Men's Basketball Buckeye Tidbits 2007-08 Season

[vrbryant]

Butler will be an iron man playing almost every meaningful minute of the season. His game will improve yet again and we will see him emerge as a seasoned vet who takes charge from the point guard position and scores a bit more than most PG's. I see a stunning turnover/assist ratio and about 15 points a game.

I think P.J. Hill is much more than a patch at lead guard. Butler lost about twenty pounds in the offseason in an effort to improve his quickness and durability, but Hill is a natural athlete who takes very good care of the ball and has Conley-like speed. Obviously Butler is the number one option, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if your prediction of 37+ minutes per game is about ten minutes off. It's a long season, and Matta's good about not leaning too much on any one player. I think you can expect 9-10 minutes, 3-4 points and 2-3 assists per game out of Hill.

For more information on Hill, please feel free to read my feature on him for UWeekly. :)

 

[OSU_Buckguy]

For more information on Hill, please feel free to read my feature on him for UWeekly.

While taking comments on Hill, the young guard could be seen hamming it up with the other new faces, clearly exercising what is already a very strong rapport. He is constantly smiling, and seems to make his energy contagious.

It was right around the time he was being lifted up to the basket by freshman forward Dallas Lauderdale for a dunk that you had to wonder if you were looking at the future leader of the team.

 

[vrbryant]

Ahh, balls...misplaced modifier there in that first sentence. Makes it sound like Hill was taking comments on himself. Oh well.

 

[OSU_Buckguy]

Ahh, balls...misplaced modifier there in that first sentence.

yep, your participle is dangling.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Season Preview v2.0

Hope you guys are ready for this...I have some good stuff, from someone in the know...

Starters - I am almost 95% sure that the starting lineup is going to look like:

1. Butler
2. Lighty
3. Diebler
4. Hunter
5. KK

I think first off the bench are going to be Turner, Lauderdale, Twig, and Hill...

The other guys left are Madsen and Wallace...Wallace is athletic as they come and I will not be suprised to see him log minutes, but I think that they will come later in the season once his game improves...He is a freak athletically...As for putting Madsen in this list, that has to do with Twig being the senior leader and getting the minutes and the recent things I have heard on Lauderdale...

Just for a heads up on Matta I saw him yesterday, and he still has a considerable limp and is still driving with a handicap sticker in his car.

Now for what I am hearing about the starters and reserves...

Butler - He is going to be a senior leader, all big ten type season...His shot continues to improve if that is possible, and like I have said in his 3 previous years, he is a better shooter off the dribble, and at the PG spot, so we will see his numbers go up this year, and hopefully he takes more of a load on the offensive side of the ball. He will also be a lock down defender on defense.

Lighty - We saw his potential come out at the end of last season in the tourney...Well he has worked very hard over the summer, and he is probably the hardest worker on the team, and his offensive game is ever improving...Don't think we are going to be seeing that ugly looking shot that we saw last year...Also Lighty is a top 10 defender in all of college basketball...

Diebler - Everytime I talk to anyone, the first name out of their mouth is Diebler...He is going to be a stud, he has range when he walks in the gym, and those of you worried about his defense, I have been told, from people playing against him, and seeing him that there is nothing to worry about...Might not be as strong as Lighty, Butler, Turner, Hill (Good company huh?) but his length, and his ability to read passes and tip passes are going to cause lots of turnovers for other teams...I wouldnt be suprised to see him have some 25 pt games on the season.

Hunter - Hunter is going to be an improved version of what we saw last year, with a more involved role in the offense. He is going to be the backstop on defense, and with his huge wingspan, look for Hunter to have lots of blocks back there...

KK - Hearing some great things about him...Not that we didnt already know, but even some of the players are amazed by some of the things that he is able to do...We will be hearing the line that those are things that guards do, not 7 footers...He needs work on post defense, but with Hunter, or Lauderdale in there, he wil have help...

Turner - Havent really heard a lot about Turner, other than how solid he is...What we have always heard is he is solid at everything that he does...Look for him to be a great defender...

Twig - The only thing we will see here that we have not seen as much of is leadership...We know what we get with Twig, and I don't see any changes...

Lauderdale - At first I wasnt hearing great things about Lauderdale, but lately I have been hearing some good things...He is a force down low, strong as an ox, and while his offensive skills leave a lot to be desired, he is going to get playing time due to his inside presence on defense...

Hill - Continue to hear great things about Hill as well...He is not a great offensive player, but he is a defensive stopper, he can run the offense, is great with the ball in the open court, and I just continue to hear that he is just as quick as Conley was...many were suprised with him when he came here, and hearing that he was not even the starter on his team, but they are glad that he is part of th team...Great find by Groce...

