Men's Basketball Tidbits 2008-'09 Season

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

Gonzaga (#7) lost to Portland State. Maybe they'll drop out of the top 10 finally.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch--College basketball: OSU Insider

College basketball: OSU Insider

Wednesday, December 24, 2008 3:02 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

• Coming up: West Virginia
• Where: Value City Arena
• When: 4 p.m. Saturday
• TV: CBS (Channel 10)
• Radio: WBNS-AM (1460)

The week that was

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[LitlBuck]

I guess I never realized how well we were shooting until I read this article.

Men's basketball: OSU Insider
Bob Baptist
Columbus Dispatch

Who's and what's hot?

The Buckeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the field in four of their past five games and are shooting a Big Ten-best 47 percent from the field in conference games, including 41.7 on three-point attempts. One problem: they need to get more than the 48 shots they're averaging (more on that below). Sunday was the first time they shot 50 percent or better from the field and lost since the game at North Carolina two years ago, and the first loss at home since 2001 against Penn State. B.J. Mullens (.692), William Buford (.462) and Jon Diebler (.458) are among the top 15 in the conference in field goal percentage and Evan Turner ranks seventh in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (7.0).

Who's and what's not?

For different reasons, Ohio State's past three opponents have averaged nearly 13 more shots. Michigan and Michigan State did it with 30 offensive rebounds between them, Illinois by forcing 20 turnovers. The Buckeyes were able to overcome it with cohesive defense at Michigan but crippled themselves with turnovers at Illinois and loose defense against Michigan State. They rank in the bottom half of the Big Ten in most defense and rebounding statistics. Dallas Lauderdale has two blocked shots in his past three conference games after having 10 in his first four. And is Bruce Weber in B.J. Mullens' head? After Mullens missed 7 of 9 free throws Tuesday, the Illinois coach said it might be good to take a "hack-a-Shaq" approach with the 7-footer rather than let him dunk. Mullens missed 3 of 5 against Michigan State.

 

[MaxBuck]

Bruce Weber is a whiny little girl.

 

[billmac91]

the amazing 1993 OSU vs. Indiana bball game is on the Big 10 channel right now as an FYI....

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Whether or not his defense is in the zone, OSU's Matta says he won't change philosophy

by Doug Lesmerises/Plain Dealer Reporter Tuesday January 27, 2009, 10:06 PM

Jay LaPrete/Associated PressOhio State's Evan Turner is not in position to prevent this drive to the basket by Michigan State's Goran Sutton during the Spartans' victory at Columbus on Sunday. On Wednesday, coach Thad Matta is hoping his zone defense works more effectively against Michigan.

COLUMBUS -- If anyone didn't like Ohio State's 3-2 zone defense in the second half against Michigan State on Sunday, OSU coach Thad Matta has a simple response. If you didn't like the zone, you should see our man-to-man.
"I watch us play man-to-man defense every day. We play it in every single practice," Matta said Tuesday. "Then I watch our zone, and I say, 'hey, in order for us to win, I think we need to do this.'"
As was the case last year, Matta's adherence to the zone is based as much on covering up deficiencies as it is exploiting strengths. Looking at the seven players Matta played against the Spartans, guard Jeremie Simmons and wing William Buford are still learning to play defense and could be exploited in man-to-man matchups, Jon Diebler might not be quick enough to stay with the type of small forwards he'd be asked to guard and centers B.J. Mullens and Dallas Lauderdale look like foul trouble waiting to happen.
With a short bench, Matta can't afford foul trouble or to have players exhaust themselves chasing players in man-to-man all night.
"I think zone helps," said backup point guard P.J. Hill. "You want to kind of cover certain players' weaknesses and kind of the team's weaknesses. Our biggest strength may not be going man-to-man. Everyone out there might not be able to hold their own."

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[osugrad21]

DDN

Buckeyes wonder what might have been

OSU has been hit harder by early departures than any team in the country.

