Men's Basketball Buckeye Tidbits 2007-08 Season

[buckeyemania11]

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.

not one true road win against a team over .500.......... not to mention road losses to terrible Michigan and Iowa teams

1-8 against top 25 teams

not to mention multiple second half collapses (Butler Purdue and UNC)

*this is not bashing the team, just stating facts

 

[osugrad21]

Same bitching from the same people...it gets old.

We know you aren't happy. You have made that clear. The broken record needs to stop.

Feel free to quit watching and just come back when things are better.

Otherwise, keep it as constructive discussion on BP...plenty of other sites to visit for tears in the beers BS.

 

[LitlBuck]

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.

The very old "What Have You Done For Me Lately" syndrome. :tongue2:

It's not so much "what have you done for me lately syndrome" and I know that Matta knows more about basketball than I know but I guess my question is why hasn't he, at least, tried some different things during the course of the season.

Rebounding on the defensive end can be attributed to the zone defense or the lack of hustle or anticipation by players. The same can be said about offensive rebounding.

I have not given up on this team and think that they can beat Purdue and MSU both. Whether or not that we'll get them into the NCAA I have no idea.

 

[osugrad21]

Here's the thing...the coach doesn't miss the jumpers, he doesn't make the stupid turnovers, and he can only yell and scream so much about the rebounding.

Eventually, the coach's words become empty if there is not a strong player who can lead with performance...verbal leadership is easy, leading by performance is the truth.

Thad has tried things...he's tried pressing, he's tried man to man, he's tried benching folks...what more can he do?

This reminds me too much of the 2004 football season...its a transition period. It happens.

Billy Donovan won 2 straight NC's and is now 4th in the SEC...is he now a poor coach?

Get a grip people.

 

[LitlBuck]

Here's the thing...the coach doesn't miss the jumpers, he doesn't make the stupid turnovers, and he can only yell and scream so much about the rebounding.

Eventually, the coach's words become empty if there is not a strong player who can lead with performance...verbal leadership is easy, leading by performance is the truth.

Thad has tried things...he's tried pressing, he's tried man to man, he's tried benching folks...what more can he do?

This reminds me too much of the 2004 football season...its a transition period. It happens.

Billy Donovan won 2 straight NC's and is now 4th in the SEC...is he now a poor coach?

Get a grip people.

I will agree with you for the most part but I will not agree with you when you say that Thad has tried things. Maybe he has tried a few things but he has not tried multiple things. I am hard-pressed to think of a game when he came out of the 2-3 zone for an extended period of time.

I think you know that I respect your opinion:) but I am differing with you on that statement.

 

[osugrad21]

I will agree with you for the most part but I will not agree with you when you say that Thad has tried things. Maybe he has tried a few things but he has not tried multiple things. I am hard-pressed to think of a game when he came out of the 2-3 zone for an extended period of time.

I think you know that I respect your opinion:) but I am differing with you on that statement.

So in your opinion, he has not earned the benefit of the doubt here?

There HAS to be a reason for that.

Thad is looking down the bench and seeing something that we are not aware of...that is why I refuse to count on "potential" coming in next year. You never know how a kid will react, respond, or adjust.

Someone jumped me a few years back when I said Ben Martin was a 3 year college player...they were right. Kids can have every tool and never meet their potential. When that opportunity comes, some kids seize it and some wilt.

However, Thad Matta is not to blame this year. With a team void of leaders, a coach looks to find consistency...one baby step is met with another step. However, when the team cannot seem to take the one step...how can you move on to the next?

We talk about poor rotation in the zone with this team...can you imagine the poor switches and recoveries in man? Who is your space-eater in the middle?

 

[LitlBuck]

So in your opinion, he has not earned the benefit of the doubt here?
?

I did not say that he has not earned the benefit of my "doubt".

I just wished that he had tried some different things this year... maybe for my own personal satisfaction... I don't know.

I know he knows his players better than anyone but I also think that his back might be affecting some of his coaching ability... just my opinion.

Trust me I am not counting on next year's players until they play some college games. OBJ and 40 disagree with me in that regard.

You type too fast for me to keep up with you:)

 

[osugrad21]

I definitely wonder about some things...I wondered why Hill didn't get more minutes for example. However, I also know that there has to be a reason.

 

[LitlBuck]

I definitely wonder about some things...I wondered why Hill didn't get more minutes for example. However, I also know that there has to be a reason.

