Bucks Shock Top-Seeded Spartans, Advance to Big Ten Final

Thad Matta had a simple message for his Ohio State basketball team before Saturday’s semifinal matchup with top-seeded Michigan State.
Rebound.
“The quote Coach Matta put on the board was, ‘We need to take men into this game, not boys’”, said sophomore post player Dallas Lauderdale.  “If you take boys in, you won’t rebound.”
The Spartans came…
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Lauderdale Returns From Injury

Ohio State starting center Dallas Lauderdale left the Buckeyes’ game against Northwestern on Sunday after injuring his left shoulder, then returned in the second half.
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Lauderdale ‘fine,’ Matta says

Dallas Lauderdale, who left the floor late in the first half after being hacked under the basket by Kevin Coble of Northwestern, “tweaked his (left) shoulder,” coach Thad Matta said after the game. Matta did not imply that the injury…
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Lauderdale’s left shoulder sprained

Dallas Lauderdale suffered a sprained left shoulder in the first half of the game against Northwestern when he went up for a shot in transition and was hacked on the left forearm by the Wildcats’ Kevin Coble. A team spokesman…
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Evidently the eggnog hangover is strong for the hoops team

It certainly was a great sports day for West Virginia University, if part of that required one of the worst displays of Buckeye basketball since the tail end of the O’Brien era.  Perhaps this comment on Eleven Warriors’ game preview was prophetic, or more accurately the dumb luck of a mouthbreathing partisan troll who couches coarse, or otherwise poor, English under the guise of “prediction” (the internets has lots of those types), but it was nevertheless on the ball.  In front of a national television audience, the Mountaineers promptly pummeled Ohio State by 28 points, handing the 13th ranked Buckeyes their first loss of the season.

Typically, management-types that you or I may know or work for use the criticism sandwich in evaluating performance.  I’m going to try it here, but it may look more like a criticism tostada.  Dallas Lauderdale played well, coming from the bench for consecutive games now.  His foul-shooting will never be anything to write home about (1/4 this game), but the big man finished with 5 points and 7 rebounds.  6 of those 7 rebounds came from the offensive end, with a few of them followed up with monster putback dunks.  He also had 2 blocks.  Jeremie Simmons and William Buford both had 11 points and statlines that weren’t awful (4/7 and 4/11 respectively), but no part of their game stood out like Lauderdale’s effort.

When the performance of the game is a 5 point, 7 rebound performance, the observer can predict to some statistical significance that the performance of everyone else was justifiable cause for seppuku.

This was the case today.  At its best, Matta’s offense privileges the ability for jumpshots to open up passing lanes and, accordingly, the interior game for the big men.  At its worst, Matta’s offense privileges contested 3 pointers mere seconds into an offensive set.  The latter is what we saw today.  Ohio State put up an embarrassing 2-18 mark from the perimeter as a team.  Jon Diebler — who, if you were not aware, is the all-time leading scorer in Ohio high school history… just in case you didn’t know — contributed the most to this statistic, going 1-7 from behind the arc.  He finished with 5 points for the game on the heels of a 2/10 performance.  He had as many field gaols as turnovers.

Elsewhere, highly-touted freshman center BJ Mullens had an impressive dunk early into the game.  Playing against smaller big men than he, Mullens found position for the Jeremie Simmons high pass and slammed in two points for a quick 6-2 lead into the game.  He added two free throws for the rest of the game, finishing with 4 points and just 3 rebounds.  Evan Turner’s offense was probably the worst offender of the bunch.  His 4/17 10pt performance, if not a career worst at any level, is certainly something that no one should ever have to watch again.

