Friday, March 16, 2007
Friday, I'm In... Kentucky?
By John Chandler
OK, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume there aren't many Cure fans around town here in Lexington, KY. Maybe if they had added a steel guitar...
Anyways, with apologies to the Bluegrass State, it's Friday... I'm in love. Uh, in a manly high-five-dude-that-was-awesome kind of way, of course. Let me clarify: I love the way coach Thad Matta gets his Buckeyes to play basketball.
Now, bear in mind that Thursday's round one win was over 16-seed Central Connecticut State. Sure, the Blue Devils played their hearts out, but then again, so did the tortise against the hare. He just wasn't that good.
But Ohio State is that good. Greg Oden has plenty to do with that. So does Jamar Butler. And Mike Conley, Jr. And... well, you get the point.
For a team full of freshman phenoms, the Buckeyes sure do play selfless basketball. After last night's win, coach Matta indicated that such a mentality starts with Oden. Last March, I watched a frustrated Terrence Dials try to do too much until it was too late against Georgetown's physical defense. Against CCSU, Oden was doubled regularly (he says he's used to it) and handled the abuse with patience.
"His basketball IQ is off the charts," said Matta, after looking over Oden's final stat line of 19 points and 10 boards.
It's one thing for Oden to do more with less. It's another for a talent like Mike Conley, Jr., who's shown he can score with the best of them, yet is willing to distribute from the point. Let's be real for a moment here, and recognize that most 18-year-old's are thinking all about scoring. That's how you cash in, right?
Honestly, these talented Buckeye freshmen understand their day to cash in will come soon. The NBA will call most of them, if not this year, then next. For now, they're completely content to listen to their coach, flow with the game, and worth as a team.
Now, how can you not love that?
Three Keys, Revisited
Before yesterday's game, I suggested three keys to an Ohio State win. Now, while I'm not going to sit here and call myself Nostradamus, the Buckeyes did advance by virtue of a 78-57 victory. The question is, did they heed my...uh..."advice?"
1. Show Up: yup...I told you that's all they needed to do to win.
2. Feed Oden: well, for the first half, the big man went hungry (4 points), but feasted in the second half (19 points) after patiently waiting his turn.
3. On Guard: those guards from CCSU were fiesty (Mojica scored 19) and hit plenty of shots in the face of Buckeye players. The real difference? Not a single point from off the Devils bench.
Xavier is up next on Saturday afternoon. Plenty of storylines in this matchup, from the in state rivalry to Thad Matta's reunion with his old school (he left Xavier for the Ohio State job) and any lingering bitterness. I'll have three more keys for a second win tonight, on NewsChannel 5 at 11. See you then!
The Buckeyes practice at Rupp Friday afternoon. Watch for the latest on Ohio State's March to a Championship with live reports on NewsChannel 5 throughout the evening.
OK, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume there aren't many Cure fans around town here in Lexington, KY. Maybe if they had added a steel guitar...
Anyways, with apologies to the Bluegrass State, it's Friday... I'm in love. Uh, in a manly high-five-dude-that-was-awesome kind of way, of course. Let me clarify: I love the way coach Thad Matta gets his Buckeyes to play basketball.Now, bear in mind that Thursday's round one win was over 16-seed Central Connecticut State. Sure, the Blue Devils played their hearts out, but then again, so did the tortise against the hare. He just wasn't that good.
But Ohio State is that good. Greg Oden has plenty to do with that. So does Jamar Butler. And Mike Conley, Jr. And... well, you get the point.
For a team full of freshman phenoms, the Buckeyes sure do play selfless basketball. After last night's win, coach Matta indicated that such a mentality starts with Oden. Last March, I watched a frustrated Terrence Dials try to do too much until it was too late against Georgetown's physical defense. Against CCSU, Oden was doubled regularly (he says he's used to it) and handled the abuse with patience.
"His basketball IQ is off the charts," said Matta, after looking over Oden's final stat line of 19 points and 10 boards.
It's one thing for Oden to do more with less. It's another for a talent like Mike Conley, Jr., who's shown he can score with the best of them, yet is willing to distribute from the point. Let's be real for a moment here, and recognize that most 18-year-old's are thinking all about scoring. That's how you cash in, right?
Honestly, these talented Buckeye freshmen understand their day to cash in will come soon. The NBA will call most of them, if not this year, then next. For now, they're completely content to listen to their coach, flow with the game, and worth as a team.
Now, how can you not love that?
Three Keys, Revisited
Before yesterday's game, I suggested three keys to an Ohio State win. Now, while I'm not going to sit here and call myself Nostradamus, the Buckeyes did advance by virtue of a 78-57 victory. The question is, did they heed my...uh..."advice?"
1. Show Up: yup...I told you that's all they needed to do to win.
2. Feed Oden: well, for the first half, the big man went hungry (4 points), but feasted in the second half (19 points) after patiently waiting his turn.
3. On Guard: those guards from CCSU were fiesty (Mojica scored 19) and hit plenty of shots in the face of Buckeye players. The real difference? Not a single point from off the Devils bench.
Xavier is up next on Saturday afternoon. Plenty of storylines in this matchup, from the in state rivalry to Thad Matta's reunion with his old school (he left Xavier for the Ohio State job) and any lingering bitterness. I'll have three more keys for a second win tonight, on NewsChannel 5 at 11. See you then!
The Buckeyes practice at Rupp Friday afternoon. Watch for the latest on Ohio State's March to a Championship with live reports on NewsChannel 5 throughout the evening.
Posted at 9:22 AM
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