Can Oden play 30+ minutes versus Florida?
#1 Ohio State
35-3, 15-1 Big Ten
Roster | Schedule
|
April 2, 2007 9:21 PM ET ------ Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA |
#1 Florida
30-5, 13-3 SEC East
Roster | Schedule
|
Opponent: All Buckeye fans know what’s at stake here. Florida has a chance to beat OSU in both the football and basketball championships within a three month window. The only difference is that the roles are reversed. This time, Florida is the hunted and the Buckeyes get to play the role of upstart underdog. Additionally, Billy Donovan’s troops are looking to become the first back-to-back national champion since Duke did it back in ’91-’92.
The Gators earned a spot in the title game easily dispatching UCLA 76-66 on the strength of 53% FG shooting including 41% (9-22) from deep. Defensively, Florida held UCLA to 21% (5-13) from behind the arc and dominated the glass (42-25). These guys are the best team in the country and pulling the upset is going to require everyone’s max effort, most specifically on the backboards. The Gators produced a +14 rebounding margin in the December match-up and if that effort is duplicated Monday, they’ll again cut down the nets. Florida nearly burned off the nets in December, killing the buckeyes with 60% shooting including 9-18 on triple tries while holding OSU to 36% from the floor. For the tournament, Florida is averaging 82.4 ppg while holding opponents to 67.2 ppg.
Key Players: These guys have more weapons than Al-Qaeda. Swingman Corey Brewer led Florida with 19 against UCLA (4-5 3FGs) and the backcourt of Lee Humphrey and Taurean Green combined for 24 points. The Gators have a huge size advantage on the frontline. 6’10†Al Horford is their most polished big guy and he comes in averaging 13.1 points and 9.4 boards per game. Donovan led everyone to believe Horford wouldn’t play in the December match up but Big Al produced a double double (11, 11) in 28 minutes. 6’11†Joakim Noah presents a match up problem because of his versatility. As much as I can’t stand his on court antics, Noah is unquestionably the face of this team and averages 12.1 points and 8.6 boards per contest. 6’9†back up center Chris Richard will be playing with confidence after a 16 point performance against UCLA in which he didn’t miss a shot (7-7 FG, 2-2 FT).
Notes: Pat Forde notes Florida is 17-0 in postseason tournament play during their 2 year run -- the longest streak since UCLA won 28 in a row from ’67 – ’73.
Buckeye Breakdown: After tweaking the 2-3 zone against the Hoyas to limit the high post entry pass, will the Buckeyes test fate and play zone against Florida? They might have to because they don’t match up well on the front line. Matta may elect to at least start in zone to protect Oden and hope the Florida shooters struggle from the outside. The match up zone held Georgetown to 33% shooting from behind the arc although the Gator shooters are much more deadly than Jessie Sapp, Johathan Wallace and Dejuan Summers. Offensively, the Buckeyes need Butler to show up along with Conley and Oden because Ron Lewis might have some trouble against Florida’s Corey Brewer. Ohio State flat out quit in Gainesville but the team’s maturity level has grown significantly since. Bottom line, no matter the strategy, OSU will need to be clicking on all cylinders and Florida will need to make some mistakes in order for the Buckeyes to claim their first national title since 1960.
Key Players: Obviously, Oden has to play at least 30 minutes for OSU to have a chance but that likely won’t matter if the Buckeyes don’t shoot at least 50% from the floor. As noted, Lewis against Brewer will be a key match up. Ron Ron must rebound from a 1-8 performance against G-Town if the Bucks are to have a chance to pull the upset. The Buckeye bench outscored the Hoyas 11-0 and produced a 10-5 edge on the glass. Othello Hunter and Turdwiggler had 7 of the 10 boards while David Lighty chipped in 5 points while limiting Jeff Green’s touches at the other end. Depending on Matta’s sub pattern and choice of defenses, Lighty could spend some time trying to contain Brewer. Hunter could see extended minutes as OSU attempts to match the athleticism of Florida's bigs.
