Florida Center May Not Play Against the Buckeyes
December 21, 2006 2:30 pm EST
Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan said starting center Al Horford will not play Saturday when the fifth-ranked Gators host No. 3 Ohio State in Gainesville, Fla.
"With the way he's moving and cutting, and what I saw yesterday, and his conditioning right now, I don't see how he can play," Donovan said this morning during a teleconference.
"Now, I'm giving you my opinion today. If something drastic should change, because of my comments on this teleconference, I would make sure I put out a (news) release well before the game that he is playing. But my belief right now, in talking to our doctors and our trainers, is he's not playing."
Horford, who averages team highs of 13.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, suffered a high ankle sprain in his left leg in practice last week. He has worn a protective boot on the leg since and has missed the Gators' past two games. - Gregg
Basketball Buckeyes Get their 10th Win
December 19, 2006 10:15 pm EST
Although the final score was 75-56, the game was a lot closer than that for 34 minutes. With 5:45 to go in the game, Ohio State (10-1) was holding on to a 55-53 lead. They had not played poorly, but they were not playing like a team that was favored by 20. But for the rest of the game they out scored Iowa State 20-3 to give them the deciding margin of 19 points. Daequan Cook led the way for the Buckeyes with 21 points. Greg Oden, who is still playing with a brace on his right hand, added 18 points, 9 boards and one blocked shot. The Cyclones (5-4) were led by Mike Taylor's 24 point effort. 18,905 fans poured into Value City Arena, providing the largest crowd this season. The halftime activities were highlighted when the football team present Ohio State and Gene Smith the Big Ten Championship Trophy. - Gregg
No more tickets available this season
December 19, 2006 7:40 pm EST
The Ohio State Athletic ticket office announced that all remaining home games for Ohio State Men's basketball are now sold out. - Gregg
Letter to the NBA
December 18, 2006 1:00 pm EST
Dear Mr Stern,
I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for the new rule you implemented last year stating that NBA players must be removed at least one year from their high school graduation before entering the NBA draft. Due to that change, our local team was blessed with the addition of one Greg Oden, who would have been the #1 pick in the 2006 draft according to your experts. Now we are getting the pleasure of watching him play, and he is spared the travesty of having to compete with the thugs you find in your league today. Although the seven players involved in this weekend brawl were fined and suspended, I personally believe the punishment needs to be more severe if you truly want an environment where there is 'no tolerance' for such behavior. In the meantime, we will continue to accumulate wins here in Columbus. Who knows, one more fight in the NBA and perhaps Mr Oden will stay for his sophomore year.
Sincerely,
Gregg Watson
Loyal Buckeye Fan
Buckeye Players leading Big Ten Stats
December 12, 2006 8:00 pm EST
The 8-1 Buckeyes are coming off a 78-57 win verses Cleveland State on Sunday, December 8 and already this season, several players are making news. Two Ohio State freshmen find themselves leading the Big Ten Conference in several statistical categories. Point guard Mike Conley Jr. leads the league with 22 steals (2.75 spg. and in assist/turnover ratio (+2.94). He is second in assists (6.63 apg.) Classmate Daequan Cook is second among Big Ten players in 3-point shooting percentage (.514/18-35) and leads the league in defensive rebounding (5.63 drpg.). Cook ranks No. 4 in scoring (17.6 ppg.) and is No. 7 in overall rebounding (70 rpg.). Ohio State veterans also find themselves among the league leaders in several categories. Senior Ron Lewis, after a 30-point effort at North Carolina (Nov. 29), is No. 3 in scoring (17.8 ppg.) and No. 7 in 3-point field goal shooting percentage (21-44/.477) and No. 5 in treys made per game (2.63). Senior Ivan Harris is tied at No. 4 with three