And still, Ohio State was ostensibly no worse than WVU in any category other than field goal percentage.  WVU was only +5 in the turnover margin, and both had similarly bad 3pt and free throw numbers.  Ohio State was only down 7 at half and were well within striking distance early into the second half.  De’Sean Butler, presumed player of the game for the Mountaineers, had to take an early seat with 14:51 left and the Mountaineers only up 9.  The scenario for Buckeyes — a furious rally with the Mountaineers’ best game performer on the seat — didn’t exactly take place.  In fact, the opposite happened.  WVU’s 21-4 run pushed the margin as wide as 26.  The game eventually ended with a 28 point margin for the Mounties.

There’s not a lot about this game that I feel the need to discuss.  Indeed, since my move, I rarely get to watch the men’s (or women’s) hoops team anymore.  On the rare occasion where the men’s hoops team is on television, I like to think that I deserve better than the effort I saw from the Buckeyes.  As it is, the Buckeyes will have plenty of time to retool, since losses have less meaning in this sport.

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Buckeyes Face Big Test Against WVU

The #13 Ohio State (9-0) will look for non-conference perfection tomorrow (4 p.m., CBS), as they take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (9-2) at Value City Arena. Bob Huggins returns to the Buckeye State with a team full of young, explosive talent. The Buckeyes will be playing their third straight game without captain David Lighty, and will try to move to 10-0 heading into their Big Ten Opener against Iowa on New Year’s Eve Day. Here is a look at what both team’s will bring to “The Schott” tomorrow and a little prediction of what the outcome of the game will be.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Bobby Huggins’ squad is very talented, but more importantly very deep. Their two losses come on neutral floors against Kentucky and Davidson (better know as the “Fighting Stephen Curry’s). Two key wins this season have come against Iowa at home and on the road against Ole Miss. WVU has been inconsistent this year, but one piece that holds this puzzle together is 6′6″ guard Alex Ruoff. Ruoff has missed two games this season with injury, but certainly has looked good in the 9 games he has played in. The lone senior on the Mountaineers is averaging 17 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game this season. He will be trading points with Evan Turner all day and the two going at it will be entertainment for all spectators. Huggins’ team spreads the wealth the rest of the way when it comes to scoring, but the clear number two option on offense is Da”Sean Butler. Butler is a 6′7″ 225-pound forward from Newark, NJ who is averaging 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He will pose a threat inside and will be a tough draw for Dallas Lauderdale. Freshman Devin Ebanks is only averaging 7.5 points per game, but leads the team in rebounding with 6.7 per game. The Long Island City, NY native is one of the best young players in the nation and his 6′9″ 205 lbs. will cause problems for OSU, as he can play both inside and out. Brooklyn native and fellow freshman Daryl Bryant is third on the team in scoring. The 6′2″ guard is averaging 11.1 points per game and will likely be the target of Jeremie Simmons’ tomorrow. The Mountaineers’ rotation rounds out with Kevin Jones, Joe Mazzulla, John Flowers, Wellington Smith, Dee Proby, and Ohio-native Cam Thoroughman (Portsmouth, Ohio). The Mountaineers have a collective size advantage on the Buckeyes and should look to go inside the paint on the Bucks. WVU is averaging 74.6 points per game this season while shooting 43.6% from the field (33.2% from 3-poiny) They are shooting just 62% from the charity stripe, but are out-rebounding opponents by a margin of over 10 rebounds per game.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes are coming off a big win against UNC-Asheville, a game in which they saw freshmen William Buford and BJ Mullens play their best games as college basketball players. Mullens had a career high 19 points and 8 rebounds and Buford contributed 10 points and 5 rebounds in the 83-59 rout of the Bulldogs. Scoring leader Evan Turner didn’t mind the freshmen stars helping him out, as the sophomore swingman has carried the weight of the Buckeye offense on his shoulders all season long. Turner is averaging 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, which all lead the team. His partner in crime, Jon Diebler, has put together a nice season so far as well, averaging 10.4 points and shooting 39.2% from 3-point range. Before Mullens’ big game earlier in the week, Dallas Lauderdale was the only force inside, as the Solon, Ohio product is averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds on the season. Lauderdale has been more important to OSU on the defensive end of the floor, as he has tallied 30 blocks in 9 games played. The Buckeyes have also gotten quality play from junior point guard Jeremie Simmons who is averaging 7.1 points per game on the season. The Buckeyes’ Achilles heal this year has been poor free throw shooting and rebounding. The Buckeyes are shooting 68.3% from the line, but have missed opportunities to extend leads and put games away in key spots. They are only out-rebounding opponents by 1 per game, and considering who they have played this year, that is not a good sign heading into the WVU game. The Buckeyes will need to stretch the floor from three-point range and be able to halt the interior game of the Mountaineers if they want to win tomorrow.

