SPOTLIGHT GAME
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
at
#6 North Carolina Tarheels (4-1)
___
November 29, 2006
9:00 pm EST
Basketball in Columbus is rarely the talk of the town. Even now, with Matta & Co. garnering the most national praise and publicity the program has seen since the 1999 Final Four run, the reigning Big Ten Champions still have not quite captured the heart of a city that eats, sleeps and breathes Buckeye football. There are, however, some glimmers of hope. Even the most casual fans seem to be aware that this year's team features a very tall, very talented individual who is just waiting for his wrist to heal before he starts running roughshod through the competition. The November 10th season opener versus VMI saw over 13,000 fans flock to Value City Arena--over 1,000 more than last year, and in the thick of the football team's most recent championship run. To top it all off, there's this: a 160-foot LeBronesque downtown wallscape. In a community in which the "other sports" routinely get second billing, this kind of attention really ought to bring a smile to the faces of the players and their fans. This team, after all, started the year ranked fourth and seventh in the two major pre-season polls. They now sit atop the Coaches' poll, and are looking down the road at a schedule that features the last two NCAA champions (Florida and North Carolina) and a host of other contenders (Tennessee, Cincinnati, Iowa State, etc.) to complement the ever-rigorous Big Ten slate. While those who are ready now to place us in the title game are relatively few in number, these are the makings of a championship-caliber season. Come January 9th, 2007, there are likely to be a lot of people shaking off the haze of football to find Ohio State's other powerhouse team well on their way to another conference title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
For now, people have at least been roused enough to know that tonight (Wednesday, November 29th) at 9pm, our Ohio State Basketball Buckeyes face off against the Tarheels of North Carolina. This game, for many, is really the beginning of the 2006-07 season for our Buckeyes. The 'Heels, led by head coach Roy Williams, are a team that rivals our own for the Most Players Who Still Can't Legally Drink award--not that youth has really slowed down either club, of course. UNC dropped a tough one to then-23rd-ranked Gonzaga (who then lost to Butler), but they rebounded nicely with a win over Tennessee, and have faced unquestionably tougher teams than we have. While our schedule to this point hasn't featured anything close to Tennessee or Gonzaga (or Butler, for that matter), our guys have gone out in each of their first six games and done precisely what they were supposed to do--steamroll the opposition.
UNC, at the moment, has the luxury of greater depth, but both teams essentially feature an eight or nine man rotation. Assuming Mr. Oden doesn't make a surprise appearance tonight (the buzz at this point says no later than the Dec. 16 game at Cincinnati, possibly as early as this Saturday), the match-ups will look something like this:
FRONTCOURT
50 TYLER HANSBROUGH - SO (6-9, 245)
vs.
45 OTHELLO HUNTER - JR (6-9, 225)
Hansbrough has started his 06-07 campaign just the way people expected him to. Essentially all of his numbers are up, and he's the number one scoring option on a team loaded with scoring options. His averages of 20.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game are both best on the team, and his shooting percentage (.576) is nothing to sneeze at. Hunter, who has proven himself a solid defender (11 blocks and five steals through six games), will still have his hands full. Key Point: In UNC's loss to Gonzaga, Hansbrough took only five shots from the field, and was held to nine points and nine rebounds.
34 BRANDAN WRIGHT - FR (6-9, 205)
vs.
23 DAVID LIGHTY - FR (6-5, 225)
This is where things get hairy, and you'd like to give your left arm to have Oden in the game for you. Brandan Wright has been stomping his way onto the scene thus far, averaging 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds in his first five collegiate contests. The super-long McDonald's All-American already has two ACC Rookie of the Week awards under his belt, so confidence will certainly not be an issue. Lighty is stout, but he's giving up some size--one has to wonder if more will be asked of Harris and/or Terwilliger here. Key Point: Wright is a Bo Outlaw-esque .500 from the charity stripe this season in 30 attempts.
3 REYSHAUN TERRY - SR (6-8, 232)
vs.
