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Men's Basketball Tidbits 2008-'09 Season

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Canton

OSU men to face eight tourney teams
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
REPOSITORY STAFF REPORT

Eleven games against eight teams that appeared in last spring's NCAA tournament highlight a challenging 2008-09 schedule for the Ohio State men's basketball team.

The Buckeyes will host nonconference teams Butler and West Virginia, play at Miami (Fla.) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and face Notre Dame at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Dec. 6 game against the Fighting Irish is part of a doubleheader that also has Indiana facing Gonzaga.

Ohio State also has home-and-home Big Ten games against Michigan State, Indiana and Purdue. The Buckeyes' only matchup with defending league champion Wisconsin is Feb. 14 in Madison.

The season opener is Nov. 20 against Delaware State at St. John Arena. The Buckeyes will play their remaining home games at Value City Arena.
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Dispatch

Ohio State men's basketball
Tough slate for youngsters
Ranked foes again dot nonconference schedule for green crew
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 3:05 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Whether a demanding start to last season was good or bad for a young Ohio State men's basketball team is open to conjecture. It served to bolster the Buckeyes' strength-of-schedule argument with the NCAA Tournament selection committee. But the fact that they lost three of the four games they played against ranked opponents did not help them, and their 3-9 record against all ranked opponents was a factor in them being relegated to the National Invitation Tournament, which they won.
History could repeat for an even younger team this season, or the Buckeyes could rewrite it.
The complete 2008-09 schedule was released yesterday and shows Ohio State with a nonconference schedule that is front loaded again, though not as heavily as last season. Whereas the 2007-08 schedule included four ranked opponents among the first seven, this one likely will have two, the University of Miami and Notre Dame, both away from home and back to back the first week in December. West Virginia also could be ranked when it visits Value City Arena on Dec. 27.
The strength of the schedule is roughly equal to last season's based on opponents' rankings in the final Rating Percentage Index for 2007-08. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, will be even younger.
The 11 scholarship players on last year's roster entered the season with a combined eight years of Division I experience, and three were seniors.
The 12 scholarship players this season will enter the season with a combined seven years of Division I experience, and none is a senior. David Lighty is the only one with more than one year of experience with two.
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I think playing some rated teams in the nonconference schedule will help us to prepare for the Big 10 schedule. While in terms of years of experience for the entire team, we might be younger when it comes to depth but I think that Mullens and Buford will not be intimidated. The early part of the schedule hopefully give the PG's, both Hill and Crater, some time to develop and get ready for the conference schedule.
 
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Dispatch

September 17, 2008

Only one exhibition game

Fans? first chance to see the 2008-09 Buckeyes will be Nov.13, when they play host to Walsh University, an NAIA Division II team, at 7 p.m. in Value City Arena. Ohio State beat Walsh 87-62 in an exhibition game two years ago.
It will be the Buckeyes? first and only exhibition game before the regular-season opener Nov.20 against Delaware State in St. John Arena, an athletics department spokesman confirmed.
Instead of a second exhibition game, Ohio State will scrimmage another Division I team. Per NCAA rules, Ohio State can not publicize the scrimmage nor allow fans or media to attend.


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Link

Breaking Down Ohio State's 2008-2009 Basketball Schedule

Questions surround the 2008 Basketball Buckeyes.
Who will replace Jamar Butler?

Can B.J. Mullins follow in the footsteps of Greg Oden and Kosta Koufos to be the next great OSU center?
Will David Lighty step up and be the leader of this team?
Has Jon Diebler regained his shooting touch from his high school days and be able to be the shooting threat the Buckeyes so desperately need?
The 2007 Buckeyes rebounded nicely from the disappointment of not making the NCAA tournemant and went on the win the NIT Championship.
The 2008 team will face a tough schedule, but the team has the talent to make a run. Will that talent produce? Time will tell.


Let's take a look at the 2008 schedule.

