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Men's Basketball Tidbits 2008-'09 Season

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Dispatch

October 2, 2008

A Matta-Miami reunion

The closed scrimmage the Buckeyes will play instead of a second exhibition game this preseason will be against Miami University, in Oxford, on Nov.2, according to a well-placed source.
It?s a Sunday, and neither team has a football game and the attendant recruiting responsibilities to schedule around that weekend. The Buckeyes have a bye and the RedHawks play Nov.4, a Tuesday, on the road.
The trip will take OSU coach Thad Matta back to the quaint campus where he did two separate stints as an assistant coach while climbing the ladder. Herb Sendek gave Matta his first fulltime coaching job for the 1994-95 season. Matta moved to Western Carolina for the following season, then returned to Miami in 1996-97 to work for Charlie Coles, who is still there. Matta left for his alma mater, Butler, after that season.
Per NCAA rules, schools can not publicize such scrimmages against other Division I teams nor open them to fans or the media. So there will be no official mention of it in the Buckeyes? preseason news releases, nor any statistics distributed.

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

October 6

Coach Thad Matta was in Indianapolis this morning to help pump the Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase, the first college basketball event to be staged in the new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Matta?s Buckeyes will take on Notre Dame in the second game of the Dec.6 double-header, after Indiana plays Gonzaga.

Matta touched on several topics during his turns at the microphone, including the above-mentioned ?team camaraderie? when he was asked what the Buckeyes have been working on in individual skill sessions before the start of practice Oct.17. That caught my ear, because anyone who monitored the Buckeyes as closely as I did last season couldn?t help but notice that some pieces didn?t fit seamlessly with others.

Without mentioning that this morning, of course, Matta did say that he has been preaching ?getting these guys to understand (the importance of) putting aside the personal goals for team goals and in the end everybody?s going to get what they want.
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Really starting to look forward to this season. Turner and Lighty bring some nice things to the table along with their experience. Dallas, Diebs and Hill should all be improved with a year under their belt, and the Freshmen and JC transfers bring a lot to the table. BJ should be a beast, Buford should step in and help right away, Crater brings the pass first mentality, add in Simmons with a nice all-around game, Kecman with a hopefully Harris like touch from deep and a hopeful returned to health Offutt and this teem oozes with potential.

Hopefully they all get on the same page early on and play to their collectively high potential.
 
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Dispatch

October 7, 2008

Open practice Oct. 25

I sat down with coach Thad Matta in the Schottenstein Center this morning to ask him about a number of things before the start of practice next week. I?ll save most of it for the newspaper in the coming days but wanted to confirm one rumor that?s been making the rounds.

There will be a practice open to the public in Value City Arena on Oct.25, the same day the football team plays host to Penn State in Ohio Stadium in a game that could decide the Big Ten leader.

The football game starts at 8 p.m. The time of the basketball practice has not been set, but 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. appears to be the preference.
Besides getting a sneak peek at all the newcomers, including 7-foot freshman B.J. Mullens finally picking on guys his own size, it'll be your one and only chance to see 7-foot transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos in action. He must sit out this season after transferring from Alabama-Birmingham in July.
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Dispatch
FYI: Ticket renewals in the mail

Invoices for full- and split-season ticket packages for this season are being mailed this week and due back in the Ohio State ticket office by Oct.24.

The full package will include 18 home games and give buyers the first option to also purchase tickets to the Nov.20 regular-season opener in St. John Arena against Delaware State.

The split packages will include eight games each but not the exhibition game against Walsh University, the opener in St. John Arena or the second game Nov.24 against Bowling Green in Value City Arena.

Personal seat licenses also are available.

Single-game tickets will go on sale Nov.3 at 10 a.m. for $26, $21 and $16, depending on seat location.

Fans also can purchase tickets that will put them in a section with other Ohio State fans for the Dec.6 game against Notre Dame in Indianapolis' new Lucas Oil Stadium. The ticket will be good for both games of the Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase double-header. Indiana plays Gonzaga in the first game.
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Posted by Bob Baptist on October 8, 2008 3:25 PM
 
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Dispatch

Camaraderie is key for team that has eight newcomers
Monday, October 13, 2008 3:08 AM
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The first inkling that turbulence could be ahead for the Ohio State men's basketball team last season came five months before the season, when captain and three-year starter Jamar Butler went home for the summer rather than stay on campus and bond with his new teammates.
Another starter, David Lighty, was gone about a month, with coach Thad Matta's blessing, to play for the United States in an age-group world championship tournament in Serbia.