others in 3-point shooting percentage, making half his attempts (20-40). Junior Jamar Butler ranks No. 6 in assists (5.25 apg.) and fifth in asst./TO ratio (2.63). - Gregg
Ohio State Drops to 5th in the AP Poll
December 4, 2006 3:00 pm EST
UCLA and Pittsburgh held onto the top two spots in The Associated Press' college basketball poll released today, while a loss to North Carolina dropped Ohio State from the third spot to No. 5. The Bruins (6-0) stayed on top for a second straight week, receiving 55 first-place votes and 1,781 points from the 72-member national media panel. UCLA celebrated its first No. 1 ranking since 1995 with victories over Long Beach State and UC Riverside. Pittsburgh (8-0), which beat Robert Morris and won at Auburn, was No. 1 on 15 ballots and had 1,713 points. North Carolina (6-1) jumped from seventh to third after beating then-No. 3 Ohio State 98-89 on Wednesday. The Tar Heels received the other two first-place votes. - Gregg
Oden Comes off the Bench for 14 Points-10 Rebounds
December 2, 2006 7:00 pm EST
Greg Oden came off the bench today for the Buckeyes but do not expect that pattern for long. He logged 28 minutes as Ohio State defeated Valparaiso 78-58. This was his first real game in seven months. Oden had not played summer ball or with the Buckeyes since undergoing surgery June 16 to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist. Daequan Cook scored 20 points and Ron Lewis had 10 for Ohio State (7-1), coming off a 98-89 loss at No. 7 North Carolina a few nights ago. - Gregg
Oden to make his OSU Debut Today
December 2, 2006 11:50 am EST
The wait for Buckeye fans is over. According to news sources... Greg Oden will make his much anticipated debut for the Ohio State men's basketball team when the Buckeyes play Valparaiso at 4 p.m. today in Value City Arena.
Tarheels Give Buckeyes their First Loss of Season
November 29, 2006 11:30 pm EST
Ohio State played with the ACC powerhouse for 28 minutes, but a 17-2 run turned the Buckeye 6 point advantage into a North Carolina lead we could not overcome. Part of it was due to the strong play of Tyler Hansbrough but it is hard to think that part of it was not due to the fact that there was a huge disparity in the foul calls. The Tarheels had 34 foul shots while Ohio State (6-1) only had 13. Ron Lewis played another great game with a team leading 28 points and Ivan Harris was again strong off the bench adding 17 points. Regardless of the outcome of this one, I know as a Buckeye fan that we will be more than happy to play them again in March, on a neutral court, with Oden in the line-up. - Gregg
Recruiting Update
November 28, 2006 7:00 am EST
Thad Matta added another recruit to his growing list of future Buckeyes. Anthony Crater from Flint, Michigan has committed to play at Ohio state. The junior point guard makes a total of 14 players Coach Matta has lined up for the Buckeyes in the 2006, 07 and 08 classes. This may be a mild concern as you can have no more than 13 scholarship players on your roster at one time. But the thinking may be that not all of these kids will stay the full four years. Sources indicate they are still looking for one more forward for the 2008 class. - Gregg
OSU #1 in both Football and Basketball
November 27, 2006 6:00 pm EST
The coach's have voted the OSU men's basketball program #1 in the nation this week. With the football team already at #1, it marks the first time since January of 1974 that a school (Notre Dame) has held the #1 spot in both football and basketball. The only other time this has occurred was in 1967 when UCLA owned the #1 position in both sports.
