SF David Lighty (Most Career Buckeye Wins, ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket - France)

[Buckskin86]

College basketball: A look back at David Lighty's journey to the top
Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2011
By John Kampf
[email protected]

David Lighty was only 3 years old when his grandmother, Nellie Stone-Bell, was approached by his preschool teacher at the end of the school day.

"We're going to see this kid on TV someday," the teacher told Stone-Bell.

David's proud mother, Emily Lighty, laughs when she tells that story of foreshadowing. She wonders if that preschool teacher still lives in the Cleveland area and remembers that prediction.

Lighty has done more than simply make it on to television.

Now a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard for the Ohio State men's basketball team, Lighty has chiseled his name into the record books for the Buckeyes.

Not only has Lighty set records for the most games played (154) and most games won (127) in OSU basketball history, he is also only the third player in program history to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in his career.

Friday, Lighty is coming home to where it all started.

He and his Ohio State teammates will open the 2011 NCAA tournament on Friday at Quicken Loans Arena ? not far from the playgrounds on which Lighty grew up and a stone's throw from the gymnasiums in which he played as a boy.

"That means everything to me," Lighty said. "I started my whole basketball journey back in Cleveland. To be able to go back there in front of my family, friends and supporters, I really don't think I could script it any better than that."

Except to cap his senior year with that elusive national championship.

"That," Lighty said, "would be crazy."

Cont..

http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/03/15/sports/nh3767678.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

[Buckskin86]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/11543/index.htm

 

[GeorgiaBuck2]

That's pretty sick. Is Walker the only other one on a cover?

 

[BB73]

That's pretty sick. Is Walker the only other one on a cover?

There are 5 regional covers this week:

David Lighty, Ohio State

Kemba Walker, UConn

Marcus Morris, Kansas

Nolan Smith, Duke

Jimmer Fredette, BYU

Link

 

[CleveBuckFan]

How sweet would it be for Lighty to finish out his career raising the national championship trophy over his head?!

 

[GeorgiaBuck2]

We all certainly wouldn't mind it.

 

[kippy1040]

Has Lighty ever talked about the comparison of the 2 Buckeye teams he played for. I mean when he played with the 2007 team against Florida
and the present team now. I agree his leadership is of value being that
he has been there before and knows what if feels like.

 

[DZ83CK]

Has Lighty ever talked about the comparison of the 2 Buckeye teams he played for. I mean when he played with the 2007 team against Florida
and the present team now.

Yes, he has been asked about it. I believe during the Purdue home game the sideline reporter commented about how Lighty said he didn't think the team would ever get back to the level they were in 2007, that he was surprised that they got back to being ranked #1. He said the '07 team was better defensively (esp. due to GO in the paint) but that this team was better offensively.

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State's David Lighty feels at home playing at The Q in Cleveland
Published: Friday, March 18, 2011
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

Joshua Gunter l The Plain Dealer
Ohio State's David Lighty hugs his nephew, 12-year-old Edward Veasey, after the Buckeyes practice Thursday at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio ? Thirty years ago, David Lighty Sr. tried out for the Cavaliers. Today, his son, Ohio State fifth-year senior David Lighty, will take the court at The Q in the Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament opener against Texas-San Antonio, and the family hopes this Lighty has a lot more games in Cleveland ahead of him.

Lighty has made a mark in Columbus, winning more games than any player in the history of Ohio State basketball, but Cleveland is where it all started. And it's where the Lighty family dreams it may continue. With Lighty projected as a second-round NBA Draft pick, the family is hoping one team in particular calls the Lighty name.

"I believe if the Cavs made that decision, I think it'll be one of the best decisions they ever made," the elder Lighty said. "If it's God's will, we hope to see that. We truly hope to see that."

Cont..

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/03/ohio_states_david_lighty_feels.html

 

[Buckskin86]

David Lighty's diary: 'I was the one yelling and screaming'
Published: Friday, March 18, 2011
By Plain Dealer staff

Ohio State senior David Lighty, a Cleveland native and Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate, will provide The Plain Dealer with diary updates during the NCAA Tournament. These were Lighty's thoughts after Friday's win over Texas-San Antonio

"It was an early day because we had shootaround in the morning. We woke up at 8:30, got a little breakfast, a little bagel, some Cheerios, some fruit. And I was excited when we got here to the gym for the shootaround for 20 minutes. I was the second one on the floor and I was yelling and screaming for some reason. I was excited and the arena was empty and I was yelling and singing songs. I was excited.

"After shootaround, we came back to the hotel and I took a nap and got some lunch and took another nap and watched a couple games. Yeah, it was two naps, but they weren't long naps. I was in the bed watching TV and just laying there.

Ohio State men dispatch 16th-seed UTSA efficiently, if not gently, in NCAA tournament

"I was definitely ready when we got here for the game, especially because it's the start of our journey and hopefully we make it to Houston. And this was a good way to start, especially back home in front of a lot of people who haven't seen me play in a while. So that was greatly appreciated.

"I didn't see my family before the game but I'm sure I'll see them back at the hotel. They were right behind the bench and I saw them during the game.

"And I graduated today, don't forget that. We walk on Sunday, and I can't be there, so I'll walk in June. But it's worth it."

