Eleven Warriors

Just a rugged looking kid out of Toledo, Ohio, William Buford made his commitment to play basketball for The Ohio State University as a part of the class of 2008. In an era of "one-and-dones" and early departures to the NBA, William Buford stood out as a special kind of player and person.

Its been quite a run with Willie B. After a stellar freshman season in 2008, Buckeye fans began to look forward to him and Evan Turner running the show for the next couple of years. He went on to be a perrenial starter for the rest of his career, on teams that had stars such as Evan Turner, David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and Jared Sullinger. In fact, he was more than just a starter, he was a signifact contributer on every team he played for, averaging 14+ points per game every season after his freshman year (and about 11 points per game his freshman year.) William went on to become the fourth best scorer in Ohio State history, something I think many of our fans don't appreciate enough.

A different kind of perspective on Buford began to emerge, though, after last year's Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky. Fans singled out his 2-16 performance as the reason such a talented bunch of Buckeyes were going home so early in the year. This perspective carried over to this season, as Buford (unfairly) became the scapegoat for all of this year's team's problems. People called him out for not being the senior leader he should be, despite not even knowing the truth about what was going on behind the scenes. His great career was overshadowed this year by a bunch of keyboards, and what a shame that is. As this season comes to end, I am forced to turn in my "ultimate defender of Willie Buford" card, but we had a good run, Willie. In poetic fashion, Willie Buford is perhaps the only player not being blamed for the loss to Kansas, which eliminated the Buckeyes from the NCAA tournament just as the loss to Kentucky did last year. I thank William for his incredible run as a Buckeye and for all of his amazing contributions to this program. I hope Willie is glad that he came to Ohio State and stayed he for four years, but I could never blame him if he's not based on the way he's been treated by our "fans."

He's had itches, he's kept the ladies, he's stolen Spartan souls, and he's been a leader, among many other things. Thanks for the memories, Willie B., and keep on ballin'.

One thousand thirteen days ago, I wrote my very first piece on Eleven Warriors. At the time, I spent 8 hours, 5 days a week answering phone calls from irate consumers entering a world of strangeness and unfamiliarity and helping them make sense of it all. In my spare time, I aimed to provide passageway on a similar bridge, but in the opposite direction.

Today I depart 11W after almost three years of features, news, pop culture references, probably enjoying hearing the sound of my own voice too much, times that can never be taken away from us, and memories we'll never get back. The ride was equal parts terrifying adrenaline rush, humbling plunge into the unknown, exhausting marathon, and Indian Summer. But like all good things, it must eventually come to an end.

The evolution of the site during my tenure has been remarkable. From a space where a low double digit number of some beautifully mad devotees to the likes of P.J. Hill and drive by visitors combined to scrape together four figures of eye balls on a good day, to one that laps all its nearest competition combined. There's no question that the Death Star in the Ohio State blogging galaxy is now fully operational.

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank the man that keeps the 11W trains running on time, Jason Priestas. Under his leadership the site has become the only not optional destination on the internet for Ohio State news and analysis and will unquestionably be the standard bearer for years to come. The entire site leadership core, amongst them Chris Lauderback, Alex Gleitman, Corey Carpenter, and later Ramzy Nasrallah, are every bit as awesome people as they are writers (which is to say, really something) and the heart of the site beats in time with the blood, sweat, and tears they've poured into making it what it is. And of course I have to give special credit to my long time Dubcast cohost and brother in aural arms, Johnny Ginter. I've spent more time in the last two years on "the phone" with him than any significant other and my parents combined; that pretty much says it all. I couldn't be prouder to have had the privilege to have my name printed in the same byline space as so many incredible people.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who constitutes the phenomenal readership of the site (ed. note: this means you). The Ohio State fan base has for too long taken a beating and been dragged through the mud unfairly for supposedly being a short sighted, inwardly focused, myopic group of bandwagoneers. Anyone from the great state of Ohio or who's spent longer than a fortnight around these parts can't possibly say anything but otherwise. I can not imagine a more passionate, critical, but above all else, invested group of people, and I'm honored to share the same school of affiliation.

