Eleven Warriors

It had been a rough month for Cris Carter. First, he was kept out of Canton on his first try when the electors decided to get all nostalgic. Then, one week later, he lost his job on Inside the NFL when HBO canceled the series after a 31-year run.

His "unemployment" lasted all of about 17 days before ESPN tabbed him for an NFL analyst slot and a few hours later, Sean Salisbury was taking top honors in the "Who will be fired because of Cris Carter's hiring pool."

Bias alert, but the WWL is getting a quality guy that is not afraid to take on the establishment. He's been hammering the NFL over the Patriots Spygate and is on record as saying that Goodall has bumbled the handling of the incident.

He could also play a little ball.

In a game that followed an all too familiar blueprint, Ohio State started slow before fighting back only to shoot themselves in the foot with bad turnovers and poor shooting down the stretch in a 72-69 defeat at Indiana.

Fighting for their tournament lives, the Buckeyes have now lost three straight and five of the last seven.

Stage one of the blueprint, the slow start, came in the form of a 10-0 Indiana run capped by an Eric Gordon three right before the first TV timeout after a Kosta Koufos triple gave OSU a 3-0 lead.

Following 3 points from some kid named David Lighty, the Hoosiers went on an 8-1 run featuring two monster dunks from DJ White and another from Jordan Crawford as the Buckeyes hemorraghed offensive rebounds. Shortly thereafter, Armon Bassett scored 10 straight points pushing Indiana in front by 13 at 30-17 with 2:36 left setting up stage two.

Evan Turner parlayed a steal into a dunk and Jamar Butler hit a short jumper to cut the deficit to 30-21 at intermission in spite of the Buckeyes shooting just 8% from deep (1/12) while giving up 12 offensive boards.

Inspired by the late mini-surge, Kosta Koufos took over in the second half scoring 9 points in an 11-4 run that saw Indiana's lead shrink to 34-32 with 15 minutes to go.

After a another dunk from DJ White gave IU a 41-35 lead Koufos responded with 6 straight Buckeye points sandwiched between a White free throw to draw Ohio State to within one (42-41) at the 10:59 mark moving us to the next stage in the blueprint.

Stage three started innocently enough as OSU raced down court on a 3-1 fastbreak but a Butler pass went off Turner's hands and out of bounds blowing a sure layup with OSU trailing 49-46. On cue, Indiana got a lefty leaner from Jamarcus Ellis pushing the lead to 51-46 in what I believe was the most decisive sequence in the game. Turner did respond with a conventional three point play cutting the lead to 51-49 at 5:09 but the damage was done.

The Buckeyes were held scoreless the next two minutes behind a miss from Othello Hunter and crushing turnover from Koufos allowing IU to score 7 straight points to go up 58-49. After fighting back to 61-56 Koufos again doomed the cause throwing the ball out of bounds following a rebound of a Butler miss. As good teams do, Indiana promptly buried 9/10 free throws in the final minute to claim the W.

---

Props to the Buckeyes for showing a little passion on the road following the home loss to Wisconsin as I truly thought they'd mail it in. That said, the game will only be remembered as another missed opportunity in a mediocre season that does not yet have a quality win. Sure, they beat Syracuse and Florida but neither of those teams were any good at the time.

It's a shame Kosta made a few mistakes late because he had a monster second half against the best player on arguably the best team in the conference. His 18 points on 7/12 shooting kept OSU in the game after a poor first half in which he shot a flimsy 1/6. Overall Koufos netted 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals to offset the 3 big turnovers.

Evan Turner's game had the same flavor as he tallied 13 points, 7 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals but amassed a staggering 5 turnovers including 3 crucial second half miscues. I'm still super high on Turner but the turnovers give me heart palpitations.

Butler and Hunter each scored 12 points while Jon Diebler took a step back shooting just 1/6 with 3 turnovers. Hunter was effective inside adding 6 rebounds in addition to the 6/9 shooting.

OSU will look to end their slide this Saturday against the Gophers. Feel good about that one? Neither do I and it just might be the best chance to get a win before the conference tourney.

What a difference a year makes.

