Eleven Warriors

Ohio State 17-6, 7-5 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

February 18, 2009 9:00 PM ET - BTN —— Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, IL

Northwestern 13-10, 4-8 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

Ohio State looks to bounce back from a sloppy 55-50 loss at Wisconsin as they travel to Evanston to take on Northwestern.

The Buckeyes have won 11 straight over the purple team though they are just 43-40 lifetime in Evanston. Thad Matta is a perfect 7-0 against the 'Cats including a pair of double digit wins last season that featured strong performances from Evan Turner and Jon Diebler. Yes, I said Jon Diebler.

Northwestern comes in losers of three straight albeit by a combined nine points. The Wildcats dropped a 70-67 overtime decision against Michigan on Sunday after a heartbreaking 60-59 loss at home to Illinois and a 56-51 defeat at the beaks of the Hawkeyes.

I fully expect a Buckeye victory but you can bet the Wildcats will give OSU their best shot at home trying to stop a three game slide.

#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST	POS	#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST
2	Jeremie Simmons	7.4	1.6	2.8	G	22	Michael Thompson	10.0	2.2	3.9
33	Jon Diebler	10.6	3.3	2.7	G	20	Craig Moore	14.6	3.3	2.7
21	Evan Turner	17.3	7.4	3.3	F	44	Kevin Coble	15.5	4.8	2.4
44	William Buford	11.8	3.3	1.1	F	24	John Shurna	7.7	3.0	1.2
52	Dallas Invisi-dale	5.0	4.0	0.3	C	54	Kyle Rowley	3.8	1.8	0.7

Opponent

Northwestern isn't the second coming of Loyola Marymount to be sure but they aren't the same slow it down team you daddy thinks of anymore either. The 'Cats sit right in the middle of the conference pack in points per game (61.8) and they're third in 3pt FG% (38.6%) however they are dead last in 3pt FG% defense as well as offensive and defensive rebounding.

The good news for Bill Carmody is he's likely to have 6'11" freshman center Luka Mirkovic back from a one game stint on the toilet. Mirkovic set career highs in points (14), rebounds (12) and assists (4) in the loss to Illinois before sitting out the Michigan loss due to illness.

The return of Mirkovic is a plus but the key to Northwestern's success hinges on the play of their big three comprised of Kevin Coble, Craig Moore and Michael Thompson.

All three players log 33+ minutes per game with Coble serving as the most valuable Wildcat though he's struggled from the floor the last two outings hitting just 10/30 shots. Moore has also been ice cold (5/18) the last two games after scoring double figures in eight consecutive contests.

Thompson is hasn't seen double figures in the last five games but both he and Moore are shooting 41% from deep on the season so it will be key for OSU to find those two in the match up zone.

Buckeye Breakdown:

The Buckeyes come in vying for their eighth conference win but they'll have to fare better at valuing the ball and hitting the glass than they did against Wisconsin to escape with the W. Ohio State committed a greasy 19 turnovers in Madison and though it was a different roster, they turned it over 20 and 18 times respectively in the two wins over Northwestern last season. If the Wildcats control the tempo possessions will be at a premium increasing the need for OSU to avoid sloppy miscues.

Since I brought up last year, it's worth pointing out Turner lit up the 'Cats in '08 hitting 10/15 shots in two games with 10 points, eight boards and seven assists in the second game while Diebler connected on 7/15 triple tries and 24 total points. Considering Northwestern's overall lack of athleticism, this could be a game in which Deebs actually gets off a shot without the aid of five screens. I expect he'll get loose for about four triples in this one.

Considering Northwestern's troubles on the glass, we could also see bounce back performances from either Dallas Invisidale or B.J. Mullens. Excepting the five turnovers, Mullens has been decent averaging 11.3 points and seven boards in his last three outings but Invisidale has stunk it up averaging a feminine 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in his last six games. If Dallas doesn't pick it up soon, one has to wonder if Mullens could supplant him as the starter.

Speaking of who should start, P.J. Hill is getting some run in the comments though he's got more turnovers than assists (14 to 12) in his last eight games. His numbers are slightly favorable to that ratio in the last three games (9 Asst, 7 TO). Over the same stretches, Jeremie Simmons has 20 dimes and 15 turnovers in his last eight games but in his last three he's reversed course with exactly zero assists against five turnovers.