Essentially everything I have good in my life, both professionally and personally, I owe on some level to each and every one of you. I genuinely thank you from the bottom of my scarlet and gray blood pumping heart.

I like to imagine that if we wave goodbye indefinitely, over a long enough time line, we'll simply be waving hello. Until we get there in the continuum, you can follow me on twitter or heck, we're all family here, e-mail me (luke dot zimmermann at sbnation dot com) should the motivation ever strike.

Good luck, godspeed, and of course, Go Bucks.

I know that 11W will have their own preview, but being a big fan of both teams and watching a majority of their games this year I figured I would give it a go.  It’s a bit late, but you can consider it my official application for the 11W beat reporter spot.  I tended to write a bit more about the Kansas players, figuring that people know more about the Buckeyes.

THE STARTERS

1. Aaron Craft vs. Tyshawn Taylor
Craft (8.8 ppg; 4.7 apg; 2.5 spg): Defense, defense, defense, duh...  Craft leads all players to at least make the Elite 8 in steals with 3.25 per tourney game.  However his quick hands grab more than just ball, he has the lowest steal-to-foul ratio of all players with 9 or more steals in the tournament.  His ability to cut off the ball while staying out of foul trouble will be one of the big keys if the Buckeyes are to win.

Tyshawn (16.7 ppg; 4.7 apg; 3.5 topg):  Now a senior, KU fans know both ‘Good Tyshawn’ and ‘Bad Tyshawn’ (sound like a senior Buckeye fans know?).  Tyshawn has been mostly ‘Good’ for the last half of the season and was playing on a torn meniscus the last time these teams met (he had surgery immediately after the game), so Buckeye fans will likely see a different player than the one that fumbled the ball 7 times in December.  Tyshawn has struggled from 3 in the tournament but he gets to the rim and finishes, scoring 22 against UNC.  While TRob may win national player of the year, the team runs through Tyshawn and as a Cousy Award finalist, he may earn his own post-season award.

Verdict: Both players are the emotional leaders for their teams despite being overshadowed by bigger name big men.  It will come down to whether Tyshawn can take care of the ball and whether Craft can contain him without fouling.  Tyshawn might be the fastest player in college basketball so he’ll get his chances, but Craft will win his share too.  This one may be too close to call, but I’ll break your hearts and give it to Tyshawn.

2. Lenzelle Smith Jr. vs. Elijah Johnson
Lenzelle (6.7 ppg; 4.6 rpg; 2.0 apg): Lenzelle has had a coming out party in the biggest games of the season, scoring 17 and 18 points in the last two.  Prior to that, he has been a solid role player who has flown under the radar all season.  Offensive rebounding is probably the biggest thing he brings to the team on a regular basis.

Elijah (10.0 ppg; 3.1 rpg; 3.6 apg): Elijah is one of three Jayhawk juniors who have blossomed this year with an increased role, averaging nearly 20 minutes more per game.  Like Lenzelle he is the consummate role player.  And like Lenzelle, he is easily capable of providing the huge play that breaks a game open like the three pointer off a pick and roll against UNC to put the Jayhawks up 4 with 3 minutes to go which ignited the 12-0 run.  Despite being only 6-2 he can jump out of the gym and he has had some highlight dunks that are reminiscent of Sam Thompson (even in high school).

Verdict:  Another close battle that may actually have the biggest impact on the outcome since either one is capable of igniting his team.  Elijah has been solid in the tournament, but I think because of his underrated defense Lenzelle continues on his tear and gets the best of this match up.

3. William Buford vs. Travis Releford
Willie B. (14.4 ppg; 4.9 rpg; 2.7 apg): Buford was supposed to be a star this year after averaging 30 minutes or more per game for his whole career.  After the way his season has gone, Buckeye fans probably wish he thought he were a role player.  We all know what he is capable of and he put up 21 last time these teams met, but it took 23 shots.

