jimotis4heisman;1814309; said:
OSU men's basketball: Matta's trust in Craft rising
Saturday, November 20, 2010
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Paul Vernon | Associated Press
Ohio State's Aaron Craft, right, says he benefits from watching the start of a game from the bench.
Before the Ohio State men's basketball team had its public unveiling two weeks ago, coach Thad Matta said everyone outside the program sounded a lot more concerned about the point guard position than he was.
Now we've seen why.
The No.4-ranked Buckeyes are only two games into a season of more than 30, but in a matchup of top-10 teams at Florida on Tuesday night, transplanted shooting guard William Buford and freshman Aaron Craft combined for 13 assists and four turnovers against a full-court press designed to disrupt Ohio State's rhythm on offense.
Florida coach Billy Donovan gave much of the credit to Craft, who he said was "terrific" in playing an unflappable 29 minutes in his second college game.
What's more, Donovan added an authoritative voice to what till now has been only fan and media clamor for Matta to start the freshman.
Donovan said the Buckeyes' "best team" is with Craft on the floor with Buford, fellow freshman Jared Sullinger and seniors Jon Diebler and David Lighty.
"With Craft at the point, it allows Buford and Diebler and Lighty to do what they need to do, and they don't have to worry about running the team," Donovan said.
DZ83CK;1807538; said:
, too.
if you can't recognize that aaron craft is a true point guard and not a combo guard, then understand that your knowledge of the basketball positions is severely limited. on the continuum from point guard to combo guard, it's not even close to being on the side of combo guard.DZ83CK;1819943; said:
yep, we clearly have to see at least 20 more games before we can be sure that craft can handle the ball against pressure defense.DZ83CK;1652705; said:
again, you don't know the role of a 2-guard. on offense, the combo guard is a secondary ballhandler and often a primary penetrator/shooter. you have repeatedly questioned his ability to penetrate and shoot... yet you think he is a 2-guard? alrighty.DZ83CK;1633870; said:
nice call.DZ83CK;1633013; said:
okay, craft can play point guard, but is he a true point guard? :tongue2:Bill Lucas;1819952; said:It may be rumor but I've heard this player might, just might be able to play point guard adequately at some point in his career at Ohio State.
Not just saying he won't play much, but that he should just be happy to be on the team. That's where this blowback comes from.
we? no. it's patently clear to most that craft is a much more of a point guard than he is a combo guard. i've seen more than enough (including numerous games before he played even a second of college ball) to know what position craft is best suited at and to know that he is a true point guard.MaxBuck;1819979; said:
you think it's your job to temper the board's expectations based on one high school game that you watched craft play? oh, that's right: you also noted that he was a rivals 3-star (while never mentioning scout's 4-star ranking) and that gibbons listed him as a combo guard.DZ83CK;1819984; said:
like i stated earlier in the thread, if you had actually watched all ohio-red play basketball (instead of assuming things about the team), then you would know that craft, not staten, was the point guard. i bring this up now because i know that your opinions of craft were formed without adequate observation and that you're too stubborn to admit it.DZ83CK;1652705; said:
please tell me that he didn't state that.jwinslow;1819983; said:
okay, after looking through your previous posts in this thread, i have deemed that you are at least a step or two above being a mouth-breather.MaxBuck;1819999; said:
