Just take care of the rock tonight.
#5 Ohio State
29-7, 14-4 Big Ten
Roster | Schedule
|
March 26, 2010 7:00 PM ET - CBS —— Edward Jones Arena St. Louis, MO |
#15 Tennessee
27-8, 11-5 SEC
Roster | Schedule
|
The Buckeyes and Volunteers have battled 3 times in the last 4 years, with the games being decided by a total of 8 points. Tennessee has never made it past the Sweet 16 and the Bucks are looking for their second Elite 8 appearance in the last 4 years.
The Vols have won their first 2 games by an average of 9 points, dispatching of San Diego St. by 3 and spoiling the Groce/Matta reunion, by beating Ohio U. 83-68. UT has an RPI ranking of 10, with wins over Kentucky (but lost to the 'Cats by 30 two weeks ago) and Kansas, but they went 3-5 overall against the top 25 and 4-6 against the RPI top 50.
Meanwhile, OSU has won 18 of their last 20 and won the first 2 tourney games by an average of 13 points. The Buckeyes are 8-3 in the tournament under Thad Matta and they're favored by 4.5 tonight. With Syracuse losing, this veteran group knows they are the co-highest seed remaining on the left side of the bracket and have a legit chance to make a run to the title game.
| # | Name | PTS | REB | ASST | POS | # | Name | PTS | REB | ASST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Evan Turner | 20.0 | 9.2 | 6.0 | G | 3 | Bobby Maze | 9.4 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| 33 | John Diebler | 13.3 | 2.8 | 1.5 | G | 30 | J.P. Prince | 9.7 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| 44 | William Buford | 14.4 | 5.7 | 3.1 | F | 32 | Scotty Hopson | 12.5 | 3.3 | 1.3 |
| 23 | David Lighty | 12.8 | 4.6 | 2.9 | F | 4 | Wayne Chism | 12.3 | 7.2 | 1.1 |
| 52 | Dallas Lauderdale | 6.6 | 5.2 | 0.2 | C | 33 | Brian Williams | 5.2 | 6.0 | 0.7 |
Opponent
Tennessee scores 73.6 points a game on 45.4 percent shooting overall and 31.8 from deep. Opponents score 65 a game on 39.3 percent shooting against the Vols, including a stingy 29.3 from beyond the arc. Alex broke down the "Pearl Press" yesterday, and how OSU can beat it, because UT forces 16.5 TO's a game, on the help of 8 swipes.
Bruce Pearl will keep the scorer's table busy, running about 9 guys in and out, to keep the defensive pressure on the Bucks. The subs will be lead by Cameron Tatum, a sophomore guard that plays about 17 minutes and drops in 7.3 points a game. Pearl does use a guard heavy offense, similar to Ohio State, but they snag 11.7 offensive boards a game and OSU gave up 12 each in their first 2 rounds.
Buckeye Breakdown:
Hopefully OSU learned a lesson in the first half against G.Tech, take care of the rock. Tennessee is similar to the Jackets in terms of the helter skelter style of play, which can lead to quick bad shots and more TO's against Ohio State's pressure defense. The Bucks 18 TO's against GT was their most in regulation since the loss at Minnesota January 9. If they can limit TO's tonight, they should win this game.
A key for tonight will be emotions. The nerves will be there early and so will the Vols defense. In the couple of games I saw last night, the refs were letting them play, so if that holds true tonight and the Bucks get shoved around a bit, they can't get frustrated and let it get into their heads. You keep your heads tonight, you win the game.
I don't know what it is about this game that doesn't make me nervous. There is a quiet calm about that knows Ohio State doesn't have the rebounding woes as in the past couple of seasons, they can shoot the ball well, they hold opponents to 40.8 percent shooting and they are a veteran team with the best player in the country. Don't get me wrong, I know Tennessee is a very good team, but they don't shoot well from outside and rely on their defense for transition points. OSU averaged 11 turnovers on the season and can shoot from outside, thanks to Dieb's 11 of 22 thus far in the tourney.
The Buckeyes are playing their best ball in March, as have all of Thad Matta's teams. He is now 31-8 in the month of March at OSU and there is no reason to believe he won't continue that trend tonight. As Jason told you earlier in the week, my ride here at 11W goes a long as the Bucks do in the tournament and I'm not ready to quit yet, so the Bucks go on for the hard fought 68-66 win tonight and move on to face the winner of UNI or a Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen-less MSU.
Etc
- David Lighty became the 3rd player on this squad to eclipse the 1,000 point club against GT.
- With three 3-point attempts, Jon Diebler will set the single season mark with 272, breaking Jamar Butler's mark.
Comments
I'm jacked.....
this game doesnt make you nervous, but you are predicting a 68-66 final score? great, now you just made me even more nervous than i already was. which i didnt think was possible.
If I'm not mistaken, Tennessee only beat SDSU by 3...62-59. Just wanted to confirm what I'm reading in the story.