Releford (8.5 ppg; 4.2 rpg; 1.8 apg): After playing a bit as a freshman he redshirted the next year and now has become a solid starter for the Jayhawks.  Releford reminds me a bit of Lenzelle in that he is the starter that everyone forgets about but is capable of putting up a big game out of nowhere.  Like Lenzelle he gets his share of offensive rebounds and easy putbacks.  Because of his underrated athleticism, he is also a solid defender who was paired against Hummel after TRob couldn’t keep up with him in the Purdue game so we could see him go up against DT.

Verdict: This one is Buford’s to lose.  Releford will likely have a solid game, but nothing spectacular.  So unless he pushes too much to do more than the Buckeyes need of him, I’ll give this one to Buford.

4.  Deshaun Thomas vs. Thomas Robinson
DT (16.1 ppg; 5.4 rpg; 0.9 apg):  Deshaun has become more and more the go-to guy as teams have collapsed on Sullinger.  He has great range for power forward (likely because he is more of a small forward).  His defense has improved, making him even more valuable to this team.  His putbacks on the offensive boards pad his stats and make a big difference for a team that often struggles from outside.

TRob (17.7 ppg; 11.8 rpg; 1.9 apg):  He should win NPOY.  I know people might think Anthony Davis should win, but TRob is the reason this team, that lost 4 starters from last year’s team, has a chance win a championship.  He gets to the rim, he rebounds, he blocks shots, he has improved his mid to long range jumper (including 7/14 on three pointers).  He is solid off of the dribble which could be a tough match up for DT who isn’t known for his defense.  His combination of size and athleticism reminds me a bit of Dwight Howard, but he struggles to pass out of double teams and turns the ball over too much for a guy who doesn’t bring the ball up the court.

Verdict: As amazing as Deshaun has been, even picking up his defense, he just isn’t going to have the overall edge here.  Both had pretty big games in the previous matchup, but I think Robinson was a bit better.  Robinson is the likely NPOY for a reason and while both will again put up big numbers, TRob beats out Deshaun. 

5. Jared Sullinger vs. Jeff Withey
Sullinger (17.6 ppg; 9.1 rpg; 1 bpg):  Sully has had another great year with very similar stats to last year.  The rebounds went down again, which is likely due to him spending more time outside the paint, some of which is behind the three point line since he is shooting 4 times as many 3 pointers as last year (making 5 times as many).  His interior post game is probably the best in college basketball.  If he were 5 inches taller, he would be the next coming of Shaq.  But his lack of height mixed with his lack of jumping ability will likely make him merely very good at the next level and not great.

Withey (9.2 ppg; 6.2 rpg; 3.5 bpg):  It took about half of a season, but Withey has started living up to KU’s hopes for him when he transferred from Arizona.  The 7-footer is a former volleyball player so he can also move pretty well which is why he is such a good shot blocker.  He leads all tourney players with 5 blocks per game and his last two against UNC sealed the deal by leading to easy points on the other end.  He sometimes sits against tough match ups, playing only 9 minutes against Missouri the second time around.  But when he is in there, the high-low post game between him and TRob is a tough match up for anyone and helps alleviate tough perimeter defenders like Craft.

Verdict: This matchup isn’t the one that people want to see since the two All-Americans will likely be guarding others for most of the game. But I do think this is a particularly tough matchup for Sully given Withey’s length and shot blocking prowess.  However Withey doesn’t take too many charges because he goes for blocks so this should keep Sully out of foul trouble.  Sullinger uses his body well even against bigger defenders and can extend Withey outside the paint.  If he does, in fact, stay out of foul trouble Sully will win this battle. 

THE BENCHES
OSU: Wait…bench… what’s that?  Oh you mean all 5 starters don’t have to play the whole game?  I think we have all imagined Thad having that inner dialogue at various points of the season.  Ravenel and Amir came off the bench against Syracuse and played well.  We’ve seen Sam Thompson fly through the roof and Shannon Scott get his chances to make a shot.  But frankly we always pray that no one gets in foul trouble because we aren’t ready to trust the bench much at all.

