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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Dispatch
Hot hoops team might lead to cold shoulder for Jackets
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
BOB HUNTER
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Columbus has always been a fair-weather college basketball town.
When Ohio State is very, very good, this place goes very, very bonkers. When the Buckeyes are merely OK ? not bad, mind you, but just OK ? they might as well be playing in Brisbane, Australia. A lot of people with Clark Kellogg and Jim Jackson autographs in their scrapbooks don?t care at all.
This isn?t a lot different from most places, but it is different. Through the years, there have been wider swings between success and failure at Ohio State than at most places, so the unevenness in interest has been easy to spot.
The Buckeyes are supposed to be very, very
good this season, so basketball tickets have been flying off the shelves and again carry a certain cachet. The Big Ten games are all sold out ? a first since the team moved into the 19,000-seat Schottenstein Center ? and most, if not all, of the nonconference games might end up the same way.
This frantic ticket-buying is even more incredible given the ongoing success of the topranked Ohio State football team. This city has always been a place where basketball and/or hockey interest is lackluster until the OSU-Michigan football game is over. It might creep up a little during seasons when the football Buckeyes are bad; during seasons such as this one, when OSU is 10-0, the other sports are truly regarded as "other" sports. They are treated with the same annoyance as one of those recorded campaign phone calls ("My distinguished opponent used to be a Taliban terrorist") from a desperate congressman.
The Blue Jackets have to endure this natural rudeness longer than local basketball teams because the season starts a month earlier. Because the NHL franchise is so new and there is no track record of success to go by, it?s impossible to know whether hockey, as a pro sport, could someday alter the familiar equation.
What we do know is that in less than two weeks, OSU football will fade into the background for about a month ? well, it will be about as unobtrusive as a 400-pound gorilla can be, anyway ? and an all-out battle for the hearts, eyes and wallets of central Ohio sports fans will be fiercely waged.
Currently, it looks like a war between the United States (basketball) and Costa Rica (hockey). The OSU men?s team is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press preseason poll, and coach Thad Matta isn?t shying away from Final Four talk. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are 4-7-1, attendance is dwindling and probably half the fans want to see everybody from team president and general manager Doug MacLean all the way down to the guy who drives the Zamboni fired.
It?s an 82-game season, so it?s definitely not too late to reverse this. A four-game winning streak could quickly alter perceptions of the team and regain the confidence of the serious fans back before a lot of the casual ones have even noticed that the Jackets got off to another one of their patented terrible starts.
But if it doesn?t happen soon and if the OSU men turn out to be as good as advertised ? two perfectly reasonable "ifs" ? the result could be an ugly scenario for the Blue Jackets.
With Matta now under contract until the next Ice Age, OSU basketball appears ready to take off. Ohio State is one of the few schools that has always looked as if it could become one of the nation?s perennial basketball powers (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, etc.) if it could just hire and keep the right coach. Matta looks like he might be that guy.
There is no question Columbus is big enough to support both a good basketball team and a good hockey team. Whether it is willing to maintain interest in both a great basketball team and a perennially bad hockey team is open to question.
If the Blue Jackets don?t start winning, we might find out soon. The OSU men have their season opener Friday night.
Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch
.
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DDN
2006-07 Ohio State basketball season preview
By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Unless you live under a rock, you know the Ohio State men's basketball team will be without freshman center Greg Oden probably until the Big Ten season because of an injured right wrist. The 7-footer from Indianapolis Lawrence North was the consensus high school player of the year in 2005-06.
That leaves the Buckeyes a little undersized with 6-foot-8 center Matt Terwilliger, 6-9 junior college transfer forward Othello Hunter and 6-7 forward Ivan Harris, who is more of an outside shooter than inside banger.
Until then, the Buckeyes probably will try to mask their weaknesses (size, interior defense, help-side defense, rebounding, bench depth) by playing to their strengths and the other "Thad Five" newcomers in Dunbar's Daequan Cook, guard Mike Conley, forward David Lighty and Hunter.
OSU will take ? and make ? a bunch of 3-point shots. Jamar Butler, Ron Lewis, Harris, Cook, Lighty and Conley can fire from distance. Even Terwilliger has shown he can knock down the occasional triple.
The Buckeyes can play small ball, running with speedy point guards such as Butler and Conley.
Shooting percentages and assists should be high as long as turnovers don't cause problems. At least eight players could be starters on most college teams.
BUCKEYES BY THE NUMBERS
1 ? Ohio State was picked to finish tops in the Big Ten, despite just one returning starter.
4 ? McDonald's All-Americans on OSU's roster (Ivan Harris, Daequan Cook, Greg Oden, Mike Conley).
2-10 ? Range of OSU's national ranking by most national publications and experts.
14 ? Number of national TV games, including matchups against North Carolina and national-champion Florida.
27.2 ? Combined scoring averages of returners Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler, Ivan Harris and Matt Terwilliger.
SEASON STORYLINES
Undersized early: Minus 7-foot freshman center Greg Oden, how will the undersized young Bucks respond to a challenging early schedule that includes road games at North Carolina and defending national champion Florida?
How good is Oden? When Oden suits up, will he live up to the hype of freshman legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Patrick Ewing? If he does, will he dominate and lead OSU to a Big Ten title and/or the Final Four?
Eyes on the NBA: No matter how the season's story is written, how many of the "Thad Five" will return? They'll all be NBA draft-eligible after the season, including Dunbar's Daequan Cook, whose steady play could be a key.
2 PLAYERS YOU KNOW NOW
Junior G Jamar Butler averaged 10.1 points per game last season as a starter. The Lima Shawnee product was second in the Big Ten with a 2.5 assist/turnover ratio. His role could change with so many young shooters available. His knowledge of the Big Ten is invaluable.
