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SG Je'Kel Foster (JSF Nanterre, France)

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DDN

3/15/06

Hosket believes OSU should support Foster

By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News

COLUMBUS | Former Ohio State great Bill Hosket has agonized like others over the plight of senior guard Je'Kel Foster, who spent most of the Big Ten tournament chipping paint off the rims with errant 3-pointers.

But Hosket, who provides color analysis for Buckeye TV broadcasts, couldn't help but notice a touching scene while the team's inspirational leader was in the throes of his horrific slump — coach Thad Matta cupping Foster's head with both hands and telling him to keep shooting.

"There's a bond between those two and a bond between Thad and all of his kids," the Dayton native said. "They just believe in each other. That's how they've gotten where they are."

Matta's upbeat approach helped the overachieving Buckeyes (25-5) snag a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament — they face Davidson (20-10) in the first round at UD Arena at 12:15 p.m. Friday — but many Buckeye fans are beginning to wonder whether it's time for the second-year coach to start placing limits on his loyalty.

Foster has made only three of his last 35 3-pointers over a five-game span, clanking 19 in a row in one stretch.

His skid has been all the more puzzling because the junior-college transfer made 17-of-18 in one torrid streak this season, including an OSU-record 12 in a row (three short of the NCAA mark).

"Of all those he's missed, other than two or three, they look like they're dead on line," Hosket said. "He hasn't forced them.

"As long as he continues to take good shots, that's all you can ask. And he's valuable even when he's not scoring. ? He goes right back and comes up with a steal or rebound at the other end."

Foster isn't the only one groping. His teammates have shot a combined 28.8 percent on 3-point ers in the past nine games.

"Quite honestly — and they know this — talent wise, if the 3s aren't going, they could probably lose to any of the 64 (NCAA tourney teams)," Hosket said. "And when they're playing well, they can beat any of them."

Tickets in short supply

OSU senior director of ticketing Bill Jones, who has been on the job just three weeks, was thrust into the NCAA clamor.

"It's been crazy," Jones said. "We have an incredible amount of demand from our season-ticket holders and fans."

Jones said most of OSU's 550 tickets will be snapped up by the team and school officials. The scant few left over will be distributed through a lottery among students, faculty and staff.

Of course, there's always eBay. But two all-session packets in the 400 section of UD Arena were selling for about $700 Tuesday.

No delusions of grandeur

Davidson has beaten UMass, St. Joseph's and Missouri, but the team is taking a David-vs.-Goliath approach against OSU.

"We're playing a team that was a heartbeat away from being a first seed, so it's an extremely daunting challenge," coach Bob McKillop said. "I've watched Thad work, and he's one of the best in the business. His teams play hard, and they're very well prepared. Teams like Davidson are small potatoes compared to teams like Ohio State."

Contact Doug Harris at 225-2125.



FOSTER'S SLUMP

Je'Kel Foster's 3-point shooting this season:
First 21 games: 52.9 percent
Last 9 games: 14.5 percent
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Something tells me that Jekel is going to come out of his slump on Friday. I've been saying for the last month or so that I'd rather him go cold during the Big Ten season than the tourney. He's a competitor, and seems to rise to the occasion in Big Games. I don't view any of the Big Ten tourney as big games, because they weren't make or break. Call it a hunch, but I think he's going to catch fire and become a story of the tournament......during a Final Four run where the seniors decide to leave nothing on the table.

Prove me right JeKel. :)
 
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http://dispatch.com/bball/bball.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/15/20060315-C1-02.html
20060315-Pc-C2-0800.jpg


looks like hes not the only one to me...
 
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CPD

3/16/06

Ohio State awaits its booster shot

Foster's hot aim can help Buckeyes breathe a little easier


Thursday, March 16, 2006

Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus- It was a 23-second stretch Je'Kel Foster and Thad Matta had been waiting a month for, and when Foster made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions Sun day against Iowa, Matta pumped his arm twice on the sideline and yelled like Ohio State had just won the national title.

"I love the kid so much," said the Ohio State men's basketball coach. "I just want him to do well, because I know how much he cares."

The celebration didn't last. Foster missed his other eight 3-pointers in a 67-60 loss to the Hawkeyes. The senior who led the country in 3-point shooting on Feb. 13 - making 52.9 percent of his shots from outside - is just 9-of-62 from 3-point range since then.

"It's mind-boggling," center Terence Dials said. "Early in the season, you didn't have to crash the offensive boards on his shot because you knew it was going in."