A freshman whose production would be counted on, Kosta Koufos, prevailed upon Matta to allow him to play for Greece in another age-group world championship in Spain. He was gone two months.

In retrospect, maybe it was not so surprising the Buckeyes didn't mesh until it was too late to make the NCAA Tournament.

"I didn't think all the oars were rowing in the same direction at all times," Matta said last week.

"I think this group on the surface -- we haven't started divvying up minutes or anything -- appears to be more on the same page."

Preseason practice begins this week for the 2008-09 team, which has been intact since June. The players played pickup games together all summer, began skills work with coaches in mid-September and can fully come together Friday to begin building on Matta's blueprint for the season. The returning players meet with the media today.

At a news conference last week to promote the Dec. 6 doubleheader in Indianapolis in which Ohio State will play Notre Dame, Matta said that besides the time spent on fundamentals the past few weeks, he has been emphasizing "team camaraderie getting these guys to understand (the importance of) putting aside the personal goals for team goals and in the end everybody's going to get what they want."

Ohio State has no seniors and one scholarship recruit (Lighty) who played on the team that reached the NCAA championship game two years ago. The 16 players include eight newcomers, seven of them freshmen and sophomores.

"We've got a lot of guys," Matta said. "I think we're going to play a lot of guys."

Here are other points of early-season interest that Matta addressed during an interview last week:

? Ohio State has not received a ruling from the NCAA regarding the eligibility of junior-college transfer Nikola Kecman (pronounced KETS-man). The NCAA is investigating whether a club team Kecman played for in his native Serbia two years ago included professionals. Matta said he expects a ruling before the season.
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Dispatch

Important dates
Monday, October 13, 2008 2:57 AM
Friday -- Practice starts

Oct. 25 -- Public scrimmage in Value City Arena

Nov. 2 -- Closed scrimmage at Miami University

Nov. 13 -- Exhibition game vs. Walsh, 7 p.m., Value City Arena

Nov. 20 -- Season opener vs. Delaware State, 6:30 p.m., St. John Arena
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Ohio State has not received a ruling from the NCAA regarding the eligibility of junior-college transfer Nikola Kecman
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I guess I just don't understand, well maybe I do all too well, the :evil:NCAA. Kecman verbally committed to Ohio State around 4 months ago and probably even went to summer school and yet the NCAA still has not ruled on his eligibility. I know that they would not rule him ineligible for the entire season but how long does it really take for them to make a :pissed:decision.
 
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jimotis4heisman;1290331; said:
0-sr on the team
1-scholarship player with 2 years of experience on the (osu) team
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You left this part of this statement off
who played on the team that reached the NCAA championship game two years ago.
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There are 4-5 guys who played quite a few minutes last season and should not be intimidated this season.
 
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It's actually a VERY GOOD POINT when looking at the youth of this squad.

That a SINGLE lone player, Lighty, is the only current team member that was even eligible to play in that game ( just one season removed ) shows what little continuity in personelle we have going for us. Good talent, low experience and continuity. When you have zero Srs and only one Jr veteran ( of any real PT ) it is a very young club.

It's not just about intimidation-factor of playing at this level, it is also savvy and "been there done that" and we have VERY LITTLE of it.
 
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Well, I think Turner has "been there and done that" and Diebler has "been there" but he hasn't done that yet. Lauderdale played some quality minutes during the last part of the season so I think he "has been there and done that". I am not that concerned about Buford or Mullens because they are not typical freshman. I guess my only concern regarding the youth on this team will be at PG and hopefully Crater, Hill, or Simmons will fill that role.
 
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buckeydoptimist;1290611; said:
It's actually a VERY GOOD POINT when looking at the youth of this squad.

That a SINGLE lone player, Lighty, is the only current team member that was even eligible to play in that game ( just one season removed ) shows what little continuity in personelle we have going for us. Good talent, low experience and continuity. When you have zero Srs and only one Jr veteran ( of any real PT ) it is a very young club.

It's not just about intimidation-factor of playing at this level, it is also savvy and "been there done that" and we have VERY LITTLE of it.
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The fact this team has returning players from last year's NIT championship team is helpful.
 
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Fellas basketball is a totally different beast than football. In football it takes usually at least 2 years to recruit and get a program back on track...in basketball it can be done in 1. The NIT was huge for the Buckeyes. I saw Lauderdale grow up game after game. Look at the teams we beat in that tournament...Mississippi, Florida, VT, Dayton...thats was awesome experience. I was glas we went to the NIT rather than the NCAA's. It will pay dividends this year. In basketball your freshmen season is over at game 20...experience in football and basketball are very different. IMO we are dangerous this season.
 
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