Prediction

While the Buckeyes showed a lot in their win over UNC-Asheville, I am not sure Mullens and some of the other young stars are ready for Bobby Huggins. WVU has a size advantage from a whole team perspective and their big guards and forwards will give the Buckeyes match-up problems. I think the OSU ability to hit the three-pointer will keep them in the game, but beware of foul trouble for Dallas and BJ early on. Evan Turner will need to put forth his best performance of the season on both ends of the floor if the Bucks are to come out on top tomorrow. Against my heart, I take the Mountaineers to win by a score of 67-60. Evan Turner will have a valiant effort of 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, but it will just not be enough as I see the OSU ‘bigs’ getting in foul trouble early. I think Ruoff will have a nice day for the Mountaineers, scoring 24 points and Devin Ebanks will have his coming out party, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. For our sake, I hope I’m wrong but I don’t have a good feeling about this one.

Once again if you have any comments or input, our comment software is down. E-mail alex@dottingthei.com and your comments will be promptly added. If you are interested in two Fiesta Bowl tickets please contact us at alex@dottingthei.com. Have a good day and Go Bucks!

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Freshmen Lead Bucks Past UNC-Asheville

Buckeye fans have been waiting for a special night all season long. A night where McDonald’s All-Americans William Buford and BJ Mullens would step into the spot light and make the Scarlet and Gray faithful assured that they were the real deal. A night where Evan Turner and Jon Diebler didn’t have to carry the team’s offense on their backs. A night when the boys became men.

That night was tonight, as the Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) defeated the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs 83-59 at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were lead by freshman phenoms BJ Mullens, who had a career-high 19 points to go along with 8 rebounds (5 offensive) and 2 blocks, and William Buford, who added 16 points and 7 rebounds in the victory. The two freshmen stars played their best games of the season, and they could not have come in a more timely fashion as OSU played their second game without David Lighty and tuned up for a big match-up against the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-2) at home on Saturday (4 p.m., CBS). Buford and Mullens filled an offensive void that had been lingering for the Buckeyes all season long and hope to continue with performances like this the rest of the season.

Evan Turner was not left out of the action, as the super sophomore had 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, but certainly enjoyed having some of the weight off of his shoulders for at least one night. Dallas Lauderdale had a stellar game as well, contributing 11 points and 7 rebounds in the #13 Buckeyes’ ninth straight win to open the season.

The Buckeyes have a great chance to go 10-0 headed into Big Ten Play on New Year’s Eve (vs. Iowa)if they can find a way to defeat the Mountaineers at “The Schott” this weekend. WVU brings in a tough squad consisting of star freshman Devin Ebanks (7.3 ppg 6.4 rpg), Da’Sean Butler (16.0 ppg 6.7 rpg), Alex Ruoff (14.4 ppg 3.0 rpg 3.0 apg), Daryl Bryant (11.3 ppg), and of course, former University of Cincinnati Head Coach, Bob Huggins. It will be a tough game for the young Buckeyes, but if they get games like tonight’s out of Mullens and Buford, OSU should get their tenth victory of the 2008-2009 campaign.

