LoKyBuckeye
I give up. This board is too hard to understand.
http://www.nbc4columbus.com/news/29...buckeye&tmi=col_buckeye_1_02000103302004&ts=H
Dials Chosen To Captain Buckeyes
O'Brien Committed To Remolding Team
POSTED: 11:29 pm EST March 29, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien wants his team to be tougher, so he's already hand-picked a captain to whip the Buckeyes into shape.
Breaking with long-standing tradition, O'Brien chose junior center Terence Dials as the Buckeyes' captain instead of letting the players vote, and the coach did it seven or eight months sooner than the norm.
Dials talks as if he's a Marine drill sergeant more than a teammate with some added leadership responsibilities.
"Yeah, I'm the biggest guy. Nobody's beat me up on this team," he said Monday when asked if he was tough enough to confront a teammate. "I definitely have the ability to go jump somebody. You know, I don't want to have to beat somebody up on this team. That's not what a captain has to do, but more or less lead by example and let them know that they're not the only ones who are going to be working hard on this team."
The Buckeyes ended a dismal 14-16 season by losing in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament three weeks ago. Since then, O'Brien has been making plans to open a boot camp for the players, led by Dials.
"We have to get tougher -- physically and mentally," said O'Brien, whose voice has improved since sustaining damage to his vocal cords during surgery last year. "We're going to challenge them a lot in those areas. That's a big issue with us right now."
O'Brien also discussed his future, repeating for the umpteenth time that he has not been contacted about the vacant job at St. John's in his native New York City.
"I'm not involved with St. John's University, nor have I ever been," O'Brien said. "Anyone who continues to connect me with St. John's or puts my name on any list connecting me to St. John's is making a grave error. It's not right and it's not accurate."
O'Brien has fought the rumors for weeks. He has said he was committed to staying in Columbus, but has stopped short of saying he has no interest in any other job.
Asked if he could unequivocally say he wouldn't pursue other positions, O'Brien said, "I don't think you can ever say 'never' about anything. But as of right now, I don't know how many ways and how many times I can say this but I am thrilled to be coaching here at Ohio State and I have no plans of coaching any other college team."
O'Brien said the misguided Internet reports have kept him busy.
"So then guys like me have to put out these fires," he said disgustedly.
Another rumor has O'Brien moving to St. John's, with Texas Tech coach and Ohio State grad Bob Knight returning to coach the Buckeyes. O'Brien was asked if he had joked with Knight about the rumors.
"I don't think it's funny," he said.
As if the idle talk weren't enough, O'Brien already has his hands full trying to reassemble an Ohio State program that suffered through an awful season. The Buckeyes were poor on defense, couldn't shoot straight, didn't play together and most nights were brutal to watch.
So O'Brien and his staff have instituted 6:30 a.m. workouts for the players, who will likely find themselves shooting the ball less and doing more grueling and physically taxing conditioning drills.
"It's all a message," guard Tony Stockman said. "We could go in the afternoons if they wanted us to. It's just to get our attention and to show us that he means business and we have to come around and start playing the way he wants us to play."
O'Brien also will attempt to get his players' attention by taking away any guaranteed starting spots. For example, Jamar Butler, Ohio's recently named Mr. Basketball from Lima Shawnee High School, will likely get a long look at taking over the point guard job from returnee Brandon Fuss-Cheatham.
"He's certainly someone we're going to count on," O'Brien said of Butler, who averaged 31 points and 8 assists a game last season. "We think he's going to fit into our rotation and our plans. Nothing is given to anybody, but he'll certainly have an opportunity to win that spot."
Ohio State has at least two other scholarships available. It is known that the Buckeyes are holding one for Michigan prep standout Malik Hairston, who has Ohio State among his final choices. O'Brien doesn't discount taking a player or two from a junior college for immediate help, and also said he believes he is on good terms with several prized high school underclassmen.
In the mean time, O'Brien is committed to molding the current crop of Buckeyes into a much better team than it was in 2003-2004.
