The Buckeye Blog

After watching the Buckeyes lose three championships in a row, it sure was good to see Ohio State wrap up the NIT — even if it isn’t the championship we all wanted. Mid way through the first half however, I was imagining the headline for this post would read, “Always a bridesmade…”

But it wasn’t to be. The Buckeyes came out of the halftime taking a quick lead and never looked back. Once the Bucks learned to guard the corners and slow UMass sophomore Ricky Harris, who was on fire from the three point line, control shifted back to the Buckeyes.

Although at first look, the NIT invite would seem a disappointment, but it is just what the young Ohio State players needed. Midway through the season, this basketball team almost appeared to sleepwalk through their games. The experience and confidence gained from a near rout of the NIT has got to give them a jump on next year’s season. Add a strong group of freshmen coming in and the Buckeyes should be contenders for the big show come March 2009.

At first I was disappointed to see Florida fail to hold up their end of the deal in an OSU/Florida rematch, it was good to see a team as exciting as UMass and just as good to see Florida watch this one from home.

It’s too bad that Jamar Butler couldn’t have extended his Ohio State career one more weekend but he needs to be commended. He knew the talent on this team and instead of sitting out angry, he stepped up and lead this team to the NIT championship. He played the role of the leader well this season and he will be missed.

It’s been a tough season but Ohio State is one of only two teams in the country that will end their basketball season with a win. I guess I can live with that.

The Boss may have been at the Schott but the show was at St. Johns as Ohio State dominated Cal during the second half to move into the quarter finals of the NIT tournament. Maybe it was the old hardwood, maybe it was the ghosts of great games past, whatever it was, the Buckeyes were on fire and St. Johns was rocking. While the Schott may be nice, it was good to see a return to a classic arena built before the days of naming rights and corporate owned “club level” seating.

After the game, the ESPN commentators were quick to point out that the Buckeyes were a NCAA Tourney caliber team and it is somewhat frustrating to say the least. Considering the Buckeyes beat Michigan State only a week before tournament selection. Meanwhile, a fifth seeded Michigan State advances to the Sweet Sixteen while an overrated Duke gets to watch from the sidelines.

So what…bring on the NIT. More important, bring on a rematch with Florida. An Ohio State/Florida NIT final would be the biggest game the NIT has seen in years.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo may have summed it up best when he told the AP that it’s not a bubble the Buckeyes are sitting on, it’s a rock. When asked if he felt Ohio State deserved a tournament bid, he continued, “Hands down.”

Say what you will but something has happened to the Buckeyes during the past week. After a four game loosing streak, one of the longest in coach Thad Matta’s tenure, Ohio State has come to life the last two games playing great basketball against two top 20 teams. What I want to know, can they carry the momentum into the Big Ten tourney.

There is no question that big wins over both Purdue and Michigan State have got to help. If nothing else, the confidence has to be up and they know that the Buckeyes can keep up with the top teams. Actually, it’s probably more important to know that they can keep up with Michigan as they open the Big Ten tournament next Friday (2:00p.m.) against the Spartans.

Earlier in the season, the Buckeyes looked dead. Suddenly, during the last two games, they have come to life. If they can keep it up and score a much needed win against MSU, they belong in the NCAA tournament.

It took an overtime to do it but the Buckeyes came from behind at the half to put an end to Purdue’s Big Ten Championship dreams. If ever there was a game Matta’s boys needed to win, this was it. A loss to the Boilermakers and the tournament dreams would have been about dead. However, with a win over the #15 team, the Buckeyes place themselves firmly on the tournament bubble. A win over Michigan State would pretty much secure the spot.

Aside from tournament hopes, there was a lot on the line tonight. Purdue hasn’t won a game in Columbus since 1998 and have never won a game in the Schott. The game also brings an end to a painful four-game losing streak for the Buckeyes. Coach Matta has never lost five in a row with the Buckeyes.