Like every OSU player and coach, Dials is confident Foster will turn it around. But the Buckeyes have been saying that for weeks, and it hasn't happened.

Aside from the point that the Buckeyes will have a better chance in the NCAA Tournament if Foster finds his form, his slide is complicated by Foster's standing as Matta's favorite player - the current Buckeye closest to the coach's playing style.

"Coach Matta adores Je'Kel, and Je'Kel adores coach Matta," senior J.J. Sullinger said.

At a recent practice, Sullinger referred to his teammate as Je'Kel Foster-Matta. Matta heard it and laughed, but had to take it as a compliment.

"I coach through Je'Kel," Matta said, "and he's very receptive to that. He's a guy that has constant eye contact with me and he's somebody that has great understanding of where I'm coming from."

Foster is the player Matta jumps on in practice to get the rest of the team going. Former Butler guard Brandon Miller, now OSU's director of basketball operations, was one of the few players with whom Matta previously had that type of relationship. Matta could see Foster coaching someday, and it wouldn't be a shock to find them together.

"I haven't known coach Matta long," Foster said, "but ever since I've known him, we just had this great connection. I'd put my life on the line for coach Matta any given day."

First, he needs to find his shot. Out of practicality, and loyalty, Matta will never abandon a player he needs on the court for defense and leadership.

Foster has been shooting extra in practice, teammate Matt Sylvester saying "he's been great behind closed doors and struggling in the spotlight."

The Buckeyes managed to go 7-2 during this slump, even though the team's 3-point shooting, at 24.7 percent, is barely better than Foster's 14.5 percent. Matta claims the Buckeyes can continue to win with defense and without their shot.

Even if they can't, Matta is prepared to go down with a player he feels has earned the right to keep firing.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479
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Dispatch

3/16/06

Matta keeps faith in his coach on floor

Foster is working hard to break out of shooting slump

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

20060316-Pc-E3-0700.jpg

NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH Je’Kel Foster, who was 2 of 24 on three-pointers in the Big Ten tournament, had trouble digesting the 67-60 loss to Iowa in the championship game.


Je’Kel Foster is such an extension of his coach on the floor, someone who leads by die-hard example, who has the cred to grab his teammates by their jerseys and give them what-for, that one of them referred to him as such the other day.

He called him Je’Kel Foster Matta.

"I didn’t know it until I heard it," coach Thad Matta said yesterday. "They were shooting free throws and somebody said it.

I got a chuckle out of it. My kids asked me, ‘Are we adopting him?’ "

Matta doesn’t have a son, but then again, he has 11. Right now, he might like to drape an arm around Foster more than any of them and soothe him as he would his own, say something to calm the anxiety Foster doubtlessly feels with his college career one loss from being over and his shot having left the building unexpectedly early.

But what can Matta say? What can any of Foster’s teammates say?

Except, "Keep shooting."

And for all their sakes, start making some.

Ohio State (25-5) plays Davidson (20-10) on Friday in University of Dayton Arena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and Foster, who a month ago was making three-point shots at a higher percentage (52.9) than anyone else in the country, has made 9 of 62 (14.5 percent) since.

"Mind-boggling," center Terence Dials said.

One can only imagine how it’s boggling Foster’s. He was running late to practice yesterday and skipped an interview to salvage whatever time he could to get up some extra jumpers. He’s been doing that a lot lately, teammates say.

"Confidence is a fragile thing, and if you lose it, it’s hard to get back," forward Matt Sylvester said. "Kel’s been in the gym for long hours the last few days. He’s been shooting it great behind closed doors but struggling in the spotlight. I think that’s just something that’s going through his head right now. I really think he’ll be fine."

For a moment Sunday, it looked like he was again. After missing his first three threepoint attempts in the Big Ten tournament final against Iowa, Foster knocked down two — his first two of the tournament — 24 seconds apart in the first half. But he missed his next, and the rest, and finished the weekend 2 of 24 outside the arc.

"When the two went down I thought, ‘Here we go.’ I thought he was going to catch fire again," guard Jamar Butler said. "Then the shots started not to fall again and I think he started thinking about it. He’s got to stop thinking about it and just play."

Matta said he has been through this with other shooters, notably Lionel Chalmers at Xavier two years ago and Brandon Miller at Butler in 2001.

