you also lost to some mediocre teams.

Being put in with UNC sucks, but OSU was more deserving of a 1-seed. Suck it up. If you don't like it, prove the people wrong.

And just for the record, if you make it to the Elite 8, you have to play UNC. If you beat them, you'll play Duke/UConn in the Final 4 and if you win that, you'll play OSU/MD/LSU in the finals. Now, if you were the two seed in OSU's bracket, you'd play OSU in th Elite 8, LSU in the Final Four, and UNC/MD/Duke/UConn in the finals. Either way, you have to win 6 games and are going to have to beat some very good teams along the way. Quit yer bitchin' and take care of business.

[/rant]
 
Upvote 0
I agree that tOSU deserved the #1 seed, with a resume that included 19 straight wins, including 5 of the last 10 being against ranked opponents. That 5 ranked opponents in the last 10 games was a key stat that was left out of the conversation on the selection show.

Tennessee was probably the second-best #2 seed (behind Maryland), but did get jobbed by having to face the best #3 seed (Rutgers) and the overall #1 NC in the same region.
 
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