Men's Basketball Buckeye Tidbits 2007-08 Season

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Bob Hunter commentary: Answers are harder and harder to come by

Monday, February 25, 2008 3:11 AM
By Bob Hunter


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


These are trying times for the Ohio State men's basketball team. You can hear it in players' voices, find it in their words and even more noticeably, see it on the scoreboard. The inability to win a game against a top team this season has been well-documented, and yesterday's 58-53 loss to Wisconsin was more of the same. But this one offered some new wrinkles, most notably senior Jamar Butler's failure to start for the first time since the first game of his sophomore season.
In the absence of full disclosure -- OSU coach Thad Matta simply called it "my decision" -- we are left to speculate. So here goes:
When last we saw these sinking Buckeyes, they were losing to a 7-17 Michigan team the week before in Ann Arbor, and Butler appeared disgusted in the postgame interview session. Asked where the team goes from here, he said, "Get better." Asked what it was like in the locker room after the game, he said, "Ask coach." He was, to mimic his method, not happy.



Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

February 23, 2008

Scholarship still in limbo

I attended a discussion earlier this week at which two NCAA officials updated Ohio State men?s basketball coaches and selected athletic department personnel and faculty on the progress of the academic reform package for men?s basketball.
While there, I asked coach Thad Matta and John Bruno, the school?s faculty athletics representative, whether the NCAA had informed Ohio State yet whether it will have to forfeit a men?s basketball scholarship for a year because of another substandard score by the program on the Academic Progress Rate. Matta and Bruno said Ohio State had not been notified.
Schools are expected to receive their numbers in late February or March, but the NCAA is not expected to release them publicly until April or May.

Continued......

 

[LitlBuck]

Michigan State game on Big 10 network

Bucknuts Basketball Forum (free)

... After 3 straight Sunday games on CBS, the MSU-OSU game March 9 willl be at noon on BTN:

Televisions Schedules Final Big Ten Weekend

Ohio State slated for Big Ten Network March 9 vs. Michigan State
COLUMBUS, Ohio?National television networks CBS, ESPN and the Big Ten Network have made selections for the final weekend of Big Ten men?s basketball, the league office announced Monday.

The Big Ten Network will televise Minnesota at Illinois, March 8 at 1 p.m. EST, Wisconsin at Northwestern, March 8 at 3 p.m. EST.

Michigan State at Ohio State will be televised by the Big Ten Network March 9 at noon EDT.

ESPN has selected Indiana at Penn State, March 9 at 2 p.m. EDT and CBS
Sports has selected Purdue at Michigan, at 4 p.m. EDT.
Saturday, March 8, 2008

Minnesota at Illinois, Big Ten Network, Noon CST
Wisconsin at Northwestern, Big Ten Network, 2 p.m. CST
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Michigan State at Ohio State, Big Ten Network, Noon EDT
Indiana at Penn State, ESPN, 2 p.m. EDT

 

[osugrad21]

Scout Free--Kyle Lamb--OSU Needs to Get Back (to the Point)

Discussion of the lack of consistent PG play this season.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout Free--Kyle Lamb--OSU Needs to Get Back (to the Point)

Discussion of the lack of consistent PG play this season.

This is the major factor in our struggles this year......especially near the end of games when we need to get into our offense and get a good look.....we struggle. Crater will be a welcome addition next year.

 

[MaxBuck]

I must admit I am no fan of the "Hoosiers" variety of play, in which the team performs a choreographed "set play" in hopes of befuddling the opposing defense into allowing a good shot with fewer than 10 sec remaining on the shot clock. No, I am far more comfortable watching a team that has several players able to create opportunities off the dribble or through creative off-the-ball movement, responding to what the defense is allowing. Such play requires both superb individual talent with good handles, and great communication and chemistry; both were in evidence last season, in a big way. I think this is the style that Coach Matta likes to play.

This season's Buckeye squad certainly has substantial individual talent, but the communication and chemistry appear utterly lacking to me. They are painful to watch, as a consequence. Though Jamar Butler, Kosta Koufos, and others are quite capable of putting up big numbers, they also do not seem very comfortable with one another on the court. Darned if I can suggest a way to cure the ill, though. I hope next year's team does not reprise this.

 

[LitlBuck]

his season's Buckeye squad certainly has substantial individual talent, but the communication and chemistry appear utterly lacking to me. They are painful to watch, as a consequence. Though Jamar Butler, Kosta Koufos, and others are quite capable of putting up big numbers, they also do not seem very comfortable with one another on the court.

I posted some comments made by players from an article in the Dispatch and when reading those statements it's sort of concurs what you are saying here.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Men's basketball: OSU Insider

Thursday, February 28, 2008 3:09 AM

DARRON CUMMINGS Associated Press
Kosta Koufos, who has been more assertive near the basket recently, scored 21 points against Indiana.



Coming up: Minnesota
Where: Minneapolis
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN
Radio: WBNS-AM/FM (1460/97.1)
The week that was

If you believe in moral victories -- maybe we should call them "morale" victories now -- there was a glimmer of hope in Ohio State's losses to Wisconsin (58-53) and Indiana (72-69) in a span of 51 hours. The Buckeyes competed harder and longer in each game, but once again it wasn't enough against two of the three best teams in the Big Ten. They had closed to three points of Wisconsin for four straight possessions in the final three minutes but couldn't make a shot. They closed to four points of Indiana six times in the final three minutes but couldn't get a stop. Seniors Jamar Butler and Matt Terwilliger finished 0-3 in Indiana's Assembly Hall, the only Big Ten venue besides Wisconsin's Kohl Center where they never won.