The Other Paper has a fascinating report on what former Buckeye great Eddie George has been up to these days. Despite owning a successful restaurant and landscaping outfit, George has ventured out into the world of internet talk radio.

George hosts a weekly one-hour talk program on an Internet-only radio network called Voice America. Since it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve never heard of Voice America and thus never heard George’s show, you’ll want to know that Radio by George deliberately ventures away from sports topics. On Jan. 28, for instance, the Buckeye icon’s topic of conversation was the national touring production of The Vagina Monologues.

More than once while talking to cast members from the play, George pondered the possibility of putting on The Penis Monologues. At the end of the show, he indulged that fantasy by offering a hammy monologue on his own genitalia.

“My penis is so awesome. It is such an awesome penis,” he said. “It has veins that flow the blood of life. Oh, my penis is so awesome that it also intimidates me. I’m empowered by my penis. It is the obelisk of life.”

"I'm empowered by my penis." Words we can all live by, indeed.

Ohio State 17-10, 8-6 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

February 26, 2008 7:00 PM ET - ESPN —— Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN

#12 Indiana 12-2, 23-4 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

OPPONENT: Things sure have changed at Indiana since they beat back Ohio State 59-53, a couple of weeks ago. A couple of Hoosier fans took offense to what I said about Kelvin Sampson in that game preview, but since they weren't one of 11W's twenty-two regular readers, they didn't know I have like "ESPN or something." It is funny how opinions can change in a matter of 48 hours. Karma bitches, karma.

However, this Hoosier team is still awesome and possesses the two best players in the Big Ten. Assembly Hall will be energized for Ohio State, Erin Andrews and the first home game for new coach Dan Dakich, as they look to keep pace with Wisconsin and Purdue for the conference lead. The Hoosiers have won 6 of 7, with a 2 point loss to Whisky as their only blemish.

Indiana still leads the conference in scoring (71.7), rebounding margin (+7.1), and FT percentage (78.1), which will make it difficult for Ohio State to come back after their patented slow start. If the Hoosiers can exploit the holes of Ohio State's zone defense again, it could be the beginning of the end for Ohio State's tourney hopes.

KEY PLAYERS: I hope D.J. White skipping practice last week during the circus-like atmosphere Kelvin created doesn't cost him the POY award, he deserves it. He bullied Ohio State in the first meeting to the tune of 21 points, 13 rebounds and is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds in conference play. I thought he may be done after his knee injury against Sparty, but he came back for 19 and 15 in the following game. Tonight is his second to last home game for his career and you know he is pissed, so we can only hope he doesn't go for 30.

Eric Gordon will be looking for revenge on Ohio State, as they held him to 4-10 shooting in the first matchup and this will be the last time he faces the Bucks. The aspect I appreciate most about Gordon's game is his ability to get to the free throw line. He has been there 31 times over the last two games and has made 188 of 220 attempts on the season. Gordon leads the conference in scoring at 20.6 points a game and has had only one game where he has scored less than 12 points, all season.

Armon Bassett and Jordon Crawford are the young guard duo that has also helped propel Indiana. Crawford was a stat stuffer against OSU with 8 points, 6 boards, 7 assists, 3 steals and one sick spin move on the Wiggler. He went for 21 Saturday in Evanston and is averaging 10.4 a game on the season. Bassett has gone for 40 points in his last two, hitting 8 of 11 from downtown, pushing his season average up to 10.8 per game.

Jamarcus Ellis has been a great compliment to White on the glass this year, pulling down over 7 a game, chipping in with 7 points and leading the team in assists with almost 4 per. Lance Stemler, DeAndre Thomas, Mike White and Kyle Taber will round out Dakich's rotation.

NOTES: Dakich coached in 410 games as an assistant for Indiana before getting the interim tag... This is Indiana's best record since 1992-93... D.J. White has averaged 21.6 points and 18 boards when this broadcast crew does his game (someone wants him the EA interview)... They have made 130 of 163 free throws (79.8%) in the last five minutes of games this season...