So, as I said in slightly less pretty words via the comments Monday, Hill might have the edge lately but comparing the two is a painful exercise in futility. I'd almost rather play with four. If either of these two can simply not hurt the cause tonight that would go a long way in aiding a victory because you can bet Northwestern will force OSU to execute in the half court.

When it's all said and done, I expect Ohio State to come away with a 68-62 victory.

Etc

• I'm still baffled as to why folks jump on Turner. Sure his untimely turnovers - or high amount of turnovers in general - are as irritating as your DVR cutting off the last minute of The Office but keep in mind he's one of only nine D-1 players in the country leading his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game. Just for kicks, he's also leading the team in minutes played, field goals and free throws made, as well as total offensive and defensive rebounds. That, my friends, is good enough for a free pass on turnovers if you ask me. It should also be good enough for Big Ten POY honors but I have a feeling Kalin Lucas might swoop in as the best player on the best team.
• In conference play, Wil Buford leads all freshman with a 14.5 points per game average.
• Also in conference play, B.J. Mullens leads in field goal percentage at 70.9%.
• Your ears will get a welcome break tonight as Jim Jackson will not be the color commentator. Instead, Steve Smith will rock the mic along with Tom Hamilton.

Jamie Wood's long wait is finally over. After receiving his Buckeye offer nearly a year ago and then committing five days later, he waited 12 months to make it official. As he prepares to enter the program, we caught up with him to talk about where he might play, his gaming habits and who we shall now and forever refer to as "All Flannel Tops".

Now that it's finally official, how does it feel to be a Buckeye?
It feels great. I've been committed so long that, I don't want to say not as special, but just not as big as the other guys who have just made decisions. But don't get me wrong I'm so excited about it all.

During the recruiting process, which coach had the greatest influence on your decision to come to OSU?
It honestly was a 'no-brainer' but if I had to say one, I would say Coach Tressel. Just how he runs the whole system is what I liked. He hits all aspects of life when dealing with a young athlete not just football and that's what I loved.

What do you plan to study at Ohio State?
Its still up in the air. I had originally planned on communications, but I'm not totally sold. I wanna use all my resources (tutors and all) to the fullest so I may try to challenge myself with some help to get me started.

Do you have a preference as to which position you will play?
I am going in as a safety and I'm totally fine with that. But I've told the coaches that I will play wherever the team needs me and I meant that.

What do you expect to be the biggest difference between the High School and College game?
The biggest difference I think will be the whole speed of the game. I know coming from junior high ball to varsity as a freshman was a big change as well and I'm expecting the same on the next level.

What current or former Buckeye would you say your skill set and style compares to?
I really don't know who I'd compare it to. I want to go out there and make a name for myself though, not in a selfish way but in a productive way that can help the team as well!

What is one thing you want Buckeye fans to know about you that we already don't know?
I love to play video games. Whether it be on PS3 or 360 I am always playing the game. Since I've been out of school I've been up till 4 in the morning some nights playing NCAA 09 online.

Who is the best dressed in this recruiting class? Who needs some style tips the most?
Best dressed, uh, I don't know... I like to look nice, but all of us do, so thats a tough one! I'm gonna give my boy Johnny Simon some style tips! He's all flannel tops and jeans or sweats now, but I know he'll get the hang once I get a hold of him.

----

Thanks to Jamie for sitting down and doing this interview with us. Best of luck to you as you start your Buckeye career in March!

Press play if you've always wanted to see a seven-footer doing the worm. And that belt is pretty fresh.

(Via WTVN)

So Daequan Cook is your NBA Three Point Champion and to think, some thought he was too young or lacked the star power to even be in the event.

Overcoming his doubters is starting to become old hat for Cook. After he left Ohio State following a freshman season in which he saw less and less playing time as the season progressed -- leading his mother to publicly call out Thad Matta -- Cook surprised many (including us at 11W HQ) by going 21st in the 2007 draft and then proceeding to make the Heat (after early season NBDL rumors) and contribute to the tune of 8.8 points and 3 rebounds per game as a rookie.

This year, he's contributing solid minutes (25/per) and has bumped his average up to 10.4 points per game. Part of that boost can be attributed to the work he put into his long-range shooting as his three point percentage of .411 is good enough for 34th in the Association.

Granted, winning the three point contest doesn't typically translate to anything tangible as far as the regular season is concerned (see two-time defending champion Kapano and his career 19 minutes per game average), but consistently connecting from downtown is a great way to stay employed for a long time.

