Wiscy +9.5 at tOSU (ov/un 120.5) Sun 4 ET, CBS

[Archg2h]

Outside of Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith I don't see any heart either. Minor bumps and bruises throw Jared completely off his game. DeShaun has been playing great but he's mostly finesse.

Of all the turnovers this team had today, I counted 3 that should have been caught by Buford alone. The kid just hates contact and the effort isn't there on a lot of passes he should catch. News flash..when you're playing Wisky, you aren't going to get free touches in the paint. There is going to be contact...you need to fight for the ball and be strong. He wasn't today.

On a side-note...if I'm an NBA GM, I'm not sure Jared is a lottery pick anymore. Between the constant injuries and inability to finish under the hoop in traffic, I'm just not sure his stock is going in the right direction. And for someone who is so dependent on drawing contact and playing physical, he sure hasn't responded well to contact this year. I'm pretty sure he has gotten hurt every game this year outside of the back spasm issue. Every game, something happens and it seems to effect him.

When Craft slams into the pole under the basket he jumps up and walks it off. When Jared rolls his ankle a bit, he lets it show and his game suffers. I have no idea how bad the injury was...it just seems like those things happen to Jared on a regular basis. If it isn't a rolled ankle, it's a shot he takes to the shoulder. If it isn't the shoulder, it's a foot problem....just always something.

If he would have made the wide open lay-up, he would have been physically fine.

 

[buckeyboy]

...and that's the problem with leaving so many guys on the bench. Some of them should be getting minutes in OOC games and early in the conference schedule. At this point, their seasons are wasted, and they're of no use to you. I'd take a couple more losses early on the schedule if it gives you a deeper team heading into the postseason. It's not like CFB where early losses can cripple you. I just think Matta is what he is...a very good coach that will win a lot of games, conference titles, and some tournament games, but I don't see him as a guy that can go all the way without a freak team. Typically, tOSU just will not be deep enough.

One of Coach Matta's biggest weaknesses has been the way he uses his bench. This isn't a problem during the current year but rather a common theme over the past several years. I respect him a great deal and I've come to accept this as his style. If he wins a Championship then I can live with this style of coaching. Unfortunately to this date, the championship has not happened.

 

[NFBuck]

One of Coach Matta's biggest weaknesses has been the way he uses his bench. This isn't a problem during the current year but rather a common theme over the past several years. I respect him a great deal and I've come to accept this as his style. If he wins a Championship then I can live with this style of coaching. Unfortunately to this date, the championship has not happened.

Yeah, it's always been his style...and it's hard to argue with his W-L record. We just have to learn to accept it and be happy with it. He's a fantastic coach who has revived a pretty dormant program. Now, this isn't to say he absolutely WILL NOT win a NC, just that his style will make it pretty difficult without a supremely talented team. Some great coaches have gone many, many years before their first NC. Jim Boeheim took 27 years. Roy Williams took 17. Even Coach K didn't get his first until his 16th year. Everybody laps Calipari's balls and he still hasn't won one and has come up short with two freakishly talented teams since arriving in Lexington. I'm not sure how long Matta's back will allow him to coach, though.

 

[RB07OSU]

Illinois is barely a JV squad at this point...and aside from being hot shooting the ball, tOSU was pretty sloppy in that game as well. They've just regressed as the season has wore on.

About to say the same thing. We looked like an elite team against Duke and to some extent Kansas considering Sully was out. The Indiana loss was palatable too on the road with those refs. I couldn't spot a weakness other than free throw shooting then...now it is almost everything. No 3 point shooter, mental mistakes, sloppy with the ball, breakdowns that lead to easy buckets. Tough to temper expectations after this team came out looking so tough in the first half of the season but I guess we gotta.

 

[DaBears]

They've just regressed as the season has wore on.