I think it will be close, but they are going to win, perhaps just trying to instill confidence in my fellow Buckeye fans.
Thanks for the head's up Jason, you are right, that's my math skillz shining through. It's been fixed now.
You got it Corey...great analysis....I am very confident. Ohio State should be able to pack the defense in the lane and force Tennessee to beat them from the outside. I think with the length that Ohio State has on the perimeter, combined with Tennessee's poor perimeter shooting, gives the Buckeyes the edge in this one. If Ohio State can avoid the TO bug, then it could spell doom for the Vols. I see Ohio State controlling this one throughout and coming through with a fairly comfortable 8 or 9 point W.
Well you might not be nervous, but this game worries me. Bruce Pearl knew how to beat Matta's most talented team (although unsuccessful), what makes you think he can't figure out how beat this one? I'm putting my trust in Buford tonight because Turner is going to be beaten and scarred by the end of the night.
Even though neither of the first 2 games were blowouts, I got the feeling Ohio State won them very easily. Just watching them I didn't get the sense that they were ever really under any pressure. For this reason, and Tennessee's tendency to unexplicably lay a big turd at times, I believe the Buckeyes win easily again. The margin may not be huge, but the result won't be in doubt, in my opinion.
really not a big fan of vern due to his incessant SEC cheerleading that seems to get worse every year
approaching football game-esque excitement.
AGREED.
The first two games of the tourny were weird - Turners doesn't show up in the first game but the team picks him up and then we get off to such a horrible start against GT. Of course Turner got back in the grove. It will come down to foul trouble and TO's.
I do like Matta's rotation of Kyle and Lauderdale. It works.
I agree.
The rotation has worked out much better than I thought it would. Kyle knows what he's out there for and doesn't throw up stupid shots and for the most part is where he needs to be defensively. Personally, I think OSU wins by 15, I know I'm a HUGE homer, but I've watched all of their games this year and they haven't played their best ball in the tourny by any means.
blasphemy
In case you missed some of Gus Johnson's calls from last night, here's a quick montage....Gus is admittedly over the top, but you can't help but get excited with him calling the game.....Len Emore, yea, not so much.....wish Gus had the Bucks tonight....
http://www.cbssports.com/video...
Dan Patrick replayed them all this morning, it was awesome.
Your comment doesn't make much sense to me. Bruce Pearl and every other college coach probably knows the formula to beat any team they play, its whether or not they can execute that game plan.
Tennessee may have come close to beating tOSU, but they didn't. That Vols team was a lot more talented than their team this year. I guess i just don't really see your point.
If Turner has a bunch of turnovers we will be in trouble. However, I think with us having essentially 4 guards on the court at all times, the press will lead to easy buckets (of course mixed in with some turnovers).
The only way I see us losing is if Tennessee hits a bunch of outside shots along with excessive turnovers by the Bucks.
75-68 Buckeyes, and I don't think it will be as close as the score indicates.
I'm nervous about this game. Not too long ago I remember people questioning if we would even make the dance let alone the elite eight game. I am proud of what this team has accomplished and hope they achieve their ultimate goal. I, like a lot of you, have invested a lot of my fandom into this team. I've paid out the arse to get a half way decent seat to an empty arena, I paid DirectTV for the Madness package, had to watch the last game in Manhattan with a bunch of Maryland fans in a supposed Big 10 bar. I guess there were a few Sparty fans there. Anyway....I really like this team, really like Turner and want them to win it all. Any game against any team in college sports can be won by a team who isn't as good as their opponent so I cannot overlook any team the Bucks play. From here on out I would think this team would need to play their best basketball of year but they didn't in the first two games and they came away with the W. This Buckeye team, IMHO, has felt like an underdog all year and has overachieved so I won't be disappointed in them if they lose but rather heart broken that they didn't get what they deserve. I'm amped for this game.
We also almost beat Tennessee in Knoxville in the subpar '07-'08 year. We just play the Vols close, and tonight will be no different. If we truly are on a mission, and stay consistent, we'll be in the final 8.
Boys...I'm officially nervous but that's normal since I live and die with the hoopsters just as much as the footballers. Like a lot of others, I feel this game comes down to our ability to beat the press (with passing moreso than dribbling) and get some easy buckets - not letting this game turn into a helter skelter affair. Beyond my concerns about Turner and co. effectively handling the press, what makes me queasy is how bipolar Tennessee can be regardless of any opponent factors. They can be world beaters but at the same time they can beat themselves in stunningly trainwreck fashion. Since playing out of their minds has been more of the exception than the rule, I like OSU by six. Also, I expect Buford to bust out tonight with at least 18 as Diebler cools off a bit.
Chris, hopefully Thad will put Dallas at the FT line to help break the press. Remember when we were at the Tenn. game in '06 and couldn't understand why Thad didn't move Oden down to the FT line for the inbound pass off the press? He finally did and they started breaking it with ease.
