Ohio State 70, Michigan 80 (Final)

[Buckeyedynasty]

Bad loss at a really bad time. It's starting to sound like a broken record with Matta's press conference where he keeps saying that this team just doesn't bring it for an entire game. I mean if they haven't figured out how hard they have to play for a full game it's unlikely they will learn any time soon. My guess is they have to win 1 and maybe 2 big games left on their schedule to have a chance to play in the NCAA this year. If they pull it off than great I'd love it. If not than they obviously don't deserve to be there in the first place.

We've got a week to prepare for Wisky. No reason why every player on this team shouldn't be fully rested and ready to put everything on the line against the Badgers. Hope we take care of business and as always GO BUCKS!

 

[Steve19]

This is a disappointing end to a game that looked like it might just turn our way in the end.

I think the challenge that Matta and this team has is pretty clear.

There appears to be some disunity in the team. A senior player is tired and has expressed frustration with his teammates commitment to winning publicly. A freshman may have walked in the door after Europe with some unrealistic expectations of what he would be able to do at this level. A very young team has learned quickly that it ain't all sunshine and roses in the Big Ten.

On the other hand, the computers were projecting that they might get no more than 14 wins early in the year. They have the chance to pull down 20 wins and still make the NCAA.

The challenge will be to get back onsides and play as a team that wants to achieve that goal. In my opinion, it's a head game from here. They know what they need to do; they have the ability: will they do it?

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Michigan grabs win over Bucks

Harris, Sims account for 49 of Wolverines' points in 80-70 upset over Ohio State.


Associated Press

Monday, February 18, 2008

ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? Senior forward Ron Coleman made his Michigan teammates aware he'd never beaten Ohio State in his four years as a Wolverine.
Freshman Manny Harris and sophomore DeShawn Sims changed that for him Sunday, Feb. 17, as they lifted Michigan to an 80-70 Big Ten upset win over the Buckeyes.


Harris scored a career-high 27 points, and Sims added 22 for the Wolverines.
Coleman "kept stressing to us that he had lost to them the last seven times," Harris said. "At the end of the game, he came up to me and said, 'Thank you.' That was his first time (winning). I knew he wanted it."



Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

OHIO STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL



Bucks blow chants



Monday, February 18, 2008 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Ann Arbor, Mich.- What a great day to ruin things for your rival.
About 40 Ohio State students chanted over parts of Rich Rodriguez's halftime speech to a Michigan basketball crowd Sunday in his first public appearance as the Wolverines' football coach. Annoying, to be sure.
Then Michigan's basketball team, scraping along in ninth place in the Big Ten, broke out of a halftime tie for an 80-70 upset of Ohio State that dealt a serious blow to the Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament hopes. That was more than just annoying to an Ohio State team that's now 2-3 in its last five games and bouncing squarely on the tournament bubble.

As the Wolverines whooped their way to the locker room past sullen OSU players with their eyes on the floor, it was obvious that if the Buckeyes won the chants, the Wolverines won the day. That hadn't happened in a while, with Michigan's last win over Ohio State coming on Feb. 29, 2004.




Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Michigan upsets Buckeyes
UPDATE: 3:56 PM, Sunday, February 17, 2008
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Freshman Manny Harris scored a career-high 27 points and DeShawn Sims added 22 today to lift Michigan to an 80-70 upset over Ohio State.

Kelvin Grady also had 8 points for the Wolverines (8-17, 4-9 Big Ten). Michigan has won three straight conference games for the first time since it registered five consecutive victories over a stretch in January and February 2006.

GlenOak graduate Kosta Koufos scored 18 points, and Evan Turner had 16 for the Buckeyes (17-9, 8-5). It was Ohio State coach Thad Matta's first loss to Michigan in eight games.

After Ohio State took a 44-43 lead early in the second half, Michigan blew the game open with a 15-5 run to build a 58-48 advantage with 10:42 left. The Wolverines had 3-pointers from Harris, Sims and Grady during the stretch.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

DFP

MICHIGAN 80, OHIO STATE 70 Wolverines top Buckeyes for first time in four years

February 18, 2008
BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Considering Ron Coleman played only 15 minutes and didn't score Sunday, his circling of Crisler Arena's postgame locker room to thank teammates showed what the 80-70 win over Ohio State meant to him.
As the team's lone senior, he had never beaten the Buckeyes, harboring a heartbreaking 0-7 record against Michigan's all-sports rival. Sunday likely was his last chance.

"I came in thanking people for finally getting them out of the way," Coleman said of U-M's first men's basketball or football win over Ohio State since Feb. 29, 2004. "A lot of tough games, a lot of tough losses to them here, at their place, and now we finally pulled it off. And it felt great." By beating Ohio State -- on national television before the season's first sellout crowd -- Michigan (8-17, 4-9 Big Ten) won its third straight Big Ten game. The Wolverines hadn't done that since early in the 2005-06 conference season, and this is just the fourth time it has happened since 2000.



Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Michigan 80, Ohio State 70: Buckeyes are watching their season slip away

Monday, February 18, 2008 3:09 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Tony Ding Associated Press
Michigan's David Merritt, right, tries to fight his way around the defense of Ohio State's Evan Turner.




ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A team that can't get over the hump is, with each failed attempt, sliding farther off the wrong side of the bubble. "I really don't care," guard Jamar Butler said.
First things first.
"I want these guys to play better," coach Thad Matta said. "If that happens, (the other) things will take care of themselves."
For the fourth time in five games, not more than four points separated the Ohio State men's basketball team and its opponent in the final five minutes of a game yesterday.
For the third time, the Buckeyes proved incapable of overcoming their deficit.
For the second time, they lost on the road to a sub-.500 Big Ten team.



Cont...




http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...8/osux18_ART_02-18-08_C2_VU9CV37.html?sid=101
Box Score

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Oh, one more question -- after seeing DickRod and his lovely bride in the stands, am I the only one who wonders what she charges for a lap dance?

First thing that came to mind when I saw her:

"Son, that ain't no kid....that's a cocktail waitress in a Dolly Parton wig."

 

[Tlangs]

I knew we were in trouble when we shot about 70% in the first half and were not up by double digits. My take on 2 players who have seemed to recieve the most criticism after yesterday's game.

Koufus:

I think he played a great game today. He may have been out-muscled for 2 or 3 rebounds but he still ended the game with 11. He was hitting the boards pretty hard this game. In the past, he would be standing outside the paint watching the ball come off the rim. Today he was working hard to get position. He was 9 of 19 from the floor but he took a lot more shots heading towards the hoop as opposed to jump shots or fade aways. I was disappointed that he got no love from the Zebras. The guy probably took 10-11 shots in the paint with contact and shot ZERO foul shots. With a couple whistles and a couple better rolls, Koufus could have been pushing 30 points on the night.

Butler:

Some tough turnovers but what else can he do. He plays 40 minutes with the ball in his hands 80% of the time on offense. If there was a stat for "minutes with the ball in your hands", Butler would be number 1 in the nation (maybe number 2 behind Brian Roberts of Dayton). He shot some deep threes early in some possesions but he was open.



Definitely a tough loss.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Coleman "kept stressing to us that he had lost to them the last seven times," Harris said. "At the end of the game, he came up to me and said, 'Thank you.' That was his first time (winning). I knew he wanted it."

This is they type of thing that this team doesn't have...They are not putting it all out there for their teammates...Seem to be looking to do it for themselves...

 

[graveyard.roses]

This was a weird game. I didn't get the sense that Ohio State played bad at all; it's just that Michigan played a little better. It's weird how much potential that this team has, and how it has some talented players at certain position yet it keeps losing games.

All I gotta say is that the seniors have not been playing like they want to extend their careers in these last few crucial games. Maybe they don't want it bad enough. Butler had way too many turnovers and jacked up threes at times when he shouldn't have. Othello, I can't really blaim him as much because he didn't have many offensive plays run for him.
Lighty should get benched and Diebler should take his spot in the starting lineup.

Just saw this stat. In the past three games, David Lighty has more turnovers(7) than points (6) rebounds (5) assists (6) steals(2) blocks(0) Now, that is an absolute embarassment.

As bad as this loss was, I don't think it alone eliminates the team from march madness tourny. Now, they have to beat two very good teams.. whether it's Indiana and Wisconsin, Michigan State and Wisconsin or the other combos

 

[jimotis4heisman]

This is they type of thing that this team doesn't have...They are not putting it all out there for their teammates...Seem to be looking to do it for themselves...

remember the jersey story from very very early in the year...

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

First thing that came to mind when I saw her:

"Son, that ain't no kid....that's a cocktail waitress in a Dolly Parton wig."

 

[BUCKYLE]

remember the jersey story from very very early in the year...

No. Link?

 

[LitlBuck]

This was a weird game. I didn't get the sense that Ohio State played bad at all; it's just that Michigan played a little better. It's weird how much potential that this team has, and how it has some talented players at certain position yet it keeps losing games.

All I gotta say is that the seniors have not been playing like they want to extend their careers in these last few crucial games. Maybe they don't want it bad enough. Butler had way too many turnovers and jacked up threes at times when he shouldn't have. Othello, I can't really blaim him as much because he didn't have many offensive plays run for him.
Lighty should get benched and Diebler should take his spot in the starting lineup.

Just saw this stat. In the past three games, David Lighty has more turnovers(7) than points (6) rebounds (5) assists (6) steals(2) blocks(0) Now, that is an absolute embarassment.

As bad as this loss was, I don't think it alone eliminates the team from march madness tourny. Now, they have to beat two very good teams.. whether it's Indiana and Wisconsin, Michigan State and Wisconsin or the other combos

I agree with most of what you have said however I disagree with two things. I did not see one shot that Butler forced and he is our best outside shooter. When he is open from the outside, I want him to shoot the ball. I do not think he took any shots that he shouldn't have.

I also disagree about bringing Lighty off the bench and starting Diebler. We need someone to come off the bench and give us a spark at times and Diebler is that guy. Lighty is struggling now and I have no idea why but you don't break up the starting rotation this late in the season.

I also agree that Michigan is not that bad of a team and have some talented players. It will be interesting to see how many more games they win before the Big 10 tournament.