KU:  The Jayhawk bench isn’t much deeper.  The first two guys off the bench are former walk-on Connor Teahan (a poor man’s Brady Morningstar) and Loyola Marymount transfer Kevin Young.  Occasionally, Lamar transfer Justin Wesley and freshman Nadir Thaarpe get a chance, but neither one contributes much. 

Verdict:  Kevin Young is the reserve most likely to have the biggest impact on the game.  He goes all out and gets offensive rebounds like there is no tomorrow since he knows his playing time is limited and fouls aren’t an issue.  Self tends to rotate Withey and Robinson once they both have a foul in the first half and leaves Young in for long periods of time.  His energy may cause some problems for Deshaun and may help keep DT off the offensive boards.  It’s hard not to love his effort, but KU fans wish he had even a quarter of the talent of either of the starting bigs.  But since the bar is so low, KU walks away with the bench advantage.

COACHES
Thad Matta:  He has had an unbelievable run since he joined the Buckeye family.   The record for wins in a season at OSU prior to his arrival was 27 games.  His average win total is 27.6 per season.  That stat alone shows you how good he is.

Bill Self:  Replacing Roy Williams looked to be a tall order for the former Illinois coach, but with his success he is quickly making Roy into an afterthought.  He has more wins than any other college coach since he has taken over in Lawrence (Calipari had that until he had to vacate a bunch of wins at Memphis).  The Jayhawks have won 8 straight Big XII championships and has never been worse than a 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.  And don’t forget the 2008 National Championship over Calipari’s Memphis team that included Derrick Rose.

Verdict:  Both are great coaches.  Buckeye fans are hoping Matta never leaves. What he has done at a football school in terms of bringing in top basketball talent is unrivaled.  However, Self is possibly the best coach in the country right now.  They lost 4 starters and 2 solid bench players off of last year’s team and didn’t miss a beat.  Self switched defenses near the end of the UNC game and Roy didn't have an answer.  KU closed that game on a 12-0 run and the new defense sparked several transition points in that run.

PREDICTION
Since both teams have such short benches the outcome of the game could hinge on how visible the refs want to be.  With Sullinger back and a neutral site it is easy to say that the Buckeyes will have the edge this time around, but KU is one of the most improved teams since the midway point of the season.  Four weeks ago the Buckeyes wouldn’t have had much chance, but they too are improved since then.  I just don’t think they have come far enough and I think this is a tough match up for the Buckeyes’ best players.  I think the Jayhawks win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes an overtime to pull it off.

If 11W has a word limit, my shot at this reporter gig just went up in flames… Thanks for reading if you’re still here.

Just watched OSU-Syracuse again and have a few thoughts:

1. Craft is FAR and away our most important player. He is unimaginably disruptive to the opponents lead guard, he brings patience, stability and a calming presence on offense and he is an emotional leader out there who pulls the team together and keeps everybody's mind focused on the present task at hand. Craft almost NEVER rushes things, almost NEVER makes a bad pass and his decision-making is routinely superlative.

2. Tyshawn Taylor vs. Craft will go a long way to deciding this FF matchup. The first time around, Taylor had 13 assists, 7 TOs and only 9 points. Kansas shot nearly 60% from the field, so that's what accounts for some of those assists - And they still beat us without Sullinger by only 11 at home. My prediction is that Craft dominates Taylor this time around - Craft has already seen Taylor once and Craft only gets better when he sees a player multiple times - Ask Trey Burke.

3. Deshaun Thomas is the biggest matchup problem in the FF. He can hit perimeter shots, he can dribble drive, he's a monster around the basket and he is probably the best 6'6 offensive rebounder I've ever seen play college basketball. If Kansas starts their big guy, Whithey, on Sullinger, then that puts Thomas Robinson on Thomas, which would be an incredibly big mismatch in Thomas' favor. And if KU sits Whithey down and lets Robinson guard Sullinger, then KU loses their shot-blocker as well, which frees up the interior. KU left Robinson to guard Hummel (a similar player to Thomas) against Purdue and Hummel had a field day before they switched up in the 2nd half. How Kansas decides to guard Thomas will be a huge factor.