Chalmers reignited in the Atlantic 10 tournament and Xavier rode him to the Elite Eight. Miller, director of basketball operations for the OSU men’s team, recovered from a shoulder injury and a slump to lead Butler to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

"Mentally, you just have to get over it, because that’s what it is, mental," Miller said. "I had to say to myself, ‘I’ve played basketball a long time. I’m a better shooter than what my percentage has been.’ I had a shooter’s mentality. I didn’t lack confidence to shoot the basketball."

Matta wants Foster to shoot with confidence Friday. After Foster was 0 for 11 in a win over Indiana last weekend, Matta said, "I don’t care if he goes 0 for 100 tomorrow, I’m going to ride him."

His belief in Foster hadn’t changed yesterday.

"I’m not going to tell him to quit shooting," Matta said. "He’s gotten us to 25-5. Hopefully he’ll get us to 26-5."

[email protected]
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ABJ

3/17/06

Buckeyes

OSU can put finger on 3-point problem

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

DAYTON - Je'Kel Foster thinks spreading his fingers could be all it takes.

The senior guard from Natchez, Miss., has been the poster boy for Ohio State's 3-point shooting slump. Second in the NCAA Division I in that category with a .428 percentage after 21 games, Foster has connected on just nine of his last 62 (14.5 percent) over the past nine games.

As a team, the Buckeyes' percentage stands at .399, but measures a paltry .247 in those nine games. Coach Thad Matta hopes the 3s flow more freely today as second-seeded OSU (25-5) takes on 15th-seeded Davidson (20-10) at 12:15 p.m. in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at the University of Dayton Arena.

In OSU's three games in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, Foster went 2-for-24 from 3-point range. His father, Willie, noticed something from the stands at Conseco Fieldhouse, and they worked together afterward on his form.

``He was saying the ball was coming out the side of my hand,'' Foster said Thursday. ``He told me to spread my fingers and follow through. I'll be doing that tomorrow.''

Foster isn't the only Buckeye who needs to reset his fingers or regain his eye. Seniors J.J. Sullinger (4-for-14 from 3-point range) and Matt Sylvester (3-for-10), junior Ivan Harris (0-for-6) and sophomore Jamar Butler (6-for-18) also struggled in the conference tournament.

While senior center Terence Dials was the Big Ten Player of the Year, Foster seems to be the Buckeyes' catalyst offensively and defensively.

Foster's 276 field-goal attempts are second on the team to Dials' 315, and Foster leads the Buckeyes with 183 3-point tries. He ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in steals (2.3 per game).

Matta tried to downplay the importance of Foster's shooting. Perhaps he didn't want to add to the pressure on the Buckeyes' second-leading scorer (12.4 average).

``It would be a tremendous boost to our team if he were making shots,'' Matta said. ``But he does so much off the ball. I haven't even looked at what he has shot.

``I've told him we don't have him out there to set screens. We want him to do what he does. When his shot goes in, it makes us a better team, but it's not like we need him to score.''

Foster's teammates have not singled him out, especially since they have no room to talk.

``We want to be a 3-point shooting team, but we definitely have to go inside first,'' Sullinger said. ``Terence is who we're going through. Once he gets some touches, that will open the perimeter up.

``I know it's hard to believe, but we're not concentrating on our shots not falling.''

Notebook
OSU said that not only was it forced to vacate its NCAA Tournament games from four seasons starting in 1998-99 as sanctions for violations announced last week, but also all of its regular-season games.... Matta is 6-4 in NCAA Tournament play as coach at Butler and Xavier, including Butler's 79-63 drubbing of Wake Forest in 2001. The four teams he took to the NCAA as Nos. 7, 7, 3 and 7 seeds (all but the first at Xavier) have never lost a first-round game.
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Dispatch

4/14/06

RUMBLINGS

Friday, April 14, 2006


BOB HUNTER

20060414-Pc-C3-0600.jpg
</IMG>


Je’Kel Foster had 32 points

, 12 rebounds, six steals, 13 assists and three turnovers in three games last week in the Portsmouth Invitational, an NBA predraft tournament. The former Ohio State guard struggled with his shooting, as he did down the stretch this past season, making 10 of 30 field-goal attempts, including 3 of 15 threepointers.
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daddyphatsacs said:
If what you said is indeed true......thank your cousin for his hard work and contribution to a great 2005 season.
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definitely, there is not much in this thread, but if you scour the osu basketball forum... I believe he was probably the most popular player among BP fans last year.

Look forward to hearing more about him in the future, feel free to drop by with any information you might have.
 
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