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Ohio State 69 Indiana 72 (Final)

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CPD

Ohio State's men's basketball team visits Indiana Hoosiers Indiana winning amid confusion; OSU just confused

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Dan Dakich knew what the reaction would have been 25 years ago if his college coach at Indiana, Bob Knight, would have lost his job in the middle of a season.
"There would have been mayhem," Dakich said Monday during the Big Ten coaches conference call. "It would have been crazy."
Indiana's new basketball coach finds it amazing then that in the last 13 days, which started with allegations of major NCAA violations against IU coach Kelvin Sampson and ended with Sampson's negotiated resignation and Dakich's promotion, the Hoosiers lost to Wisconsin on a banked 3-pointer in the final seconds, then won three other games.
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"When you've been through a lot, you're able to handle more," Dakich said, "and these kids have been through a lot. . . . These kids have shown they can handle things, and they've shown they'll play hard and play tough and they'll fight through."
Ohio State coach Thad Matta can't say the same thing about his team, because his players haven't shown what they can handle.




Cont...
 
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Dispatch

Men's basketball: OSU, Indiana face diverse challenges

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 3:08 AM
By Bob Baptist


The Columbus Dispatch



Indiana players have been through an emotionally draining couple of weeks, winning two of three games against the other contenders for the Big Ten men's basketball championship while watching their coach, Kelvin Sampson, lose his job because of his alleged violations of NCAA rules. Yesterday, interim coach Dan Dakich was asked whether he thought the Hoosiers might finally come back to earth tonight when they play host to Ohio State.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta didn't have to hear Dakich's answer.
"I've got a real good feel, just the way my luck's going, how they're going to come out," Matta said.
When all else has failed, try gallows humor.
Indiana and Ohio State have endured tough Februaries for different reasons.

Cont...

Dispatch

OSU-Indiana preview

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 3:07 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
 
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Stats below are through 2/24:

RPI (From Pomeroy)
Ohio State: 54 (down from 46 vs. Wisconsin)
Indiana: 19
Ohio State Strength of Schedule: 40 (up from 47 vs. Wisconsin)

Pomeroy (Strength/Power Rankings)
Ohio State: 28 (up from 30 vs. Wisconsin)
Indiana: 16

Pomeroy projects a 69-62 Indiana victory and gives Ohio State a 22% chance of winning. (Would be nice to turn this projection the other way for once)
 
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It would be interesting to know what % of time Pomeroy has been correct in their predictions. Saying that, I think if we control White we have a shot. I would love to press their guards but unfortunately we just don't have that manpower especially only two days after our last game.
 
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LitlBuck;1101758; said:
It would be interesting to know what % of time Pomeroy has been correct in their predictions. Saying that, I think if we control White we have a shot. I would love to press their guards but unfortunately we just don't have that manpower especially only two days after our last game.
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I would love to see us play Lauderdale more...I thought he played real well against Wisky and was hoping that he would get more time...

We have a solid rotation of 4 big guys, and I think all should be uitlized, and I wouldn't mind going with a 4 guard lineup against IU as they are not that big and see if we can put some points on the board...
 
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Interesting tidbit from Basketball Prospectus:

Indiana hosts the Big Ten's lone bubble team, Ohio State, tonight. The Buckeyes look surprisingly good on paper in part because Thad Matta's team has benefited from a back-loaded schedule. Now it's time to pay up. OSU has four games left, three of which will be against superior opponents: the Hoosiers, Purdue and Michigan State. Ohio State has been one of the best two-point shooting teams in the country the past couple months (among major-conference teams, only USC and Florida have posted higher 2FG percentages in-conference) and, as seen here, the Buckeyes' defense has been excellent. Only problem: as always in the Matta era, OSU is shooting a lot of threes, only this year they're not falling. That will need to change against the schedule Ohio State faces the rest of the way.
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I (along with many other Buckeye fans) knew that this team lives and dies by the 3-ball but the 2FG% was surprising.
 
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While I agree about Dallas and White, I think our best opportunity is to get White into foul trouble and Dallas is not much of a offensive threat. Maybe our best bet would be to go 4 small and see where we can do. I would love this win.
 
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bkochmc;1101788; said:
Interesting tidbit from Basketball Prospectus:

I (along with many other Buckeye fans) knew that this team lives and dies by the 3-ball but the 2FG% was surprising.
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I was talking about this was someone else yesterday and we both agreed that we thought Ohio State was depending way too much on the three-point shot. We even questioned Matta's strategy this year on the offensive end.
 
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LitlBuck;1101796; said:
I was talking about this was someone else yesterday and we both agreed that we thought Ohio State was depending way too much on the three-point shot. We even questioned Matta's strategy this year on the offensive end.
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Yeah, I hear ya. I have to wonder how much is bad decision making on the part of the players and how much is game plan. Seems Matta likes to give the guys a lot of freedom in the offense. With the youth and decision making of this team maybe we need some more set plays.

Guys have to be given some freedom to create within the "O," but it just hasn't worked well this year. Just my opinion of course. Might just be the "not gelling as a team" thing too.
 
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LitlBuck;1101791; said:
While I agree about Dallas and White, I think our best opportunity is to get White into foul trouble and Dallas is not much of a offensive threat. Maybe our best bet would be to go 4 small and see where we can do. I would love this win.
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I agree about trying to get White in foul trouble but going 4 small won't help that. Whomever is in there (Koufus, Hunter, Twigs, Lauderdale) will need to put a body on White. Koufus needs to take the ball at White and not shoot fadeaways our rolling hook shoots through the paint. Take it right at him, if he blocks the shot, more power to him.

It just seems to me that Lauderdale would make White work harder to get position on the defensive side of the ball. It is definitely a tradeoff between defense and offense...I just would like Dallas to get a shot.

If Koufus is going to force the issue offensively to get White in foul trouble....I like that. If he is going to shoot 3's and fadeaways and play soft defense, put Lauderdale in for a few minutes to beat up on white. The way we pass the ball around the perimeter, dribble off picks, and bomb 3's, we rarely get anyone in foul trouble though.

/end rant
 
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