4. Look at the stats from the earlier KU-OSU game. We shot horribly, turned the ball over, got outrebounded, had foul trouble and played Jordan Sibert for 15 minutes - All in a road game against a top team without Jared Sullinger. And somehow it was a 6 point game with less than 2 minutes to go. Looking at that, I have to say that I feel very confident that as long as we play our game and bring the intensity on the defensive end.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/daugherty/2012/03/23/the-mourning-line-323/

Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati Enquirer, was catching a lot of flack here on 11W this morning for that piece he posted.  However, he also wrote this where he gives a lot of credit to how OSU played point by point.

At the end of the day, it was a lot of fun discussing Cincinnati culture, issues, and sports with many of you this week.  I know there are vast differences of opinions out there, but that's okay.  Congratulations to the Bucks, they played great and have way more NBA talent than the Bearcats do at this stage.  However, it was a far more entertaining game than the last time UC and OSU took to the court.  I hope that the next time the two schools play basketball it won't be when I'll have to miss Wednesday bingo or shuffleboard to catch it.

From the start of the season, William Buford was supposed to be a key player, and starter to the Buckeyes this year. But what happened? He reminded me of a great football player, Cameron Heyward. They both took games off and didn't try at all. It was a disappointment of a senior season for him. He has a great point guard in Craft, great post with Sully, great well, everything with Thomas. So why does he not feel the need to take the role over as one of the only seniors on the team. This was his year to shine and he failed to accomplish that. I love him and loved watching him play, but disappointment set in after a while.

February was a great month for Eleven Warriors. We recorded an all-time high of 2,369,510 pageviews for the month, which is the best single month in our history and good enough for an 714% increase over our February 2011 total of 291,075 pageviews¹.

Recruiting -- and Alex taking our recruiting coverage to a new level -- is a big part of this and is highlighted by the nearly 200,000 pageviews we logged on National Signing Day (2/1).

In short, we're growing and having a lot of fun on the ride.

Since we're asking you to help us grow, I think it's important that we share growth updates with you guys², so I put together a couple of charts breaking down various dimensions of our February traffic.

First up, the top 10 states that visit the site:

It's no surprise seeing Ohio at the top of the list. The Buckeye state sent us 48.35% of our traffic last month. Michigan at the #2 spot makes sense as well and I'd imagine Ohio would rank highly on MGoBlog. Keeping tabs on the enemy and all.

Next up, the top 10 cities in Ohio:

You might figure to see Columbus so well represented, but the fact that we get 26% of our pageviews from the epicenter of Buckeyeland always surprises me. Cincinnati, for all of the heat it takes for not being a Buckeye town actually checks in second with 3.16% of traffic, while Toledo (2.91%) edges Cleveland (2.60%) for third on the list.

Ashley (population 1,216!!) and Tallmadge (population 17,537), we see you. People of New Albany, yes, you can buy a membership to our board of directors.

Moving on, we have the browser breakdown:

IE, not dead yet. Which owes to the large number of you that visit the site from workplaces that don't give you the option to change your default browser.

Our Safari numbers are a little higher than what you'd see in global browser stats, but only because Google Analyitics groups Safari across all platforms (Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, etc.).

Which brings us to mobile device usage:

Apple's iOS, thanks to 26.12% of our mobile visitors accessing the site via an iPad does really well here. When you filter down to just phones, it's about 36.27% iPhone to 33.71% Android-based phones.

Hopefully some of you enjoyed this look into our numbers. I'll try to remember to do these every now and then going forward.

• ¹ To be fair, we had one extra day of business in February 2012.
• ² Our historical numbers are up on Quantcast for you to check out whenever curiosity strikes.