Senior G Ron Lewis is OSU's leading returning scorer (11.2 points per game) despite being a sixth man. The senior co-captain (along with Butler) is a legitimate scorer who needs polish on the defensive end. He has scored in double figures in 58 of 92 college games.
2 PLAYERS YOU WILL KNOW IN JANUARY
Freshman C Greg Oden has an NBA-ready body and, even better, the right temperament. He's a thinker but can reach down deep for a mean streak. What would make one of the best center prospects even better? How about being ambidextrous? With his right hand immobilized much of the time since his June surgery, Oden's been practicing left-handed shots.
Junior F Othello Hunter will face taller and more experienced post players until Oden's return. He'll get some help from Matt Terwilliger, but may not have to win the inside battles. If the Bucks can hold their own in the paint, the guards can outscore opponents. In the exhibitions, Hunter showed flashes of the shot-blocking and moves that made him so sought-after.
ABOUT THE COACH
Thad Matta, 39, has made a major impact in Columbus, going 46-18 in his first two seasons with the Buckeyes. OSU won the Big Ten regular-season title last season. The Illinois native has the fifth-most Division I wins of any coach through six seasons. His 148 wins have come at Butler (24), Xavier (78) and OSU (46). Assistants: John Groce, Alan Major, Dan Peters.
TICKET INFORMATION
No tickets are available for any Big Ten home games. There are select tickets available for the season-opening Black Coaches Association Classic and home games against San Francisco, Youngstown State, Valparaiso, Cleveland State, Iowa State and Coppin State.
Call (800) GO-BUCKS for information.
To buy tickets online, go to ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com or various ticket brokers.
2006-07 Ohio State basketball season preview
By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Unless you live under a rock, you know the Ohio State men's basketball team will be without freshman center Greg Oden probably until the Big Ten season because of an injured right wrist. The 7-footer from Indianapolis Lawrence North was the consensus high school player of the year in 2005-06.
That leaves the Buckeyes a little undersized with 6-foot-8 center Matt Terwilliger, 6-9 junior college transfer forward Othello Hunter and 6-7 forward Ivan Harris, who is more of an outside shooter than inside banger.
Until then, the Buckeyes probably will try to mask their weaknesses (size, interior defense, help-side defense, rebounding, bench depth) by playing to their strengths and the other "Thad Five" newcomers in Dunbar's Daequan Cook, guard Mike Conley, forward David Lighty and Hunter.
OSU will take ? and make ? a bunch of 3-point shots. Jamar Butler, Ron Lewis, Harris, Cook, Lighty and Conley can fire from distance. Even Terwilliger has shown he can knock down the occasional triple.
The Buckeyes can play small ball, running with speedy point guards such as Butler and Conley.
Shooting percentages and assists should be high as long as turnovers don't cause problems. At least eight players could be starters on most college teams.
BUCKEYES BY THE NUMBERS
1 ? Ohio State was picked to finish tops in the Big Ten, despite just one returning starter.
4 ? McDonald's All-Americans on OSU's roster (Ivan Harris, Daequan Cook, Greg Oden, Mike Conley).
2-10 ? Range of OSU's national ranking by most national publications and experts.
14 ? Number of national TV games, including matchups against North Carolina and national-champion Florida.
27.2 ? Combined scoring averages of returners Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler, Ivan Harris and Matt Terwilliger.
SEASON STORYLINES
Undersized early: Minus 7-foot freshman center Greg Oden, how will the undersized young Bucks respond to a challenging early schedule that includes road games at North Carolina and defending national champion Florida?
How good is Oden? When Oden suits up, will he live up to the hype of freshman legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Patrick Ewing? If he does, will he dominate and lead OSU to a Big Ten title and/or the Final Four?
Eyes on the NBA: No matter how the season's story is written, how many of the "Thad Five" will return? They'll all be NBA draft-eligible after the season, including Dunbar's Daequan Cook, whose steady play could be a key.
2 PLAYERS YOU KNOW NOW
Junior G Jamar Butler averaged 10.1 points per game last season as a starter. The Lima Shawnee product was second in the Big Ten with a 2.5 assist/turnover ratio. His role could change with so many young shooters available. His knowledge of the Big Ten is invaluable.
Senior G Ron Lewis is OSU's leading returning scorer (11.2 points per game) despite being a sixth man. The senior co-captain (along with Butler) is a legitimate scorer who needs polish on the defensive end. He has scored in double figures in 58 of 92 college games.
2 PLAYERS YOU WILL KNOW IN JANUARY
Freshman C Greg Oden has an NBA-ready body and, even better, the right temperament. He's a thinker but can reach down deep for a mean streak. What would make one of the best center prospects even better? How about being ambidextrous? With his right hand immobilized much of the time since his June surgery, Oden's been practicing left-handed shots.
Junior F Othello Hunter will face taller and more experienced post players until Oden's return. He'll get some help from Matt Terwilliger, but may not have to win the inside battles. If the Bucks can hold their own in the paint, the guards can outscore opponents. In the exhibitions, Hunter showed flashes of the shot-blocking and moves that made him so sought-after.
ABOUT THE COACH
Thad Matta, 39, has made a major impact in Columbus, going 46-18 in his first two seasons with the Buckeyes. OSU won the Big Ten regular-season title last season. The Illinois native has the fifth-most Division I wins of any coach through six seasons. His 148 wins have come at Butler (24), Xavier (78) and OSU (46). Assistants: John Groce, Alan Major, Dan Peters.
