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DDN

OSU basketball unbeaten, but has room to improve


By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer

Thursday, November 23, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta stayed up some nights this preseason wondering how his team would fit together without 7-foot freshman Greg Oden.

The short answer is 5-0. But coaches aren't easily satisfied.
"As crazy as this sounds, I think that we have a long way to go," Matta said. "I think we're making progress."
San Francisco coach Jessie Evans, whose Dons lost 82-60 to OSU on Monday, had a different take. "They play well together," he said. "They seem to have a lot of fun out there.
"I noticed it on TV watching them in a couple games, they seem to enjoy their roles and they know their roles. And as a result, they're a little further along. I think that compensates for their lack of experience.
"They've still got another guy to add," Evans added, then joked, "He may mess up their chemistry a little bit."
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About five minutes into most games, the Buckeyes insert Daequan Cook (Dunbar), Matt Terwilliger (Troy) and Ivan Harris (Springfield). Cook has adapted to his sixth-man role, leading the team with 18 points per.
The top eight players all average between 18-31 minutes.
"We feel like we've got some depth and we know we want to play everybody," Matta said. "The big thing is getting those guys to understand their roles."
Two strong points
Mike Conley Jr. runs the point, spelled sometimes by Jamar Butler. Against the Dons, Conley had nine assists and Butler added seven. The Buckeyes average 18 assists, tops among Big Ten teams.
"The thing we always felt with Michael is with him coming in, he's a very good decision-maker," Matta said. "I think that is advantageous for us to put two guys out there that have the capability of making plays."
Flying over a Byrd
Cook's alley-oop dunk high over San Francisco's Jesse Byrd ? between two Cook 3-pointers ? excited the 14,592 fans, prompting a Dons timeout.
"That came from high school," Cook said. "Most times when you had a dunk like that, you got the crowd going.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.



Next game
Who: Ohio State (5-0) vs. Youngstown State (2-2)
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Nationwide Arena
Radio: WING-AM (1410)