The Montana clan is in town today and though it would be beyond sweet if Nick gave a verbal before leaving, we may just have to sweat this one out. He's set to visit Texas later in the week (and the defense calls Chris Simms to testify about the treatment of the sons of famous quarterbacks) and will probably check out Alabama in the near future as well.

Still, it can't hurt for Tressel to have the DeBartolo/Youngstown connection going for him and Montana will be looking at a situation where he could assume the reigns after Pryor leaves (assuming Bauserman doesn't lay claim to them first).

Cook wasn't the only former Buckeye doing well in Phoenix this weekend as Katie Smith teamed up with Bill Laimbeer and Aaron Affalo to lead Team Detroit to a first-place finish in some newfangled competition pitting a former NBA great, a current NBA player and a WNBA player in a battle of cities.

This may not rank up there with the Olympic gold medal, WNBA title or WNBA Finals MVP she's bagged in the last few months, but...

Ohio State fell to 7-5 in conference after surrendering 14 offensive rebounds and 19 turnovers in a 55-50 loss last night in Madison.

The -11 offensive rebounding margin allowed Wisconsin to take 17 more shots offsetting another hot shooting night (21/38, 55%) by the Buckeyes.

Evan Turner led Ohio State with 23 points (9/13 FG), 5 rips 5 assists but his sixth turnover was a back breaker as the Buckeyes lost possession trailing 50-48 with 48 seconds left. Forced to foul, OSU would be outscored 5-2 the rest of the way erasing any chance of popping their cherry at Kohl.

It's easy to wrongfully blame Turner but once again he was basically forced to shoulder the offensive burden creating a scenario where he felt forced to do too much. The sophomore scored 15 of OSU's 27 second half points while no other Buckeye contributed more than five points (P.J. Hill) in the final 20 minutes.

Without Turner to offset the pathetic second half efforts from Buford (2 pts), Diebler (2 pts), Lauderdale (2 pts) and Mullens (1 pt) it's not even a game with 48 seconds remaining.

Jeremie Simmons stunk it up (0/3 FG, 2 TO) allowing Hill to tie a season high with 26 minutes and he played a serviceable game with the five points, three rebounds and two assists against one turnover. Even with Hill's effort, it's pretty safe to say poor point guard play and rebounding issues will likely be the nails in the coffin to an early out in March.

Still, Buckeye fans must keep perspective and realize this was not a game penciled in as a win at the start of the season so there's no cause for panic. Ohio State can still do some things and the fact they were even in the game on the road considering the rebounding and turnover woes is a testament to their growing mental toughness.

The loss does make the trip to Evanston increasingly important on Wednesday night with Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State all sitting at 7-6 and nipping at OSU's heels.

If players not named Turner can show up for 40 minutes a win is very realistic.

Bumped up from the comments, it's a leisurely drive through campus from 1985.

Part 2 is here.

Ohio State 17-5, 7-4 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

February 14, 2009 9:00 PM ET - ESPN —— Kohl Center Madison, WI

Wisconsin 15-9, 6-6 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

Ohio State travels to Madison on Saturday to face a streaking Badger team for the only time this season.

The Buckeyes are 0-5 at the Kohl Center since Bo Ryan took over in 2001 and with this game being the ESPN primetime feature, the Grateful Red will make it tough on Thad's young squad.

Wisconsin has won 3 straight after suffering through an uncustomary 6 game skid in January. Of course, the Buckeyes have won 4 straight themselves and had a week to prepare for the Badgers, so it should be another classic B10 battle.

#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST	POS	#	Name	PTS	REB	ASST
2	Jeremie Simmons	7.8	1.7	3.0	G	12	Jason Bohannon	10.9	3.1	1.8
33	Jon Diebler	11.0	3.4	2.7	G	3	Trevon Hughes	11.5	3.2	2.9
21	Evan Turner	17.0	7.5	3.3	F	1	Marcus Landry	12.9	4.3	1.5
44	William Buford	11.8	3.5	1.1	F	45	Joe Krabbenhoft	8.2	6.7	2.6
52	Dallas Lauderdale	5.1	4.1	0.3	C	30	Jon Leuer	9.5	4.1	0.8

Opponent

Wisconsin sits 2nd, right behind the Bucks in conference shooting at 45 percent, including 36 percent from downtown. Bo's team ranks fourth in scoring at almost 65 points and gives up only 60 points a contest, thanks to a 49 point average over the last 3.