---

BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN: 13-16 and 17-15, those were the records for OSU in the two years before Thad came in. He has raised the expectations so high, it is easy to forget the futile years Buckeye fans had to endure in recent memory. While we all know how frustrating this team has been recently, I think we may sometimes forget how frustrating it used to be.

At least this team has had chances to win and their defense is in the top ten nationally after losing 3 freshmen to the first 21 picks of the NBA draft. There is no doubt this team is completely different if Mike Conley Jr. would have stayed. He mentioned in the Dispatch Sunday that if Ron Lewis doesn't make that shot against Xavier, he would still be in school.

However, this team has played well at times this season and all is not lost. The other bubble teams across the country are also losing. A win tonight would do wonders, but they have to come out with intensity and not let the home crowd intimidate them. Hopefully their hatred will be toward Kelvin and not the fragile Buckeyes.

KEY PLAYERS: There is no word on why Jamar didn't start his 98th straight game Sunday, which is fine by me, but it is critical. At this point Jamar is either going to let it be a spark to his play and leadership or start a downward spiral the next couple of weeks. His body language Sunday seemed to show off the latter.

Kosta recorded his third straight double double against Wisconsin with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He had 18 and 9 in the first meeting, but as mentioned, was dominated by D.J. White and will be looking to score double digits in his 11th straight game. As I have said, let's hope Kosta is able to turn down millions of dollars for a second straight summer.

Evan Turner has been drawing recent raves from opposing fans, although he forgot to show up Sunday. Bob Baptist of the Dispatch thinks Turner may see the ball more in clutch scoring situations. He has a better ability of breaking down a defender and could give Ohio State a better option over the preferred launching of a three, one just has to worry about his love of turnovers.

It is tough to be positive about any other players right now, maybe Dallas Lauderdale. It has to be tearing Thad apart knowing the potential talent that's amongst Lighty, Diebler and Hunter, but for whatever reason they have not put it together consistently. Any one of the three stepping up could lead to a victory.

NOTES: Matta is still sitting at 98 victories at OSU... Wisconsin scored only 1 basket and 4 points over the last 6:24 of the game... Butler moved into 30th all time in scoring...

As most of you have probably already heard, Vernon Gholston put up Gun Show-like numbers at the combine yesterday. During the strength test, he pressed the standard 225lbs 37 times, tying him for the lead with Jake Long (ah.. memories).

The 37 repetitions, while impressive, are 8 short of the combine record of 45 held by UTEP's Leif Larson (2000) and Ohio State's Mike Kudla (2006). I'm not getting too upset over his "shortcoming" because despite their bench press skills, both Larson and Kudla are currently employed in jobs that do not require shoulder pads.

Gholston is thought to be the #2 defensive end in the draft, behind Howie's son Chris Long, who did not perform the bench press test at the combine, instead opting to wait to press until Virginia's pro day on March 18.

In completely unrelated news, we learn that the Gun Show is a bit of a pro wrestling fan, which had a little something to do with him getting a late start on the gridiron and also may explain why he looks like the black Ultimate Warrior.

---

On the compliance front, the Yahoo! Sports article from last week has spurred the Buckeye athletic department to take a closer look at high school fundraisers that the Vest takes part in.

Tim May of The Dispatch caught up with OSU's associate athletic director for compliance, Doug Archie and while Tressel appears to be in the clear for the La Salle event next month, the university will work harder to ensure all CYAs are in place:

"What's going to happen now is we are going to look for ways to communicate better with those schools and organizations that request our people as speakers," OSU spokesman Dan Wallenberg said.

What's amazing to me is that Tressel receives about five requests per day to speak. That's very similar to my life except the only thing asking me to speak are this blog editor and the Hennifer Lopez drawing on my hand.

---

The Justin Zwick experiment with the Columbus Destroyers sure didn't last long. A little over two weeks after signing with the AFL squad, Zwick was released to meet league roster size requirements.

Despite his lack of success on the field since graduating from Massillon Washington in 2003, he's always carried himself in a classy fashion. Here's hoping he'll see some more media work -- or at least hook up with Karsatos. He'll get you rich, son!

As expected, Terrelle Pryor was on hand to take in today's Buckeye basketball game and the fans responded accordingly blowing kisses in the form of chanting "We Want Pryor" as the Ruler of the Galaxy walked in front of them prior to halftime.

