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Men's Basketball Buckeye Tidbits 2007-08 Season

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Okay, let me respond to this.

We lost 3 first round picks to the NBA draft, including two top 5 picks. Now, UNC may be able to overcome that as they did a few years ago because of their image, but at this point, we can't. Matta has a great recruiting class coming in this year and in the next few years.

How quickly some people's opinions of a coach change in a year..
 
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Sportsbuck28;1105812; said:
Okay, let me respond to this.

We lost 3 first round picks to the NBA draft, including two top 5 picks. Now, UNC may be able to overcome that as they did a few years ago because of their image, but at this point, we can't. Matta has a great recruiting class coming in this year and in the next few years.

How quickly some people's opinions of a coach change in a year..
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My opinion about the coach has not changed. The players have changed. The recruits coming in next year are a PG (might have to start which is not good for a freshman), Buford, BJ, and a SG. We have no one coming in for next year to play the 4 position. You tell me who Matta recruited at X because I know.

You really answered all of my questions by just addressing the recruiting. There's more to that this season or coming seasons.
 
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I know that we lost 3 first rounders, but how many other teams still return the talent that OSU did this year?

We have an All-Big Ten level PG, a 7-footer with an outside game, an athletic PF that caused havoc on D and brought a decent midrange game, a wing that can get to the hoop and showed tremendous improvement late last year and this summer, and then throw in a freshman that surprised everyone with how much he brought to the table.

Yet a team with that starting five still can't make the tournament? That does not add up. At all. No excuses for not even making the tournament. The talent is there THIS YEAR, no matter what we lost last year. Those are all very good players. Players capable of getting at least into the top 65 in the country.

Really, no one, no one thought this team would be that bad. We said we would struggle but to wait a until March. It's March and this team has regressed.

I don't really know what happened to make such a talented group of individuals struggle so much this year. Probably an assortment of things both on the players' shoulders and the coaches'.

My problems with Matta's teams: the live and die by the three mentality. That is just awful to watch at times. Just look at our offense. It is brutal. Just horrible brand of basketball. Everyone stands around the perimeter until someone shoots a three, and then more standing around ensues.

There are teams with tons less talent across the country performing much better this year. You play with what you got. And the Buckeyes had a lot. Matta has to find something that works for this team. Coaches have to take advantage of the skill set that each team brings. Adjust.

No way to sugarcoat this season, imo.
 
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Sportsbuck28;1105812; said:
Okay, let me respond to this.

We lost 3 first round picks to the NBA draft, including two top 5 picks. Now, UNC may be able to overcome that as they did a few years ago because of their image, but at this point, we can't. Matta has a great recruiting class coming in this year and in the next few years.

How quickly some people's opinions of a coach change in a year..
Click to expand...

All good points that undercut the fear factor propounded in this article from the [sarcasm]bastion of sports journalism[/sarcasm] The Other Paper.

Presently this is the worst season Matta has had in Columbus. Statistically it is his worst record ever if things don't take a dramatic upswing.

But, the fact remains that Matta has good and great recruiting clases coming in. The fact is that what UNC and their ilk have to fall back on is recurrent good to great recruiting classes - something that Matta will also have in the years going forward.

Matta's work in Columbus is not done, and, the name recognition of Indiana aside, the comparative benefits of staying the course in Columbus provide a compelling attraction. Consider that IU will be taking some sort of hefty penalty, whether self-imposed or not - perhaps making for bitter pills in Bloomington next year and beyond. Besides, Matta has the opportunity to do in Columbus what Billy Donovan has done at UF - make a power out of what was an up and down, feast and famine sport on a football-centric campus. There is one sure means to make such a mark bold - NCAA Champions.

What will be interesting to see is whether Matta's recruiting strategy shifts to provide greater year-to-year retention on the squad. Not suggesting he look beyond the 5* McDonald's All-American future stars, more that the balance be shifted.
 
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LitlBuck;1105826; said:
My opinion about the coach has not changed. The players have changed. The recruits coming in next year are a PG (might have to start which is not good for a freshman), Buford, BJ, and a SG. We have no one coming in for next year to play the 4 position. You tell me who Matta recruited at X because I know.

You really answered all of my questions by just addressing the recruiting. There's more to that this season or coming seasons.
Click to expand...
In this day and age, I don't see the problem with freshman having to start.
 
