Men's Basketball Buckeye Tidbits 2007-08 Season

[osugrad21]

Blade

Article published Friday, November 9, 2007
OHIO STATE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Numbers grow in Buckeyes' favor
Quality may have fallen but Matta likes quantity

ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS - After a year of quality, the Ohio State Buckeyes are experiencing what it's like to have quantity. "It's amazing," coach Thad Matta said during preseason workouts. "We started practice this year with 13 guys and I became claustrophobic. I'd never had that many guys before. Now at least we look better when we walk through an airport and our warmup lines look better." Grinning, he added, "But I don't think that's going to get us any points." No, it won't, at least not in the short term. The young Buckeyes, who will open the season Monday in the Preseason NIT, can play only five at a time but there is some comfort in numbers. No Greg Oden? Now there are five guys 6-foot-8 or taller. Missing wispy Mike Conley Jr. at point guard? Any of three or four guys could play the position. How do you replace Daequan Cook, Ron Lewis or Ivan Harris? The roster is full of candidates.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU men's basketball: Matta, players lose sleep over loss

Saturday, November 10, 2007 3:30 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Thad Matta slept on the couch in his office Tuesday night. The Ohio State men's basketball coach said he got an hour, maybe an hour and a half of sleep.
His players didn't get much more. They were back on the practice court at 6 a.m. Wednesday after their exhibition loss to Findlay, a Division II team, the night before.
"Bright and early," guard David Lighty said yesterday. "It was hard. (But) that's what you've got to do if you want to get better. ? You pay the price."

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[osugrad21]

CPD

OSU finds new fountain of youth



Monday, November 12, 2007 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus -- Thad Matta has realized it already. There are freshmen, and then there are freshmen.
A year ago, the Buckeyes plugged in three future NBA first-round picks who had played together for years in AAU ball -- Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook -- and a heady swingman -- David Lighty -- who in the first week of practice was told by Matta he could be one of the best defenders in Ohio State history.
Result? A Big Ten title, 35 wins and a loss to Florida in the NCAA title game.




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[osugrad21]

Canton

Buckeyes tip off tonight with new crop of talented freshmen
Monday, November 12, 2007
By Mike Popovich
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS Last year?s freshman class at Ohio State had some headliners.

Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. grew up as Hoosiers, but came over together after leading their Indiana high school to national prominence. Native Ohioans Daequan Cook and David Lighty also played basketball on their state?s biggest stage.

Oden, Conley and Cook helped lead the Buckeyes to the national championship game, but moved on to the NBA after one year. Now a new crop of talented freshmen will get its chance to make an immediate impact starting tonight when the Buckeyes open against Wisconsin-Green Bay in the Preseason NIT.

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[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Men's basketball: Youth will have to serve Buckeyes
Young team opens season coming off exhibition setback
Monday, November 12, 2007 3:42 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


At this time a year ago, a young Ohio State men's basketball team was making some of the same mistakes its young successor is making now. Its offense was rudimentary. Its defense was all over the place, as were some players' heads. "We weren't perfect by any stretch," coach Thad Matta said.
But in another respect, they were.



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[Best Buckeye]

I realize that this is a young team, so it will be interesting to see how much they have improved in the last few days. This team , of course, is still searching for that perfect mesh that experience brings.
I hope they are fast learners. Tonight we will see.

 

[LitlBuck]

Did not want to leave you hanging

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Ohio State men's basketball
Buckeyes put loss in rearview mirror

Sunday, November 25, 2007 3:44 AM

By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

It was good planning by someone that the Ohio State men's basketball team chose to fly commercial to New York and charter a private jet home.

It allowed the Buckeyes to leave behind the NIT Season Tip-Off as quickly, and quietly, as possible.
"It's out (of) your mind now and you go on to the next game," guard David Lighty said before departing Madison Square Garden on Friday night after a 70-47 loss to Texas A&M in the tournament title game.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, the next game is tonight. Ohio State plays host to Virginia Military Institute in St. John Arena.
For the Buckeyes, it's the third of five games in 11 days. Coach Thad Matta said it was the only date available to play a game in the Buckeyes' former arena. Ordinarily, he would have preferred an extra day to prepare for top-ranked North Carolina's visit Wednesday. But not after what happened against No. 16 Texas A&M.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU Men's Basketball Insider

Tuesday, November 27, 2007 3:14 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

CHUCK BURTON | Associated Press
Tyler Hansbrough and No. 1-ranked North Carolina will take aim at Ohio State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.



Coming up: No. 1 North Carolina and No. 16 Butler

Where: Value City Arena and Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN and ESPNU
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460), WBNS-FM (97.1)
The week that was

A split verdict in New York and a hung jury back home. The Buckeyes got one foot in the penthouse with an impressive win over Syracuse in an NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal Wednesday. Their next step took them out the window and down 20 stories against Texas A&M in the final Friday. Home again, they played well enough in a 15-minute span Sunday to run away from VMI in the second half.