TP watched the game flanked by assistant recruiting coordinator and incoming offensive lineman Michael Brewster in addition to JB Shugarts, Mike Adams and Jake Stoneburner. In a calculated move, Brewster and Shugarts were introduced to the crowd triggering a long standing ovation serving as a not so subtle reminder of just how much Buckeye Nation loves its footballers.

In a season filled with countless second half collapses, today's edition was easily the most painful as the Buckeyes managed just 10 points over the final 15 minutes turning a 43-39 lead into a crushing 58-53 home loss to Wisconsin.

The loss dropped Ohio State to 17-10 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The Buckeyes have now dropped 4 of 6 and with the remaining schedule it's probably time to get those NIT travel plans set. Oh wait, nevermind. Judging from the numerous empty seats on display today, nobody plans on going anyway.

While the Buckeyes again hung close, the game was essentially over after Wisconsin answered a John Diebler three that gave OSU a 49-47 lead with a 7-0 run capped by an uncontested Brian Butch jumper from the left elbow. The bucket put Wisky in front 54-49 with 6:33 left and OSU managed just one made field goal (Turner) and two free throws the rest of the way.

Butler's free throws cut the deficit to 56-53 with 3:15 left and OSU had a chance to tie it on three consecutive possessions but spastic, unorganized offense led to 0 points on 0/4 shooting including a Butler airball that Wisconsin converted into a dunk putting an exclamation point on the end of Ohio State's NCAA hopes.

I had a feeling another collapse was coming after the Buckeyes failed to take advantage of Wisconsin's sloppy play (12 TO) and Brian Butch's foul trouble allowing the Badgers to tie the game at 32-32 at intermission. Butch scored 6 points in the first 4 minutes before picking up his 2nd foul with 14:53 left and Wisky out in front by a 8-4 margin.

With Butch on the pine, five different Buckeyes scored fueling a 13-2 run giving the Buckeyes a 17-10 lead just before the 8 minute TV timeout but constant failures to identify the shooter in the zone allowed the Badgers to hit three straight triples before a Koufos dunk provided the 32-32 halftime score.

It was all uphill from there as the Badgers committed just 2 second half turnovers while turning up the defensive intensity. The increased pressure combined with the Buckeyes' propensity to settle for threes caused Ohio State to shoot just 27% (7/26) over the final 20 minutes including 3/11 from downtown. Ohio State attempted only 6 threes in the first half and scored 32 points. Go figure.

Held out of the starting lineup for an undisclosed reason, Butler led Ohio State with 14 points but he was hardly effective. His continued trend of poor shot selection led to a 5/14 afternoon and his 4 turnovers against 5 assists simply wasn't good enough. As in the Michigan game, Butler continuously picked up his dribble 35 feet from the basket nearly causing a few five second calls or turnovers. I love the kid but I'm wondering if he's given up on this team and this season.

---

Another senior, Othello Hunter, continued his inconsistent season coming out strong with 9 points and 4 rebounds in the first half before registering 0 points and 2 rebounds in the second. In his defense, Hunter didn't see much action in the second stanza but at this stage of the season I'd just as soon see Thad give the bulk of Hunter's minutes to Dallas Lauderdale in preparation for 2008.

Lauderdale logged his most minutes since January 9th (8) and responded with 3 points, 5 boards, a block and 0 turnovers. I know he's not the second coming of Moses Malone but he's got a Big Ten frame and youth on his side.

Fellow freshman Kosta Koufos managed another double double with 10 points and 10 boards to go along with 2 blocks and 0 turnovers. As expected, he got bullied at times but his 5 offensive rebounds show he is getting a little tougher. I still say the kid is developing at a good pace for a big man and he'll be a force if he comes back - at the 4 spot next to BJ Mullens.

Koufos' classmates Evan Turner and Jon Diebler both struggled today combining for 7 points on 3/10 shooting while grabbing just 2 rebounds against 3 turnovers in 54 collective minutes. Turner was especially clueless, losing Jason Bohannon in the zone on a few trips.

