Gameday Preview: Ohio State vs. #19 Michigan St.
 Ohio State 19-12, 10-8 Big Ten Roster | Schedule |
March 14, 2008 2:30 PM ET – ESPN —— Conseco Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
 #19 Michigan State 24-7, 12-6 Big Ten Roster | Schedule |
OPPONENT: For the second time in less than a week, Michigan State stands in the way of Ohio State’s tournament hopes. MSU became sloppy with the rock in the second half and fell to Ohio State 63-54 on Sunday. Sparty has been plagued by turnovers all season averaging 14 per game on the season, it was no different Sunday as OSU managed to create 21 turnovers leading to 28 points, helping offset their minus 12 rebounding margin.
It would be redundant of me to do the same preview twice in 5 days, so I refer you here if you did not get to read Sunday’s. We all know Tom Izzo is a great coach and it will be interesting to see how he tries to beat OSU’s defensive pressure. They were successful early on Sunday, but once Ohio State started rotating better within the zone, every shot was contended.
KEY PLAYERS: Michigan State has only two players who average in double figures, Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel. Morgan is clearly the best player on both teams and like Jamar Butler was jobbed this week when losing out to Neitzel in all conference honors. Raymar went 9-12 from the floor Sunday and his mid range jumper could be a zone killer today. Neitzel hit his first two shots and then proceeded to miss his last seven.
If Ohio State can shut down Goran Suton and Drew Naymick once again, the same result is very possible. They both made the most of their elbow jumpers on Sunday, but did not exploit it the whole game. I will not be surprised if Izzo has these two working two man games in Ohio State’s zone pockets.
Kalin Lucas handled the ball well and Chris Allen hit his first three shots (all bombs), but Ohio State clamped down on both of them when they extended the pressure. After making five threes as a team in the first, MSU made zero in the second half. Durrell Summers did not score and luckily Marquise Gray played only 13 minutes, as he had 6 points and 7 boards.
NOTES: Michigan State has not been to a Big Ten touney final since 2000, they are 11-8 all time… Raymar Morgan is 35-50 from the floor in the last 6 games… MSU lost to OSU 51-50 in their only tourney meeting in 2003, losing on the infamous Charles Bass banked free throw with 6.3 left… Izzo is 50-25 in his career during March…
BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN: OSU has been comfortably on the bubble for weeks now, Wednesday they were in, Thursday they were the last team out. Luckily many other bubble teams have lost early in their conference tournaments and there is no doubt the Buckeyes are in the Big Dance with a win, which means my Vegas trip just got a whole lot cooler
Fresh off his 11W interview, the Dispatch’s Bob Babtist did the same with Thad Matta yesterday and the last question struck me. In Thad’s 6 years as an assistant and 7 years as a head coach, none of his teams have failed to win at least one conference tournament game, he is 6-2 in the Big Ten tourney. His team peaked last year at this time and with the wins against Purdue and Michigan State last week, this team is set to do the same.
They started to look inside consistently and got to the line, 52 attempts last week, which has lead to increased field goal percentage and scoring. This young team has to continue that mind set offensively today and must extend their zone beyond the arc from the opening tip. If these factors can hold true, Thad will have added another gem to his resume’ and all entries for Eleven Warriors Steak Knives will have identical national champions, er I mean runner-ups.
KEY PLAYERS: I said it last week before Purdue, Jamar Butler is going to lead this team on a Randolph Childress like run here in the tourney. He found his legs and the free throw line (16/16) last week, earning his first Big Ten POW award this year, after averaging 22.5 points and making 7 of 12 from downtown. Butler may have some extra juice today, as he looks to avenge Drew Neitzel’s robbing of his first team coaches selection.
The Wiggler perhaps senses his basketball career coming to an end, playing big minutes in both games last week. Ohio State is now 31-1 when Wiggs scores 4 or more points. I thought his defense was at its season best last week, couple that with Othello Hunter’s play and this was OSU’s best big man combo. Hunter scored 28 points and made 11 of his 18 shots.
D-Light and Evan Turner continued to grow with solid all around games. Turner’s wrist is a concern, as he hit only 1-6 shots Sunday, but he could cause havoc with his continued penetrating. Lighty is starting to come around on offense, hitting all of his shots Sunday in route to 12 points, but he has struggled on the road this year. Diebler also struggled on the road this year and has become a non factor recently, any points from him will be a bonus.