As do I I also wonder about Wallace probably more than Hill

 

[billmac91]

I really enjoyed listening to Pat Knight on ESPN radio last night. After one of the worst beat-downs in Texas Tech history at the hands of Texas A&M he held a 2 hour practice on the intramural fields while the ROTC watched on. He said it was 2 hours of learning to be physical and becoming a team. He was hoping they would puke, unfortunately none did, but he was very happy not one player griped.

He said it got so good the ROTC members quit their workout to watch the team as they beat the hell out of each.

In the A&M game he sat their best player from the 19:30 mark of the second half. That player is Martin Zeno who averages close to 15 a game. He said it was because Martin didn't have the team prepared. Pat also said Martin is "the best leader on and off the court he's ever coached." Unfortunately he didn't have the team mentally prepared that night and that is not acceptable.

Texas Tech had a hell of a win on Saturday against Texas. Best effort of the year according to Pat.

It's a very valid point the coaches can only do so much. It'd be in the best interest of the team to have a player step up and take control of this team. Even if it is only for the last few games we have, it will snowball into next year. Maybe Evan Turner or David Lighty can become more vocal, or draw some more passion out of their teammates. I didn;t have the opportunity to watch the Minnesota game, but if it was anything like the rest of the season it was a solid effort but little passion.

It looks like everyone is giving a great individual effort, but no leaders have emerged and there hasn't been a spark all year.

 

[LitlBuck]

It looks like everyone is giving a great individual effort, but no leaders have emerged and there hasn't been a spark all year.

To be honest I'm not even sure about that.

 

[billmac91]

To be honest I'm not even sure about that.

I think, without a doubt, the effort is there. I think a lot of our problems can be attributed to simple reasons.

I will say it has been apparent for a while, we have multiple guys playing out of position. Butler just isn't a true PG and Kosta isn't a center. Mike Conley staying or us accepting Drew Lavender when he wanted to transfer here makes us a top 15 team. Nothing against Jamar, he's just out of position. And hindsight is 20/20. Nobody expected Mike to blow up like he did.

It works on the defensive end too. While trying to protect weaknesses, we leave ourselves open to a lot of problems, namely rebounding. It can't be very difficult to prepare for what tOSU is going to throw at you seeing as we haven't played man at all. I think Grad21 brings up an excellent point, in that Thad isn't stooopid, and there must be a very valid reason as to why we only play 2-3.

Anyways, it's encouraging we have another loaded class coming in, and I think Buford and Mullens both bring intangibles we don't currently have. I'll temper my expectations though. If we get lucky and Kosta wants to stick around, it could be very special.

 

[Sportsbuck28]

I will agree with you for the most part but I will not agree with you when you say that Thad has tried things. Maybe he has tried a few things but he has not tried multiple things. I am hard-pressed to think of a game when he came out of the 2-3 zone for an extended period of time.

I think you know that I respect your opinion:) but I am differing with you on that statement.

We've got a young team, if you throw too many different looks at them, they won't be able to comprehend it all and the results won't be pretty.

But, in all honesty, I expect to look back on this part of the thread in a bout a year and have a good laugh.

I agree with Grad completely about this paralleling the 2004 football season. And in comparison, it was late in that season that we found our leader, our go-to-guy so to speak in Troy Smith. In all honesty, from here on out through the BTT and whatever tourney we end up in after that, I expect a go-to-guy to step up.

 

[LitlBuck]

We've got a young team, if you throw too many different looks at them, they won't be able to comprehend it all and the results won't be pretty.

But, in all honesty, I expect to look back on this part of the thread in a bout a year and have a good laugh.

I agree with Grad completely about this paralleling the 2004 football season. And in comparison, it was late in that season that we found our leader, our go-to-guy so to speak in Troy Smith. In all honesty, from here on out through the BTT and whatever tourney we end up in after that, I expect a go-to-guy to step up.

See my post in the Thad Matta thread. Also while you're at it, look West to West Lafayette and tell me how many juniors and seniors they are starting.

 

[Sportsbuck28]

See my post in the Thad Matta thread. Also while you're at it, look West to West Lafayette and tell me how many juniors and seniors they are starting.

There is always exceptions to the rule, and often different circumstances. I just have to look back on last year for it. Like I and many other people have said before and will undoubtedly say again, you don't get any better by losing 3 first round draft picks, including two top five guys.