Ohio State 49 Illinois 67 (Final)

[buckeyes_rock]

The guys didn't look like they showed up tonight. The announcers even commented about Thad saying his team appeared shell-shocked and that's the worst he's ever seen them.

Crummy game but now you move on. The PG position is frustrating, but nothing we can do about it this year. Unfortunately, it really hurts us to not have a true Point on the floor. Ball handling tonight was aweful and the passing...wow. Lazy and sloppy.

No time to pout. This is the Big 10 and we have to move on to the next one. Thad needs to get these guys home and regroup.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Bob Hunter commentary: Buckeyes find out how easy it is to get detoured on road

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 3:19 AM
By Bob Hunter


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ROBERT K. O'DANIELL | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ohio State's Evan Turner, driving between Illinois' Chester Frazier, left, and Mike Tisdale, was held to a season-low four points.



CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- When B.J. Mullens was asked if he were surprised his team had played so poorly so soon after such an inspiring road performance at Michigan, he came up almost as empty as his Ohio State basketball team. "Yeah, it's " the freshman center paused, scrunched his face and then started again. "Like I said, this gym, there was a lot of energy in it that kind of " Another pause. Another pained expression. "You know, I don't really know what to say to that."
It was a 10-second snapshot that seemed to say a lot, particularly on a team that counts two freshmen, three sophomores and a junior-college transfer among its first six players.
Big Ten road games are hard. There are no gimmes, no breathers, no easy marks. There are few, if any, chances to throw it in cruise control. It might seem as if everything is under control, but you get careless, miss a couple of shots and make a turnover or two and the noise is suddenly on you like a giant steamroller. The oxygen thins. A four-point deficit is 10. A chance for a win slips away and slowly disappears.
Teams that have little chance of beating you at your place are tough as nails at theirs. Competitive teams often split home-and- homes. The term "steal a road win" means just what it says. Veteran teams know. Young teams learn from their lumps. For the Buckeyes, last night's 67-49 lump at Illinois was beach ball-sized.
Until you've been on the conference merry-go-round a few times, it seems strange that a clunker like this could pop up so soon after that impressive win at Michigan. It isn't, though. Not with so young a team.
"You know, it's funny," OSU coach Thad Matta said. "When I left you (media) guys (Monday), I went in and addressed the team and everybody (was) kind of like we arrived. And I tried to explain to them, we're not even close to where we need to be in regards to how we're playing and that consistency. I don't know for sure if they were feeling that or whatever, but I know they don't feel that any more."
Cont...

 

[Onebuckfan]

I was at the game...it was a stinker. Evan Turner was a non-factor, Frazier totally frustrated him. Our pg situation was exposed, Ill is a good defensive team. Here is where inexperience and lack of an on court leader showed. We needed someone to calm us down and make a play..we didn't have anyone. We have as much talent as Illinois its just they are more advanced in their system. On the postgame Weber said they had a plan on defense to control turner and then pressure the ball. On offense they wanted to use their passing to beat the zone not over dribbling. In other words they had a well thought out plan and they executed it. Our execution was terrible and Thad looked disgusted with the team early on. That said on the road in the Big 10 can lead to these type of games. We get another shot at them at home and I,m sure Turner and Simmons especially will be amped up for that one.

 

[LitlBuck]

Agree with the fact that the team did not show up against Illinois and there's no excuse for that. The team better start showing up every game because if they do not play with intensity every game we will be looking at the NIT again.

I don't think you can blame all the TOs on the PG position especially when Simmons was playing the PG. 20 turnovers it is way too many to blame on one position. All the PG does this start the offense so he should not be responsible for all the turnovers there were created by sloppy passing and dribbling.

Also, when you play zone, once you fall behind you are in deep trouble because you cannot put much pressure on the other team without leaving big holes in the zone.

That was just a bad performance last night with quite a few quick shots and quite a bit of lazy passing and ballhandling.

