Gameday Preview: UMass vs. OSU
 Ohio State 23-13, 10-8 Big Ten Roster | Schedule |
April 3, 2008 7:00 PM ET – ESPN —— The Garden New York, NY |
 UMass 25-10, 10-6 A-10 Roster | Schedule |
OPPONENT: UMass comes into the NIT finals as a fairly hot team, winning 10 of their last 11 games. They have come back from double digit deficits in 3 of their 4 tournament games, including a 22 pointer at Syracuse. The Minutemen are coached by Travis Ford, one of the sexiest names for open coaching positions around the country and a former bomber from Pitino’s days at Kentucky.
UMass likes an up-tempo style of play and that is reflected in their 81.4 points per game. They are not the best shooting team OSU has faced this year, connecting on just 44 percent overall, 35.6 percent from deep and 67 percent from the charity stripe. They do make over 9 threeballs per contest and dish out 15.6 assists, but get outrebounded by -1.6 and turn it over 13.5 times a game. I did not see them play Florida, but I expect to see a helter skelter defense, evident from their 7.4 steals and 7.5 blocks per contest.
KEY PLAYERS: Four of UMass’s five starters are New York natives, so there will be more than the 237 people who watched Ohio State’s semi-final game, but they don’t seem to be a very deep team. Gary Forbes, a 6′7″ senior from Brooklyn, leads this team in scoring (19.5) and rebounding (7.6). Forbes doesn’t appear to be the “best” shooter, connecting on only 41 percent overall and 30 percent from deep, but he has attempted 551 shots and 236 free throws.
Ricky Harris, a 6′2″ sophomore, comes in scoring 18 points a game and has attempted 266 three pointers. He connects on almost 37 percent of his bombs, but only averages 2.5 boards and 1.7 assists. Etienne Brower is a 6′8″ senior who is second on the team with 6.7 rebounds and third with 12.5 points. He too likes the threeball, taking 182 of his 306 shots from there and making 43 percent of them.
Chris Lowe is a 6′0″ junior who is the other member to average over 30 minutes a game, he comes in averaging 11.9 points and a team leading 6.2 assists. Dante Milligan is a 6′9″ senior who hails from NYC. On the season he is averaging 9 points and 5.8 rebounds in only 19 minutes of play, but may sense his career ending as he went for 30 points and 23 rebounds in his last two.
No one else on their team seems worthy of my time.
NOTES: This is the first post season tournament final for UMass… The Minutemen went just over 10 minutes without a FG against Floridia… Travis Ford is rumored to be leaving for LSU after the game… The best wins for UMass this season are Syracuse twice and Dayton…
BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN: I have said from the beginning I liked the NIT bid. That sentiment has spread quickly throughout Buckeye Nation, as we have watched this team put on a display of hoops we have not seen all year and I have no doubt this is a spring board for next year. Can you hear all the haters though when we win this championship? Fuck ‘em, it’s been fun.
Ohio State has shot 51 percent in this tournament, an obvious by-product of extra practice time and have scored more than 70 points in four straight for the first time all season. Their defense has been suffocating leading to 23 blocks, 34 steals and a 14.5 point winning margin, while holding teams to 43.2 percent shooting.
Four Buckeyes are still averaging in double figures lead by Jamar’s 17.5 and Kosta’s 17.3, followed by D-Light’s 11.5 and Othello’s 10.3 points. O-Hunter also leads Ohio State with 7.5 rebounds a game, while Koufos is grabbing five and a half. Turner may have had his best game of the season Tuesday with 17 points, 8 boards, 5 assists and 4 steals. That game pushed his tourney average to 8.3 points a game and his 10 steals matches Lighty for the team lead.
NOTES: Koufos is shooting 70 percent (32-46) for the tournament… This is the third NIT finals for OSU, beating Wyoming in 1986 and losing to UConn in 1988… Ohio State’s 58 wins over the last two seasons are the most in consecutive seasons, as are the 75 games played… Matta is 12-6 in the NCAA and 4-0 in the NIT…
I think the uptempo style of game actually works in our favor. This Bucks team seems to do much better when they are running and not forced into a half-court set.
