Thursday, March 15, 2007
Ohio State vs. Central Connecticut State: In Action
By John Chandler
On paper, Ohio State overwhelms Central Connecticut State. They do, in the flesh, too.
The Buckeyes exploded out of the gates with an 8-0 run. By the time Ron Lewis' three bottomed out at the 15:15 mark, this game seemed pretty much well in hand.
So far, Greg Oden is quiet. Just two points through the first 10 minutes of play, but at 7'0" he towers over the Blue Devils Jermino Sobers, who's listed at 6'7" tall. Actually, that brings up an interesting point on Oden. I'm told he's actually 7'2" instead of the even 7 feet he's listed as in tournament media guides. I guess he grew two inches throughout the season, which is like saying the Terminal Tower is actually 54 floors. Either way, both are towering.
Say this about CCSU, they're a fearless 16-seed going up against top dawg Ohio State. At the 9:44 mark, Javier Mojica picked a Buckeye pocket, and coasted to the other end uncontested to pull the Devils within 19-11.
Oops. So much for creating drama. Just seconds later, Oden crushed the rim with a rocking, two-handed slam. It's 21-11, Ohio State.
Jamar Butler is pacing Ohio State with 9 points through the first 12 minutes, and I'm not surprised. Speaking with the junior yesterday before the open practice, you just felt he was focused. He remembers the way it ended last March for Ohio State, who appeared shaky in an opener against Davidson then crumbled against a young but athletic Georgetown team. He was preaching about it to his teammates, and appears to have channeled that frustration well.
By the way, I know I said on Sports Sunday that I like North Carolina to win this whole tournament... but watch out for Georgetown. Love those Hoyas. Jeff Green is grossly underrated.
I'll check back in at halftime. I'm thinking double digits in the Buckeyes favor.
On paper, Ohio State overwhelms Central Connecticut State. They do, in the flesh, too.
The Buckeyes exploded out of the gates with an 8-0 run. By the time Ron Lewis' three bottomed out at the 15:15 mark, this game seemed pretty much well in hand.
So far, Greg Oden is quiet. Just two points through the first 10 minutes of play, but at 7'0" he towers over the Blue Devils Jermino Sobers, who's listed at 6'7" tall. Actually, that brings up an interesting point on Oden. I'm told he's actually 7'2" instead of the even 7 feet he's listed as in tournament media guides. I guess he grew two inches throughout the season, which is like saying the Terminal Tower is actually 54 floors. Either way, both are towering.
Say this about CCSU, they're a fearless 16-seed going up against top dawg Ohio State. At the 9:44 mark, Javier Mojica picked a Buckeye pocket, and coasted to the other end uncontested to pull the Devils within 19-11.
Oops. So much for creating drama. Just seconds later, Oden crushed the rim with a rocking, two-handed slam. It's 21-11, Ohio State.
Jamar Butler is pacing Ohio State with 9 points through the first 12 minutes, and I'm not surprised. Speaking with the junior yesterday before the open practice, you just felt he was focused. He remembers the way it ended last March for Ohio State, who appeared shaky in an opener against Davidson then crumbled against a young but athletic Georgetown team. He was preaching about it to his teammates, and appears to have channeled that frustration well.
By the way, I know I said on Sports Sunday that I like North Carolina to win this whole tournament... but watch out for Georgetown. Love those Hoyas. Jeff Green is grossly underrated.
I'll check back in at halftime. I'm thinking double digits in the Buckeyes favor.
Posted at 4:16 PM
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