TICKET INFORMATION
No tickets are available for any Big Ten home games. There are select tickets available for the season-opening Black Coaches Association Classic and home games against San Francisco, Youngstown State, Valparaiso, Cleveland State, Iowa State and Coppin State.
Call (800) GO-BUCKS for information.
To buy tickets online, go to ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com or various ticket brokers.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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Simply fabulous
By Barker Davis
November 8, 2006
Greg Oden (Getty Images)
Behold the Year of the Freshman.
With an assist from David Stern, college hoops has scored perhaps the most impressive crop of newcomers in the game's history.
From Ohio State manchild Greg Oden to the top-10 North Carolina trio to Connecticut's nine-rookie clip, the game's freshmen are set to make the kind of sudden impact that would make Clint Eastwood cower. Prepare to see departure-ravaged teams instantly transformed into NCAA tournament locks and solid tournament teams instantly elevated to Final Four favorites.
"I think this would have been as strong a freshman class nationally as I've ever seen even without the NBA rule. Now, once you add the handful of kids to the college game who would have gone pro, wow, it's just exceptional," said Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun, who lost all five starters from a team that finished 30-4 last season and actually thinks he has more talent in Storrs this season.
"I know we're the quickest team I've had in 21 years. ... I know [7-foot-3 freshman center] Hasheem Thabeet can make as big an impact as any first-year player I've ever had. I know that [Rockville native and freshman guard] Jerome Dyson over the last several days has done some very special things that only a few guys in the history of Connecticut have been able to do as a young player. And we have a lot of depth. In all honesty, I think we're as talented as we were last season. We're just young."
That battle cry could well follow a couple of teams all the way to the Georgia Dome in March. The No. 2 Tar Heels and the No. 7 Buckeyes were ranked near the top of the Associated Press preseason poll based largely (UNC) or almost entirely (OSU) on freshmen.
Sure, the Tar Heels return last season's national freshman of the year in center Tyler Hansbrough (18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds). But UNC didn't secure the nation's No. 2 slot because the media were wowed with the supporting cast that left Hansbrough single-handed in the Tar Heels' humbling second-round loss to George Mason in last season's NCAA tournament.
Nope, the Tar Heels are picked to march all the way to the Peach Pit thanks to a gaudy recruiting haul that includes three of the nation's top eight incoming freshmen (forward Brandan Wright and guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington).
Wright, who will start opposite Hansbrough in the paint, is a 6-10 forward who handles like a guard and dropped a team-high 19 points in 16 minutes on St. Augustine's in UNC's final exhibition. Coach Roy Williams says Ellington has the most advanced skills of any freshman guard he has coached. And Lawson, a 5-11 blur with the basketball, is a transition terror for opposing teams.
"Free throw line to free throw line, I've never seen anybody as fast as Tywon," said UNC senior guard Wes Miller, who has played with and against some pretty speedy sorts in Raymond Felton and Chris Paul.
Amazingly, considering they swiped nearly half of the blue-chip elite eight, North Carolina's claim to the game's top recruiting class is debatable.
That's because of the extraordinary quintet Ohio State coach Thad Matta cajoled to Columbus. The so-called "Thad Five" or "Cinco de Matta" have been termed the strongest cluster of recruits in history, outstripping Michigan's Fab Five from 1991 (Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson). That group of Wolverines, of course, advanced to consecutive Final Fours, establishing a high bar for this group of Buckeyes.
"I'd really like to get the Final Four of the BCA Classic, which means we have to beat VMI [in Friday's opener]," said Matta, who has done all he can to keep the inevitable spotlight off his fivesome. "People need to remember this team will always be a work in progress."
Like the Fab Five, this Ohio State bunch is a convenient complete set: point guard Mike Conley Jr., shooting guard David Lighty, swingman Daequan Cook, power forward Othello Hunter and center Greg Oden. Aside from Hunter, a 6-9 JUCO dunkosaur, each of Ohio State's newcomers was ranked among the consensus top 30 high school players in the nation. But all talk about the Buckeyes begins and ends with Oden, a polished 7-0, 280-pounder who has inspired more man-crushes among NBA general managers than any player since Magic Johnson.
"He's the real deal," Marquette coach Tom Crean said. "You talk about a big man with skills and versatility. He's got the chance to be very, very special."
Unfortunately, Oden had surgery to repair injured ligaments in his right wrist in June and isn't expected to debut until the Buckeyes' Big Ten opener at Indiana (Jan. 2).
But the big man from Indianapolis is precisely the type of player who wouldn't be on a college campus if not for the NBA's age-restriction policy.
Starting with Kevin Garnett in 1995 and ending with the record group of 10 high school players in 2005, 39 high school players were selected in the NBA Draft. And one NBA scout estimated that as many as a dozen members of this year's freshman class would have been selected.
Suitland native Kevin Durant, a 6-9 freshman forward at Texas, told The Washington Times several months ago he probably would have entered the draft if not for the age-restriction policy.
"Yeah, I probably would have turned pro, and I don't think it was a [fair] rule," he said. "I think we were just as good as the previous class that went to the NBA, but it's all right. I'm happy at Texas."
This season's top high school player, 6-5 Huntington (W.Va.) swingman O.J. Mayo, has made rumblings that he might legally challenge the NBA rule. But for this season at least, the college basketball world will get to enjoy an unprecedented infusion of freshman talent ... and perhaps an unprecedented infusion of freshman hype.
"I know it's exciting, but I think it has been overplayed a little," said Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon, whose fourth-ranked Panthers join top-ranked Florida among the elite teams who won't rely on a freshman phenom. "I think there's always too much talk about the incoming guys and what they did in high school. Some freshmen do live up to the hype but not many.