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Sportsbuck28;1105831; said:
In this day and age, I don't see the problem with freshman having to start.
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I do not know if you have ever called this year's team "young" but when you start freshman you're starting a young team which is not always good. I am sure you're well aware that not all high school players, no matter how good, sometimes have problems adjusting to the college game.

My original post was not just about recruiting but why Matta has not tried different things this year and to that I have had no replies. Everybody is focusing on the recruiting.
 
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I like Matta just as much as the next guy but I don't think the guy deserves a free pass b/c of what he did last year either. Obviously the kids are going through some growing pains. I think a message needed to be sent to the guys he had starting earlier in the year that if they didn't produce, other guys were going to come in whether they were ready or not. KK doesn't pass out of the double, Butler is forced to take bad shots b/c guys don't move and just hang out on the perimeter, their spacing on the floor is horrible, KK is 7 foot and plays like a guard, Lighty and Turner settle for perimeter shots and when they do drive, they don't finish. I was most critical of Twig at the beginning of the year for taking shots he couldn't hit but he's turned out to be the most consistent shooter on the team from outside (never thought I would be saying that). Shot selection, toughness, and making plays have been issues all year long. If the same things keep happening game after game, I think it does eventually fall on the coaching staff. We all loved the free-shooting approach Matta has, even if it was poor shot selection, when they were going in and they were winning last year. We also had Conley breaking down the defense whenever he wanted to and getting us into the right set when things broke down offensively. The problem is, they are trying to play the same style but guys just aren't as individually gifted as last year's players (at least they haven't shown it yet). They either try to press too much and make mistakes or they get shell-shocked and dissapear from the offense. How else do you explain how they go on these 6-8 minute runs w/o scoring? You can't win road games like that. It is so frustrating watching a team play great defense for 30 seconds and then let up an easy hoop or play great defense, force the opponent into a bad shot and then give up and offensive rebound and an easy putback. The team played overall good defense this year but I think Matta deserves some criticism for playing zone all year. Even if you are trying to save the legs of your players b/c they are playing a lot of minutes or you don't feel you match up 1 on 1 with teams, you need to get in the face of your players and say "you stop the man in front of you, and don't let him score". Especially when you play teams like NW, Illinois, Iowa, and PSU who have inferior athletes to yours. Even though their zone got a lot better as the year went on, I think it made them passive/soft and their inability to keep people off the glass hurt them more than any other factor besides maybe having a verbal leader when things weren't going so well, especially on the road. And that I put on Matta. I'm sure I'll get some backlash for this one but I've watched or been at almost every game this year and it's the same crap every game. Isn't the coaches job to put the players in the best position/situations to win. If it ain't workin', FIX IT. Change it up. Throw a wrinkle in. Something. If your guys have enough energy to press, they should have enough energy to play a little man-to-man, in your face defense. Just my opinion.


:oh::io:
 
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I like Thad as much as anyone, but I really want to ask him one question about this season.

In the losses against TA&M, UNC, Butler, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, the team either shut down on the offensive or the defensive side of the ball. It was noticeable. Why? There are teams being young, and then there are teams that have issues growing up. The Minnesota incident makes me worry that they haven't completely grown up yet.

Aside from that, well, everyone has down years.
 
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I certainly am not "questioning" Thad Matta; any coach is entitled to bad seasons, and we're nowhere near the nadir of the program under Ayres or Eldon. Nonetheless, Matta is not the hot commodity he was a couple of seasons ago, and would not command the kind of interest from programs like IU, at least IMO.
 
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It is simple....the coach gets the credit when they win and he gladly takes it......when they lose or do not play up to their ability, then the coach should take some of the heat.....Coach Matta is a great coach, but sometimes youth cannot be overcome.

No one is giving him a pass but no one had 3 first year players.......leave after their first year and go in the first round.....it hasn't happened. EVER.

Give him a little time to build the classes from one year to the next. As far as adjustments.......he knows what these kids can do, he is coaching them everyday....I believe he played the type of defense that would be most successful for this team....it is easy to second guess when things do not go right. I hate the zone....despise it......but I trust that Matta and staff did what they believed would give us the best chance to win.

The defense is not the problem........rebounding and consistent scoring is the issue.
 
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