The week ahead

Gulp! The infamous "Psycho T," Tyler Hansbrough, and No. 1 North Carolina give Ohio State a rematch Wednesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Tar Heels won 98-89 last season at home. The Buckeyes might catch a break if point guard Ty Lawson (ankle) isn't able to play. And if you think a percentage of central Ohioans were bothered by not being able to see the VMI game Sunday on the Big Ten Network, how many more do you expect will be up in arms about the Butler game being on ESPNU? Does anyone out there with cable actually get ESPNU?

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

November 26, 2007

Loss weighs more

The 23-point loss to Texas A&M evidently meant more to the voters than the 14-point win over Syracuse because the Buckeyes dropped in both polls this week. They were released today.
Among others receiving votes, they slipped to 35th in both the AP media and ESPN-USA Today coaches? polls. Last week, they ranked 28th in the AP and 32nd in the ESPN-USA Today.
No quibble here. But explain this to me, please: How does Syracuse lose decisively by 14 points to the Buckeyes and stay well ahead of them in both polls? The Orange fell out of the top 25 but are 28th.
Makes no sense, which is why, unlike college football, it?s good that basketball doesn?t use the polls to settle its national championship

November 24, 2007

An aberration or . . .

. . . A sign of more to come?
I?m not talking about the shooting against Texas A&M. The Buckeyes probably won?t soon duplicate their .246 field-goal percentage Friday night. In the 11 seasons I?ve been covering them, they?ve not shot worse, and their 14 field goals were their fewest in a game since they had 11 in a loss at Wisconsin in 2001. They shot 25 percent in that game.
No, I?m talking about defensive rebounding, and what happens when Ohio State goes up against a team deep in strong big men, as it did against Texas A&M. As it will Wednesday night against North Carolina. As it will against Michigan State and Wisconsin and maybe a couple of other Big Ten teams.


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Young Buckeyes see peaks, valleys
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
By Mike Popovich
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

THE DRIBBLE Ohio State
freshman Jon Diebler (right) moves upcourt as VMI?s Travis Holmes defends during the first half Sunday at St. John Arena in Columbus.​

COLUMBUS Even after five games, Head Coach Thad Matta still feels there are a lot of unknowns about his Ohio State men?s basketball team.

?I have to keep reminding myself it?s Nov. 26,? Matta said Monday.

?When you start a season with four guys who have played college basketball, there are a lot of peaks and valleys involved from practice to games.?

The peaks and valleys the 4-1 Buckeyes have already experienced include a preseason defeat against Division II Findlay, a good win over Syracuse in the semifinals of the NIT season tip-off and a decisive loss to Texas A&M in the NIT final.

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[osugrad21]

Dispatch
Ohio State men's basketball: Refusal to give up one positive sign in loss

Friday, November 30, 2007 4:22 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

CHRIS RUSSELL dispatch
Freshman Kosta Koufos struggled against North Carolina, but he and the other players didn't wilt during a scoring drought.




Coach Thad Matta believes that his players usually shoot better than they did against Texas A&M and North Carolina. But he doesn't know that for sure. He can expect that, as 7-foot freshman Kosta Koufos matures, he will be more productive against bigger, stronger defenders. But Matta can't be certain of that, either.



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[osugrad21]

Dispatch

OSU men's basketball: Matta feels the need for practice

Monday, December 3, 2007 2:57 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



The Ohio State men's basketball team has a week to practice before its next game. Coach Thad Matta said before Saturday's loss to Butler that practice is "the biggest thing this team needs right now." But how do you practice toughness?
"I think you've got to get back to really opening things up and making it competitive and getting to where we can grade practice out," Matta said. "Put guys in situations where they have to fight for their position."
It should be an interesting week in the gym. Fans won't see the shake-out until the Buckeyes play Coppin State next Monday night in Value City Arena.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Bucknuts.com (Free)

Transfers Finally Getting Taste Of Big-Time College Basketball....by Jeff Rapp.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU Men's Basketball: Are the kids all right?
Ohio State's basketball freshman class has had its share of growing pains this season
Sunday, December 9, 2007 3:31 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Kosta Koufos

Kosta Koufos


Seven games into the season, it's fair to say the freshmen on the Ohio State men's basketball team have struggled to make their mark.
The five freshmen -- Kosta Koufos, Jon Diebler, Evan Turner, Dallas Lauderdale and Eric Wallace -- are averaging 6.4 points and shooting 40.1 percent from the floor. Only Koufos, averaging 16.1 points, has been a presence with which to be reckoned.
But though the freshmen have scuffled, it also might be fair to say it hasn't been a fair fight.
For one thing, it's impossible for them not to suffer by comparison with last season's freshmen. Led by center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley Jr., the Buckeyes reached the NCAA championship game for the first time in 45 years. Oden and Conley were among the top four players taken in the NBA draft, and Daequan Cook went later in the first round. It's safe to say three OSU freshmen will not be in the 2008 draft.

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