Notes: OSU has now won 22 straight games...Gregg Doyel of CBS thinks the game is a mismatch...OSU is making their 5th appearance in the title game and first since 1962 (loss to UC)...This marks the 4th straight season that Oden and Conley will play for a championship...OSU is 22-0 when they outrebound the opponent...Matta is 12-5 in the tournament and has taken all 6 of his postseason-eligible teams to the big dance.
Comments
We may be witnessing a superstar in the making. Oden? Well, maybe(NBA). But Conley might be the next great all-time Buckeye superstar. There will have to be other contributing factors. Will Lewis rise up again? Will Butler or Harris drain some big 3's? Will the big guys on the bench (Hunter & The Wiggler) continue to put up quality minutes? Will Cook ever realize that his drives to the lane should be first & his 3's be secondary? Will Oden stay out of foul trouble...therefore remain a defensive threat...& put a double-double type numbers & a few swats? There's a bunch of questions there & a few of them if not all have to favor the Bucks way. But I have no question that Conley will continue to give a maximum effort & do what it takes (pass, shoot, create, steals, etc.) to give the Bucks a chance. I think it'll be a nail-biter, but I have a feeling. OSU 69 UF 67
The Buckeyes couldn't play with Florida, they knew it and they just wanted to get the hell out of there.
Three months later, I'm supposed to believe the outcome will be considerably different?
Damn straight the outcome is going to be different.......Florida is definitely good but if the big "O" can give us some blocks and rebounds it should be a Bucks victory.
Horford is the Gators' best player, but Brewer is their toughest player to defend. If he's hitting his outside shot, it's just about impossible to stop him - and for Florida to lose.
Big pimpin.
http://i170.photobucket.com/al...
That pic is awesome. Even though he'll be getting girls that are 100x hotter after college, hopefully the girls in the dorms can persuade him to stay.
The girl on the right is either tired or just took a peak down his pants.
This one is even better:
http://cache.deadspin.com/imag...
It's on! 9 hours and counting.
Wonk has a pretty good game review up as well.
Buckeyes 85, Gators 80
From CBS sportsline:
"The Buckeyes and Gators tip off tonight in what could be the biggest title yawner since 1990."
I love that nobody is giving us a chance...
OSU 73
UF 72
Turdwiggler named MOP with 20pts, 12 reb.
I love the underdog role as well.
OSU 81
Flordia 78
Butler is killing us again.
They're hitting shots. These Gators be good.
tOSU has missed a lot of open shots. When we play the next half on the easy side those should start to fall.
Turnovers - Ouch even Conley. Stop those or we are done.
The Refs are weak touch fouls all over for both sides let them play. What was up with the one on Butler???
It will be hard for FLA to get to pumped up since they waxed tOSU by almost thirty in Game 1 and are up by 11 at half.
Biggest play of the game 3 on Noah.
Games over at 15:45 of the 2nd half. We just can't hit an outside shot.
Not taking ad of Noah being out is not good.
No 3's = no win.
You have to love Harris' effort this is a first for him.
Brewer is a Stud he no doubt the key to this team.
It all starts with His D.
Humphrey is unconscious.
Has Butler hit a shot in this tourney? I won't be missing him next year.
And I wish they would quit showing the Spaz sitting on the bench.
Disappointing end to a pretty good year.
One man to blame for this loss: Jamar Butler. Just to be clear, I'm a big fan of his, but he didn't show up tonight, and he could have been the difference. Losing track of Humphrey - even a couple times - was inexcusable, and he missed at least three WIDE open looks. All this while his teammates were doing EVERYTHING you could ask of them. Take away even one of Humphrey's threes and replace it with even one by Jamar - before, let's say, the nine-minute mark - and this would have been a very different game. Too bad for him.
And TLB?: Butler's a JUNIOR. He'll be back next year. And, even though I just blamed him for this loss, that's still fantastic news for us.