Overall not having us in the top 25 is a crime...I see us as a solid 15-20 team right now...I think we have a squad that should win the big ten...I will need to see IU to really finalize that prediction, but we have the defense to keep us in any game against anyone in the country...We also have more versatilty this year with the lineups we can put in and out, and the things that we can do...

We can run, slow it down, play man, play zone, press, halfocurt...No team will present a mismatch to us, but we will present many mismatches to other teams...

Can't wait for the season...Can't make the scrimmage this weekend, but I will be at the exhibition game in 12 days!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you guys enjoy, and if you have any questions post them and I will see if i have the answer...

 

[LitlBuck]

driving with a handicap sticker in his car.

Hell, one half of the population in Columbus does that... okay sorry for the commentary now back to OSU basketball (the good stuff).

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

1. Butler
2. Lighty
3. Diebler
4. Hunter
5. KK

I would have to agree with that but I see Diebler and Turner sharing minutes, it would not suprise me if Diebler came off the bench at some point to provide some instant scoring.

Butler - He is going to be a senior leader, all big ten type season...

I agree.....he will have to be the leader out there when it gets tight.....I thought it was very impressive the fact he reshaped his body for this year....dedication.

Lighty - We saw his potential come out at the end of last season in the tourney...

By all accounts he has continued to show he is a talent.....the more minutes he plays the better he will be......his role is different this year, he will need to provide consistent scoring for us to successful.

Diebler - Everytime I talk to anyone, the first name out of their mouth is Diebler...

He has been very impressive in the summer workouts and early reports are glowing but we all know the transition will take awhile and he will need to adjust......his role is dependent on Turner in my opinion......we need some spark off the bench....Diebs could be the answer (much like Cook was last year.)

Hunter - Hunter is going to be an improved version of what we saw last year,

Hunter has added some muscle and that should help, I expect him to be a surprise for us this year......only played 5 years of BB.....he could improve by leaps and bounds.....

KK - Hearing some great things about him...

Everyone knows his talent, now the Big Ten coaches will have to devise a strategy to contain a 7-footer with the skills of a guard.......scary thought. The thing I love about KK is his desire to be the best....constantly trying to improve his game.....a true gym rat. Enjoy him this year.....their will not be a second barring some injury.

Turner - Havent really heard a lot about Turner, other than how solid he is...

This is the wildcard player for me.....will he fill Lighty's role last year or be a scoring threat? I think a little of both......he is a talent that most haven't seen yet.

Twig - The only thing we will see here that we have not seen as much of is leadership

Twigs will be dependable and provide much the same minutes as last year.

Lauderdale - At first I wasnt hearing great things about Lauderdale,

Dallas is a defensive player, that is his strength and if he does see quality minutes that will be where he makes an impact......very raw on the offensive end, but has that potential they all talk about to be a very good player.

Hill - Continue to hear great things about Hill as well...He is not a great offensive player

I don't know what to expect from Hill but I have a feeling he will be more than solid spelling Butler at the PG position.

 

[akronbuck]

Hope you guys are ready for this...I have some good stuff, from someone in the know...

Starters - I am almost 95% sure that the starting lineup is going to look like:

1. Butler
2. Lighty
3. Diebler
4. Hunter
5. KK

I think first off the bench are going to be Turner, Lauderdale, Twig, and Hill...
quote]


thats sounds great and ANOTHER GREAT OSU team,

not sure if it was posted anywhere but, OSU basketball team scrimmage at the Value 12':00 - 1:00 tomorrow. Doors open at 11.

I'll be watching drunk

 

[Best Buckeye]

sounds really good guys , I am more than ready right now. I am more than excited about this team. Wait for the KK move.

 

[itsmitch]

I think P.J. Hill is much more than a patch at lead guard. Butler lost about twenty pounds in the offseason in an effort to improve his quickness and durability, but Hill is a natural athlete who takes very good care of the ball and has Conley-like speed. Obviously Butler is the number one option, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if your prediction of 37+ minutes per game is about ten minutes off. It's a long season, and Matta's good about not leaning too much on any one player. I think you can expect 9-10 minutes, 3-4 points and 2-3 assists per game out of Hill.

For more information on Hill, please feel free to read my feature on him for UWeekly. :)

Thanks for the link. I enjoyed reading that and the other articles you've posted over there. I'm already a fan of Hill. I was really excited to read the speed comparison with Conley Jr.. That was something I had not heard yet and is just cool as hell. :)

As those first few nuggets of information were dribbling out about Hill a couple months ago it became clear to me that he is a pretty special find. Harvard offer means he is smart. JUCO instead of Harvard means he believes in himself as a Basketball player at the highest levels! Growing 3 inches and putting on 30+ lbs explains the lack of interest from big time schools out of high school. Minutes, points, rebs, and assist in the national championship (juco) game shows he is a big time big game player. All good!