Nov. 20 Delaware State (MEAC)
A perennially pesky team that is well coached. The Hornets maximize the talent on their roster and play defense first. DSU returns just about every major contributor from last season's team.


Nov. 24 Bowling Green (MAC)
Second year coach Louis Orr looks to build off last season's 13-17 record. Chris Knight, a 6? 7? product of Cincinnati, mad a splash in his first season. If Knight can achieve better consistency in his second season, he could be a star in the MAC.

Continued................
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Dispatch

September 24, 2008
Why the Buckeyes Play on Friday

I did a double take when Ohio State finally released its 2008-09 schedule last week and it showed a Friday night game Jan.9 against Houston Baptist. Now it makes sense.

I had forgotten that Value City Arena annually hosts the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic on a Saturday in early January, whenever Ohio State has a Big Ten road game. This season, it was to be the weekend of one of the Buckeyes? byes in the Big Ten schedule -- until they had to scramble at the last minute to add non-conference games.

According to the tournament?s Web site, the schedule is preliminary, meaning there could be changes. Earlier this year, it was rumored that Trae Golden?s high-school team from Georgia was ticketed for a spot, but that understandably didn?t come to fruition. Still, there is room for one more game. I wonder if Cincinnati Princeton and Jordan Sibert are available?

Here?s the schedule:

1 p.m. -- Zanesville vs. Wilmington
2:45 p.m. -- Worthington Christian vs. Trotwood-Madison
4:30 p.m. -- Canal Winchester vs. Cleveland Benedictine
6:15 p.m. -- DeSales vs. Garfield Heights
8 p.m. -- Northland vs. Cincinnati Aiken.

Benedictine has Ohio State commitment Cameron Wright. DeSales has Nick Kellogg, younger son of Clark. Northland has OSU commitment Jared Sullinger and high-major prospect J.D. Weatherspoon. Aiken has Ohio?s best 2011 recruit, Chane Behanan, who recently committed to Cincinnati.
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espn.com

Catching up with three NCAA hopefuls
Friday, September 26, 2008 | Print Entry



Catching up with Ohio State, Wake Forest and Nevada, three teams that should be intriguing to watch early on in the season:



Ohio State: For the third straight season Ohio State coach Thad Matta has an incoming freshman center that has the preseason hype of potentially being a first-round pick in the NBA draft and could be one-and-done.
Greg Oden came through two years ago and after weathering an injured wrist leading the Buckeyes to the national title game and eventually becoming the No. 1 pick.

Kosta Koufos had plenty of hype last season after performing well on the international stage for Greece the previous summer. Koufos couldn't dominate like Oden, though, and didn't have the same surrounding cast. Koufos had a decent season for the Buckeyes but then still left for the NBA draft, too, landing at No. 23 in the first round to Utah.

Now it's B.J. Mullen's turn. The 7-foot freshman from Columbus started school this week and is being coached by Matta about remaining grounded as much as possible.

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"He's completely different than Kosta skill-wise," Matta said. "B.J. is going to be the guy that takes great pride in being down low. I've been pleasantly surprised that he can step out and shoot the basketball but he's more of a contact-type of guy where as Kosta was more face-up."


Matta said it's "mind-boggling" that he has had three straight centers that could be one-and-done and top picks. Matta said that Mullens is actually the tallest of the three and that weight-wise he's closer to Oden at what Matta said should be a 7-1, 270-pound check-in when the season starts.
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Finally got a report...

PG: Still up in the air, don't even t2hink the coaches are sure yet...Crater seems to have some street ball in him, trying to do too much at times with the ball...Hill might not be the answer, I still have hope for him, I know that he put in lots of work over the summer to be the starter, and I think that he will see meaningful minutes...Didn't get much on Simmons, but he will factor in here, and could see time at the 2g as well...We will need his ability to shoot the ball...

wings: we know what we are going to get from Lighty...Solid in the opencourt, off the curl cut, solid knocking down the open look, not great off the dribble, can finish in traffic...Just looking to get it at more consistency and he has really taken on the leaderdship role, leading the younger guys...