David Light wasn't much better missing 6 of 8 shots with 3 boards and 2 turnovers in 30 minutes while Wiggler helped out with 3 points and 5 boards in 22 minutes.

I'm interested in what Matta can do with the one day he has before the Buckeyes travel to Indiana to face the Hoosiers Tuesday night on ESPN. It could get ugly as IU will be on an emotional high in their first home game since Sampson was shown the door for letting his fingers do the walking.

Ohio State 17-9, 8-5 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

February 24, 2008 4:00 PM ET - CBS —— Value City Arena Columbus, OH

#10 Wisconsin 22-4, 12-2 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

OPPONENT: Wisconsin arrives into Columbus tied for first in the conference, winning 6 of their last 7, including three straight. This is a typical Wisconsin team under Bo Ryan, unselfish play combined with making the most of their opponents mistakes has lead to the Badgers winning eight of their twelve conference games by at least 10 points.

Whisky is second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally in defensive FG percentage at 38.8 and rank second nationally in points given up per game with just over 55. Bo's team has had 8 different players lead them in scoring this year and are the only Big Ten team to have four players averaging double digits during conference play. Wisconsin comes in shooting 45 percent from the floor, 70 percent from the stripe and 35 percent from deep.

Bo Ryan is starting to get his due credit as one of the best coaches in the country. Since his arrival in Madison he has lead Wisconsin to 20 wins season in five of his first six years, the school had just four 20 win seasons in their previous 103 years.

His teams have won the most conference games (80) since 2001-2002 and his .727 winning percentage ranks best all time for Big Ten coaches. Oddly enough, he has the same overall winning percentage for his career (547-162), which ranks him behind only Roy Williams amongst active coaches with 500 or more victories. We know what to expect from Wisconsin and if the Buckeyes show their soft side, the Badgers will be ready to burst the Buckeyes bubble.

KEY PLAYERS: As mentioned, Wisconsin has four players averaging double digits in conference play, with Marcus Landry leading the way at 12.4 points per contest. The 6'7" junior does most of his work from inside the arc, shooting 47 percent from the floor and an impressive 80 percent from the line. He is also one of three Badgers grabbing more than five boards a game in the conference at 5.4 per.

Behind Landry is Brian Butch at 11.4 points per game. You might remember Butch from his horrific fall last year in Columbus, causing his elbow to dislocate. The 6'11" senior has recovered fully and is second on the team with 5.7 rebounds a contest. He has made 10 of his last 17 threeballs and needs just 8 points for 1,000 in his career.

Trevon Hughes and Michael Flowers are the other two, scoring 10.7 and 10.2 respectively. Hughes is a 6'0" sophomore guard who also leads the team in assists (2.4) and steals (2.2) within conference play. Flowers is a 6'3" senior who does it all for his team, averaging over 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals in league play. He also leads this team in shooting within the conference, connecting on 49 percent overall and 44 percent from deep.

The 6'7" junior, Joe Krabbenhoft will round out the starting five. He is scoring 7.2 points in league play, leading the team with almost 7 caroms and is second in assists with 2.3 per game. Jason Bohannon might be the best sixth man in the conference. The 6'2" sophomore has averaged 14.5 points over his last four games and poured in a career high 18 against Indiana a few games ago, all on three pointers. He has made 33 straight free throws and 39 of 41 in conference play.

Jon Leuer and Greg Stiemsma should see about 10 minutes each off the bench. Leuer is a 6'10" freshman and Stiemsma is a 6'11" senior, so they can bring multiple defenders at Koufos. Stiemsma is tied for the team lead in blocks within the conference.

NOTES: The Badgers are 24-8 in their last 32 one possession games... Wisconsin has made 66 of 80 free throws (83 percent) in the last 4 minutes of conference games... Bucky is 52-10 over the last two seasons, ranking them sixth nationally... Madison is one of the coolest cities I have visited, a visit there should be on your Bucket List... This is the only time Wisconsin and Ohio State play this year, after three epic battles last year.