By Rusty Miller
Associated Press

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
COLUMBUS ? Feeling the frustration of a third consecutive loss on Sunday, Feb. 22, Ohio State's Jon Diebler said when the Buckeyes go over the video of the defeats they ask, "What if?"
For an entirely different reason, that's the question that nags coach Thad Matta.
No team in the nation over the last three years has been hurt more by one-then-done freshmen moving on to the NBA. Instead of jockeying a team that must win at least two or three more games to make it into the NCAA tournament, Matta knows that he could easily be in charge of the dominant program in the nation.
"(CBS basketball analyst) Bill Raftery and I were laughing about it the other day," Matta said on Monday. "You could conceivably be starting Michael (Conley Jr.), Daequan Cook, Evan Turner, Kosta Koufos and Greg Oden ? and still not be starting a senior."
Conley, Cook and Oden, of course, helped the Buckeyes go 35-4 two years ago, capped by a second-place finish in the NCAA tournament to defending champion Florida. All three freshmen were taken in the top 21 picks in the NBA draft the next spring.
A year ago, the Buckeyes went 24-13 and, spurned by the NCAA tournament, went on to capture the NIT title. Then Koufos, like Oden an athletic 7-footer, also skipped town to play in the big league.
Now the Buckeyes (17-8, 7-7) need some good news and fast when they host Penn State (19-8, 8-6) on Tuesday night.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Two years after Mike Conley left, Buckeyes are still rather dull at the point

by Doug Lesmerises/Plain Dealer Reporter Monday February 23, 2009, 8:45 PM

Greg Wahl-Stephens/Associated PressNEW CONLEY, OLD CONLEY
Former Ohio State point guard Mike Conley has picked up his game under new Memphis coach Lionel Hollins
? Conley's first 44 games this season: 7.8 points, 3.4 assists, 22.2 minutes
? Conley's last 11 games: 14.5 points, 6.5 assists, 36.8 minutes
COLUMBUS -- If it's any consolation for the gaping hole he left in the program that has not been filled two years later, Mike Conley Jr. wonders what it would be like if he was still at Ohio State. "On man, I think about it all the time," the second-year point guard with the Memphis Grizzlies said recently. "I watch them on TV and it's crazy to think I could be playing with them. If you went back to college, you'd probably be leaps and bounds ahead of everybody."
Can you hear Thad Matta crying?
Ohio State's coach, who earlier this season told a reporter "my point guard is in the NBA" has never gotten over losing the on-court extension of himself. The Buckeyes, without a true point guard and sitting on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid, every day feel the loss of the player who in an alternate universe could still be their All-American junior floor leader.
"I know [Matta] misses me," Conley said. "I miss him, too. I was probably the one player he thought he could rely on to come back after one year, and I let him down on that end of it."

While the Buckeyes (17-8, 7-7 Big Ten) will be fighting for their postseason lives in Columbus against Penn State (19-8, 8-6) Tuesday night, Conley will be tipping off against the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Conley will do so as a pro sophomore finally finding his way after a coaching change in Memphis a month ago, averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 assists in his last 11 games. At last, it looks like Conley is ready for this level.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Last two games are crucial for breaking Buckeyes out of NCAA Tournament pack

by Doug Lesmerises / Plain Dealer reporter Monday March 02, 2009, 9:58 PM

AP Photo / Gerry BroomeThad Matta in 2007. He pretends to pay no attention to the Buckeyes' standings, to keep his team's focus on the next game.


COLUMBUS -- There's no way Ohio State coach Thad Matta is as clueless as he pretends to be about his team's standings in the basketball world. But publicly professing ignorance about conference placement and NCAA Tournament positioning goes well with trying to get his players to focus only on the next game. Told Monday that the Buckeyes, with two games remaining in the regular season, could finish anywhere from fourth to ninth in the Big Ten standings, Matta seemed genuinely surprised, though.
"Is that right?" Matta asked. "Geez."

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