"The NBA's new rule is likely to add a couple of instant superstars to the college game, but that's it ? a couple. I think people are going to be surprised at how little difference it makes to the landscape as a whole."
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Canton
Great expectations for OSU basketball
Friday, November 10, 2006
By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS Incredible hype surrounds them. Huge expectations await them.
Welcome to the world of the Ohio State men's basketball team as it embarks on a season that could return them to the elite of the college game.
"We are in a unique situation," third-year head coach Thad Matta said when training camp began.
How unique? The Buckeyes lost the core of last year's Big Ten title team, and they are expected to compete for a national title this season.
"I don't know of any other team that has lost 80 percent of its players, finished sixth in the nation and came into the next season ranked higher than last year," said Matta, whose team begins its season tonight at home against Virginia Military Academy.
The Buckeyes are the preseason pick to win the Big Ten, ranked as high as No. 4 in the national polls.
The hype and expectations come from a recruiting class with three McDonald's All-Americans - 7-footer Greg Oden, a two-time national prep player of the year; point guard Mike Conley Jr.; and smooth wing Daequan Cook. Another highly-touted freshman is wing David Lighty, while 6-9 junior Othello Hunter is a junior college transfer.
"There are times that you can see the flashes of how great the young guys can be," said guard Ron Lewis, Ohio State's top returning scorer and one of two seniors on the team.
But the full picture of this season will not begin to come into focus until January. That's when Oden, perhaps the most hyped big man since Patrick Ewing, hopes to join the team. He is recovering from surgery on his right wrist and should be available for the start of Big Ten play.
That means the Ohio State team that plays tonight will look much different by March. And this season already looks quite different to Matta, who relied on veterans in the past.
Ohio State lost four fifth-year seniors in Terence Dials, Je'Kel Foster, J.J. Sullinger and Matt Sylvester. Each played a role in last year's success.
"Now I'm looking, and those guys aren't there," Matta said. "I don't know that we're ahead or behind. It's just so new."
Point guard Jamar Butler is the lone returning starter. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.6 assists a game, shooting a team best 41.4 percent from 3-point range. Lewis played big minutes, usually off the bench, scoring 11.2 points per game. Matt Terwilliger, a 6-8 junior, and 6-7 senior Ivan Harris also contributed.
"I think the new guys have a lot of respect for these players from last year," Matta said.
Lewis said the newcomers are willing to learn.
"We will have to be the leaders," he said. "People talk about all the talent these guys have, but what they don't have is experience, and that is something we can help with."
The Buckeyes have shown they can shoot the basketball, especially from 3-point range. They shot better than 50 percent from the floor in two exhibition wins. They buried 14 of 31 3-pointers in the 87-62 win over Walsh last Sunday.
"All we do in practice is shoot, shoot and shoot," said Lighty, who made four of five 3-pointers vs. Walsh.
The Buckeyes also looked good in sharing the ball. They had 22 assists on their 32 field goals against Walsh. Conley had 16 assists and just one turnover in the exhibitions.
"It makes me feel like I'm doing my job, playing aggressive and get everybody involved," Conley said.
"He has such command and understanding of what we want to do," Matta said.
Ohio State's biggest concerns are defense and rebounding.
"Coach pushes and pushes us to get better on defense," Cook said.
Matta sees improvement. But he still wants the Buckeyes to work better as a five-man defensive unit.
"Help and recover," Matta said, "those are things we have to hammer away at and get better at."
Ohio State showed some zone defense against Walsh. That's a look that could be impressive with Oden in the middle.
Oden's return also will help ease rebounding concerns. After the win over Walsh on Sunday, Conley said he thought the Buckeyes did a better job on the boards. Then Lighty, looking over the stat sheet, laughed. Why?
"Because they still outrebounded us." Walsh had a 39-29 edge in rebounds.
The Buckeyes know if they don't rebound on the defensive glass, they can't get out and run. "Coach wants us to ... get out on the break and get into transition," Lighty said.
The Buckeyes will play three homes in three nights as part of the SportsTime Ohio Black Coaches Association Classic. They will play at 8 each night. After tonight's game with VMI, Ohio State plays either Loyola (Ill.) or Princeton on Saturday, then Kent State, IUPUI South Dakota State or Alabama A&M.
"There's some good teams in this tournament," Matta said. "We'll have to adjust on the fly. And come next Monday, we'll look and see where it is we have to improve."
Great expectations for OSU basketball
Friday, November 10, 2006
By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS Incredible hype surrounds them. Huge expectations await them.
Welcome to the world of the Ohio State men's basketball team as it embarks on a season that could return them to the elite of the college game.
"We are in a unique situation," third-year head coach Thad Matta said when training camp began.
How unique? The Buckeyes lost the core of last year's Big Ten title team, and they are expected to compete for a national title this season.
"I don't know of any other team that has lost 80 percent of its players, finished sixth in the nation and came into the next season ranked higher than last year," said Matta, whose team begins its season tonight at home against Virginia Military Academy.
The Buckeyes are the preseason pick to win the Big Ten, ranked as high as No. 4 in the national polls.
The hype and expectations come from a recruiting class with three McDonald's All-Americans - 7-footer Greg Oden, a two-time national prep player of the year; point guard Mike Conley Jr.; and smooth wing Daequan Cook. Another highly-touted freshman is wing David Lighty, while 6-9 junior Othello Hunter is a junior college transfer.
"There are times that you can see the flashes of how great the young guys can be," said guard Ron Lewis, Ohio State's top returning scorer and one of two seniors on the team.