---

BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN: This is it, Ohio State enters the stretch run after a much needed week off. The WWL still has Ohio State in the tournament as an 11 seed, but the next five games will ultimately decide on whether the Bucks go dancing or not. I think winning 3 of the next 5 and at least one win in the conference tourney will put Ohio State in the NCAA.

OSU has lost three of their last five, with bad losses at Iowa and Michigan. Ohio State has scored 70 points in only one of their last 6 and the inconsistent scoring that has plagued them all year is still a major concern. Surprisingly, the Buckeyes are third in the conference with 45.8 shooting during league play and still rank first in FG defense at 37.8 percent.

Ohio State's rebounding has improved during conference play, as they rank third with a +2.5 margin. This is going to be a key aspect of this final run, if they can limit the number of shots the opposition has, they should be able to pull off a tournament bid.

It will be interesting to see if Thad added some new wrinkles during the lay off. The 2-2-1 press has been ineffective this season and has lead to many open looks from deep. Wisconsin takes care of the ball and shoots well from deep, so another lackluster press attempt will spell doom.

KEY PLAYERS: Which Kosta Koufos will show up today? The game against Wisconsin last year in Columbus resembled a football game and this year will be no different. I have mentioned the increased emotion and toughness of late, but Kosta scored only 4 points and grabbed 4 rebounds against Michigan State and he let D.J. White control the inside. Kosta has recorded two straight double-doubles and has scored ten or more points in 9 consecutive games. He can not let Whisky take him out of this game.

I don't think anyone needed the week off more than Jamar Butler. He has played all 40 minutes in 5 of his last 6 games and rumblings of wearing down have popped up among Buckeye Nation. The Lima Pimp still ranks fourth at 14.8 points in conference play and is 13th nationally with 6.3 assists per game. It troubles me that he has not gone to the charity stripe in his last four games, but don't be shocked if he has a stellar game.

Whatever ailed Evan Turner recently seems to be gone. The freshman from Chicago recorded his second double-double of the year against Michigan, going for 16 points and 11 rebounds. Over the last two games, he has averaged 13 points, 9.5 boards and 6.5 assists. He ranks 8th in the Big Ten, shooting 51 percent in conference play, but still leads this team with 2.6 turnovers a game.

Another huge key to Ohio State's stretch run will be the play of Othello Hunter, David Lighty and Jon Diebler. I don't know what has happened to D-Light lately. He has more turnovers (7) than points (6), rebounds (5) and assists (6) over his last three games. Diebler has actually played well lately averaging almost 12 points a game over the last four and taking Lighty's minutes away from him. Buckeye fans have waited all year for this type of consistent scoring from Threebler, let's hope he can keep it going for this stretch run. Hunter must stay out of foul trouble Sunday, his inside presence will be much needed against the trees that Wisconsin will run at OSU.

NOTES: Ohio State ran practice all week without calling fouls... Ohio State leads the conference in home attendance, but the empty seats behind the student sections have become a concern... Matta is 3-5 against Bo Ryan while at Ohio State... Mike Conley plays against LeBron right after this game at 6pm in Cleveland (Fox Sports Ohio).

Various Buckeye message boards have lit up over the course of the past 24 hours with news that The Yearned-For One will be taking an unofficial visit to Ohio State for the Wisconsin basketball game on Sunday.

This is completely unconfirmed at this time, but Monday's Mike Farrell piece for Rivals.com did mention that Pryor didn't get to see everything that he wanted to in Columbus:

"I've seen everything at Michigan, but I didn't get to see everything at Ohio State. I am still in touch with all the Ohio State commitments I've become friends with, but they're being really cool about it, not pressuring me."

If there's any truth to this, you have to feel even better about the Buckeyes' chances to land him. Taking time out of his basketball schedule to make a 200 mile Sunday drive to a school he's already seen is saying a lot.

Then again, one half of watching the 2008 basketball team could be enough to discourage anyone from wanting to attend Ohio State. Or worse yet, he could experience that raucous home court hoops advantage first-hand and be completely blow away by the silence and lack of enthusiasm. Perhaps they could pipe in sounds from the Horseshoe last fall?

Feel free to light up the comments if you have any further news on this.

(Thanks to CL for the tip.)