Ohio State 55, North Carolina 66 (Final)

[iambrutus]

i'm sure this point has been made but i didn't read the whole thread:

even though we lost, even though we didn't shoot well in the 2nd half - i'm encouraged by this game. this team out played and out husseled one of the best teams in the country for 20 minutes - thats something to build on. this team is young but they could become dangerous in march

[wadc45]

WIthout reading through this whole thread, here are my thought on the game from section 324:

Butler can be very frustrating. Thad obviously gives him a ton of freedome offensively, but there were times he would come down the floor and not even look to pass. Is it just me or does his game change when he knows he is in a big time game/on TV? I predicted he would take 25 shots last night and I think he wound up at or above 20. That is not what you want out of your PG, especially when a guy like Diebler is feeling it.

You can see this team oozes with potential. If they can get Lighty and Diebler playing like they did last night and add Kosta from the Syracuse game and get Othello to continue to play a solid supporting role with Butler running the show like a true scoring PG, this team will be extremely dangerous.

The moment Terwilliger does anything good, everyone in my row turns to one another and says "Get him out now because the next 2-3 times you mention his name are going to be because of something stupid." Same thing held true last night. And why does he feel obligated to attempt at least one 3-pointer in every game. Does he have some sort of quota he is trying to meet?

The rebounding on both sides of the ball was awful. No backside box outs defensively. Never more than one big guy (Kosta or Hunter) working the glass offensively. Butler is like me playing golf. Pull and admire. He never follows his own shot...the one time he got an offensive rebound off one of this own misses was because no one else went for the ball and still almost didn't come up with it.

I would like to see more of Turner and Lighty offensively. In the first half, Lighty got called for a travel (mainly because as he drove someone grabbed his arm but he didn't get a call) and it seemed to just stunt his game for the rest of the half. Finally in the second half he knocked down a few shots and at least attacked the rim, although didn't finish. Turner never really seemed to assert himself last night in the minutes he got. I think those two need to be a little more selfish at times.

Kosta must have felt like there was a lid on the basket in the second half.

I'll say it again...this team is dripping with potential. If they can get guys playing together offensively and not go stone cold in the second half, they are going to surprise a few people. The UF game will be another great measuring stick. I am sure Thad will sit a lot of these guys down in the video room over the break and help them elevate their game.

[Oh8ch]

I told my son during the VMI game that I was concerned about KK. He was simply reaching over their heads for rebounds - no real effort involved. That can lead to some very bad habits.

Last night he got schooled. Dallas Lauderdale did not play in the first half until the last couple of games. Last night he was in for an extended period because he was the better option. That was a statement.

IMO the key to how good this team becomes will be how KK responds to that. Worst case is that he does not and we see him playing on the wing with Mullens next season instead of in the NBA.

That should take nothing away from the D that NC was running under the basket - which was as good as any I have ever personally witnessed. They are long armed, quick, aggressive and disciplined. We simply were not going to beat them inside.

As for our outside shooting, I would much rather lose missing shots than lose hitting shots. It will come. We got our first taste of the real Diebler last night. His second hit was two full steps outside the line. I can't imagine what we have to look forward to with that kid the next few years.

Props to the crowd. Students in particular were as good as I have seen them.

If Lawson was playing that could have been ugly.

[mooktarr]

I was wondering that same thing about KK too. He probably has never had to work too hard for rebounds and now has to relearn how to go for them. Thing is I didn't see any great improvement from the first half to the second either. He should learn from the game.

[buckeyesin07]

Originally Posted by wadc45

Butler can be very frustrating. Thad obviously gives him a ton of freedome offensively, but there were times he would come down the floor and not even look to pass. Is it just me or does his game change when he knows he is in a big time game/on TV? I predicted he would take 25 shots last night and I think he wound up at or above 20. That is not what you want out of your PG, especially when a guy like Diebler is feeling it.

I disagree with your sentiment regarding Butler's play. I think his taking a lot of shots has way more to do with the fact that the other guys on offense just stand around and watch him instead of moving without the ball and setting screens for each other than it does him wanting to be a ballhog. I only saw one or two ill-advised shots by him all night, and I can say the same thing about Twigs, Diebler, and KK.

[wadc45]

Originally Posted by buckeyesin07

I disagree with your sentiment regarding Butler's play. I think his taking a lot of shots has way more to do with the fact that the other guys on offense just stand around and watch him instead of moving without the ball and setting screens for each other than it does him wanting to be a ballhog. I only saw one or two ill-advised shots by him all night, and I can say the same thing about Twigs, Diebler, and KK.

We will have to agree to disagree because I saw more than two "ill-advised" shots out of Butler...not necessarily bad misses but looks where we could have had a better possession. His inability to hit the floater lately classifies it as poor shot selection, especially when on two of them he had a wide open Diebler in the corner. And I can think of at least two possessions where Butler came down and put the ball up without so much as a single pass. I guess we just disagree about a PGs responsibility...I think when he is 6 of 22, it's obvious his role needed to have changed as the game went on. He seems to want to take over big games...and last night he could have helped in certain situations by being a better distributor. I saw plenty of behind the ball screens out of LIghty, Diebler, Hunter and Lauderdale...as well has tons of high screens for Butler by Koufos, Hunter and Twig.

Let's be honest...shot selection in general was not great last night, as partially reflected in the team's 27% FG percentage...

Unintentional comedy moment of the night: on the big screen they had each player name the sport they would play if they didn't play basketball...PJ Hill said he would "play track" and Dallas Lauderdale said "swimming" because he "loves water". That got a chuckle out of the crowd...

Originally Posted by Oh8ch

If Lawson was playing that could have been ugly.

Truest statement in this thread...the NC fast breaks were in slo-motion compared to when he is on the floor.