Jon Leuer, a 6"10" sophomore, entered the starting lineup three games ago and has responded with essentially 11 points and 7 boards, thus sending 20 game starter Keaton Nankivil to the bench. Bo Ryan will primarily play 4 of his starters over 30 minutes and will look to bring Tim Jarmusz, Nankivil, and Jordan Taylor off the pine.

Two weeks ago, the Badgers were on the verge of being written off in B10 play, but they have locked down the defense, allowing more than 25 points in a half only once during their current streak. They have climbed to a +4.4 scoring margin in league play and a victory over the AP ranked Buckeyes would bump them above .500 in B10 play and keep their slim tourney hopes alive.

Buckeye Breakdown:

Ohio State comes into the game leading the conference in shooting at 50.1 percent per game, including 42 percent from deep. The Bucks are holding steady behind MSU for scoring average, dropping in 68.4 per contest.

Evan Turner leads the conference in scoring at 18 points, while Buford sits 7th with 14.8 and Diebler is 13th at 12.5 points a game. Throw in Mullens at 10.8 a game and you have the only B10 team with four players averaging double digits in league play. Matta has molded this team into an offensive force and it is more enjoyable to watch without all the 3-balls being chucked up with 25 seconds left on the shot clock.

We will soon find out whether the week off was a good thing or not. I personally think it was a well-timed break by the scheduling gods, allowing the Bucks to rest their legs, shoot a ton of jumpers and draw up new plays for the stretch run, in which they play 4 of their last 7 on the road.

I think it is going to take until the 12 minute mark of the first half for OSU to shake a bit of the rust off. If they can avoid an early deficit and not be intimidated by a home crowd that actually makes noise, then they can come home from Madison with a win. Wisconsin is tough on defense, but the Bucks have so many scoring options that have emerged, it is difficult to stop them all for forty minutes. That is why I think the Bucks will pull out the 61-57 victory.

Etc

• Whisky has already lost 2 conference home games, after losing just 3 in Ryan's first 7 seasons.
• Only UCONN (8) has more wins than Ohio State (5) over top 25 teams.

While the last few years have brought some new rules to college football, coaches are considering some real game altering changes for the 2009. Here's a look at what will be coming up for review to college football coaches across the nation when The NCAA football rules committee meets next.

Taunting

The rule that sparked this article would call for taunting to be considered a live ball foul, instead of a dead ball foul. This means if a player was flagged for taunting on his way into the end zone or when he gets in, the points will be taken off the scoreboard and the offending team will be penalized 15 yards from the spot of the foul. The current rule leaves the score as is and tacks on 15 yards to the PAT. Committee chairman and University of Oregon coach, Mike Bellotti, seems to think this would benefit the college game, but The Vest disagrees. When asked about the potential for the new rule, JT answered:

"I believe the current rule is satisfactory.It is our job as coaches to make sure our guys perform appropriately, not the officials".

Very Tressel-esque answer to say the least, but I assume most coaches will give similar responses. Bellotti says the rule may take a couple of years to perfect, in order to get all conferences on the same page, but this rule could be tough to pass without the support of big time coaches like Tressel.

I think instituting this rule would be absolutely ridiculous. Games could be decided on calls like these and then the referees judgments of what is or is not taunting would come into question. If the Buckeyes MNC dreams were shattered because Terrelle Pryor was talking a little smack on his way into the endzone in Ann Arbor next year, we would be going bonkers. The penalty for such rules like taunting and excessive celebration as is seem to be good enough, and I don't think the coaches will change this rule any time soon.

Punter Safety

Despite what the header may suggest, the next rule to be considered for this year, regards a lack of safety for the punter. This new rule, if voted in, would state that the punter can be hit if he leaves the kicking zone before punting. Defenses would still not be able to hit the punter if he has already kicked the ball, but this new rule gives attempting blockers a little more leeway in terms of how aggressive they are able to be. Currently many punters roll out to either side before they kick the ball, as OSU witnessed in Glendale, and this proposed rule would allow those players to be hit.