Buckeyes Punish Penguins, Prepare for Tarheels
November 24, 2006 10:30 pm EST
The Youngstown State Penguins took an early 8-7 lead at Nationwide Arena but it was all Ohio State after that as the Buckeyes cruised to 91-57 win. The only question left after this game was whether or not the football Buckeyes would match those 91 points when they square off with Youngstown State to open the 2007 football season. Ivan Harris led Ohio State (6-0) in scoring with 19 points on 7-11 shooting and Jamar Butler contributed with 9 assists compared to 1 turnover. Daequan Cook had his first double double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. OSU will still be without Greg Oden for their game against North Carolina on the 29th, but he did appear on the sideline without his wrist brace for the first time. - Gregg
Basketball Team to Play at Nationwide Arena
November 24, 2006 1:00 pm EST
For the second time ever, the Buckeyes will be playing in Nationwide Arena when Ohio State takes on Youngstown State. The Buckeyes hosted Virginia Tech at Nationwide Dec. 6, 2003 in the other game. The game against Youngstown State Friday is being played at Nationwide to satisfy the NCAA requirement for the host school of NCAA tournament first and second round games to have at least one game contested in the facility where NCAA tournament games are played. Ohio State will host the 2007 NCAA First and Second Round Tournament games in March. OSU also was the host school for the early rounds in 2004. - Gregg
Channel 10 to show games
November 22, 2006 8:00 pm EST
Some basketball fans have been upset this year that the games were only being shown on ONN. Channel 10 announced today that for the remainder of the season, all games not shown on ESPN or ESPN2 will be shown on 10TV. Of course if any really wants to see the games, you should just go to them. There has not been 10,000 fans at a game yet this season. Get your tickets now before everyone realizes how good this team will be this season. - Gregg
Thad Matta gets win #50
November 17, 2006 9:30 pm EST
Ohio State took care of business and defeated Eastern Kentucky 74-45. In the process, Thad Matta posted his 50th win as a Buckeye coach. He is now 50-18 overall and amazingly enough that is only the third fastest an OSU coach has reach 50 wins (Randy Ayers did it in 67 games, it took Fred Taylor 64 games to reach 50 wins). The Buckeyes (4-0) next face San Francisco in Value City Arena, Monday the 20th at 8:00pm. - Gregg
Buckeyes Win BCA Classic
November 12, 2006 10:30 pm EST
Ohio State had no problem defeating Kent State 81-59, winning the 2006 BCA Classic. With the win, Matta picked up his 200 career coaching victory.
Matta Signs Extension Through 2014-15 Season
November 3, 2006 2:00 pm EST
Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta agreed to a new contract that will run through the 2014-15 season, the university reported today. Matta, 39, had been signed through the 2012 season.
Matta, whose previous annual average compensation was $1.4 million, is still second among Big Ten coaches at $2.26 million (which includes all possible incentives), behind Tom Izzo of Michigan State at $2.4 million. Matta's nine-year total is $20,380,900, including possible incentives.
The new contract is retroactive to July 1, 2006, and runs through June 30, 2015.
“Thad Matta has an extraordinary gift,” OSU director of athletics Gene Smith said. “His energy and enthusiasm are both tangible and contagious, and his results speak for themselves. He is a master coach, and teacher, and a highly positive influence on the young men in the program. We are immensely proud to have him as our coach”
Matta's teams have compiled a record of 148-49 in his six seasons as a head coach. Each team has won at least 20 games, making him one of two coaches nationally to record 20 or more victories in each of his first six years as an NCAA Division I head coach. Mark Few of Gonzaga has done so in each of his first seven seasons.
Ohio State is 46-18 under Matta. The 148 wins over his first six seasons ranks No. 5 all time in NCAA history for wins to start a career (six years). Matta's winning percentage (.751) also rates No. 5 all-time after six years at the start of a career.
In addition to Matta's contract, John Groce, who came to Ohio State from Xavier with Matta, has been elevated from assistant to associate head coach.
David Egelhoff and Brandon Miller also have new roles with the men's basketball program. Egelhoff, who spent five seasons as a student manager and three as the program's video coordinator, takes over as director of basketball operations. He has an undergraduate business administration degree (2001) and a master's in sports management (2005) from Ohio State.
Miller moves to the video coordinator position after two years as the director of basketball operations. He is a 2003 Butler graduate with a degree in education.
New Players Shine in Opening Win
November 1, 2006 10:00 pm EST
The first test for the 2006-07 OSU basketball team resulted in 80-57 win over Findlay in an exhibition game. Returning letter-winner Ron Lewis led the team in scoring with 17 points but the newcomers were the story. Mike Conley Jr had 10 points, but also had 7 assists with only one turnover. David Lightly had 9 points with 3 rebounds. Daequan Cook added 13 point to go along with 8 rebounds, and in only 19 minutes of play Othello Hunter had 11 points and two monster blocks. Of course the mostly highly publicized newcomer, Greg Oden is still recovering from hand surgery and is not expected to return to the line-up until the first of the year.
If you would like to check out a few pics from the game, click here as we start to build our Basketball photo page.
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