NOTES: OSU has won 5 of 6 tournament games… Butler tied the career mark for games played at 133… OSU had a similar scenario last year, finishing the season against Michigan and then facing them in the first round… The game is also on ESPN360, for all of those stuck at work…
With losses yesterday by Arizona (why do people like them so much), Baylor, Villanova, Oregon, UMass, UNLV, Dayton, Florida, Maryland, New Mexico, Ole Miss, and a horrible call costing Arizona St., a win today should assure tOSU of a tourney trip.
If we can limit the number of 2nd chance points Sparty gets, I think we will be in pretty good shape.
damn, i’m not sure if i’m doing something wrong or not, but I can’t seem to get on the espn360 thing. it tells me that my carrier doesn’t offer it, then i’m stuck. anyone else?
You might have to have AT&T service, which I didn’t realize last night. I am using it for the first time today and I must admit how slick it is.
I’m stuck in F5 (refresh) land for the duration. Go Bucks!
And, TLB, the problem you have with with people liking Arizona is probably similar to what other fans feel about OSU. Tradition gets you a little bit, for sure.
Probably is tradition and the thought that the Pac-10 is the best conference in the country. Lunardi still has all 3 teams that lost yesterday firmly in the field. I can understand ASU because they got screwed but the other 2 are not as good as tOSU.
I watched a lot of Pac-10 games this year (only thing on my FSN HD channel) and while they have UCLA, Stanford and Wash. St., the rest of them are mediocre.
If Arizona gets in it will be only because they have a 23 year streak and the committee doesn’t want to break it when Lute is out on leave. Their team is no longer loaded with future NBA talent, most of their guys wouldn’t even be in the D League.
Turdwilliger over KK. Suprising.
Wisky took UM to the woodshed.
If anyone is watching the game and near a computer, how about a little color commentary for those of us stuck at work?
is there an online radio feed?
Playing solid. Were giving MSU too many open looks from 3 land. EA is looking gorgeous!
Game is off to a familiar start………get down early then try to battle back……..can’t ever seem to get that bucket to get over the hump.
And now Butler has 2 stupid fouls.
found it, 1460 the fan, but damn it sux. 2 minutes of commercials before you get the live feed? b/s!!!!!
That 1460 feed has ESPN talk radio on.. are you getting the game?
nevermind. it says it will be the game, but then i get the stupid mike terico show? wtf??!!
Koufos’s new nickname: “The Greek Hammer”
what’s the fm feed? anyone remember? 97.9?
Tuggletime wants to know when they are retiring Wigglers number.
AIR KOUFOS. Now if only Terwilliger had the kind of Greek hops that Koufos has.
KK’s dunk was reminiscent of Oden’s last year in the Big Dance, except he made it! OSU is starting to play with some passion, especially KK, which is refreshing.
Hunter hurt. Went to the locker room.
97.1 is the FM feed in Columbus.
why the F#$% is there no live radio feed on the interweb??!! what good is it if i can’t waste time at work listening to my alma mater play in the tourney??!!
thanks corey, i’ve already tried them & they are not playing it. online at least. oh yeah, hurry up with those photos you’re “cropping”, please. some of us are in EA withdrawal
I think Othello got banged up from a fall somewhere around the 4 or 5 minute mark. It looked like one of those “winded” type of things, but I’m definitely not in the know.
Koufos has been absolutely wonderful.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Butler paid immediate dividends after being put in for the final 30 seconds. Nice way for the Bucks to rebound from some hot shooting from Neitzel, beating the Buckeyes in the transition game, and some stingy defense from the 10 minute mark on.
Go Bucks!
Hunter’s okay…Butler’s big 3 ties it at 30 at the half. Great set play to finish the half. Koufos was a total beast — 13 pts, 5 boards, 1 block — off the bench.
FacefullofBeanie, one of your students doesn’t have a boom box?
Tennessee is in trouble.
ha ha ha. i’m f’n proctoring a state required test, no noise allowed. i need something i can plug headphones into. btw, found a stupid pay-only official buckeyes site, but it’s 6.95$ a month. greedy bastards!
bah, not really. They have the benefit of playing S. Carolina. Oh well, the upset would’ve been neat.
Why do Bruce Pearl teams hate playing defense?
Vico, I forgot ESPN360 is a touch behind on my lap top. I would take the day off, if I wasn’t going to Vegas next week.
Actually, it probably helps if UNC, Tennessee and Butler all win their conference tournament.
Do we want Va. Tech or Miami?