I favor this rule if it is passed for one sole reason: I hate rugby style punters. If you watch these guys play against your team, you sit there the entire game worrying that there is going to be a fake punt every time your team forces its opponents to boot. By rolling out, the punter has the option to kick the ball, run it, or pass it, enabling very creative fake punt options. It is only right that if the opposing team is able to fake you out the whole game, that you are now allowed to go after them as if they were running or passing the ball. Let's hope this rule gets in and Brian Rolle gets to put a licking on some punter that tries to sneak one on the Bucks.

Visiting Jerseys

The final proposed rule change may have been inspired by the USC-UCLA game during the last week of the season. In that game, Pete Carroll (and later Rick Neuheisel) gave up a time out so that the visiting Trojans could wear their red jerseys against rival UCLA in their blue jerseys. It used to be a tradition when the teams shared the Coliseum that they would both wear colors, and Pete and Rick decided that bringing back this ritual was worth a time out in the first half. So after my little history story, the new proposed rule is that visiting teams could wear a jersey color other than white pending conference approval and with the stipulation that it must be distinctly different from the home team's color. This rule does not seem to be a big deal and could also be in effect this year.

While this rule will go down as the USC Rule, which definitely bothers me, I think it is a good one. How cool would it be to see Michigan and OSU go at it in Scarlet and Blue or Florida and Georgia to go at it in Blue and Black? Although I do enjoy going into Ann Arbor and stomping on them in the whites, it would be kind of cool to see the colors flying come the last week in November. I don't see this rule as a big deal, as long as the colors don't clash and they won't considering it must get conference approval.

Which rules do you guys think should pass the vote and which do you think should be left out? Do you have a problem with Pete Carroll solely dictating the proposal of a rule? Would you want to see the Wolverines and the Buckeyes square off in home jerseys?

One trend that only seems to be accelerating in recent years is the early enrollment of recruits on campuses across the country. Guys that graduate high school early are eligible to get an head start on their college careers by taking classes and participating in strength and conditioning drills with their teams. Months ahead of their peers, they get an opportunity to immerse themselves in the playbook, impress coaches and more or less, get acclimated to college life.

The first high-profile Buckeye to enroll early, was none other than Big Mo, and while he may have turned in a stellar (albeit turbulent) rookie season, things didn't exactly work out for him after that first year. He's not alone -- for every Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford, there is a Stephen Garcia. Still, getting that jump can be important.

Last season, Brewster and Shugarts were in school for January with Adams, Sweat, Stoneburner and Sabino joining them by March. It's little coincidence that half of them saw considerable playing time last season with Brewster even going on to win the starting center job.

The Buckeyes have four players enrolled early this season and because of depth situations at their respective positions, all four have a chance to see the field early this fall if things break their way.

The early enrollee seeing the most love right about now is lineman Jack Mewhort. Finding playing time with the first unit will be a challenge for him, but as much as Tressel and Bollman like rolling two lines in games, he has a great shot to crack the 2nd unit and possibly even push for a starting position by midseason.

Linebacker Storm Klein, besides rocking one of the coolest football names you'll see, is already endearing himself to Buckeye fans thanks to lines like this after he signed his LOI:

"I'm just blessed to be able to play a sport I love ... for free."

Good frame, good speed and smarts, he reminds me of Bobby Carpenter a little bit. Perhaps it's because I often lump Newark and Lancaster together when thinking of the towns that ring Columbus, but if he can grow into a Carpenter, we'll all be the better off for it. There are two open linebacker spots, so he could force his way onto the field on defense, but I see a year of special teams hell-raising before he gets in at backer.

The other two early enrollees both have the distinction of being younger brothers of other Buckeyes. Adam Homan and Zach Boren may not be coming in as all-American recruits, but each of them will get crack at the open fullback spot. And when I say open, I mean wide-open. Jermil Martin and Marcus Williams are lingering, but the fullback position has been perhaps the most undecided in each of the last two spring camps -- almost to the point of being an afterthought. And this season, expect to see fewer I-sets. Still, if one of these guys can destroy linebackers, he'll create playing time.

In seven months, I'll hurl at the sight of them, but for one night, the USC marching band was part of something special. 32 members of the band joined Radiohead on stage at the Grammy awards to perform a version of the band's "15 Step". The result: something pretty fresh. Or in the words of Entertainment Weekly, the "best Grammy performance ever". Um... okay..

Not being one that tunes into award shows, I didn't catch this live, but heard all about it and finally tracked down the video:

Unfortunately, we've been unable to confirm the rumor that Petey was playing bass for the tune.