#5 Ohio State 66, Michigan State 64 (Final)

[BuckeyeBlitz04]

As for rankings, I have to agree with NFBuck that this team is overrated. I think it has been overrated all year. It's early season high ranking was obviously due to the incredible class that was coming in. But an Oden-less team ranked #1 back in December?!?!? That is being overrated. I now have a sense of what it is like to be a ND football fan .

While the prior paragraph will have some disagreeing, it appears that one thing there may be a consensus on is the lack of leadership. I think we tend to naturally look to Lewis, Butler, or possibly Harris due to their upperclassmen status. Sadly, Lewis seems to have disappeared with the turning of the calendar. Harris isn't IMO a real candidate for the leadership role, which leaves me with Butler. At times I do see flashes of leadership traits from him and I really, really hope that over the next month he does emerge as the team leader that this team needs. If so, then I think that this team could be worthy of its lofty ranking and make a serious run in the NCAA; if not, well I don't envision a deep run in the NCAA tourney.





At times I had similar creepiness vibes. A big hats off to Neitezel for his play in the second half. It has been a while since I have seen someone put his team on his back, at a "hostile" arena no less, and almost will his team to a tremendous come-from-behind victory. As a college basketball fan, I enjoyed the heart, will, and skills he showed in the second half.

Great Post! I totally agree with you and NFBuck. This team is overrated. They are young and have a great deal to learn before getting to March. They looked like the #1 team in the nation in the first half, then came out dead in the second half to look like a high school team. Yes, they got the W but I still don't think they are going to go that deep in the tourney unless they start playing 2 lights out halfs or at least 1 lights out half and half way decent half. Go Bucks get better!

 

[Steve19]

No.2 UCLA was 17 points up at Stanford late in the first half. A 31-14 Stanford run tied it up and UCLA lost by 7.

UCLA was on the road, but also were an 8-10 point favorite.

We were not alone this week among the top 5. But we were luckier than UCLA to not lose when we got this lesson.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

OHIO STATE MEN
Buckeyes survive Spartans? 2 nd-half reversal
Monday, January 29, 2007
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

By halftime, there had been four baskets from the big gun inside, six three-pointers from the snipers outside and a 20-point lead on a team that had won four straight Big Ten games.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Great Post! I totally agree with you and NFBuck. This team is overrated. They are young and have a great deal to learn before getting to March. They looked like the #1 team in the nation in the first half, then came out dead in the second half to look like a high school team. Yes, they got the W but I still don't think they are going to go that deep in the tourney unless they start playing 2 lights out halfs or at least 1 lights out half and half way decent half. Go Bucks get better!

How are they overrated. Look at their record, the teams they have lost to and some of the wins they have...Yeah they have their ups and downs due to young play at time, but a win is a win no matter what. Some might of called Florida overrated in football, by some of their close wins, but in the end they ended up being the #1 team.

Also I am curious as to who you guys would put ahead of us...

No.2 UCLA was 17 points up at Stanford late in the first half. A 31-14 Stanford run tied it up and UCLA lost by 7.

UCLA was on the road, but also were an 8-10 point favorite.

We were not alone this week among the top 5. But we were luckier than UCLA to not lose when we got this lesson.

That Stanford team is very good. Not a team I would like to see come March. The Lopez twins that are 7 foot mcdonald all-american frosh are getting better and better. The one had a triple double against USC the other nite with Points, Rebounds, and Blocks. It just goes to show you that with the 3 point line, the ability to go cold, that no lead is safe in college basketball.

 

[OH10]

What Happened?: When you have a team down and you have Greg Oden, gotta get it to Greg Oden. Forget the three-pointers. There's no reason to shoot below 30% in a half when you have a dominating seven-footer and a 20-point lead.

Bottom Line: Great learning experience. Good win against a solid program, great coach, and a player that was playing out of his mind.

 

[CookyPuss]

What Happened?: When you have a team down and you have Greg Oden, gotta get it to Greg Oden. Forget the three-pointers. There's no reason to shoot below 30% in a half when you have a dominating seven-footer and a 20-point lead.

Bottom Line: Great learning experience. Good win against a solid program, great coach, and a player that was playing out of his mind.

I've heard Oden say that he isn't satisfied with his game because he doesn't feel he has yet become the type of player who can just take over a game. Granted the guys came out flat in the 2nd half and were just chucking the rock like they already had it in the bag, but they let MSU get too far back into the game before they started looking for Greg. His wrist is still a problem. He had at least 2 (and probably more) offensive rebounds he lost because he couldn't grasp the ball. If he's healthy, he grabs those and flushes them. I haven't heard anyone discuss it, but I would guess it also impacts his ability to dribble and back guys in. Despite those issues, he did a good job of pulling them through the last few minutes with his FT shooting.

The guy who really needs to step up is Butler. I don't know what he is doing most of the time. He doesn't seem to move well without the ball.

