tOSU +5.5 at Duke (ov/un 142.5) Wed 9:30 ESPN

[buckeyesin07]

DT isn't the only scoring option - ask Matta.

The other guys HAVE TO HIT their other shots so DT can get open. Dook decided to take DT off the floor and make the others beat them. I'd expect to see this game plan quite a bit from the other Big Ten schools and Kansas as well.

...which is why, regrettably, I think OSU isn't a top 10 team.

 

[lvbuckeye]

Not to be harsh, but the only other player I've seen who it seems can consistently score is Ross. Who do you think OSU can count on to put up double digits each night besides DT?

that's kind of my point.

all of these guys were very highly recruited.

either teach the other kids how to score, or run an offense that gives them better looks at the basket.

 

[Mike80]

Craft was 3-15 from the field...gross...


he took way too many shots there in the final 5 minutes i thought, he was forcing a lot, not sure why Matta was running the offense through him..lots of screens to get him open

I'll tell you why - DT was being covered so tightly he couldn't breath. Matta was trying to get someone hot to pull some of the pressure off of DT for drives and kicks and whatnot.

Matta likely went with this most trusted hand late in the game since DT wasn't open.

 

[614]

Gotta get Ross In the game

Can't have Deshaun & a bunch of slashers down the stretch. Doesn't help when Lenzelle preferred to take deep 3's & not drive to the hoop

 

[Bucknut24]

I'll tell you why - DT was being covered so tightly he couldn't breath. Matta was trying to get someone hot to pull some of the pressure off of DT for drives and kicks and whatnot.

Matta likely went with this most trusted hand late in the game since DT wasn't open.

I'll have to watch some of it again, but I'm positive DT was seting screens to get craft open, should be the other way around (well not craft, but you know what i mean)

 

[Mac]

Craft being completely out of sorts offensively was the team's downfall. Wasn't distributing it well and obviously couldn't make any shots. If he plays even an average game, we win.

Everything is true until that last sentence. We may have won, we may not have. But one thing for sure, it would have at the very least put us in a better position to win.

 

[Jake]

Hate losing, especially to these fucks, but you get a lot more out of a game like this in late November than another home blow out against Cornfield Tech.

Overall, I'm encouraged by what I saw because several guys got a lot of minutes who didn't last year. No reason to think they won't get better, and Craft will have more good nights than bad ones.

We owe Kansas. Let's get home and tune up for them in a few weeks.

 

[Mike80]

...which is why, regrettably, I think OSU isn't a top 10 team.

Yep.

Ohio State is very perimeter oriented this year. In the previous years this has been the case, the Sweet 16 has been the very tip top limit (Lighty/Deibler).

Other years when this has been the case, it's been the round of 32 or the NIT at best. Granted they won the NIT one of those years, but the NIT is such that a superior player like ET could take it over.

Without a plus post guy, Ohio State's ceiling isn't anywhere near where it should be.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Disconnected

I agree that Duke stepped up the d on Thomas. Ohio State needs to find more ways to get him the ball.

I was answering another guy who said Coach K deserves credit for Duke shutting down DT. My response was it was more our fault than theirs. Moving on..


I'm disappointed in this result but going in I thought we would not play as well as we did. They have a lot of things they can take from this game and make themselves better for sure. There are a lot of things this team still does not do well. Regardless of what most people seem to think, I would like to see some matchup zone once in a while because this team plays horrible help defense. Aside from Scott and Craft the on ball defense is up and down.

Offensively, its already been said. Craft has to make better decisions and the offense has to run through DT as it did with Sully last year. Ross needs more playing time if no one else is going to put the ball in the basket. Some of the big guys have cement in their shoes when it comes to moving in the offense and on defense. That kills us.

Get to practice and come out ready to play and win the next one.

 

[Mike80]

I'll have to watch some of it again, but I'm positive DT was seting screens to get craft open, should be the other way around (well not craft, but you know what i mean)

Nope. Matta isn't going to bring the ball up with DT. He has DT setting screens hoping the defense both goes to Craft. That gets DT open.

I'm positive that was the game plan. when it wasn't there, Craft had the green light to shoot. Guaranteed.

 

[ArmyVet83]

1. Craft did not have a good game tonight.

2. There were spurts in th second half that Scott played very sloppy.

3. Both points did a very poor job of distributing the ball in the second half.

4. Duke kept OSU off the boards in the 2nd half and Duke made their free throws. That was the difference in the game.

5. While I hate to see the Buckeyes lose. As a team they played Duke tough in Dukes house. Not too disappointed.

6. Thompson (offense), Williams (offense), and Ross (Defense) have to step up thier games if this team wants to go deep in the NCAAs.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Craft was 3-15 from the field.
Smith was 4-12.
Scott was 1-8.
Thompson 2-6 (one of his makes I know was a dunk, can't remember the other make)

Point is, I could see this kind of shooting happening a lot this season. These guys are supremely talented at various aspects of the game. But none of them is a pure shooter or scorer. Only DT is, and, it seems from limited action, maybe Ross. That's why I think Ross needs more playing time if this team is to be successful--even if he's a liability on defense, OSU has to find another consistent source of points besides DT.

 

[bassbuckeye07]

Give me a fucking break....a 5 point loss in Cameron to a Duke team that just beat Ky and Luh ville right aftr we made a final 4 run and lost our best player... no shame in tonight at all

Does anyone want a different coach than Thad? If you do you dont remember Rick Yudt beating N western in OT

 

[MaxBuck]

Final thoughts on this one.

1. Mason Plumlee has improved more than I thought possible. This kid can be a functional pro, for sure.

2. The next screen Duke throws that isn't an illegal moving one, will be their first. Frustrating as hell.

3. The Sulaiman kid is going to be a terror in the ACC this year.

4. Buckeyes showed grit and effort, but ultimately they're limited on O with the lineups Matta prefers to use.

5. LaQuinton Ross needs to play more. With Sam Thompson in the game, it's like 4 on 5. Just no offensive game there at all.

 

[Bucknut24]

Nope. Matta isn't going to bring the ball up with DT. He has DT setting screens hoping the defense both goes to Craft. That gets DT open.

I'm positive that was the game plan. when it wasn't there, Craft had the green light to shoot. Guaranteed.

I didn't mean for DT to bring the ball up, but bring out amir or something to get a pick for DT that get's him an open look, instead he was being used as the high ball sceen and Craft was taking the shot right away