Stay tuned to DTI this week for a preview of Saturday’s game against WVU, as well as other basketball, football, and recruiting news, coming at you as it comes. Have a good night and GO BUCKS!

photo AP/Terry Gilliam

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Buckeyes Host Bulldogs Before Big Game Against Huggins

The Buckeyes better not get caught looking ahead to Saturday’s match-up against West Virginia as they host the 4-7 UNC-Asheville Bulldogs tonight, at home at 7 P.M. (Big Ten Network).

The Bulldogs may come in with a sub-.500 record, but with games played against North Carolina, Tennessee, and VMI, the Big South Conference squad boasts the thirty-second toughest schedule in the nation thus far. The games played against the Tar Heels and Volunteers may have prepared Eddie Biedenbach’s squad for games like the one they will play tonight in Columbus, and if they catch the Buckeyes looking ahead to Bobby Huggins’ return to the state on Saturday, they could pull of a shocking upset.

The Bulldogs’ leading scorer is senior forward Reid August (6-6, 215, 14.5 ppg), who will have the tough match-up of going against Dallas Lauderdale inside. Lauderdale has two inches on August, which should certainly help neutralize Asheville’s biggest starter. Sophomore forward, John Williams, is second on the team with 11.1 ppg, but leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6 per game. The match-up to watch could come from the point guard position as Jeremie Simmons will have to take on 6′2″ 190-pound freshman, JP Primm. Primm is averaging 9.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.5 assits, and 1.5 steals per game on the season, showing tremendous promise as a complete point guard, to go along with his great size and athleticism. Simmons has been inconsistent on both ends of the floor for OSU this season and Primm could cause him trouble if he is able to get to the hoop. Capping off the Bulldogs roster, it should be noted that they have a Columbus native on their team. 7′2″ freshman center, Sean Hobbs, has seen limited action this season off the bench, only playing in 6 games and totaling 16 minutes.

Like always, the Buckeyes will need to find someone to compliment Evan Turner (16.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.2 spg) on the offensive end of the floor. Jon Diebler (11.4 ppg) has done a nice job playing Robin to Turner’s Batman, but a third scoring threat must become prevalent if the Buckeyes (8-0) want to continue their early season success. BJ Mullens, Dallas Lauderdale, Jeremie Simmons, and William Buford have all shown the ability to be that number three option for Thad Matta’s offense, but none of the aforementioned have shown they can carry the load with consistency. Expect Turner and Diebler to be the top two scorers once again tonight, with the four mentioned above sharing the wealth to chip in for the rest of the scoring. The Buckeyes should handle Ashevill without a problem, although Iona and Jacksonville have given the Buckeyes trouble of late. I’ll say the Bucks take this one 74-55, with Evan Turner of course leading the team in scoring with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Diebler will add 15 points and Jeremie Simmons will contribute with 13. William Buford will have 11 and BJ Mullens will disappoint once again with 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Please don’t look ahead to next game as it would be really nice to have a chance to be 10-0 headed into Big Ten Play with FOUR quality wins (ND, Miami, Butler, and potentially WVU). Go Bucks!

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Buckeyes Swim Past Dolphins 81-68

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins 81-68 at Value City Arena on Wednesday night. David Lighty lead the way for the Buckeyes with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, in what was the best game of the junior’s 2008-2009 season thus far. Evan Turner chipped in with 17 points and 8 rebounds, and Jon Diebler added 14, as the trio combined to shoot 17-26 from the field and 12-17 from the free throw line, accounting for over 60% of the team’s scoring.

Although the score shows a double-digit victory, the road to the 13 point difference was not easy. After trailing by as many as 19 early in the second half, Jacksonville clawed back and came within five points with under five minutes left to play. A big three-pointer by Diebler and clutch foul shooting, paired with a big dunk by Dallas Lauderdale, ultimately put the game on ice. Lehmon Colbert lead the Dolphins with 14 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

Freshman BJ Mullens continued his disappointing play, scoring just 3 points and grabbing 1 rebound in 15 minutes of play. Fellow freshman William Buford was a big part of the first half run, though, and had a solid game finishing with 8 points on 3-6 shooting from the field (2-2 from 3-point). Jeremie Simmons had 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Lauderdale had 8 points and 3 rebounds to round out the Buckeye scoring.