But the full picture of this season will not begin to come into focus until January. That's when Oden, perhaps the most hyped big man since Patrick Ewing, hopes to join the team. He is recovering from surgery on his right wrist and should be available for the start of Big Ten play.
That means the Ohio State team that plays tonight will look much different by March. And this season already looks quite different to Matta, who relied on veterans in the past.
Ohio State lost four fifth-year seniors in Terence Dials, Je'Kel Foster, J.J. Sullinger and Matt Sylvester. Each played a role in last year's success.
"Now I'm looking, and those guys aren't there," Matta said. "I don't know that we're ahead or behind. It's just so new."
Point guard Jamar Butler is the lone returning starter. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.6 assists a game, shooting a team best 41.4 percent from 3-point range. Lewis played big minutes, usually off the bench, scoring 11.2 points per game. Matt Terwilliger, a 6-8 junior, and 6-7 senior Ivan Harris also contributed.
"I think the new guys have a lot of respect for these players from last year," Matta said.
Lewis said the newcomers are willing to learn.
"We will have to be the leaders," he said. "People talk about all the talent these guys have, but what they don't have is experience, and that is something we can help with."
The Buckeyes have shown they can shoot the basketball, especially from 3-point range. They shot better than 50 percent from the floor in two exhibition wins. They buried 14 of 31 3-pointers in the 87-62 win over Walsh last Sunday.
"All we do in practice is shoot, shoot and shoot," said Lighty, who made four of five 3-pointers vs. Walsh.
The Buckeyes also looked good in sharing the ball. They had 22 assists on their 32 field goals against Walsh. Conley had 16 assists and just one turnover in the exhibitions.
"It makes me feel like I'm doing my job, playing aggressive and get everybody involved," Conley said.
"He has such command and understanding of what we want to do," Matta said.
Ohio State's biggest concerns are defense and rebounding.
"Coach pushes and pushes us to get better on defense," Cook said.
Matta sees improvement. But he still wants the Buckeyes to work better as a five-man defensive unit.
"Help and recover," Matta said, "those are things we have to hammer away at and get better at."
Ohio State showed some zone defense against Walsh. That's a look that could be impressive with Oden in the middle.
Oden's return also will help ease rebounding concerns. After the win over Walsh on Sunday, Conley said he thought the Buckeyes did a better job on the boards. Then Lighty, looking over the stat sheet, laughed. Why?
"Because they still outrebounded us." Walsh had a 39-29 edge in rebounds.
The Buckeyes know if they don't rebound on the defensive glass, they can't get out and run. "Coach wants us to ... get out on the break and get into transition," Lighty said.
The Buckeyes will play three homes in three nights as part of the SportsTime Ohio Black Coaches Association Classic. They will play at 8 each night. After tonight's game with VMI, Ohio State plays either Loyola (Ill.) or Princeton on Saturday, then Kent State, IUPUI South Dakota State or Alabama A&M.
"There's some good teams in this tournament," Matta said. "We'll have to adjust on the fly. And come next Monday, we'll look and see where it is we have to improve."
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JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
11/10/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17448771
COLUMBUS -- Here is the irony surrounding Ohio State basketball and the college basketball world in general: Last year, a pretty decent Buckeyes team went 26-6, but lived in relative obscurity even as they were crowned Big Ten champions in March and finished the season ranked 13th.
This team has just four returning starters and four players who never played with a shot clock, but they're ranked fourth in the country to start the season and even received one first-place vote despite losing the Big Ten's Player of the Year in Terence Dials.
Makes perfect sense, right?
''On this team there are so many unknowns,'' coach Thad Matta said. ''It's a youthful team and quite honestly it's a day-by-day process with these guys.''
Matta might sound like he's crying poor, but he's living in the high rent district right now. After muddling through two years of coaxing the most out of the mediocre talent he had upon arriving, Matta is finally starting to bring in his type of players.
As Matta begins working with his first elite recruiting class, another one is headed to Columbus next year, highlighted by another 7-footer in Canton's Kostas Koufos. The result of all this could be an era of Ohio State basketball that hasn't been seen in 40 years.
Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, David Lighty and Othello Hunter are five recruits who have been linked together for over a year in anticipation of this day. The Buckeyes open a season high on potential and low on stability tonight by hosting Virginia Military Institute
They'll do so, of course, without Oden, who could have been the No. 1 pick in the NBA last summer had the league not changed its eligibility rules. Matta bulked up the preseason schedule by adding road trips to North Carolina and Florida, but Ohio State will now have to face the highly-regarded Tar Heels and the defending national champions without their 7-foot star.
Oden isn't expected to return until January, leaving the middle to be manned by little-used and undersized Matt Terwilliger or Hunter. At 6-foot-8, Terwilliger is undersized to play the middle, and he averaged just 10 minutes and 2.3 points a game last year as a sophomore. Hunter is 6-9 and has never played a meaningful minute of Division I basketball.
That leaves the Buckeyes questionable in the middle, at least until Oden is healthy.
''I have an answer coming,'' Matta said.
Like in past years, Ohio State will again be strong at the guards. Junior Jamar Butler, quiet threw his first two years, has taken over a more vocal role as the starting point guard and Ron Lewis showed enough explosiveness last year after transferring from Bowling Green to be considered a viable threat from the outside.
Butler averaged 10.1 points last year and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 144-57 was much better than 2-to-1. That will leave freshmen like Conley, Lighty and Cook a little time to adapt to the college game, but not much. With just four players returning from last year, the freshmen will be thrown in early. They certainly appear talented enough to handle it.
''(Conley) is going to be on the floor a lot,'' Butler said of his probable backup. ''Conley is going to be playing a lot because of how tough he is. I've been working at the two spot a little bit, learning to play some (shooting guard). I think I'm going to play a lot with him.''