I really want to believe that he can step in and run the offense from the point, play good defense, and give Butler all the down time he needs. It would also be kind of fun if Matta can go small with him and Butler on the floor at the same time against teams that would call for that match up wise. It's just so hard to project him to do those things until we see him prove it on the floor against big time D-1 competition.

I'm still thinking that Butler will get most of the meaningful minutes at the point. If it turns out that I'm wrong and P.J. is plug and play right out of the box I won't mind having been wrong in the least. All the better for the Buckeyes !

 

[itsmitch]

Very nice write up crazybuckfan40! Thanks for all the good scoop! I like feeling like an insider!

points of interest you sparked for me:
It strikes me that most people are listing Lighty as the 2 and Diebler as the 3. For some reason I'm thinking it may be more often the other way around. There is no question in my mind that they are both extremely able at both the 2 and 3 and will log minutes at both positions. You can have even more fun with this trying to figure out who is the 2 and who is the 3 when including Turner in the mix.

I see Diebler as being an incredible asset on defense! His hoops iq is extraordinary! He will anticipate passes, read plays, and see the floor perhaps on par with someone like a Larry Bird. He will force turnovers at a blistering pace.

Following on behind the Diebler defense thought stream I'd think the perimeter defense will be as good or better than last year! The buckeyes will be able to disrupt almost any team in the country from running their offense. If Hill is ready to go right out of the box then all the better!

Koufos will be just as special on the offensive end as Oden was on the defensive end. Last year I felt privileged to be watching the first post player to deserve being mentioned in the same company with Bill Russell's defense. This year I think we will all be wondering if we are not seeing the same sort of, once in a lifetime, talent at the offensive end with KK.

However, I was at the state semifinal game against st. x and they exploited his defensive footwork a bit. He did not show me very strong shot blocking instincts either. It may just have been an off game for him but I somehow think it's a weakness that he will have to sort out quickly if he wants to stay on the floor this season. I suspect that Matta and the staff will bring the big guy along very quickly and hope that we will see extraordinary progress as the season goes along. My guess is that Matta will work hard to protect Koufos' deficiencies at that end of the floor.

I got a little carried away projecting Wallace to play more than Turner in my earlier post. Sometimes I like to go out on a limb and buck conventional wisdom trying to prove I see things others don't. I was watching some video of him dunking the ball online and then saw those photos from media day and let all that go to my head a bit. My rationalization is that when you bring an extraordinary athlete to the right coach things progress rather quickly. Wallace reminds me of one of those special cases of someone who is ready to bust out! All that said I won't mind waiting for a year or two if that is how long it takes.

I see the post player pecking order like this in terms of who Matta would prefer to play if fouls and fatigue are not a factor:
KK
OH
MT
DL
KM

Because of fouls, fatigue, and the need to protect Koufos at the defensive end I think Matta will need all 5 of them to rotate in and out. I won't be surprised if Madsen's age and experience give him the upper hand over Lauderdale but something tells me that DL's size, strength, and athleticism will buy him the larger portion of the leftover minutes. It will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

About that quantum leap forward in Othello Hunter's game. I'm not sure I expect that from him as a scorer on this team with the other weapons available. In all other aspects of his game I do expect dramatic "eye popping" "holy cow did you see that" progress!

Regardless of whether Lighty scores 5 ppg or 15 this team will have no trouble putting points on the board! NONE! I think the top 4 will be in order: JD, KK, JB, DL with all four averaging close to 15. The only other "go to" offensive player I see (for this year) is Turner coming off the bench. However, I want to make this point perfectly clear! Even when Matta has his least offensive minded lineup on the floor:
1 Hill
2 Wallace
3 Lauderdale
4 Terwilliger
5 Madsen
They will be able to score points!

Hope you guys are ready for this...I have some good stuff, from someone in the know...

Starters - I am almost 95% sure that the starting lineup is going to look like:

1. Butler
2. Lighty
3. Diebler
4. Hunter
5. KK

I think first off the bench are going to be Turner, Lauderdale, Twig, and Hill...

The other guys left are Madsen and Wallace...Wallace is athletic as they come and I will not be suprised to see him log minutes, but I think that they will come later in the season once his game improves...He is a freak athletically...As for putting Madsen in this list, that has to do with Twig being the senior leader and getting the minutes and the recent things I have heard on Lauderdale...

Just for a heads up on Matta I saw him yesterday, and he still has a considerable limp and is still driving with a handicap sticker in his car.

Now for what I am hearing about the starters and reserves...