As nice as it has been to brag about Ohio putting 4 teams into the Sweet Sixteen, it’s now time to focus on a matchup that will end the season and send home one of those teams.  The Bearcats of Cincinnati are an interesting team to meet in the tournament, because they play a 4 guard rotation, and also dominate many games in the paint.  The numerous guards help to provide them with tremendous speed and athleticism on the court, and their big man, Yancy Gates, is a beast underneath and can hold his own with most players in the country.  This is certainly going to be a tough game, and one that will likely resemble an OSU versus Michigan State game with a high level of physicality anytime a player gets near the paint.  Compound that with the fact that Cincinnati fans/students seem to think that Ohio State is the devil and will no doubt be pulling out all the stops to send their in-state enemies home to Columbus.

Regardless, these teams once battled for National Championships, so it’s nice to see them facing each other again in a very meaningful game.

Below are my positional breakdowns for this Sweet Sixteen matchup…

#1 Guard (Cashmere Wright vs. Aaron Craft)

Cashmere Wright (#1, 6′, 170 lbs), Cincinnati’s point guard, has struggled shooting the ball in the tournament, so far.  It’s hard to imagine those struggles improving when going up against the best on-ball defender in the country in Aaron Craft, but that’s what Wright will need to have happen in order to keep Cincy in this game.  In his first two March Madness games in 2012, Wright is 6-18 from the field and just 1-8 from behind the arc.  Craft, on the other hand, is 8-11 from the field in games against Loyola (MD) and Gonzaga.

Wright, like the other Cincinnati players, plays aggressively on both sides of the ball, so Craft will likely appreciate the 5 days of rest that he got after the Gonzaga game, because Cashmere and Co. will likely use a lot of motion to keep OSU running and switching.  I don’t think that Aaron Craft will have the offensive output that he had against the Bulldogs, but should be close to 8-10 points.  Similarly, I think that Wright will have a handful of assists in Thursday’s game, but will be held to under 10 points against the Buckeyes.  Overall, I think this matchup is a push, since both players will produce close to their normal numbers.

#2 Guard (Dion Dixon vs. Lenzelle Smith, Jr.)

Dion Dixon (#3, 6’3″, 195 lbs) will be a good matchup for Lenzelle Smith, Jr. because of his size and skill set.  Dixon is quick and has the ability to drive the lane and score in the blink of an eye, averaging 13.1 points per game.  However, he’s just an average shooter from the field (37%) and is allergic to the arc (26%).  Smith Jr. will need to be alert and active defensively, as Dixon and his teammates are quick off the dribble and able to drive and score against less athletic teams.  OSU will  need to prove that they are able to defend this and force the outside shot whenever possible.  

LSJ will need to make a shot here and there for the Bucks, move his feet and get into position on defense, and most importantly, grab rebounds!  Having such a good rebounder at our #2 spot could go a long way in keeping offensive possessions going and ending the Bearcats looks at the other end.  Once again, I think that both guards will be close to their averages, so I’ll push this matchup as well.

#3 Guard (Jaquon Parker vs. William Buford)

Ok, Buckeye fans, it’s the game that we’ve been waiting for…  you know, the one where Buford scores 20 points and plays to his potential.  I think that Thursday will be that game for William Buford, and hopefully the first of 4 to come in this tournament run.  Jaquon Parker (#44, 6’3″, 210 lbs) gives 3 inches to Buford, although Parker can certainly play bigger than his size.  Parker is a very versatile player that can bang underneath and grab boards or hang back and hit from outside (38%).  Buford will need to be on the top of his game, defensively, to prepare for Parker’s diverse attack.

However, I think that it is on the offensive end of the court that Buford will make his stand.  Parker may be called upon to help in doubling-down on Sullinger and/or Thomas in the paint, and this should leave Buford with some open looks.  If Buford can hit a couple of early shots, I think that his confidence will sky-rocket and he will nail 3-4 deep balls and a handful of mid-range jumpers.  Naturally, he’s going to keep his streak of charging fouls going for this game, but I am giving the edge to Willy B in this one.   

