OHIO STATE--68 TENNESSEE--66 (Final)

[hoopsfan]

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been posted in this thread, but I will say that this team needs their players to accept their individual roles and then you will see them play well down the stretch during close games....they are still trying to figure that out and until Lewis and Butler start leading on the court and off the court, we will continue to struggle in games we should win comfortably.

Most accurate post in this thread. Senior LEADERSHIP is what will take this team the farthest it can go.

 

[OH10]

if he's benched for the rest of the half, he doesn't hit those two key 3's and we likely end up on the losing side of the column. is that what you would prefer? look, this team is young. very young. they're only 17 games into a 30+ game season. they have been improving, and will continue to improve. Oden STILL isn't 100% and he's growing by leaps and bounds, not to mention the fact that it's a little difficult to transition from a perimeter-only mindset into one that runs the plays inside-out over night. give them some time.

and for someone to question Matta's teaching ability after he took that moribund group of sad sacks, beat undefeated Illinois, won 20 games, then parlayed that into winning the Big Ten last year with a team that was essentially 7 deep, then pulled in one of the best classes (probably THE best) in Ohio State history is so shortsighted as to be laughable.

or is it just that you are THAT spoiled already?

seriously...

I see your point. I'm not as concerned about the win, because this team isn't going to struggle to make the tournament. At this point, wins and losses aren't as important as team building.

It was good to see Conley come back and hit the 3s, but that doesn't justify leaving him in there. It's always to tough to do the right thing, and it never pay off dividends in the short run. But it's the long run this team needs to be worried about. And that's where the lesson was to be learned at the time. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Matta knows the best way to motivate this team is to spoon feed them rather to give them tough love.

EDIT: I would be remiss to ignore the "morbid group of sad sacks" comment. O'Brien's last year was awful, and I believe most of that can be attributed to his voice problems. He was an excellent coach with often times, average talent. But he was a strong defensive coach who couldn't recruit all that well. Matta didn't inherit an empty cupboard. He had Stockman, a healthy Dials, Shun Jenkins, Sullinger, etc... Not a bad team, and he did an excellent job with them. But that's not relevant with this team.

Bottom Line: If you have an opportunity to make an example out of someone, you do it. Then you'll see problems like that disappear.

We also saw that Matta got kinda fed up with Harris and some of his shots and defense in the second half and we didnt see Harris for very much of the second half. Also we have saw that Matta will not put up with Cook's bad defense as he puts him on the bench quite often b/c of it even tho he brings a lot to the offense end.

And those were the right calls. But how do you tell them that when they look at the Conley play, and say "why is he still in the game but I'm not?" I think the difference is that Conley is essential to this team's success, especially against a pressing team like Tennessee. So Matta didn't want to take him out... even though it looked like the right thing to do.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I see your point. I'm not as concerned about the win, because this team isn't going to struggle to make the tournament. At this point, wins and losses aren't as important as team building.

It was good to see Conley come back and hit the 3s, but that doesn't justify leaving him in there. It's always to tough to do the right thing, and it never pay off dividends in the short run. But it's the long run this team needs to be worried about. And that's where the lesson was to be learned at the time. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Matta knows the best way to motivate this team is to spoon feed them rather to give them tough love.

And those were the right calls. But how do you tell them that when they look at the Conley play, and say "why is he still in the game but I'm not?" I think the difference is that Conley is essential to this team's success, especially against a pressing team like Tennessee. So Matta didn't want to take him out... even though it looked like the right thing to do.

I just think that it all comes down to Matta knowing how to coach each of his players and also putting what is best for the team at that given time in the game. That is why he is the coach to make decisions like that.

 

[OH10]

I just think that it all comes down to Matta knowing how to coach each of his players and also putting what is best for the team at that given time in the game. That is why he is the coach to make decisions like that.

I'm gonna have to agree with you that obviously Matta is the coach, and I'm a nobody on a message board. I'm still a little upset about it, just because I absolutely cannot stand that exhibition of laziness typically reserved for a pickup game at Jesse Owens. Heck, I can't stand it in a pickup game. So that clouds my judgment on what this 'nobody' would have done.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

havent read the thread and ill be honest im not going to. just one comment, i got sent out of town on an emergency and only saw the second half.

lewis' take at the end of the game was so dumb i dont have words for it. hes hit some big time shots at the end of the last two games, but the reality is hes had how many turnovers and played "defense" if you can call it that so poorly down the stretch that it makes summer pick up ball amongst third grade girls look like lock down defenders...