No Dallas, no danceThad Matta received a double dose of bad news along the baseline in the form of a minor injury an announcement of ineligibility.
First up is the NCAA's decision that juco transfer Nikola Kecman must sit out the first 12 games as punishment for playing for a Serbian team featuring professional players.
Though it was determined by both the NCAA and OSU that Kecman wasn't paid to play, he was still put on ice because players were provided "more than actual and necessary expenses" as the team transitioned from amateur to professional status.
It wasn't disclosed what might have actually been provided but our sources indicate Kecman may have received 5 pairs of stonewashed Lee jeans and some old school size 13 light up L.A. Gear high-tops.
The decision was a joint one between the NCAA and the school making it hard for the fan base to complain. Plus, Matta knew the risk when he signed Kecman as rumors were already swirling regarding a potential question of eligibility.
On the injury front, Bob Baptist reported Tuesday that Dallas Lauderdale suffered a minor shoulder sprain during the Sunday scrimmage against Miami University.
Matta will keep Lauderdale out of the Nov. 13 exhibition against Walsh but DL should be back in time for the regular season opener Nov. 20 against Delaware State.
While the injury isn't reported as serious it's still a minor issue on two fronts. First, Lauderdale has, by all accounts, had an exceptional off season improving his skills and subsequently his confidence. An injury of any kind is significant as it slows his progress in a year in which Matta needs all he can get from the 6'8" post man with a 7'4" wingspan.
Obviously, it's huge that Lauderdale fully heals before getting back on the court because this team can't afford for him to have a lingering injury hampering his minutes or effectiveness once conference play begins.
Second, if the injury does linger, it puts a lot more pressure on 7'0" freshman B.J. Mullens. I view this as somewhat significant because I'm simply not sold on Mullens being a force from day one. He was certainly dominant against Division II high school competition but from what I've seen, his offensive game needs polish and though he checks in at 275 lbs., he can be pushed out of position on the low block.
Having Lauderdale take the pressure off will be key to Mullens seeing early success and gaining his own confidence as he feels his way through the non-conference schedule.
Touching on the Miami scrimmage in which Lauderdale was hurt, reports indicate OSU lost both halves (24-15 an 24-23) to a veteran Redhawk squad with eyes on an invite the the big dance.
Comments
dude...where did he get the shoes...? i've been looking for ages for those...i think i just soiled myself
Can we all agree that, next to the IRS, the NCAA is the most faceless, uncaring bureacracy that annually and routinely issues edicts and mandates that punish players and programs for asinine reasons?
I think Bosworth said it best, Kyle...National Communists Against Athletes (or something like that...wow, kinda embarassed to be propping The Boz)...
we lost to Miami?
Ouch
they've got 4 returning seniors and predicted to be 2nd in the MAC. They're pretty legit. I wouldn't put too much stock in it though --- a lot of improvement will occur from now to end of non-conf schedule considering how young this squad is...
Chris don't be ashamed of giving love to the Boz. We can all agree Stone Cold is an underapreciated piece of cinematic gold.
Agreed. It's no Zoolander, but it's still pretty dope.
Stone Cold for the win
These are from Slovakia. They're called Adidums, and they have four stripes instead of three. So for less money, I was able to get extra stripe. Is very good deal.
if theres one thing we have learned from this tragic exhibition loss to miami, its that a male models life is a precious, precious commodity. just because we have chisled abs and stunning features, doesnt mean that we too cant not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.
Don't sweat the scrimmage loss to Miami. This is a very, very young team, and they will probably gel late in the season - hopefully by the start of the Big T(elev)en run.
They may not win them all, but I think they'll be entertaining to watch.
The loss to Miami reminds of a time when I was rappelling:
So I'm rappelling down Mount Vesuvius when suddenly I slip, and I start to fall. I mean, I'm about to die. Just falling, ahh ahh, I'll never forget the terror. When suddenly I realize "Holy shit, Tyler, haven't you been smoking Peyote for six straight days, and couldn't some of this maybe be in your head?"
It was. I was totally fine. I've never even been to Mount Vesuvius. So maybe the Bucks didn't really lose to Miami either...it was a lot of Peyote.
"No Dallas, no dance", no doubt. Relying on Mullens and other younsters early is not realistic and you have to rack up some wins before the New Year to make it. It seems like a lot of bubble teams are in that position because of slow starts. Joe is right. They will gel eventually, but hopefully the returners can hold down the fort until that happens.
Doesn't Lauderdale look amazing, from a physical standpoint? Dallas is longer in the limbs, but I think he reminds me a bit of Perry Carter.
Lauderdale does look pretty cut up this year. Besides being able to hold position more effectively, I think the real benefit is he's way more conditioned because he knows he's gonna play 30min a night if he can stay of foul trouble. If he Mullens can log significant minutes together this team can make some noise.
I agree that Dallas will play a huge role this year, and may ultimately determine how far they go. He's physical and not afraid to mix it up, which this team will need. Looking forward to seeing some bodies hit the floor. I'm hoping that the chemistry is much better this year and that they find their identity at some point. It may take a while, but Matta is a good coach and I'm confident that he'll bring them around. Evan Turner has the potential to be a star and will help them tremendously when they need a bucket at the end of the game. We'll have to wait and see how good Anthony Crater and William Buford are. They're still very young and we have to be patient with them early on.