This Skull Session is dedicated to 618 Buckeye, wherever he may be in the world. I'm thinking about you, man, and that offer to talk will be on the table as long as I live. (Update: 618 is safe.)
OSU PUSHES THE ROCK. When I think "Thad Matta offense" I do not envision players pushing the tempo. And because of that, I would have lost a lot of money on a test centered around the numbers from Dylan Burkhardt of UMhoops.com's preview of tomorrow's OSU-UM tilt (graph included):
Ohio State is ranked fourth in Big Ten offensive efficiency and third on defense. The Buckeye offense is powered by the two-point shot. Ohio State shoots 52.9% on twos (2nd B1G) and scores 58.1% of its points inside the arc — a higher percentage than any other Big Ten team. The Buckeyes aren’t a great free throw shooting team, ranked 7th in free throw rate (32.1%) and 3rd to last in free throw percentage (62.7%), and shoot just 34.3% on threes (9th B1G).
While they have size, a bigger reason for their interior scoring is the ability to push the ball in transition and generate easy offense. Ohio State pushes the ball in transition more often than any other team in the conference and is efficient on the break..
Looking over this graph, I say let slip the dogs of war. Ohio State probably isn't winning the title this year, so why not go out with a bang? Just go small and push the pace on any opportunity. It's not like college teams, in 2015, are loaded with jump shooters anyway.
CAN BRAXTON STILL BE SUPERMAN? A scenario where Braxton comes back but is never the same would be painful to watch. However, it's a fair question asked by Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com:
Injuries have a tendency to make players disappear, especially when their stand-ins sparkle. It has been the case for Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, who has won seven Big Ten individual awards in his career yet finds himself as somewhat of a forgotten man.
[...]
It's such a fascinating dynamic at Ohio State as Jones, the only healthy quarterback in spring practice, seemingly would have an edge over the others. But Barrett showed during the season that he's capable of doing big things, and Miller, the best athlete of the three, has a track record that should never be discounted.
If Miller is the same athlete who has evolved in other areas, he'll be tough to beat out.
I know Dr. James Andrews did the surgery, and I know George Whitfield, who it must be said is paid by the Miller camp, is saying Braxton will be healthy by July, but man, I hope he doesn't feel pressure to rush back too soon again.
(Wait, what am I typing? Braxton is a competitor with his NFL QB hopes dangling from a shredded tendon; he's going to feel pressure.)
OSU's 1-2 RECRUITING PUNCH. The Lord of Whispers mentioned on a Dubcast a few weeks ago that staff members told him as early as last summer 2015 prospect Matthew Burrell was a "must-have."
Well, they got the "heafty" lefty out of Virginia, and Zach Smith and Larry Johnson were a big part of it.
How big? For that, we turn to Ryan Ginn of BuckeyeSports.com's interview with Burrell's high school coach:
BSB: What makes Larry Johnson and Zach Smith so effective as recruiters?
Harris: “This is going to sound very cliché, but they are the same people all the time. They’re just very genuine people. Coach Johnson is a guy I personally look up to. I think he’s a wonderful coach and a wonderful human being. Zach Smith is a little younger and knows the lingo the kids use, but he’s always himself. That mixture of guys in Virginia is wonderful. There’s not too many schools with a one-two punch like that in any state.”
We mention how likable the team is (and rightfully so) but how about the staff? The only acceptable answer to "What assistant coach would you most like to drink with?" is "all of them."
Of course, I'd be remiss not to embed this tweet after mentioning Zach Smith:
@Cantguardmike @CJ12_ @MakeHistory_JD @dreamchaser_cj5 #fbf to your coach @CoachZachSmith pic.twitter.com/mQxidaeA8d
— Sean Martin (@smartin8) February 21, 2015
A BASKETBALL DISCUSSION WITH TIM SHOEMAKER. Does anybody know this Tim Shoemaker fella? He sounds like he knows a thing or two about Buckeye shooty hoops.
Via Hayden Grove of TheLantern.com:
There are some sharp minds over there at The Lantern these days. That Shoemaker might be one to watch.
CROSS-TOWN SHOOTOUT. I've picked my bones with Cincinnati in the past, but today, I am throwing residents of the Queen City a bone of their own.
From Mark Titus of Grantland.com's article on the Cross Town Shootout, which he attended.
It’s probably worth mentioning that the University of Cincinnati is a massive public school of around 43,500 students, while Xavier is a tiny Jesuit private school with an enrollment of 4,600. But let’s just cut to the chase: Fewer than 300,000 people live in Cincinnati. The next-smallest city in America to house two power conference basketball programs is Philadelphia, which has a population of more than 1.5 million. This makes the UC-Xavier rivalry feel like two big fish fighting to be the king of the same tiny pond. And it’s not just that they’re in the same city — both schools are also close to each other. Like, really close. The campuses are separated by about 2.5 miles, making Xavier and Cincinnati the two closest power conference schools in the country. I had no idea they were so close until this week, which is something I blame on the rivalry being named the “Crosstown Shootout.” When I hear “Crosstown,” I assume you have to get in a car and drive, you know, across town to get from one to the other. In truth, UC and Xavier are very much on the same side of town. Even out-of-shape people could walk from one to the other. Uncle Rico could throw a football from one campus to the other. In short, the two schools are so close that when Xavier farts, UC smells it.
Have you ever shared a hotel room with someone for a week or more? If so, you know that it doesn’t take long for even best friends to want to kill each other when forced to share a tight space. Well, imagine sharing a tight space for almost 185 years with someone you never liked in the first place. Then think of how both schools are competing for recruits, fans, media coverage, money, status, and everything else college basketball programs need to stay relevant. Imagine the other guy having what you want and rubbing it in your face every chance he gets that you don’t have it. And when the roles are reversed, imagine him doing everything he can to take what’s yours. Imagine how much hatred would build up. That’s UC-Xavier.
It's true: The only time I cheer on the Cincinnati Bearcats is when they're playing Xavier.
THOSE WMDs. From @JonClemens: The White Devil Kingpin... Mount Gilead, stand up... 2014 OSU-PSU All-22 film... Incredible psychedelic timelapse of corals and sponges... Stanford's David Shaw goes in-depth on recruiting strategy.