Purdue wrapped up the first half with a four-point play to take the lead. Any momentum was killed as the game was delayed for almost 20 minutes due to a problem with the shot clocks. By the time the game got back underway, the Buckeyes recovered quick, exchanging leads but trailing Purdue for most of the second half.

Toward the end of the second half, OSU stymied Purdue forcing three consecutive turnovers. After forcing Purdue to use their last time out on the baseline, the Buckeyes recovered the ball with the score tied and the shot clock turned off. They failed to convert forcing overtime.

Getting more than a little help from the crowd, the lead changed back and forth until finally, the Buckeyes got on top to hold on for the win, 80-77.

The Buckeyes will have a chance to prove that this wasn’t just a flash in the pan as they take on Michigan State Sunday to wrap up the regular season. A win over the Spartans would probably put a look at an at large position in the NCAA Tourney. After seeing what the Spartans did to Indiana however, it looks like the Buckeyes have their work cut out for them.

(Well, there’s always X-box)

So far, this year’s Buckeye basketball team has been anything but exciting. One minute they look good the next, their struggling against Michigan. Personally, I thought last year’s recruiting class looked like they had the potential to bring the Buckeyes deep into the Madness. Unfortunately, half the time, they just look like their not even there.

At this point, a little dancing time in March is still up in the air. They still have some big games to wind out the season but according to the Columbus Dispatch, the Buckeyes are 0-7 against teams rated in the top 40.

So what do you think? If not this year, will this team mature into a team that can bring us back to the big game?

The Columbus Dispatch had an interesting story today on the frustrations of Jamar Butler and this year’s Buckeye basketball team. According to the Dispatch, Butler is threw being the nice guy. It’s time to lay it on the line and tell it like it is. After Saturday’s loss to Iowa, Butler told the press that this year’s team lacks the passion of past years. The Dispatch’s Bob Baptist’s blog adds to the story with quote’s like this:

“Last year’s team, this never would have happened, I can tell you that. Guys were mentally ready to go night in and night out. I guess it was just more important to us last year.”

Yeah, I can see that. Last year’s basketball season had an energy that I haven’t felt this year. And with the conference half over, they had better step it up and they had better step it up now. We need to show that world that last year’s team wasn’t just a one man flash in the pan.

So far, I can’t think of anything I like about the Big Ten Network other than that commercial (above). Bottom line, this is about greed, greed and more greed. Cable providers such as Comcast or Time Warner won’t ink a deal because they say the Big Ten Network is charging too much per viewer to place it on their “expanded basic” linup. The Big Ten won’t ink a deal because they won’t lower their price enough for Comcast or Time Warner to place it in their “expanded basic” lineup.

Wow, what a great deal for the Big Ten fan. In the past, if you lived in Ohio you could always count on good old WBNS 10 T.V. for the live broadcast with all the necessary Ohio State cheer leading along the way. Thanks to the Big Ten Network, WBNS has lost their broadcast rights so at the very least, you will need to subscribe to an “expanded” cable service to watch the game.

Remember how much fun it was to watch a home game in the tailgate lot outside The Shoe when you couldn’t get a ticket? So much for that.

But what bothers me even more is that I don’t live in Ohio and guess what, I’m not the only one. If any conference has fans spread around the country it is the Big Ten. It is bad enough that Ohio residents are going to have to pay to see the Buckeyes on television, the odds of seeing a non network game here in Annapolis are about as good as catching the Navy/Ball State game in Columbus. (We got Ohio State/Indiana last year when Columbus didn’t due to ESPN U)

Finding the games out here has often been a challenge but now, it looks like I will be doomed to a world of pay-per view if I can even find the games. Nothing I love more than paying $20 a weekend on top of my normal cable bill. That is of course the Big Ten Network at least makes the games available. And with the ESPN $20/Sat package, I got an entire day worth of games. Who knows what I’ll get with the Big Ten Network.

Maybe John Hopkins could join the Big Ten. Just think of all those Mid-Atlantic viewers that would bring.