This - aside from Thomas and maybe Craft - seems like everyone has gotten worse [or not gotten better]: Sullinger, Smith, Thompson, Buford, Sibert etc

As currently constructed and played, this is not a Top 5 or a Top 10 team - which is hard to accept given the expectations.

 

[NFBuck]

About to say the same thing. We looked like an elite team against Duke and to some extent Kansas considering Sully was out. The Indiana loss was palatable too on the road with those refs. I couldn't spot a weakness other than free throw shooting then...now it is almost everything. No 3 point shooter, mental mistakes, sloppy with the ball, breakdowns that lead to easy buckets. Tough to temper expectations after this team came out looking so tough in the first half of the season but I guess we gotta.

That's what has made this especially disappointing. They looked like an elite team against dook and for much of December. Oh well, they can still turn it around, but this team has a lot of holes.

 

[Bucknut24]

very interesting quotes from the players after the game...

Brandon Castel ‏ @BCastOZone
Buford said they haven't been having great practices and it shows in the way they played. "We just weren't playing together."

Craft said it's no secret they haven't been having good practices. "You can feel it walking out of the gym."'

Craft said the team needs to get back to playing basketball and stop worrying about the outside things going on.

Thad said he had to throw his team out of practice yesterday. "They weren't ready to practice."

Thad said his freshmen always come to practice and do a great job. Upperclassmen not leading the way.

last one is very concerning

 

[NFBuck]

last one is very concerning

Not surprising, unfortunately. You can see it on the floor.

 

[y0yoyoin]

very interesting quotes from the players after the game...
last one is very concerning

Its inexcuseable...especially at this point in the season...i think its time for thad to start benching players for periods of time to send a message...hopefully by start of the NCAA tourny this is solved

 

[jwinslow]

Thad said he had to throw his team out of practice yesterday. "They weren't ready to practice."

Thad said his freshmen always come to practice and do a great job. Upperclassmen not leading the way.

Then maybe the freshmen should be playing.

 

[Buckeye513]

Thad said his freshmen always come to practice and do a great job.

Then what's the rationale behind not playing them?

 

[scarletmike]

I'm guessing with the egos that are there (make no mistake, as humble as some may seem, your McDonalds' AAs and other high recruits are going to have egos/maturity issues, and it has shown on the court at times with the complaining about calls and such), the worry may be as much as it's intended to send a message by not starting or being willing to sit them more during the game it may alienate them and push them to leave early, especially when it gets this late in the season. If Matta still feels that these players that aren't contributing positively in practice are still the best chance to win on game day...

I still think the risk needs to be taken to properly send the message after what Matta evidently said.

 

[CentralMOBuck]

Is benching players at this point in the season really going to prove anything?

 

[buckeyebri]

...and that's the problem with leaving so many guys on the bench. Some of them should be getting minutes in OOC games and early in the conference schedule. At this point, their seasons are wasted, and they're of no use to you. I'd take a couple more losses early on the schedule if it gives you a deeper team heading into the postseason. It's not like CFB where early losses can cripple you. I just think Matta is what he is...a very good coach that will win a lot of games, conference titles, and some tournament games, but I don't see him as a guy that can go all the way without a freak team. Typically, tOSU just will not be deep enough.

I am right there with you NF. Matta is a great recruiter and he wins his 20 games a year with his talent. As a coach he isn't a Tom Izzo who creates a team with a mental toughness that plays hard no matter what.

This loss does not bode well for this team for the rest of the season. Minimally two more losses heading in to the tournament and nothing better than a No. 4 seed awaits for what was once a promising season.

 

[scarletmike]

If they're not bringing the right attitude in practice, not starting them may send a message. And no, sending them in at the first dead ball doesn't count.

It may be late, but it seems other attempts haven't worked. At this point, I don't think you have a lot to lose. If the message is sent, they come off the bench and play to get it back, and hopefully start practicing better. If it doesn't work...we still end up with disappearing acts, not closing, and the seeming lack of chemistry we've seen of late.

Of course, that's just my IMO.