Continued.....

 

[osugrad21]

Scout$

Kyle Lamb rehashes the season's struggles and the current 5-7 stretch.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

FOX Sports on MSN - Sports News, Standings, Stats and more

Losing close not helping Buckeyes' bid

by DICK "HOOPS" WEISS, Special to FOXSports.com

Ohio State wears the face of desperation these days. The Buckeyes, who were ranked No. 1 and reached the NCAA championship game last year, are 17-11 after losing to Indiana 72-69 Tuesday night at Bloomington.

They have an RPI of 53 and have lost three straight games and five of seven. Their best victories came in the preseason NIT against Syracuse in the Garden and in late December against Florida in the rematch of the NCAA championship game in Columbus, but they are 0-8 against teams in the top 40 and 3-6 on the road. OSU has three remaining regular-season games ? Saturday at Minnesota and home games next week against Purdue and Michigan State ? and most likely will finish fifth in an average Big Ten.
The Buckeyes have their work cut out for them. It will be no small task. They will have to win two of three and then add a win in the Big Ten tournament to lock up a bid.
Four Big Ten teams ? Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan State ? appear to have their big dance cards punched. Ohio State is in the same precarious position as many teams this time of year. While most fans pay attention to the teams at the top of the polls, it's the likes of Houston, UAB, Villanova, Syracuse, UMass, Rhode Island, Davidson and New Mexico that have the most at stake over the next few weeks. They're the ones sitting on the bubble for the 34 at-large spots in the NCAA's 65-team bracket. Every game from here on in will take on a life-or-death quality.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ToledoBlade

Article published Saturday, March 1, 2008
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
It's crunch time for OSU's NCAA tournament hopes

By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


COLUMBUS - Sitting on a thin-skinned pocket of air, and hoping it does not burst and dump you hard on the deck - this is not a familiar position for the Ohio State basketball team.

But losses in their last three games have perched the Buckeyes right on top of that precarious NCAA tournament bubble.

Some say they're in, some claim they're out, but Ohio State's showing in the remaining three games of the season (at Minnesota today and home to Purdue and Michigan State), and in the Big Ten tournament that follows, likely will make its case, or seal its fate.

"We've got a few games left here, and we're going to leave it all on the court," Ohio State senior Matt Terwilliger said. "We need to just keep doing what we do and not lose faith. The biggest thing is just keeping our intensity and playing hard."

Continued......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

February 29, 2008

Bye, or bye bye?

Ohio State can clinch a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament by winning at Minnesota on Saturday.
A victory would put the Buckeyes two games ahead of the Gophers in the Big Ten standings with two games to play in the regular season and Ohio State controlling the head-to-head tiebreaker 2-0.
The Buckeyes still would have a chance to claim the No.4 seed from Michigan State, too, but that?s a cosmetic gain. The Nos.4 and 5 seeds play each other in a tournament quarterfinal on March 14 in Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.


Continued.....

 

[LitlBuck]

Ohio State can clinch a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament by winning at Minnesota on Saturday.

Then we can play Sparty back-to-back and spank them both times:)

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout.com (Free)

OSU: (Not) Dancing With the Stars.........by Kyle Lamb.

 

[LitlBuck]

A Rant--What Lies Ahead

I am not sure where to post this but since I am going to talk about Matta a little bit I will start here.

I do not know if it is because of his back which limits his ability to get around and demonstrate things but this team has been a big disappointment this year and I believe some of it can be placed solely on Matta. Not once during the season as he tried a different defense. I mean it's always been a 2-3 "matchup" zone. Why hasn't he tried a 1-3-1 or even a little man to man. I mean three of the starters did play some last year and could play man-to-man. Turner is athletic enough that he should be able to play man-to-man but I'm not so sure about KK. However even when Terwilliger is in the game for KK they don't even try some man-to-man. I am not saying that they have to play man-to-man all game but it would be nice to see them play some to mix things up a little.

I also don't see a whole lot of sets on offense. I said this in the Minnesota game thread but it just seems that we don't run any set offensive plays. I don't know if it's the players fault or the coach. Guys don't even try to penetrate their just satisfied in jacking up 3s. Lighty and Turner forte is probably taking the ball to the basket but we have not seen much of that this year. I have no idea what Hunter's role is in the offense. He seems to be lost at times. Don't know if this is the players fault again or the coaches.

I would have liked to see Wallace play some this year but he must not be good enough for Big 10 play yet. I have no idea what the coaches see in Hill. They put him in for a few minutes in some games but he sure doesn't last very long.

Except for last year can someone tell me if Matta has ever won with the players he recruited. He was not at Butler that long and I know he was not at X that long to have his own players.

In reading the Minnesota game thread, I noticed where a lot of people think that KK is going to leave after this year. If that happens next year we will be talking about the same old things because we do not have someone who can play the 4 position. BJ and Dallas are both centers so we will have one big man and for wing players. I am also deeply concerned that the team is counting on a kid who is currently playing "high school" ball to be our point guard. I don't know I just don't see things improving next year or even the year after that. I don't know maybe there will be some surprise recruits for 09 but we really need someone for 08.

It's rather obvious by the Post that I am extremely disappointed this year and as I look ahead I don't see much. Maybe I am a pessimist at heart but I love Ohio State basketball even more than Ohio State football.

Sorry for the rant.