Turner...I really look for him to have a big year...Got some very high marks from the people I talked to...He is bigger, and stronger...Improved on the shot some...We just need him to cut down on turnovers...

Buford is going to score the ball...I know that the other players are very impressed with him, even saying this guy is taking my spot, etc...I just don't see how he doesn't start...

Diebler...I look for more consistency out of him...We saw last year at times what we can get out of him, if he is hot...UNC game comes to mind...I see him as being the scorer off the bench...

Offut...Still nothing...I don't know if he is practicing or not...The guy that I heard from didn't know all the guys...


Inside guys...From what I hear we are practicing a 3 out 2 in with Lauderdale and Mullens playing at the same time...Not sure how it is working, but that is what I am hearing...

But from what I heard, Mullens is a man child inside and Dallas isn't far behind him...Those two on the defensive end will be a terror on teams...And the boards should be no problem with those two inside...I look for BJ to put up about 15/game or somewhere in there, and Lauderdale to not really score a whole lot...

Kecman from what I have seen and heard is more put together than I expected...Didn't really step out much, but I am sure he will, just going from the report I got...I still see an Ivan Harris type player until I see him first hand...

Nothing on Madsen...

From the report I got...There was no 4 out 1 in, but I am sure that we will see that with the depth on the wing, and what Matta has become accustomed to and Mullens Lauderdale can play inside, and Kecman can step out at the 4...Not a glowing report i got, but I still see us growing as a team and winning about 23 games or so...I see us competeing with MSu/Purdue/Wisky for the top 4 spots in the big ten...I wanna say we win it, but I see us in 3rd behind the first two I mentioned, but the best thing is we don't see Purdue till late in the big ten season...
 
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OSUBasketballJunkie;1277695; said:
I am interested in Kechman...........any word on his eligibility issue?

We need someone to step up at point guard or it will be another season of "what ifs".........

Has Dallas improved enough offensively to be productive this year?
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Well from what I have gathered from the free board over at scout is that it wasn't kecman, it was big Z that was practicing...Suppossedly Kecman was held out of practice for some reason....

I agree about point guard...I think we have guys to take on the role tho, and if need be we could always see Turner there...

As for Dallas, I know that he has been working all summer long and hopefully it is enough...Most seemed impressed with him as I have talked to them...
 
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hoopsreport

Top 50 Team Previews: #14 Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes
Last Season: 24-13 (10-8)
Key Losses: Kosta Koufos, Othello Hunter, Jamar Butler
Head Coach: Thad Matta

Projected Starting Lineup
PG: Noopy Crater 6-1 Fr.
SG: William Buford 6-5 Fr.
SF: Evan Turner 6-7 So.
PF: David Lighty 6-5 Jr.
C: B.J. Mullens 7-1 Fr.
Key Reserves: Nikola Kecman 6-8 So. PF, Walter Offutt 6-3 Fr. PG, Jeremie Simmons 6-2 Jr. PG, Jon Diebler 6-6 So. SG, Dallas Lauderdale 6-8 So. PF

Disappointment clouded the 2007-08 season for Thad Matta's squad. The Buckeyes, led by Kosta Koufos and Jamar Butler, were expected to make a return appearance to the Big Dance. They had no such luck, but did manage to start a string of one-and-done big men that could continue this year.

Last season, the Buckeyes began with top recruit Kosta Koufos poised to lead this team back to the national championship game. Unfortunately, the team would go on to lose 13 games and be forced to go to "that other tournament." Once they got there, however, they took their game to another level and ran through the NIT on their way to an NIT championship.

This team does have youth on its side, but that could hurt Ohio State this season. The Buckeyes of 2008-09 are without a senior on scholarship. Could two straight years of one-and-done talent finally be hurting Matta?

Continued............
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