I had to DVR this one and actually ended up watching the halves separately. It really was like watching two completely different games.

 

[lvbuckeye]

We are falling victim to one of the classic blunders.

"never get inveolved in a land war in Asia"? or "never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line"? ahahahahaha! ahahahahaha! ahahahah. *drops dead*

 

[Taosman]

I'm watching the game and thinking,
"If they lose this on national tv, after being up by 20 at half.....
it would be a major embarrassment. "
But, I'm just over sensitive right now!
It gets better every day!

 

[Best Buckeye]

I'm watching the game and thinking,
"If they lose this on national tv, after being up by 20 at half.....
it would be a major embarrassment. "
But, I'm just over sensitive right now!
It gets better every day!

When the second half started I said " ok boys just don't have a relapse here"
But we won and that is great!! And UCLA lost.

 

[LitlBuck]

How are they overrated

I guess it depends on what team shows up. If the first half team plays I think we are one of the top 5 teams in the country but if the overall game team shows up I don't even think we are one of the top 15 programs in the country. We need to prove on the defensive end big-time. I have been very disappointed in the play of the Lewis on both sides of the ball. I think that he is playing worse this year that he was last year. I don't mean to say that he was playing poorly last year but he has not improved as I had anticipated. I guess I am picking on Lewis because he is a senior and fifth-year player.

If we do not get better at team rebounding in team defense we will be lucky to make it through two rounds of the tournament.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I guess it depends on what team shows up. If the first half team plays I think we are one of the top 5 teams in the country but if the overall game team shows up I don't even think we are one of the top 15 programs in the country. We need to prove on the defensive end big-time. I have been very disappointed in the play of the Lewis on both sides of the ball. I think that he is playing worse this year that he was last year. I don't mean to say that he was playing poorly last year but he has not improved as I had anticipated. I guess I am picking on Lewis because he is a senior and fifth-year player.

If we do not get better at team rebounding in team defense we will be lucky to make it through two rounds of the tournament.

Look at the top 10 teams and tell me who you would have rated over us. Yeah we have our ups and downs but that is not reason to lower us in the rankings...Hell Kansas lost to Depaul and ORU.

We have played a tough schedule, yeah some of our wins havent been pretty as they could of been, but a win is a win and our loses have been to the 3 most consistent teams in the country...One without our best player and another after he had only had about 3 games...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Great Post! I totally agree with you and NFBuck. This team is overrated. They are young and have a great deal to learn before getting to March. They looked like the #1 team in the nation in the first half, then came out dead in the second half to look like a high school team. Yes, they got the W but I still don't think they are going to go that deep in the tourney unless they start playing 2 lights out halfs or at least 1 lights out half and half way decent half. Go Bucks get better!

Consistent play will be the key in most games.....I see this team taking little steps towards being a very good basketball team.....its a roller coaster when you have such young guys making huge contributions to your squad.

Rankings are meaningless in the college game......I could care less if they are ranked #5 or #80. In my mind, they are a top 5 team. This is a team that has loads of potential, they showed how good they can be in the first half and then showed their inexperience in the second half. The goal is to win the game and they accomplished that, learn from mistakes and move on.

 

[Golferdow01]

I guess it depends on what team shows up. If the first half team plays I think we are one of the top 5 teams in the country but if the overall game team shows up I don't even think we are one of the top 15 programs in the country. We need to prove on the defensive end big-time. I have been very disappointed in the play of the Lewis on both sides of the ball. I think that he is playing worse this year that he was last year. I don't mean to say that he was playing poorly last year but he has not improved as I had anticipated. I guess I am picking on Lewis because he is a senior and fifth-year player.

If we do not get better at team rebounding in team defense we will be lucky to make it through two rounds of the tournament.

Don't forget we were playing Tom Izzo and Michigan St. Yes we blew a big lead and were totally flat in the 2nd half, but Izzo was 13-3 (13-4?) against us during his tenure at St. I'll take any win over St, good or ugly.

Other than that, I agree with everything else you said here less your comment about Ron Lewis being worse this year than last. I'd say he's about the same, but his defense it utterly hopeless...

 

[Golferdow01]

Rankings are meaningless in the college game

Totally correct. So you play well enough to be a 2 seed like we're projected currently. Congrats to a great season.

Take a 2 seed last year and match them up against a team with a lower seed, but a decisive advantage to exploit (Georgetown's behemoth size), and you get an ugly upset.

 

[LitlBuck]

Ron Lewis being worse this year than last. I'd say he's about the same, but his defense it utterly hopeless...

Maybe I have forgotten how bad he was defensively last year but I also think that he is taking too many 25' foot jump shots too early in the shot clock. I guess I am really disappointed in his play Saturday night. For a senior and fifth-year player, I thought he would have played better in that game especially when we needed him in the second half. Maybe I am being too hard on him but defensively he has got to step it up.