Butler - He is going to be a senior leader, all big ten type season...His shot continues to improve if that is possible, and like I have said in his 3 previous years, he is a better shooter off the dribble, and at the PG spot, so we will see his numbers go up this year, and hopefully he takes more of a load on the offensive side of the ball. He will also be a lock down defender on defense.

Lighty - We saw his potential come out at the end of last season in the tourney...Well he has worked very hard over the summer, and he is probably the hardest worker on the team, and his offensive game is ever improving...Don't think we are going to be seeing that ugly looking shot that we saw last year...Also Lighty is a top 10 defender in all of college basketball...

Diebler - Everytime I talk to anyone, the first name out of their mouth is Diebler...He is going to be a stud, he has range when he walks in the gym, and those of you worried about his defense, I have been told, from people playing against him, and seeing him that there is nothing to worry about...Might not be as strong as Lighty, Butler, Turner, Hill (Good company huh?) but his length, and his ability to read passes and tip passes are going to cause lots of turnovers for other teams...I wouldnt be suprised to see him have some 25 pt games on the season.

Hunter - Hunter is going to be an improved version of what we saw last year, with a more involved role in the offense. He is going to be the backstop on defense, and with his huge wingspan, look for Hunter to have lots of blocks back there...

KK - Hearing some great things about him...Not that we didnt already know, but even some of the players are amazed by some of the things that he is able to do...We will be hearing the line that those are things that guards do, not 7 footers...He needs work on post defense, but with Hunter, or Lauderdale in there, he wil have help...

Turner - Havent really heard a lot about Turner, other than how solid he is...What we have always heard is he is solid at everything that he does...Look for him to be a great defender...

Twig - The only thing we will see here that we have not seen as much of is leadership...We know what we get with Twig, and I don't see any changes...

Lauderdale - At first I wasnt hearing great things about Lauderdale, but lately I have been hearing some good things...He is a force down low, strong as an ox, and while his offensive skills leave a lot to be desired, he is going to get playing time due to his inside presence on defense...

Hill - Continue to hear great things about Hill as well...He is not a great offensive player, but he is a defensive stopper, he can run the offense, is great with the ball in the open court, and I just continue to hear that he is just as quick as Conley was...many were suprised with him when he came here, and hearing that he was not even the starter on his team, but they are glad that he is part of th team...Great find by Groce...

Overall not having us in the top 25 is a crime...I see us as a solid 15-20 team right now...I think we have a squad that should win the big ten...I will need to see IU to really finalize that prediction, but we have the defense to keep us in any game against anyone in the country...We also have more versatilty this year with the lineups we can put in and out, and the things that we can do...

We can run, slow it down, play man, play zone, press, halfocurt...No team will present a mismatch to us, but we will present many mismatches to other teams...

Can't wait for the season...Can't make the scrimmage this weekend, but I will be at the exhibition game in 12 days!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you guys enjoy, and if you have any questions post them and I will see if i have the answer...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU men's basketball: Scrimmage open to public

Saturday, October 20, 2007 3:52 AM

Fans' first chance to see the 2007-08 Ohio State men's basketball team on the court is at noon today.
The Buckeyes will have a one-hour intrasquad scrimmage in Value City Arena. Admission is free, but parking near the arena will be by permit only because of the football game against Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. in Ohio Stadium.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Bucknuts.com (Free)

OSU Basketball Scrimmage Photos........

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Bucknuts.com$ (Jeff Rapp)

Rapp Up: First Peek At Cagers Offers Hope...........a recap of the public scrimmage. A very young but talented team.

 

[PlanetFrnd]

Caught some of the open scrimmage on Saturday, just a few thoughts:

1. The team looked impressive - all the the new kids looked bigger than their HS photos. Koufos' arms looked like he's been putting in some time in the weightroom. Hunter looked like he was in tremendous shape.

2. Evan Turner is very, very smooth. Very smooth.

3. Koufos is very smooth as well and is going to be very good. He took into the post with confidence and seems to have alot of moves at his disposal. I can't wait to see him in real action.

3. Butler lost alot of weight - looked pretty quick.

4. Overall the team was very polished for adding 5 new guys and being so young - shockingly polished. I'm not saying they were in midseason form, but for a preseason scrimmage there were not many of the usual dumb mistakes and miscommunications.

5. I think Hunter is going to have a great year. He just looked very confident and even more athletic out there. Im not sure who in the B10 is as physically impressive.

I'm excited for this season. I think this team has a world of potential and, without getting my hopes way too high, I think these young guys could beat some good teams. I just hope that Butler's transition to the PG will be a good one, if not I honestly believe that Turner could handle some of the pressure, PJ Hill also.