 

[jwinslow]

[FONT=arial,helvetica]Ohio State head coach Thad Matta shouts during the first half of an NCAA college men's basketball game against Illinois at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Illinois won 67-49. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica] Illinois' Mike Tisdale (54) works under the basket as Ohio State's Kyle Madsen (15) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Illinois won 67-49. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell) [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica] Illinois coach Bruce Weber calls out during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Ohio State in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Illinois won 67-49. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

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[FONT=arial,helvetica] Ohio State's Evan Turner (21) splits Illinois' Chester Frazier, left, and Mike Tisdale (54) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Illinois won 67-49. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell) [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica] Ohio State's William Buford (44) passes off in front of Illinois' Trent Meacham (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Illinois won 67-49. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

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[FONT=arial,helvetica] Ohio State's B.J. Mullens (32) misses a shot as Illinois' Dominique Keller (23) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell) [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica] Ohio State's Evan Turner (21) gets inside Illinois' Mike Tisdale (54) for a shot during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

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[FONT=arial,helvetica] Illinois' Dominique Keller (23) shoots over Ohio State's Dallas Lauderdale (52) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)[/FONT]

 

[DaytonBuck]

Agree with the fact that the team did not show up against Illinois and there's no excuse for that. The team better start showing up every game because if they do not play with intensity every game we will be looking at the NIT again.

I don't think you can blame all the TOs on the PG position especially when Simmons was playing the PG. 20 turnovers it is way too many to blame on one position. All the PG does this start the offense so he should not be responsible for all the turnovers there were created by sloppy passing and dribbling.

Also, when you play zone, once you fall behind you are in deep trouble because you cannot put much pressure on the other team without leaving big holes in the zone.

That was just a bad performance last night with quite a few quick shots and quite a bit of lazy passing and ballhandling.

Exactly this was a total team break down in execution yesterday. Magic Johnson wouldn't have made a difference

 

[jimotis4heisman]

no major key to the game=loss

my bad

ive gone atleast 0-2 on this now

 

[bkochmc]

no major key to the game=loss

my bad

ive gone atleast 0-2 on this now

You've been putting too much emphasis on no touch icing.

 

[MaxBuck]

Magic Johnson wouldn't have made a difference

Gotta disagree. Magic was one of the all-time great point guards, and better point play would have gotten us 90% to where we needed to be.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Gotta disagree. Magic was one of the all-time great point guards, and better point play would have gotten us 90% to where we needed to be.

Point guard is play is the key to basketball but when everyone is turning the basketball over and shooting poorly outside of Mullens I'm not sure it's going to matter

 

[LitlBuck]

Gotta disagree. Magic was one of the all-time great point guards, and better point play would have gotten us 90% to where we needed to be.

Have to disagree. Magic would probably have a stroke if he ran up the court more than once worth all the luggage that he is carrying now:)

Saying that, I think they're way too much blame is being put on Simmons when other guys are turning the ball over. It would be interesting to see how many turnovers he had against Illinois compared to Turner or even J. D. The PG just starts the offense and the ball is not in his hands all of the time. Too much blame is being put on one guy.

 

[Steve19]

I see this loss with the following perspective. We have a young team with lots of injuries. Illinois is almost exactly the same as West Virginia in Pomeroy's power ratings. We lost to West Virginia at home 76-48 and to Illinois away 67-49. I see the glass as half full. That is a nine point improvement on defense and a 1 point improvement on offense.

The team needs to figure out how to improve on offense. Hopefully, that will be better in a few weeks when the roster gets back a welcome "old-timer".

 

[LitlBuck]

I see this loss with the following perspective. We have a young team with lots of injuries. Illinois is almost exactly the same as West Virginia in Pomeroy's power ratings. We lost to West Virginia at home 76-48 and to Illinois away 67-49. I see the glass as half full. That is a nine point improvement on defense and a 1 point improvement on offense.

The team needs to figure out how to improve on offense. Hopefully, that will be better in a few weeks when the roster gets back a welcome "old-timer".

I guess the only way I see the offense improving with the return of Lighty it is that Buford, Diebler, and Turner will not have to play as many minutes and David might be able to create easier shots for some of the guys. I think that he might help improve our defense more than our offense. He was not bringing that much to the table offensively before his injury IMO

 

[buckeyes_rock]

I guess the only way I see the offense improving with the return of Lighty it is that Buford, Diebler, and Turner will not have to play as many minutes and David might be able to create easier shots for some of the guys. I think that he might help improve our defense more than our offense. He was not bringing that much to the table offensively before his injury IMO

Yeah, Lighty will help the D. But the problem will be taking Buford off the floor when Lighty comes back. Buford will lose minutes and that will hurt our Offense IMO.

 

[MaxBuck]

Yeah, Lighty will help the D. But the problem will be taking Buford off the floor when Lighty comes back. Buford will lose minutes and that will hurt our Offense IMO.

Why wouldn't Diebler be the one that Lighty replaces? It would make a lot more sense to me.