While its not a national championship, I think its great this team has found a new life in the NIT. Not only is it good that they can win a post-season title, but it has to help serve as a motivator for next year.
Tournament experience is the key here for the young players. Playing games 2 days apart, one day for preparing for the next team…it’s all good for next year.
Plus, I’m always up for a new banner in the Schott…or I guess in this case, a “2008″ on the existing banner.
My better half is a UMass alumni. We have wagered dinner @ Red Lobster over the game. I hope she’s ready to buy an Ultimate Feast with a king crab add-on.
Mark, you should make her wear a complete Buckeye outfit to dinner.
Did anyone else notice the Dispatch headline today?
“Buckeyes pursue happy ending”
Good to know the Bucks pursue the same thing we all do…
Wil, I think Frosty is more excited that his wife is actually going to watch a sporting event.
Good point, I guess if I could get my lady friend to watch a sporting event with me, I probably wouldn’t push it either.
Is the dispatch headline a hint that Antonio Henton is performing well?
Believe me, I’ll still be fighting with her over watching the game regardless. I’m sure there’ll be some sort of reality tv show or a washed-up-musician dating show on VH1 she’ll be trying to make me watch.
Mark, get another TV. My marriage got remarkably better after I bought a second Tivo for her to use.
Mark, I’m just glad I’m not the only man that has to suffer through the continual reality shows that seem to be recording on the Tivo.
I’m thinking about starting a support group.
I didn’t get to scout UMass because I’d rather watch American Idol. At least I tell myself that to feel like I wear the pants in the family.
Not all of them are bad. I get suckered into watching a bunch of reality crap but I admittedly do NOT miss an episode of The Hills…Whitney is some tasty vittles. Ooh la la Sasoon!
We have a new HD TiVo w/ dual-tuner cable card. It’s completely awesome. I also never get my paws on it b/c the wife has claimed it as hers.
There is no fighting. If a sporting event is on, it is on the 58″ plasma in glorious HD. Of course, I was smart enough to marry someone who likes to watch sports.
I do need another TV. We only have one HD TV (50″) with a DVR. The other TVs in the house are old dinosaurs. I battle just about every night with her though. I could watch every Buckeyes, Cavs, Jackets, & Tribe game on right now if she’d let me. I occasionally give in on the other teams but do not cave on the Bucks.
I don’t mind some reality shows. I like the Amazing Race & Hell’s Kitchen.
http://www.mtv.com/onair/the_hills/season_3/assets/images/flipbooks/cast/whitney/01_Whitney_042.jpg
I’m glad to see my “hard work” getting turned into a reality TV open thread. However, it seems appropriate since I had to sit through a Bachelor episode with an American Idol back up while I typed this preview last night.
I have to watch waaaaaaaayyyyy to much of that crap! But I’ll admit, you can get sucked into some of them.
These comments seem to support my original theory here.
“11W readers pursue happy ending” We will do whatever it takes.
Sorry guys, but Survivor is on @ 8. At least you can catch the first half of the game.
Why do our guys get stripped of the ball so often when they go into the paint?
Not exactly off to a hot start.
I hope the officiating on Saturday is a lot better than this.
I have had enough with the love-fest for their guard. He ain’t all that.
Yeah, Butler’s lighting these guys up tonight.
Woooo-hooo! t-shirts!
Great win and great momentum for the underclassmen for next year. Gotta feel good for the seniors going out with a victory, few college players ever earn that honor. It’s been a tough season to stomach at times, but thanks to this team reminding us it’s still good to be a Buckeye.
On a negative note, PJ Hill is still a waste of a scholarship and Diebler has about 7 months to get his shit togother, other than that, brights skies on the horizon.
Congrats on the shirts, Vico.
Tyler, the future does look bright. Evan Turner and Koufos alone should make this a top 25 team. Add in Mullens, some hopeful growth from Lighty and Diebler and a miracle season out of Hill and we’re talking top 15.
I haven’t seen much (make that anything) of Noopy Crater, but after watching Hill unproductively bounce around looking like Buckwheat’s little sister this year, I’m betting on the frosh running the point in ‘09.
Evan Turner will be our starting point guard next year.