Va Tech was 18-12, 9-7 in conference, Miami was 22-9, 8-8.
heh, no biggie, I live in the South and was watching the game live. S. Carolina put on easily their best performance of the season, which would’ve been enough if only they weren’t S. Carolina. Them’s the breaks, though. For a minute, though, I thought they could do it.
And that was clearly a foul on Chism in the final seconds. The inbounding play that followed tells the story of S. Carolina’s season.
And back to the Buckeyes’ game.
and i thought i got frustrated WATCHING the bucks play this year. turns out, NOT being able to watch OR listen is certainly more frustrating!
waiting for the espn gametracker to refresh is painful!
Musberger is talking more about the pep band and the “early contenders” to dot the I rather than talking about the game.
I have the ESPN RealTime tracker up, which is better than nothing, but audio would be nice.
Showing MSU 33-32 with 15:05 left.
yep..33-32…lighty just fouled dude in act of shooting…horrible call – bailout in front of MSU bench…
The Bucks haven’t scored since the opening seconds of the half. Nobody has scored for more than 3 minutes (Sparty just got to the line, though). Koufos had two nice post-ups and never got the ball, and when he finally did, he stiffarmed it. Dammit people, if Koufos is posted up, give him the damn ball.
Emotions are getting the best of OSU. KK just picked up 3 fouls in like a minute and then Othello fouls and then gets T’d up.
and the Pac 10 Officiating Crew has made to Indianapolis…
Refs are on the take…3 fouls on koufos in like 20 seconds (1 legit) then Hunter called for foul – protested then he got a T…game changing…37-34 MSU after T shots..Suton then hit both ft’s to make it 39-34 with 12:39 left…
What a horrible foul sequence on Koufos there.
who knew you could get a technical for clapping your hands?
Koufos needs to grow up and let it go.
Good thing I’m not at home, because I’d probably be throwing things based on your ref reports.
Still a lot of time to play.
Are the make up calls coming?
I think O-Hawk got T’d up for clapping his lips, not his hands.
Looks like we’re just trading baskets at this point.
Is Butler even playing?
The refs finally fell for Allen’s falling down after he shoots trick.
Sick moves from Lighty. Where has that been all year? Nietzel is killing us. 21 points already.
Fouls are killing us. 9-4 this half. Guess the Big 10 would rather have MSU move on in their tourney than have tOSU in the big dance.
Yes Butler is playing haha. Nice 3.
I can’t recall a game that has been refereed this differently from half to half. You could have mugged someone in the first half with no call, now you can’t breath on someone.
Sparty is starting to pull away…
I love Evan Turner but he is absolutely killing us today…gotta be at least 5 turnovers
17 offensive rebounds for MSU. That is what is killing us……..again
Offensive rebounds: same story, different day.
I blame Clarett.
Listening to the MSU announcers on XM. They are as surprised at some of the calls as buckeye fans are.
I blame the terrorists.
What a frustrating season. Congrats, guys, on being the worst Matta-coached Ohio State team.
Oh well, it’s up to the selection commitee now
I just forget how young this team is and we have never been good at beating the refs as well. That foul sequence in the second half was the difference maker, we never recovered from that. Plus we started missing free throws and MSU hit all of their’s. They made 7 more freebies than we did.
Mental toughness we do not have. No way for us to come back from that T.
46 RPI (probably a couple spots lower now, actually)? 2-10 against the top 50? Helloooooooooo NIT!
I do think that 5 fouls in less than 2 minutes sequence did kill us…..but if we had hit our free throws or had got a respectable amount of rebounds then we would have still had a chance.
I meant gotten…..I think I am getting dumber the more I watch our basketball team this year.
70 comments for a Buckeye basketball threat. Holy frijoles, I’ve never seen that at 11W.
I’ll take solace in knowing I don’t think we hurt ourselves as badly as a team like Florida, Maryland or Syracuse did. But still, what a bad opening round for bubble teams… more importantly our own.
btw, Hunter was awesome the whole game (10pts, 7rebs, 5blocks). It’s a shame he was on the business end of the referees’ whistles around the 13 minute mark.
err, I should proofread my comments more: *thread, not threat.
I refuse to watch the NIT. The only good thing about this is I won’t be such a homer and fuck up my bracket by taking this team past the first round.
we got jobbed by the officials when othello got the technical and the refs seemed to kind of turn on us from that point. not normally one who blames officials for outcomes, but they were definitely a factor today.
the refs did play a huge roll in this game the off. foul on kosta was the worst call ive seen in a long long time. Lots of turnovers and offensive rebounds in the second half but you have to expect that in a zone d.