Ohio State 68, Columbia 54 (Final)

[crazybuckfan40]

Just some random thoughts from the game tonight...


Not sure if I like seeing Kosta playing the wing in that zone. He seems out of place. When they shoot the 3 from the corner, he has to crash on that man and that takes him away from the basket for rebounds and blocking out a man. Hunter & Koufos in the paint on D is a pretty amazing force to watch when they get their feet set up. How many blocks did those two have together?

He isn't really playing the wing...It is a 3-2 zone...This is to help with perimeter defense...Usually the guy on the elbow will defend the wing and the bottom guy of the zone(KK) will front the post...The thing is when the ball goes to the opposite side and the wing has to step to the top or duck into to take the guy at the free throw line area then the ball is kicked, kK has to go on the wing...shouldn't happen much...

This is why zone can work against you in terms of rebounding, but the back side wing has to drop down and box out the back side or at least get in position to grab the rebound...With guys like Diebler, Turner, Lighty we have length on the wing to be able to grab rebounds...

I think that we might be seeing this zone for most of the year...Don't think Matta feels comfortable right now with KK playing man d, because teams will kill us with the pick n roll...

As soon as Butler gels with some of these newbies, I think we'll see us scoring consistently higher numbers. 7 rebounds for Butler against a pretty tall team... that stuck out to me. If there's another PG worthy of getting 1st Team All-Big Ten in front of Butler, let me know, because I think they'll have their work cut out for them once he gets going (btw, Neitzel's a SG).

I have known for a couple years that Butler has had this in his game...He just seemed to always take a back seat to the other guys, which was what was best for the team...He also seems to be trying to be more vocal this year...Seems that he is ready to take the next step and really take this team to the level where it is capable of going...Like I have said many times he is so much better off the dribble...And I agree that he will be first team all big ten...

We gotta start following our shots. Lighty's pretty good at it and Evan's following up on other people's shots, but that's an area we need to work on.

Coaches are working on this at practice...At times it can be a habit to drift to kinda make your shot go one way or the other and hold your follow thru...I think it is more other guys from the weakside need to try and follow shots, and get to the front side of the rim...

I love how D-Light is playing out there. Hoping he can keep consistent here and keep from getting tired once we get into the Big Ten season. He's our workhorse on both ends of the court. Btw, that was a really crummy call on that offensive foul. The fans really let that ref have it and for good reason.

He is picking up where he was at in the tourney last year...His ability to slash has been on full display the last two nights...

Kosta is so smooth on the offensive glass. Haven't had that kind of smoothness since Ken Johnson graduated. Other than him getting acclimated to his role on D, I'd like to see him more physical down low. That #20 (who got away with a LOT tonight, fwiw) gave Kosta a good look at what it's gonna be like the rest of the year for him against a decent big man on D. And how sweet is that shot he's got? Goodness.

At times he looks akward, and not great footwork, but he has great touch, but he needs some work with some post moves down low, and trust me the coaches are also working hard with him in that area too...Coach Matta seems to be hard on him, because he knows his potential and KK is a shy type kid, that needs to be more authoritative...His D in terms of moving his feet and being in position need quite a bit of work still.

I think we may have found that 5th starter... at least temporarily. Turner played very solid basketball tonight and Matta rewarded him with some minutes there in the 2nd half. He's like having another Lighty out on the court defensively and played well with Butler & Lighty offensively. I like that he's not scared to take the shot and some of those misses will start falling for him and Diebler once they gets those freshman nerves outta them. I'm interested to see if Thad starts Evan against the 'Cuse, because I think he saw something there tonight.

Diebler is still the starter and will be through out the year IMO...He looks comfortable out there moreso than Turner...The problem with Diebler is just getting used to playing off the ball, finding the open areas, and then he will be fine in terms of hitting shots, once he stops worrying about the rest of his game...His defense has been better than expected tho, also Diebler is the type of player that will continue to develop thru his career as he gets bigger and stronger.

As for Turner he looked the most comfortable he has looked all season. Turner has a very flat shot and the staff is working with him to get more air under it. While we saw glimpses tonight I think he is the type that will have a good half, then a bad half, then a good game then a bad game...later in the season we will see those good games become back to back and not as many bad games, and bad halfs...

Either way these two are going to rotate mintutes the rest of the season.

Dallas is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Not sure whether its his name or how physical he plays or that he slightly resembles the bearded version of Greg Oden or whatnot, but he plays hard. Once he can get his offense going, he's gonna get some more valuable minutes off the bench. His vertical catches me offguard every time he tries to come up with a block.