The Buckeyes will take on Iona at in their next game on Saturday at noon on the Big Ten Network. The game will be held at Value City Arena once again, as the Buckeyes will try to make it 7-0 to open the season. It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. Go Bucks!

photo AP

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No.21 Ohio State Buckeyes Win Nail Biter Against Butler Bulldogs

After beating two ranked teams in Miami, FL, and Notre Dame last week, the Ohio State Buckeyes were faced with another formidable opponent in the Butler Bulldogs. Butler is 8-0 coming into the game against the Buckeyes with Ohio State at 5-0. This game was set up to be a good old fashion shootout between two undefeated teams.

Ohio State leads the all time series with 30 wins to Butlers’ nine. These two teams met last season with the Bulldogs coming from a half time deficit to beat the Buckeyes by 19 points.

Butler, so far this season, averages nine three=pointers, 11.5 turnovers, and allows 55.2 points a game. Ohio State, on the other hand, averages 12.2 turnovers, force 16 turnovers, and only allows 50 points a game.

The game started out very sloppy with both teams turning the ball over six times in the first eight minutes. Altogether, Butler had 12 turnovers while Ohio State had 11 during the first half. At the end of the first half the score was 29-23 in favor of the Buckeyes.

Ohio States top scorers in the first half were David Lighty with seven points, B.J. Mullens with six points, and Evan Turner and Jeremie Simmons with five points a piece. Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard combined for 20 of the Bulldogs 23 first half points. Hayward had 14 points alone with 12 of those coming off three-point shots.

Butler shot a dismal 35 percent from the field in the first half while Ohio State managed to shoot 50 percent from the field.

As the second half began, the Buckeyes managed to open up a 13-point lead over the Bulldogs after leading at the half by only six. Butler would hang in there though keeping the game to around a seven to nine point deficit.

Butler managed to hang in the game for two reasons: Ohio State shooting poorly from the foul line and of the great play by Gordon Hayward. Ohio State ended up making just 16 of 28 free throw attempt in the game while Butler managed to shoot 13 of 15 from the foul line. Gordon Hayward also played a major role leading all scorers in the game with 25 points. Hayward scored 21 of his 25 points from three-point range. Butler ended the game 8-21 from three-point land while Ohio State was just 4-14 in three point attempts.

The game began to tighten when Hayward made his seventh three point shot to tie the game at 51 with just 3:38 remaining. The game remained tied after both teams missed easy opportunities to take the lead. Eventually, Evan Turner drove down the lane and scored to put the Buckeyes up by two with just minutes remaining.

Both teams struggled down the stretch but with just seconds left, Dallas Lauderdale, of Ohio State, was fouled and sent to the line. Lauderdale made one of his two shots putting the Buckeyes up by three with under a minute remaining. Butler moved the ball quickly down court but missed a three point shot, which handed the ball right back over to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes had the ball with about 38 seconds left in the game but unfortunately for them, Evan Turner missed a shot that would have put the Buckeyes up by five with under ten seconds remaining. Butler now had possession with just 9.7 seconds left on the clock. The Bulldogs needed a three pointer to send the game into overtime so naturally, they put the ball into the hands of their star Gordon Hayward. The opportunity was there but Hayward missed the three as time expired.

The Final score was 54-51 in favor of Ohio State. This puts the Buckeyes at a mark of 6-0 while the Bulldogs fall from the undefeated at 8-1.

My players of the game for Ohio State were Evan Turner who scored 14 points with five rebounds and Dallas Lauderdale who had eight points, seven rebounds, and four blocks as well as Gordon Hayward for Butler who had 25 points, leading all scorers.

 

 

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