#4 Guard/Forward (Sean Kilpatrick vs. Deshaun Thomas)

It’s only fitting that the hot hand for the Bearcats should be lined up against OSU’s X Factor in this in-state battle.  Sean Kilpatrick (#23, 6’4″, 215 lbs) led Cincy with 18 points in their win over Florida State, matching Thomas’ total against Gonzaga.  Kilpatrick, like many of Cincy’s players, is not necessarily the fastest or quickest person on the court, but simply has the entire package and natural ability to get to the lane, protect the ball, and get a good look at the basket.  This helps them all, including Kilpatrick, to be solid players in all aspects of the game, whether it be scoring, grabbing rebounds, or playing lockdown defense.  This guard is no exception, but he happens to be the Bearcat that I least want to see with the hot hand.  He is most consistent scorer on the team, leading the way with 14.3 points per outing, is the most likely candidate to put the ball up from deep, and also happens to be second on the squad in rebounds and assists.

(Spoiler) So why do I like Deshaun Thomas in this matchup?  Because Thomas can also hit from behind the arc, is an offensive rebounding freak of nature, in the kindest sense of the word, and has 3 inches on Kilpatrick.  For some of the other matchups, that height factor might not play a big part, but because Cincinnati hates giving up space in the paint, I think that’s exactly what Matta will try to do.  And what better player to throw into the mix down low than a guy that has a remarkable knack for finding the ball and getting it up quickly, like Thomas?  Kilpatrick may still get his 12-14 points in this game, but Thomas’ presence inside will force Cincinnati to bring extra help and fold down onto he and Sullinger, thus allowing Buford a look from outside.  Advantage = Thomas.

#5 Forward (Yancy Gates vs. Jared Sullinger)

Yancy Gates (#34, 6’9″, 260 lbs), as I mentioned above, is a monster in the paint.  When not suspended for 6 games for voilently suckerpunching people in the face during basketball games, Gates uses his giant frame to get and maintain good position under the basket.  Like many people, after I watched that clip of Gates knocking a player out cold in a bench-clearing brawl, I never wanted to hear his name, read about him playing ball, or see him on TV again, and yet here we are.  It’s nice to know that a player can be suspended for almost half of a football season for receiving free tattoos in exchange for his hard-earned trophies, and yet a thug that punches someone on the court and send them to the hospital will be allowed to play in 85% of his games in that season…but I digress.

Gates averages very close to a double-double per game, with 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds.  Both he and Sullinger use their physiques very well to get themselves under the rim for boards and points.  Sullinger definitely holds the edge over Gates in shooting ability, as he can back out for mid-range shots and deep balls, where as Gates’ output comes largely from the paint.  The Bearcats will likely throw Justin Jackson (#5, 6’8″, 210 lbs) into the game to battle with Sully as well, but the real competition will certainly be between Gates and Sullinger.  Even more so than Sullinger versus Sacre (Gonzaga), I think that this matchup between the big men will be an epic battle that ends with Ohio State’s star on the winning end. 

I expect both players to be at or above their averages in points and rebounds, but for Sullinger to outscore and outrebound Gates on Thursday night in Boston. 

Overall Prediction:  This game has all the makings of a down-to-the-wire thriller.  Both teams can play solid, fundamental defense and have a number of players to account for offensively.  Ultimately, I think that this game is decided in the paint.  If Yancy Gates is able to own the box and force OSU outside for its looks, then the Buckeyes could be in trouble.  Likewise, if Ohio State is able to play through Sullinger and Thomas down low and kick the ball out for open shots by Buford, Smith and Craft, then the Bearcats will be headed home.  My edge goes to OSU in a tight one.

OSU  70 – Cincinnati 65   (a touch of irony for the 1961 NCAA Championship game)

Follow me on Twitter @ScarletandGame or @AJBorland

These are not full-time cute kittens. They have ugly day jobs.

Indulge me while I chime in on the 11W Beg-a-thon, which is now in its final countdown phase.