Yeah Dallas is earning him self a lot of minutes...He is going to see big minutes against teams that are out rebounding us and beating us with physicalness...I like the group of KK and Hunter for offense, and really like what Twig has shown this year, but KK is our best rebounder, shot blocker, and defender in terms of the big guys... I would love to see Dallas as TE on the football team...I can't honestly see how anyone in college football could guard him...

I think Diebler's starting to get it defensively (the effort and hustle is there), but he's not getting out to his guy behind the 3 point line fast enough and he lets his man get a step on him driving towards the hoop, which ends up leading to easy baskets (and I'm already sick of seeing it happen 2-4 times a game). Of the starters, he's been the weak link defensively, but the last two games he's been the weak link offensively as well (6 pts in 2 games). With games against Syracuse (11/21) and North Carolina (11/28) coming up quickly, I hope he can find that killer stroke soon because we're gonna need it. I love thinking we can pull him off the bench Jamie Skelton-like for that extra spark and 3-point threat. At this point in the season, I think that would be the better role for him, but he's gotta find that stroke.

I hit on most of this above, but I disagree about his defense...He has been better than expected...Honestly I would rather him close out fast like that and let a guy beat him as long as there are the big guys to step up...It is better than an open 3 point shot...We have the length where it is better to force them to put the ball on the floor and try and force passes...We need to rotate better and when we do we will be just fine...

Eric Wallace and PJ Hill are two more "spark" guys, particularly Wallace and his ups. Butler & Lighty were Ironmen out there tonight, but they can't play 39 of 40 minutes every night. Butler is the heart of this team and Lighty's the soul. If one of those two is out for any significant amount of time, we're in deep trouble because we don't have that kind of depth yet (maybe next year ::).

I think that both will get more pt as the season goes one...Hill will have to as guys will get in foul trouble...

As for Wallace he looks real good in practice, I think the problem is that he needs to get better at handling the ball...His shot actually looks better than I ever anticipated...Good form...

Hunter's got a pretty killer short and medium range jumper! I bet Twigs is really jealous.

Don't think either shoots better than the other...What I would like to see more out of Hunter is using that jumper to his advantage by pulling his defender towards him and working the high low with KK, and then cutting off of that, or getting man matchups for KK in the post...All this will come with time of playing with each other...

I wanna see Othello become a "Landlord" of sorts as the center in that defensive zone scheme we have, coming down with the loose balls and blocking everybody that gets into the paint. It'll be interesting to see if Lauderdale, Mullens, or Koufos takes over that spot next year when O graduates.

I think in a way that is what Matta wants to get out of the zone...With the big guys in the paint...

Things to work on for next week: getting points offesively against the zone (which Syracuse is famous for running) and defending the 3 on D (which Syracuse is tradiationally good at shooting).

I agree on both of these, but but I think our offense is farther ahead of our defense and I think that it is just a matter of us playing together before we take off on the offensive end...Honestly I thought that we would be farther along on the defensive end, with Butler and Lighty as great on ball defenders, and Hunter down low, and with Turner, Diebler, and KK's length and Twigs experience...

Not sure what the deal is...At times it seems like we have hands in their faces, and we play good defense, but they make great plays...I mean we seem to be rotating well, and I mean we have Hunter running at shooters and KK at times...I mean they have to put the ball about 14 foot in the air to get it over them...Butler and Lighty are physical to were they wear guys down...This is one thing I just don't get...Honestly I would love to hear JO and Junkie's thoughts on this issue...

Overall, I think tonight was a MUCH more impressive outing against a more physical and cohesive team that played us tough until there was a minute and a half left. I hope we can give Syracuse as great an effort next week in NY.

Agree I think it really is just a matter of the young guys getting more experience, and playing together more...We have great coaches and not near enough credit goes to coach Groce...He is a great assist to the devlopment of this team...Just as much as Matta IMO...

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

OHIO STATE 68 | COLUMBIA 54
Ohio State rolls past Columbia in NIT


By the Associated Press

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

COLUMBUS ? Ohio State coach Thad Matta said Jamar Butler was standing around too much. So Butler grabbed the game and ran with it.
Butler scored 18 points and engineered runs in each half to lead Ohio State past Columbia 68-54 on Tuesday night and into the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.


The Buckeyes (2-0) will meet Syracuse on Nov. 21 at Madison Square Garden. The Orangemen beat Saint Joseph's 72-69 to win their region of the tournament.
"We're looking forward to it," said Butler, the Buckeyes' only returning starter from last year's star-studded, freshman-oriented Big Ten championship team. "I can't wait to get to New York City, to Madison Square Garden. There'll be a lot of people there and that's why you come to a school like Ohio State ? to compete against a big-time program at a place like that."



Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

College basketball roundup Ohio State tops Columbia to advance in NIT Tip-Off Koufos scores 19 points, Butler 18 for Buckeyes, who play Syracuse next
Published on Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007


Associated Press

Jamar Butler scored 18 points and engineered runs in each half to lead Ohio State past visiting Columbia 68-54 on Tuesday night and into the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
The Buckeyes (2-0) will meet Syracuse on Nov. 21 at Madison Square Garden. The Orangemen beat Saint Joseph's 72-69 to win their region of the tournament.


Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

OHIO STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL



Ohio State defeats Columbia in men's college basketball



Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- In a week, Ohio State coach Thad Matta should finally start to figure out his men's basketball team. Tuesday night, all he needed to say was "Make a play," to point guard Jamar Butler, and the Buckeyes were on their way to New York for Thanksgiving.
With Ohio State's lead cut to one point early in the second half, the Buckeyes' senior hit 3-pointers on two of the next three possessions, and Ohio State pulled away for a 68-54 victory over Columbia (1-2) in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off.




Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Buckeyes move on to New York
Ohio State counters Columbia with big runs
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 12:11 AM
By Bob Baptist


The Columbus Dispatch
Two steps forward and one step back.

That was the halting progress of a young Ohio State team that for weeks has dogged coach Thad Matta and caused him to speak in guarded terms about its future.​

He wanted two steps forward, and then another two.​

He got them last night. Two more small steps by the Buckeyes, and one giant leap to New York.


Cont...
​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout.com (Free)

Butler, Buckeyes Headed To Big Apple.......Adam Jardy.

Rivals.com$ (Brandon Castel)

Win sends Buckeyes to NYC

Bucknuts.com (Free)

Ohio State Punches Ticket To Big Apple.......by Jeff Rapp.

 

[wadc45]

On one hand my key to the season (in addition to always scoring more points than the other team) is Butler is absolutely not allowed to get into any foul trouble. One the other hand, have you ever seen a PG throw lazier passes? Most of his passes, long or short, seem to lack crispness...I would like to see more of a consistent sense of controled urgency from Jamar.

 

[daveeb]

My observations:

Diebler can make better shot selections.
We need 5 man hustling on defense. Diebler blocking a shot was good and all, and Butler getting back so fast was nice, but where was the rest of the team?
Koufos is so good.
Terwilliger will be in less and less as the year goes on. Lauderdale is just looking too good.
Freshman off the bench make quick impacts.
Lighty is going to have a great year this year.

 

[joefoshow]

i only got tho see li8ke the last two minutes of the game but i htink we need to get more outr of the backups or it will be hard to run against the physical teams likeNorth Carolina

 

[LitlBuck]

i only got tho see li8ke the last two minutes of the game but i htink we need to get more outr of the backups or it will be hard to run against the physical teams likeNorth Carolina

If we would try to run with a team the caliber of UNC we will get drilled especially this early in the season. I don't think you will see many of our "backups" playing in that game.

 

[wadc45]

Hats off to the OSU Breakdancing Team for a solid halftime performance...

 

[BuckTwenty]

Hats off to the OSU Breakdancing Team for a solid halftime performance...

I concur. I'm not sure whether this says much, but that was one of the better halftime shows I've seen in a while at the Schott. The guy in the green hat's finale was magnificent.

However, I'm still holding out for the frisbee catching dogs.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

I wish Jamar was shooting 3's like this in the NC game. Better late than never, I guess. :)

Koufos is fun to watch. Really needs to work on staying in position on D though.

Lighty is solid all around. No complaints here.

Jamar looks good but needs to take control of the team when things aren't going well. Sometimes the play of his teammates will get sloppy and he doesn't really say or do anything about it.

Diebler needs to be patient. Once he learns that, look out!

Hope Othello is ok.

Lauderdale is a future stud.

 

[BuckTwenty]

Hope Othello is ok.

Oh! I'm not sure if this was mentioned anywhere, but according to Thad on his post-game interview on 1460, he said Othello's been cramping up during the last two games, which explains why they sit him and bring him back in later in the game.

Good news for Buckeye fans there!

 

[LitlBuck]

ILauderdale is a future stud.

I agree but I do not understand why everyone is jumping on his bandwagon so soon and wants him to have more playing time. I don't know who you would take off the court when you put him in and I most certainly would put Twig in before Dallas just because he has more playing time and offensive abilities. I love the guy but it's only two games into the season and we haven't played any real big boys yet.