Maybe a game against Youngstown State or something lol. I'm pretty excited for the game tonight. I was hoping X would pull of the big one last night but no such luck.
www.gusjohnsongetsbuckets.com
Check this out!! Hilarious!!
11w Staff - can you confirm that the hippie is still alive? i see a free press writer is flattering the buckeyes and the WSJ is carrying an article about how shitty most men's sports have been at UM recently (while complimenting the hockey team, so maybe that will make him ok). i can picture this causing him to be very un-dude.
blasphemy is right. I'll be more jacked for the Thurs. night game vs. Marshall
they. are. marshall.
he's slitting his wrists in the bathtub as we... type
So, this may sound totally ignorant but is the Gus Johnson love, sarcastic? I just don't get it if not.
I concur
i forgot about the diebler piece in the NYT.
i wouldn't be expecting any kind of self-mutilation from the hippie. i would expect spontaneous combustion. this is the man that originated the free press jihad. he is...how does one say this gently...excitable.
He's still alive. Half hibernating, but still alive.
That was fantastic.
I think Diebler and Buford are the keys tonight. But, according to a Dispatch article today, Dieb's doesn't shoot real well in a dome. If that happens, Lighty would need to take up some scoring slack.
Geez guys, I didn't say a night game. Let's not go nuts.
It just seems everyone is confident going in. Don't get me wrong, I would love to beat the heck out of them. Everyone here in MS is now a UT and UK fan and it is sickening.
Ballhandling is a big key for Tenn, too, which had 13.3 TOs per game this year, compared to 11.4 for Ohio State.
At the risk of being banned from this site, I'm gonna use a soccer analogy: Ohio State will play a "counterattacking" style. On offense, they'll keep 2+ G/Fs back to guard against breakouts (instead of crashing boards), force Tenn to play patient halfcourt offense against the Bucks underrated D. Tenn will get frustrated, make mistakes, then OSU will run the other way at opportune times. Along with getting easy baskets against the press, OSU will win the fastbreak points, offestting Tenn's inside advantage.
Ohio St. 68, Tenn 61.
Me too.
No ban from 11dub, but your man pass is in serious jeopardy
What is this soccer that you speak of? I think they mentioned it in the Academy Award winning film "Euro Trip".
i dig the analogy...but thats bc i enjoy football. AND I JUST CALLED IT FOOTBALL INSTEAD OF SOCCER.
who wants to throw down?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
I just think it's funny how Tenn's players (and many reporters) are talking about how they'll turn over Ohio State a bunch of times and then dunk on 'em, that they're unstoppable, play above the rim, etc. Yet, Tenn has as many reasons, if not more, to be worried about ball security as does Ohio State. Actually, because the Buckeyes played so poorly in the 1st half of the GT game, I expect Ohio State to be very adept with the ball this game.
i thought it was "futbol"
how to fix ball security: jock strap. prob solved.
i speak english. i am not the type of pretentious prick that sprinkles foreign languages in with my english; its not my raison d'etre.
i see what you did there
I think it involves about 89 and a half minutes of singing and thirty seconds of action, followed by 10 pints of ale and a broken bottle up side yer Chevy Chase.
it's like hockey but not for russians or canadians.
I hope so. According to Scotty Hopson, Tenn's guards will be flying in for tomahawk dunks, about 4 feet over the rim, so for everyone's sake down below, they better secure 'em.
laughable.
at best.
aw, see, but that i can't abide. unless you are an englishman, there is no rhyming slang 'round here.
Wait, a sec. In hockey, there is about 55 minutes of the fans slapping the glass boards and 5 minutes of actual action (don't sell the sport short). That's followed by about 29 Labbatt's Blues and an accidental moose shooting. Hey, they've been divorced from Britian for like 200 years now, get it straight.
Also, in Canada, the broken bottle slashes yer Martin Short.
What drives me crazy is when second, third generation "ethnic" Americans have to pronounce foods and other things that are popular in America using the European pronunciation. Like that hot Italian chick on the Food Network does when she pronounces Bruschetta something like Brewwchhheeketttia.
yeah, that's pretty annoying. it's like she's trying to manufacture an exotic view of herself.
how do you feel about someone walking around singing "flower of scotland" when their ancestors were 17th/16th century immigrants? not that i would know anything about that...
flower of scotland? never heard of it.
"next question"~Drew Rosenhouse.
The channeling of your ancestral homeland, which your ancestors left 300 years, and which only accounts for about 5 percent of your genealogy? That's actually okay if you're extremely inebriated as a result of drinking a beverage associated with your alleged ancestral culture, but otherwise it's a party foul.
enough scotch'll do that to a man.
So they cheer for 12 basketball teams down there too?
That wasn't a moose that was the Canadian's wife
68-66 was the halftime prediction, right?
You OSU fans are funny. "Win easily by 15." Its obvious ou know nothing about the opponents you guys play
at least we got a pretty good read on our football coach
what is that supposed to mean?