I've been a Buckeye blogger since 1997. That's before the term blogging was used. Essentially I was providing message board posts, but on a formal schedule, with a perceived level of higher quality and separated from the comments of the general populous. It felt special then; it still feels special now.

Most of my content was created on nights and weekends. Sometimes I slipped in some writing during my day job. At first I felt guilty about it, but over time I found that after I separated my mind from work for a half hour or so to write I would always come away inspired. These little Buckeye vacations actually made me better at my day job.

Victors Valiant was my first formal blogging spot. It was eventually folded into The Wolverine. I've continued to be a contributor to the venerable Bucknuts Media Network for over a decade. I humbly accepted ownership responsibilities at 11W one year ago this month.

That was 52 free columns ago. It doesn't feel right to charge for what is basically our love letters to Ohio State, nor would 11W take any satisfaction in churning out free milquetoast non-stories void of any passion or edge with the hope that your comments and discourse might make them interesting.

Nothing would siphon the romanticism out of our desperate and figurative attempt to stay on campus forever than creating content for the sake of content.

It's extremely unlikely that I'll ever be a full-time writer. I get asked this all the time. I actually believe that staying part-time all of these years has made me a better writer because it's allowed me to gain extra exposure to elements of business, culture, society, the world and people that a full-time writing position may have insulated me from experiencing. I'm grateful for the inconvenience of my day job.

The same goes for every part-timer here who does, has and will ever grace 11W's pages. Being part time gives us flexibility and freedom. We raise money for the Stefanie Spielman fund. We grow mustaches with you to raise awareness around prostate cancer. We give back. We pay forward.

That's how we reward ourselves. Those are the perks of being part-timers: We do other stuff for money.

This is how it feels to pour our hearts out for you every day.

Our part-time commitment to 11W (some have condescendingly called us "hobbyists") is one of the biggest reasons why 11W's popularity has exploded: The writing is richer. The content is upgraded by our balance between obsession and TPS reports, or whatever the hell you want to imagine we do during daylight.

Eleven Warriors has gained this traction in the blogosphere and built this base that you're a part of without the benefit of a beat writer, and that is the drawback of being hobbyists. The beat does not stop for our day jobs. It requires full-time attention; attention that none of us have the bandwidth to provide.

A full-time position, among other requirements, necessitates either a trust fund/lottery winner/retiree with free time, or what we've decided to do provide: A regular paycheck. That's where the Beg-a-thon was born.

Truth be told, 11W traffic is flourishing at a rate that a full-time beat writer should be an affordable reality right around the time the Buckeyes are beginning their first bowl-eligible campaign under Urban Meyer. We just don't think you or the rest of this audience should have to wait that long.

We also don't believe in plastering the site with ads or turning 11W into the hood of a stock car, nor do we want your money every month. We're hoping this Beg-a-Thon is the only Beg-a-Thon. It eliminates the gap between 11W's beat writer inevitability and, well, now.

Your contributions, your steady addiction to our t-shirts plus what the site ads churn already in addition to the companies that have noticed 11W's popularity and have approached us about promoting their brands to you should make next year a reality for this year.

A full-time beat writer effectively completes the 11W value proposition. We hobbyists continue to do the thing that made 11W the destination that it has become while site coverage of your favorite team only becomes more robust with a professional 11W scribe who goes wherever the Buckeyes go.

There are only a few days left (we're not into begging, let alone begging forever). You can donate here, as many times as you'd like.

From the bottom of our hearts: Thanks. We'll pay you back in the only way we know how.

      Marshall broke a bone in his right wrist when he was fouled on a drive to the basket and knocked to the floor midway through the second half............The Tar Heels had already lost top perimeter defender and No. 2 ballhandler Dexter Strickland to a season-ending knee injury in January, leaving only freshman Stilman White to relieve Marshall for spot duty. If Marshall can’t go, the job would likely fall to White and versatile senior Justin Watts.

If he can't go I don't expect UNC to get past the elite eight.  Now is the worst time to lose a player to injury.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201203180413