That underlies one of the apparent strengths for the Buckeyes. While they may be forced to play the first two months of the season without their star, there is enough flexibility within the roster to make them versatile.
Lewis can play guard or forward. Butler can play either guard spot. Terwilliger can play power forward or center. Ivan Harris has the shot of a small forward but the body of a power forward.
It should leave Matta plenty of options to mix-and-match with until Oden's wrist is healed. And to this point, he's on target.
Matta ideally wants Oden back for the Jan. 2 Big Ten opener against Indiana.
Once he returns, his defensive skills will be further advanced than his offensive moves. But around the basket, Oden can be the most intimidating player in the country. Matta admits how the Buckeyes look now, and how they might look in January, will be completely different.
Despite losing five of their top seven scorers from last year, the Buckeyes were picked as preseason favorites to repeat as Big Ten champions.
''In essence we'll be two teams,'' Matta said. ''Once we get (Oden) back, it's going to be a quick learning curve for him to get readjusted and acclimated. I really don't know if he'll ever be 100 percent this year. That's the unknown.''
Unknown promise
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
11/10/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17448771
COLUMBUS -- Here is the irony surrounding Ohio State basketball and the college basketball world in general: Last year, a pretty decent Buckeyes team went 26-6, but lived in relative obscurity even as they were crowned Big Ten champions in March and finished the season ranked 13th.
This team has just four returning starters and four players who never played with a shot clock, but they're ranked fourth in the country to start the season and even received one first-place vote despite losing the Big Ten's Player of the Year in Terence Dials.
Makes perfect sense, right?
''On this team there are so many unknowns,'' coach Thad Matta said. ''It's a youthful team and quite honestly it's a day-by-day process with these guys.''
Matta might sound like he's crying poor, but he's living in the high rent district right now. After muddling through two years of coaxing the most out of the mediocre talent he had upon arriving, Matta is finally starting to bring in his type of players.
As Matta begins working with his first elite recruiting class, another one is headed to Columbus next year, highlighted by another 7-footer in Canton's Kostas Koufos. The result of all this could be an era of Ohio State basketball that hasn't been seen in 40 years.
Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, David Lighty and Othello Hunter are five recruits who have been linked together for over a year in anticipation of this day. The Buckeyes open a season high on potential and low on stability tonight by hosting Virginia Military Institute
They'll do so, of course, without Oden, who could have been the No. 1 pick in the NBA last summer had the league not changed its eligibility rules. Matta bulked up the preseason schedule by adding road trips to North Carolina and Florida, but Ohio State will now have to face the highly-regarded Tar Heels and the defending national champions without their 7-foot star.
Oden isn't expected to return until January, leaving the middle to be manned by little-used and undersized Matt Terwilliger or Hunter. At 6-foot-8, Terwilliger is undersized to play the middle, and he averaged just 10 minutes and 2.3 points a game last year as a sophomore. Hunter is 6-9 and has never played a meaningful minute of Division I basketball.
That leaves the Buckeyes questionable in the middle, at least until Oden is healthy.
''I have an answer coming,'' Matta said.
Like in past years, Ohio State will again be strong at the guards. Junior Jamar Butler, quiet threw his first two years, has taken over a more vocal role as the starting point guard and Ron Lewis showed enough explosiveness last year after transferring from Bowling Green to be considered a viable threat from the outside.
Butler averaged 10.1 points last year and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 144-57 was much better than 2-to-1. That will leave freshmen like Conley, Lighty and Cook a little time to adapt to the college game, but not much. With just four players returning from last year, the freshmen will be thrown in early. They certainly appear talented enough to handle it.
''(Conley) is going to be on the floor a lot,'' Butler said of his probable backup. ''Conley is going to be playing a lot because of how tough he is. I've been working at the two spot a little bit, learning to play some (shooting guard). I think I'm going to play a lot with him.''
That underlies one of the apparent strengths for the Buckeyes. While they may be forced to play the first two months of the season without their star, there is enough flexibility within the roster to make them versatile.
Lewis can play guard or forward. Butler can play either guard spot. Terwilliger can play power forward or center. Ivan Harris has the shot of a small forward but the body of a power forward.
It should leave Matta plenty of options to mix-and-match with until Oden's wrist is healed. And to this point, he's on target.
Matta ideally wants Oden back for the Jan. 2 Big Ten opener against Indiana.
Once he returns, his defensive skills will be further advanced than his offensive moves. But around the basket, Oden can be the most intimidating player in the country. Matta admits how the Buckeyes look now, and how they might look in January, will be completely different.
Despite losing five of their top seven scorers from last year, the Buckeyes were picked as preseason favorites to repeat as Big Ten champions.
''In essence we'll be two teams,'' Matta said. ''Once we get (Oden) back, it's going to be a quick learning curve for him to get readjusted and acclimated. I really don't know if he'll ever be 100 percent this year. That's the unknown.''
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Dispatch
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Tournament to test young Buckeyes
Friday, November 10, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ready? "Yep, we?re ready," guard Ron Lewis said. Or not? "I?m not sure," coach Thad Matta said. Ready or not, here they go. The Ohio State men?s basketball team ? a callow quilt of four returnees, four touted freshmen and a junior-college transfer ? will have plenty of company today when it opens its 2006-07 season. Seven other teams will make their debuts in Value City Arena in the first round of the Black Coaches Association Classic. The Buckeyes will play Virginia Military Institute in the last of the day?s four games. The tournament continues Saturday and Sunday.
It is the earliest opening date for Ohio State, four weeks after the Oct. 13 start of practice.