FIVE WORDS......I.....HATE.....THE.....YEAR.....2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think the biggest slap in the face was when they showed Tress and Meyer in the stands...."one's smiling and one isn't".....I hate the world right now....very bitter and very mad....I think I'm going to go break something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tonight sucked.. make some outside shots.. just a couple and maybe it's a different game. It doesn't hurt as bad as the BCS game, but damn near.
We couldn't make any 3's, we didn't get the loose balls, we didn't make our free throws, & nobody stepped up besides Oden. Florida covered it all. They did everything we couldn't do.
It stings...once again. But I feel confident that Matta will make things interesting for Buckeyes' hoops fans in the coming years. It was a great run. They were a better team.
At least Florida loses their top 7 from this squad, while the Bucks should be plenty good next season as well -- even without Oden.
What can you really say? We lost to a BETTER team. Even if we would've shot better, that Florida team got every loose ball and seemed to emerge from every broken play / scrum with a wide open 3-look for humphrey or green or brewer...If we played Florida 10 times on neutral floor, they'd win 8.
Hopefully, this will motivate Oden to stay another year to deliver the Banner he promised Matta. Oden and Conley were the only players not to let me down last night. I think butler's first FG came with about 30 seconds left...Nice.
We did lose to a better team and I really think this is just the beginning for OSU basketball. Remember, bball used to be something to hold us over in between the bowl game and the spring game. Four years ago, we went 14-16 and went on probation a year later. Now we are in the championship game, with 9 scholarship players and 4 freshmen. As long as Thad is here, we are going to be in this type of situation quite a few times. I know we lost 2 National Championship games this year, but what other school can say their football and basketball teams went a combined 47-5? I think it a great time to be a true Buckeye fan.
Oden will stay.
You really think Oden will stay? I guess he's have a hard time leaving Conley & I'm sure he'd like to win one. But do you really think he'd stay? On Mike & Mike this morning, everyone was saying what we already knew. That Oden is easily the consensus #1 pick. No matter how good Durant looked this season, Oden is a defensive presence that doesn't come along that often & he finally showed the world that he can also dominate on the offensive end. His game is just beginning. He'll continue to develop that drop step & his hook shot will get better as he goes along as well. I think the chances of Oden staying is about 10%.
http://www.theonion.com/conten...
Oden is staying. Conley will talk him into it. One more year so he can deliver the championship banner he promised Matta.
Yesterday, it was ESPN's Simmons trying to sway Conley to the NBA. Today, it's CBS' Doyel. Why is it so important to all of the columnists to persuade kids to the pro's? I understand there is a lot of money invloved, but why do they always feel it is a must for these kids to turn pro? For every kid turned pro that was succesfull, there are dozens of flops. Besides, these kids...and I do mean kids...have only one chance at college experience. Not only athletically, but socially & for their education.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/colu...
I am a douche.
Thank you, that is all.
If Billy Packer is scheduled to do the final four next year. I will assassinate him myself. I mean he is awful. Huh Oden looks really tired out there, no shit Bill you think so? 3 future NBA bigmen rotating in to take potshots at you under the hoop all night. Yeah he may be a little tuckered out. Lets make sure we mention it 25 times over the last 10 minutes of the game. Also classic of Nantz pointing out that Oden wasn't going to be MOP in a losing effort. Bill got a little man crush going late in the game.
I've felt all year that Oden may stay for two years. I believe him and Conley have talked about wining an NCAA championship and he can continue to develop his offensive moves to be more of an impact player in the NBA. I also feel if a kid has the mindset of "one and done" he probably does not achieve a 3.7 GPA that Oden has thus far. Plus the amount of young bitches knocking down his door, is giving him Wilt Chamberlain type numbers before he is 19. The pictures above are evidence of that.
However, after Monday's preformance, I feel less hopeful about my prediction.
To Veronica Corningstone:
"I don't normally do this, but I felt compelled to tell you something. You have an absolutely breath-taking... heiney. I mean, that thing's good. I wanna be friends with it."
Mike Conley Jr. goes to the line and we get a shot of his Dad. Keith Richards goes to the line and he gets a shot of his dad.
http://www.nme.com/news/the-ro...