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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
nolen? 2/10 (0/5 from 3) for 11 points.generaladm;1863504; said:
battle? 5/17 (1/10 from 3) for 15 points.
mccamey? 2/11 (1/5 from 3) for 5 points.
jackson? 2/5 for 5 points.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
man... i'm rewatching the first half, and craft is flat out dominating the game. he's determining everything. there is really nothing at all that i want more from a point guard than what i saw from him in the first twenty minutes. he was perfect.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
BuckeyeMike80;1863458; said:
I'm glad he's playing well at PG too. But I still think he will start at the 2 next year. I could be wrong, but if I'm right about him moving to the 2 are all you people going to eat crow? I highly doubt it. I never thought this team would be anything but great even though it was evident that Craft would play a lot at PG.
There are two general categories of PGs that Matta has had at OSU, one where the PG is like PJ Hill, a guy who brings the ball up court and is responsible for making smart decisions with the ball, making 3s when left open, and defending the point well, and the other where the PG is like Mike Conley & Evan Turner, a guy who breaks down the halfcourt defense off the dribble not just occasionally but frequently, is a primary playmaker (not just primary assist-maker, but a perpetual threat to score off the bounce in the halfcourt), and has the ball on a string. Like it or not, Craft is more like PJ Hill than Evan Turner or Mike Conley. I think next year when they have more of a Conley type in Shannon Scott, that will cause Matta to move AC to the 2 because I think Matta prefers the Conley/Turner types at PG. I also think this because I believe Scott, Craft and Buford will be the best 3 guards on the team by quite a bit, and with Matta's guard-oriented style, they all will have to start and play a lot.
I think this team would be 20-1 if they had PJ Hill instead of Craft at PG, and that's no insult to PJ Hill or Aaron Craft, it's a statement about how high the quality of the other 6 guys who play is. Again, I'm not saying Craft has played poorly - he has done well. It's when AC has to be more of a go-to guy that I think he will struggle, and we've seen a game (@ UM, the only game where Sullinger was really frustrated/held down on O) that Craft had one assist and 2 TOs. Craft's assist average (~5 apg) is partly attributable to him being in an ideal situation for a player with PG skills (i.e., he's surrounded by several great players that can make contested shots).
He's had 5 TOs in 2 of the last 3 games, ... were they "freshman mistakes" that will be corrected as he gets more experienced, or indications that he might be better off the ball? For all the good and great things he does, and he does do a lot of very good things, comparatively speaking he turns the ball over a lot (on the season, he has the 3rd-worst turnover rate in the Big Ten among players who play significant minutes).
http://kenpom.com/playerstats.php?s=TORate&y=2011&f=B10
As long as he doesn't have to be a go-to guy, he will do a fine job at PG. For this team, PG is where he should be playing, and he's done well. When Scott is on the team next year, with WB and DT as possibly the only other guys who are obvious starters, I think he moves to the 2 to put the best starting 5 out there. Go ahead and call him a true PG now all you want. But if he starts at the 2 next year, be sure to call him a combo guard.
BTW, Jared Sullinger is "b10 frosh of the week" this week - might want to change that thread title.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
yep, you are an [an utterly foolish or senseless person], dz83ck. keep on belittling craft and degrading his outstanding performances as either a reflection of his teammates or his opponents instead of as a reflection of his talent.
by the way, you're creating a phantom opponent when you're claiming that you'll be right and we'll be wrong if craft is not the starting point guard next year. that has not been the beef at all between the board and you. i think you see that but know that you've been proven so wrong about craft's ability that you've fabricated a completely separate issue. as i stated awhile ego, craft's role on next year's team has absolutely nothing to do with his the role on this year's team and how great he has been at the point guard position.
by the way, you're creating a phantom opponent when you're claiming that you'll be right and we'll be wrong if craft is not the starting point guard next year. that has not been the beef at all between the board and you. i think you see that but know that you've been proven so wrong about craft's ability that you've fabricated a completely separate issue. as i stated awhile ego, craft's role on next year's team has absolutely nothing to do with his the role on this year's team and how great he has been at the point guard position.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
my apologies to pj (and for the board), but you are a [a small syringe having detachable nozzles for fluid injections], dz.DZ83CK;1863535; said:
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generaladm
Legend
OSU_Buckguy;1863526; said:
Yeah, I'm halfway thru the 2nd half of the rewatch, Craft is the best player on the floor. All the Buckeyes played well, but Craft was literally all over the court. Loved how aggressive he was running down the court, holding his defender off with his shoulder. He straight-up embarrassed J. Johnson a couple times. He's still got a ton of potential to grow, and he's got the motor that will create opportunities for himself and his teammates. A true blessing for this team.
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ThisIsMyUsernam
All-American
DZ83CK;1863535; said:
Hold up, you want other people to eat crow next year, but you refuse to do it yourself... right now? Um. Ok.
No one's talking about next year except you. Everyone else is talking about how wrong you were about Craft this year. Is that so hard to understand? How good Craft is (or isn't) next year and what position he plays then has absolutely nothing to do with how great he is this year. Someone who's just lucky to be on the roster doesn't perform the way Craft is this season. Period.
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bkochmc
Assistant Coach
It looks like you need to add a category to your list... the bolded part is just plain ignorant. PJ never had to be accounted for on the offensive side. While that may have been true with Craft at the beginning of the year but he has scored in double digits 4 of the past 6 games... something PJ never did. And while Craft is not the playmaker Turner and Conley were he has established that he can take some of the better guards in the Big Ten off the dribble and either score or set up an easy shot for a teammate. He's not out there "just bringing the ball up the court" as you so eloquently put it.DZ83CK;1863535; said:
I think he is still making some freshman mistakes, but not as many as I thought he would. And yes, he does make a bad play or two each game. 1 turnover last night he slipped on the court. Another he was showboating and trying to set up Lauderdale with an ally-oop when the game was way out of reach. So that leaves you with 3 you can legitimately complain about. If you're going to point out his flaws I'll point out his strengths (other stats from kenpom where he is in the top 10 in the conference):
3rd in Steal %
7th in Effective FG %
8th in True Shooting %
9th in Assist Rate
Even though he does have a high turnover rate he is obviously having a large impact on the offensive side of the ball.
Here's my stance: I don't care what you or anyone else coins him... combo guard, point guard, I don't care. What I do see is he is having a impact on this team and is an integral part on why they are 21-0. But you have shown time and time again that you want to belittle his accomplishments and positive play on the court by downplaying what he is doing this year and talking about NEXT YEAR. Heck, even your 'praise' for him is backhanded at best. In the best game that Ohio State has played all year you can't just say "he played well tonight" and leave it at that, you have to write a 5 paragraph tirade on how he won't be point guard NEXT YEAR. I guess I don't understand that mentality, talking about next year when THIS team THIS year is having one of the great seasons in Buckeye history.As long as he doesn't have to be a go-to guy, he will do a fine job at PG. For this team, PG is where he should be playing, and he's done well. When Scott is on the team next year, with WB and DT as possibly the only other guys who are obvious starters, I think he moves to the 2 to put the best starting 5 out there. Go ahead and call him a true PG now all you want. But if he starts at the 2 next year, be sure to call him a combo guard.
BTW, Jared Sullinger is "b10 frosh of the week" this week - might want to change that thread title.
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y0yoyoin
That is a serious injury for Willis McGahee
its one thing watching craft on TV and how quick he is on both sides of the ball, but to be able to see him live is a totally different story...kid is amazing...it is insane to watch a freshman PG, who doesnt even start, come in and dominate the first half like he did last night...kid is the real deal and we are lucky to have him...thank you thad matta
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