"I'm very optimistic. I think we can be a good basketball team," he said. "We need to improve in a number of areas, but I'm excited about it, yes."
Dials Chosen To Captain Buckeyes
O'Brien Committed To Remolding Team
POSTED: 11:29 pm EST March 29, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien wants his team to be tougher, so he's already hand-picked a captain to whip the Buckeyes into shape.
Breaking with long-standing tradition, O'Brien chose junior center Terence Dials as the Buckeyes' captain instead of letting the players vote, and the coach did it seven or eight months sooner than the norm.
Dials talks as if he's a Marine drill sergeant more than a teammate with some added leadership responsibilities.
"Yeah, I'm the biggest guy. Nobody's beat me up on this team," he said Monday when asked if he was tough enough to confront a teammate. "I definitely have the ability to go jump somebody. You know, I don't want to have to beat somebody up on this team. That's not what a captain has to do, but more or less lead by example and let them know that they're not the only ones who are going to be working hard on this team."
The Buckeyes ended a dismal 14-16 season by losing in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament three weeks ago. Since then, O'Brien has been making plans to open a boot camp for the players, led by Dials.
"We have to get tougher -- physically and mentally," said O'Brien, whose voice has improved since sustaining damage to his vocal cords during surgery last year. "We're going to challenge them a lot in those areas. That's a big issue with us right now."
O'Brien also discussed his future, repeating for the umpteenth time that he has not been contacted about the vacant job at St. John's in his native New York City.
"I'm not involved with St. John's University, nor have I ever been," O'Brien said. "Anyone who continues to connect me with St. John's or puts my name on any list connecting me to St. John's is making a grave error. It's not right and it's not accurate."
O'Brien has fought the rumors for weeks. He has said he was committed to staying in Columbus, but has stopped short of saying he has no interest in any other job.
Asked if he could unequivocally say he wouldn't pursue other positions, O'Brien said, "I don't think you can ever say 'never' about anything. But as of right now, I don't know how many ways and how many times I can say this but I am thrilled to be coaching here at Ohio State and I have no plans of coaching any other college team."
O'Brien said the misguided Internet reports have kept him busy.
"So then guys like me have to put out these fires," he said disgustedly.
Another rumor has O'Brien moving to St. John's, with Texas Tech coach and Ohio State grad Bob Knight returning to coach the Buckeyes. O'Brien was asked if he had joked with Knight about the rumors.
"I don't think it's funny," he said.
As if the idle talk weren't enough, O'Brien already has his hands full trying to reassemble an Ohio State program that suffered through an awful season. The Buckeyes were poor on defense, couldn't shoot straight, didn't play together and most nights were brutal to watch.
So O'Brien and his staff have instituted 6:30 a.m. workouts for the players, who will likely find themselves shooting the ball less and doing more grueling and physically taxing conditioning drills.
"It's all a message," guard Tony Stockman said. "We could go in the afternoons if they wanted us to. It's just to get our attention and to show us that he means business and we have to come around and start playing the way he wants us to play."
O'Brien also will attempt to get his players' attention by taking away any guaranteed starting spots. For example, Jamar Butler, Ohio's recently named Mr. Basketball from Lima Shawnee High School, will likely get a long look at taking over the point guard job from returnee Brandon Fuss-Cheatham.
"He's certainly someone we're going to count on," O'Brien said of Butler, who averaged 31 points and 8 assists a game last season. "We think he's going to fit into our rotation and our plans. Nothing is given to anybody, but he'll certainly have an opportunity to win that spot."
Ohio State has at least two other scholarships available. It is known that the Buckeyes are holding one for Michigan prep standout Malik Hairston, who has Ohio State among his final choices. O'Brien doesn't discount taking a player or two from a junior college for immediate help, and also said he believes he is on good terms with several prized high school underclassmen.
In the mean time, O'Brien is committed to molding the current crop of Buckeyes into a much better team than it was in 2003-2004.
"I'm very optimistic. I think we can be a good basketball team," he said. "We need to improve in a number of areas, but I'm excited about it, yes."