"Who knows if any of us are ready to play," Princeton coach Joe Scott said, "but we?ve all got to play."
Unlike some of the other teams in the field, the Buckeyes don?t have a wealth of experience. Guards Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis are the only stars back from a Big Ten championship team that started four seniors.
Both major polls rank Ohio State among their preseason top 10 teams, based mostly on a lineup projected to eventually include 7-foot freshman phenom Greg Oden. He won?t play this weekend because his right wrist, still in a brace, continues to heal from offseason surgery.
Without Oden, the Buckeyes were outrebounded by 19 in exhibition wins over Findlay and Walsh and looked vulnerable inside on defense. Othello Hunter, a 6-9 junior-college transfer, and 6-8 junior Matt Terwilliger are the team?s only other inside players.
That raises the question of how vulnerable Ohio State might be against a team such as Loyola (Ill.), which returns five starters and all but one letterman from a 19-11 team. The Ramblers are the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League and might have the tournament?s best player in 6-7 guard Blake Schilb.
Or might the team to beat be IUPUI, which returns four starters from a Mid-Continent Conference co-champion?
Ohio State has won 69 straight home games against mid- and low-major foes. The last loss was to Bowling Green on Dec. 22, 1994, in St. John Arena.
"I think history has proven that you can take mid-major out of the dictionary now," Matta said. "From George Mason (in the Final Four) last year to the Butlers, the Gonzagas, the Xaviers, the parity in college basketball today across the board is off the charts. If you have experience at the college level, you have a chance to beat anybody.
"That?s the challenge we face now. We?ve got one starter back. You look at this tournament in the summer and it?s a great thing, to play three games in three days. As it gets here, you?re saying, ?Wow, I don?t know if this is such a good idea.? "
Butler said the Buckeyes spent time in practice this week trying to be more aggressive rebounders than they were in the exhibition games.
"We weren?t attacking our men and blocking them out. We were letting them get in the paint and then blocking them out," Butler said.
Matta said it?s a "scary thought" to start a season with so little feel for how his team will react when the ball is tipped.
"That?s why I think I have such an open mind with this team," he said. "As long as I see us getting better at the things we need to get better at, I?m in a pretty positive mood."
[email protected]
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Tournament to test young Buckeyes
Friday, November 10, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ready? "Yep, we?re ready," guard Ron Lewis said. Or not? "I?m not sure," coach Thad Matta said. Ready or not, here they go. The Ohio State men?s basketball team ? a callow quilt of four returnees, four touted freshmen and a junior-college transfer ? will have plenty of company today when it opens its 2006-07 season. Seven other teams will make their debuts in Value City Arena in the first round of the Black Coaches Association Classic. The Buckeyes will play Virginia Military Institute in the last of the day?s four games. The tournament continues Saturday and Sunday.
It is the earliest opening date for Ohio State, four weeks after the Oct. 13 start of practice.
"Who knows if any of us are ready to play," Princeton coach Joe Scott said, "but we?ve all got to play."
Unlike some of the other teams in the field, the Buckeyes don?t have a wealth of experience. Guards Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis are the only stars back from a Big Ten championship team that started four seniors.
Both major polls rank Ohio State among their preseason top 10 teams, based mostly on a lineup projected to eventually include 7-foot freshman phenom Greg Oden. He won?t play this weekend because his right wrist, still in a brace, continues to heal from offseason surgery.
Without Oden, the Buckeyes were outrebounded by 19 in exhibition wins over Findlay and Walsh and looked vulnerable inside on defense. Othello Hunter, a 6-9 junior-college transfer, and 6-8 junior Matt Terwilliger are the team?s only other inside players.
That raises the question of how vulnerable Ohio State might be against a team such as Loyola (Ill.), which returns five starters and all but one letterman from a 19-11 team. The Ramblers are the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League and might have the tournament?s best player in 6-7 guard Blake Schilb.
Or might the team to beat be IUPUI, which returns four starters from a Mid-Continent Conference co-champion?
Ohio State has won 69 straight home games against mid- and low-major foes. The last loss was to Bowling Green on Dec. 22, 1994, in St. John Arena.
"I think history has proven that you can take mid-major out of the dictionary now," Matta said. "From George Mason (in the Final Four) last year to the Butlers, the Gonzagas, the Xaviers, the parity in college basketball today across the board is off the charts. If you have experience at the college level, you have a chance to beat anybody.
"That?s the challenge we face now. We?ve got one starter back. You look at this tournament in the summer and it?s a great thing, to play three games in three days. As it gets here, you?re saying, ?Wow, I don?t know if this is such a good idea.? "
Butler said the Buckeyes spent time in practice this week trying to be more aggressive rebounders than they were in the exhibition games.
"We weren?t attacking our men and blocking them out. We were letting them get in the paint and then blocking them out," Butler said.
Matta said it?s a "scary thought" to start a season with so little feel for how his team will react when the ball is tipped.
"That?s why I think I have such an open mind with this team," he said. "As long as I see us getting better at the things we need to get better at, I?m in a pretty positive mood."
[email protected]
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Ttown
WTH is an Illini? Dead goose?
These Buckeyes are going to be fun to watch. It's going to be "pedal to the metal" this year. We probably wil try to outscore a lot of teams rather than hold them down.
I look for them to struggle with teams with good inside players and good guards. It will remain to be seen how the D progresses.
Cook seemed awesome as well as Conley. Hunter showed up well as did Butler. Butler will have to steady this team for a while.
After Oden gets here it will take him a while to get up to speed. Hopefully about 3 min. :) .
Until then Twigs and hunter have to be productive on both sides of the ball.
One immediate question I have is Fatigue, which might show up as soon as Sunday with 3 games in 3 days. That has a good side in that the players will get a jump start.