Oh, and by the way, the Big Ten Network has 64 of the Big Ten’s 99 conference basketball games this season (plus three Big Ten tourney games). Oh joy!

I know, I should be writing about the upcoming season but doesn’t everybody need one of these? It sure would look good at that next tailgate…oh the stories he could tell.

Man oh man oh man oh man!

I don’t know what it is about this team. How many times this year have they looked dead on the court only to come back and win it at the last moment?

So let’s review the Ohio State offensive plays:

Plan 1:
Oden sets up in the middle, the rest of the team sort of waits around the outside for the ball and then they throw up bricks. Yeah, it works great in theory and when it is going well, it looks good. The ball goes to Oden in the middle drawing the defense in and opening up players on the three point line. With everyone going for Oden, he just puts it back out to a teammate waiting patiently at the three-point line and in the words of that Brian Collins…”Boom goes the dynamite.”

The only problem is that way too often, the Buckeyes can’t seem to light the fuse.

Plan 2:

Give the ball to Conley and let him drive the net up the middle, give the ball to Lewis and let him drive up the baseline, give the ball to whoever and let them drive the net.

Personally, I like the latter. When Oden sets a pick it’s like driving a Mac truck onto the court opening up beautiful lanes for Conley. When we settle down and score two at a time, the three point opportunities open up and before you know it, the Bucks are back in the game.

How many game this year have we seen the Bucks slump at the threes only to make a dramatic comeback two points at a time.

It is also apparent that the Buckeye opponents have been studying their films. Both Xavier and Tennessee got Oden into foul trouble early and with the Vols at least, it was a designed plan.

In post-game interviews, Dane Bradshaw of the Vols said, “It was part of the game plan to get him [Oden] in foul trouble. We just really didn’t do a good job from the get-go (in the second half).”

And it appears that the way to get Oden in trouble is to just keep driving him and Tenn did a good job of that in the first half.

Sat. the Bucks meet up with Memphis. If the Buckeyes can start the game like they did the second half last night or play like they did in overtime against Xavier, Memphis doesn’t stand a chance.

The questions is, at what point will the Bucks show up to play. From this point on, I wouldn’t count on anybody letting us come back from 20 points.

Sorry it took me so long to write this. I had to change my pants.

I have to admit, I didn’t see this coming and I should have given Xavier a little more respect. Xavier came into this game bent and played that way. Xavier has always been a good basketball school and they have long wanted a chance to take down “The Program” to the north. You’ve also got two coaches who worked together as assistants at Miami* and again at Xavier. Even though Matta practically snuck out of town in the middle of the night many at Xavier (including players) feel he never really explained his leaving even though he did leave Xavier coach Sean Miller with a pretty good lineup. The fact that some of those players are still at Xavier and the fans are hungry and you have all the motivation a nine seed needs to bring down the #1 ranked team in the country.

What concerns me most about today’s game was the way Ohio State refused to take control of until overtime. All season, the Buckeyes have slipped into these periods of taking crappy shots from the outside looking like a bunch of marble statues. They do this until they either slip behind or blog a big lead. Then all of a sudden, Conley, Butler and Lewis start driving for the net and Oden starts making big offensive rebounds and the Bucks are back in control.

Today, I think we waited just a bit too long.

And if it wasn’t for a missed foul shot by Xavier, I’d be trying to decide if I would even write about today’s game (you’ll notice I haven’t been able to get to the blog much lately).

Finally, in overtime, with Oden fouled out, The Ohio State Buckeyes showed up and played the type of basketball they know how to play. They drove the net and when they took the three point shot, they sounded oh so sweet going in.

Oden’s 5th foul must have been the kick in the pants the Buckeyes needed because they opened the overtime with a 10 point run and never looked back. While it’s great to have Oden, every now and then we need to let the other four step back and play some ball. When they turn it on, even without Oden, they will be very tough to beat.

(* I have certain family members who get quite upset when I refer to Miami University as Miami of Ohio)