12 RON LEWIS - SR (6-4, 195)
Yes, size is still an issue. And Terry has a ton of big game experience. The senior forward's production has been greatly affected by the influx of young talent (four minutes and 5.5 points per game fewer than last season's numbers so far this year), but he's still a major cog in this offense. That said, every story has two sides. Just as UNC has us trumped in size, we are quick, athletic, and we can run. Depending on how the game swings, you could see Terry's minutes continue to dip. Key Point: Terry can sometimes tend to play outside, and is an uncharacteristic .222 from beyond the arc to start this season.
BACKCOURT
2 WAYNE ELLINGTON - FR (6-4, 195)
vs.
14 JAMAR BUTLER - JR (6-2, 200)
Fortunately for our Buckeyes, perimeter defense is no longer such a glaring weakness, because if there's one thing to fear from Ellington, it's his ability to rain threes. He's only (yes, 'only') 8-for-24 this season from long distance, but the former McDonald's All-Star Game Three Point Shoot-Out champion can and will shoot the lights out if you let him. Ellington is not, however, a one-trick pony. Less than forty percent of his offensive output has come from three pointers, and his overall shooting percentage (.510) is uncommon for a scoring guard. Key Point: Butler and Conley have been called the best defensive backcourt in the Big Ten--if not the country; if they can team up to shut Ellington down, the 'Heels offense loses a leg.
4 BOBBY FRASOR - SO (6-3, 208)
vs.
1 MIKE CONLEY JR. - FR (6-1, 175)
Frasor is not to be ignored. On a team full of new blood, this guy has held on to his job at the point after an All-ACC Freshman Team season in 2005-06. He is as poised as the day is long--the kid just does not turn the ball over very much. He's not much of a scoring threat, and should not be too difficult to handle. Conley, in fact, may have the pleasure of keying on Ellington on the defensive side of the ball, as he is probably the quicker and more athletic of our two guards. Key Point: Frasor is shooting a better percentage from three than from the field (.462 to .409) this year.
BENCH
31 DAEQUAN COOK - FR (6-5, 210)
3 IVAN HARRIS - SR (6-7, 215)
42 MATT TERWILLIGER - JR (6-8, 230)
vs.
5 TY LAWSON - FR (5-11, 193)
22 WES MILLER - SR (5-11, 190)
14 DANNY GREEN - SO (6-5, 210)
1 MARCUS GRINYARD - SO (6-5, 218)
Cook has been nothing short of spectacular, and to call him a bench player is...well, it'd be like saying Ron Lewis was a 'bench player' last year. His 17.8 points per game are tops on the team, and he's second to only Hunter in rebounding (7.0 rpg). His success on the offensive end may dictate OSU's success tonight. Ivan Harris is making his bid for Most Improved Player, and Terwilliger continues to log solid minutes. Despite all these upsides, that's where it ends for the Buckeyes. UNC has us legitimately outmanned by about four guys. If this game happens to go into extra time, or if fouls become an issue, our boys are in serious trouble. Key Point: Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson - UNC's two other ultra-talented freshmen - must not be counted out. They haven't seen many minutes in that stacked frontcourt, but they make their floor time count.
A game like this, with so much talent on the floor, can very easily come down to coaching. If Matta can dictate the pace of the game and keep UNC's big men winded from chasing on defense, the Tarheels may come out of the night with their second loss in just six games. Conversely, if Williams has been paying attention, he'll know that we've been getting outrebounded pretty regularly all year, and they'll just pound us into submission down low. I'm sure we would all love to turn on ESPN tonight and hear the announcers tripping over their own jaws, guffawing over the fact that #20 for Ohio State has been cleared for takeoff, but we cannot count on it. Without Big Greg, many people agree that this team is capable of going into Chapel Hill and stealing (that's right--the Buckeyes are seven point underdogs) a win. Being that it's OSU's first road trip, and that UNC still has the bitter taste of defeat on their collective tongue, I think it's going to take a small miracle for us to finish the night 7-0. Either way, this is a game that - win or lose - makes us stronger.
Prediction: tOSU 81 - UNC 87
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