GO BUCKS!
I look for them to struggle with teams with good inside players and good guards. It will remain to be seen how the D progresses.
Cook seemed awesome as well as Conley. Hunter showed up well as did Butler. Butler will have to steady this team for a while.
After Oden gets here it will take him a while to get up to speed. Hopefully about 3 min. :) .
Until then Twigs and hunter have to be productive on both sides of the ball.
One immediate question I have is Fatigue, which might show up as soon as Sunday with 3 games in 3 days. That has a good side in that the players will get a jump start.
GO BUCKS!
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duke_shoot
BB hound
I definitely like what iv'e seen so far. I went to 2 of the games and was happy with the Bucks. Especially Conley and Cook.
Hey Bucyrus I have a brother in law who lives there.
Hey Bucyrus I have a brother in law who lives there.
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DDN
Ohio State men ranked fifth in AP basketball poll
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Ohio State, waiting for heralded freshman Greg Oden to recover from surgery, moved up two spots in the first regular-season college basketball poll by The Associated Press.
While Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Pittsburgh held the top four spots from the preseason rankings Monday, the Buckeyes (3-0) jumped from seventh to fifth after winning the BCA Classic. The Buckeyes' home wins over VMI, Loyola of Chicago and Kent State were by an average of 24 points.
Ohio State men ranked fifth in AP basketball poll
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Ohio State, waiting for heralded freshman Greg Oden to recover from surgery, moved up two spots in the first regular-season college basketball poll by The Associated Press.
While Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Pittsburgh held the top four spots from the preseason rankings Monday, the Buckeyes (3-0) jumped from seventh to fifth after winning the BCA Classic. The Buckeyes' home wins over VMI, Loyola of Chicago and Kent State were by an average of 24 points.
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Link
Oden-less Buckeyes move to No. 5
By Jim O'Connell
The Associated Press
Ohio State, waiting for heralded freshman Greg Oden to recover from surgery, moved up two spots in the first regular-season college basketball poll by The Associated Press.
While Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Pittsburgh held the top four spots from the preseason rankings on Monday, the Buckeyes (3-0) jumped from seventh to fifth after winning the BCA Classic.
Ohio State has just one starter back from last season's Big Ten champions, but its early ranking was predicated on a five-man recruiting class considered one of the nation's best. The 7-foot-1 Oden, however, won't be available until January. He had surgery on his right wrist during the offseason and is continuing his rehabilitation.
The Buckeyes' home wins over VMI, Loyola of Chicago and Kent State were by an average of 24 points. Those performances vaulted them over two teams that didn't play last week - UCLA, which stayed sixth, and LSU, which dropped from fifth to seventh.
Florida (1-0), which opened defense of its national championship with a 79-54 victory over Samford, was again a runaway No. 1. The Gators received 65 first-place votes from the 72-member national media panel, two more than they got in the preseason voting.
North Carolina, which opens its season against Sacred Heart on Tuesday night, was No. 1 on seven ballots, down from the nine it received in the preseason poll.
Kansas and Pittsburgh opened with wins over Northern Arizona and Western Michigan, respectively, and held third and fourth place.
Georgetown and Wisconsin were eighth and ninth as they were in the preseason poll, while Alabama moved up one spot to 10th.
Arizona was 10th in the preseason poll, but the Wildcats (0-1) were the only ranked team to lose last week, falling 93-90 at Virginia in the first game played in the John Paul Jones Arena. The loss dropped Arizona to 15th.
Duke moved up one spot to 11th and was followed by Texas A&M, Memphis, Boston College, Arizona, Marquette, Washington, Syracuse, Texas and Creighton. The last five ranked teams were Connecticut, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Nevada and Tennessee.
Oden-less Buckeyes move to No. 5
By Jim O'Connell
The Associated Press
Ohio State, waiting for heralded freshman Greg Oden to recover from surgery, moved up two spots in the first regular-season college basketball poll by The Associated Press.
While Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Pittsburgh held the top four spots from the preseason rankings on Monday, the Buckeyes (3-0) jumped from seventh to fifth after winning the BCA Classic.
Ohio State has just one starter back from last season's Big Ten champions, but its early ranking was predicated on a five-man recruiting class considered one of the nation's best. The 7-foot-1 Oden, however, won't be available until January. He had surgery on his right wrist during the offseason and is continuing his rehabilitation.
The Buckeyes' home wins over VMI, Loyola of Chicago and Kent State were by an average of 24 points. Those performances vaulted them over two teams that didn't play last week - UCLA, which stayed sixth, and LSU, which dropped from fifth to seventh.
Florida (1-0), which opened defense of its national championship with a 79-54 victory over Samford, was again a runaway No. 1. The Gators received 65 first-place votes from the 72-member national media panel, two more than they got in the preseason voting.
North Carolina, which opens its season against Sacred Heart on Tuesday night, was No. 1 on seven ballots, down from the nine it received in the preseason poll.
Kansas and Pittsburgh opened with wins over Northern Arizona and Western Michigan, respectively, and held third and fourth place.
Georgetown and Wisconsin were eighth and ninth as they were in the preseason poll, while Alabama moved up one spot to 10th.
Arizona was 10th in the preseason poll, but the Wildcats (0-1) were the only ranked team to lose last week, falling 93-90 at Virginia in the first game played in the John Paul Jones Arena. The loss dropped Arizona to 15th.
Duke moved up one spot to 11th and was followed by Texas A&M, Memphis, Boston College, Arizona, Marquette, Washington, Syracuse, Texas and Creighton. The last five ranked teams were Connecticut, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Nevada and Tennessee.
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