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/03/david_lightys_diary_i_was_the.html

 

[Buckskin86]

A good anecdote from Matta today as he was discussing David Lighty's boundless energy.

"He came running out at shootaround (Friday) at 8, 9 in the morning, whatever time we were here," Matta said, "and he was just screaming and yelling, saying, 'Let's go, let's go.'

"And there were two guys, believe it or not, sitting in the top row (of the arena) and yelled 'O-H,' and he was standing at center court yelling 'I-O' as loud as he could.

"That's sort of who Dave is," Matta said. "I say to him every day, 'If I had one-tenth of your energy, I would be the happiest person in the world.' And I only want one-tenth of it."

http://blog.dispatch.com/hoopsscoops/2011/03/pregame_george_mason_1.shtml

 

[buckeyes_rock]

Amazing performance from David today...9-10 from the field including 7-7 from the 3 pt line for 25 points in front of his hometown crowd! Oh yeah, and he graduated from The Ohio State University! Pretty good day I would imagine!

 

[GeorgiaBuck2]

This is what it's all about.

 

[Buckskin86]

David Lighty sets sights on winning for Ohio State: Bill Livingston
Published: Sunday, March 20, 2011
By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

Amy Sancetta, Associated Press
Ohio State's David Lighty, left, gets a hug from his father, David Lighty Sr., after Ohio State's 98-66 win over George Mason in an East regional NCAA college basketball tournament third-round game Sunday at The Q in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Graduation Day ended as David Lighty walked off the floor at The Q, hugging his mother, father, grandmother and other well-wishers. Some of them asked him if he remembered old basketball games at Villa Angela-St. Joseph, or old football games there, or the nights when he sat here in the cheap seats as a gangly kid, when The Q rang with cheers and the Cavaliers were almost great.

Some of the adulation was from his fellow Ohio State alumni in the stands, because it is hard not to like the polished skills, the relentless effort, and the nearly all-encompassing excellence of the season Lighty and his teammates have fashioned.

Some simply wanted to tell him how proud he had made them, Cleveland fans to Cleveland guy.

"I was a scorer in high school, and it kind of came up today," said Lighty, recounting the gist of some of the pregame banter.

He was a scorer Sunday, too. Lighty made every 3-pointer he looked at, and he sighted seven of them. He missed one shot from the field in 10 tries all evening. He scored a game-high 25 points as Ohio State routed George Mason, 98-66, to reach the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Then, Lighty walked off the way he walked in, as a winner.

Asked to identify defensive priorities, George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said, first, Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger; next, 3-point shooter Jon Diebler; and then, "It was let's pray [William] Buford and Lighty don't go off."

Cont...

http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2011/03/david_lighty_sets_sights_on_wi.html

Memorable day for OSU's Lighty
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: Mar 20, 2011

CLEVELAND: David Lighty's morning began with a makeshift graduation ceremony on the court at Quicken Loans Arena, a short walk with three Ohio State teammates who were also missing the awarding of diplomas back in Columbus.

His evening ended with a long walk down the front row of seats behind the Buckeyes' bench. After an interview with CBS, Lighty waved to the crowd, exhorting their cheers, then went into the stands to wrap his arms around his Cleveland family and friends. He hugged women and men alike, his mother, his grandmother and the rest who supported him through a five-year career at OSU that included two foot injuries.

''For them to experience this moment with me is something that's always going to be close to my heart,'' Lighty said. ''I pretty much tried to console them and tell them how thankful I am of them.''

The only thing Lighty didn't do was throw kisses to the adoring scarlet-clad masses, but as a colleague observed, ''Every one of those 3s is a kiss to the crowd.''

It was raining 3s for the product of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School Sunday as top-seeded Ohio State rolled over George Mason 98-66 in the third round of the NCAA East Regional. The Buckeyes (34-2) advanced to a Friday Sweet 16 matchup in Newark, N.J. against fourth-seeded Kentucky (27-8).

Lighty hit 7-of-7 from 3-point range, the second-best single-game shooting percentage in NCAA Tournament history, based on a minimum of seven triples made. His effort was surpassed only by UNC-Wilmington's John Goldsberry, who went 8-for-8 against Maryland on March 21, 2003. Lighty joined Florida State's Sam Cassell, who also hit 7-for-7 against Tulane on March 20, 1993.

Lighty's seven 3s also matched Ohio State's NCAA Tournament record established by teammate Jon Diebler last March 19 against UC-Santa Barbara.

Cont...

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/118342429.html

Bob Hunter commentary: Points only part of Lighty's special day
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Columbus Dispatch

CLEVELAND - As soon as Ohio State senior David Lighty finished a postgame television interview, he made a determined dash across the court.

First stop was his mother, Emily, who had been seated behind the Buckeyes' bench. He wrapped his arms around her and they hugged and hugged. When he finally was ready to let go and repeat the gesture with his grandmother, father, nephew, former high-school friends and the seemingly thousands of well-wishers who had gotten between him and the locker room, mom still had her arms around him.

It was only for a second, but it was an "ah-ha" moment: Her hug was probably the only kind of defense that the George Mason players could have used to stop him.

Lighty hit 9 of 10 shots from the field, including all seven of his three-point attempts, in the Buckeyes' 98-66 victory in a third-round game of the NCAA East Regional.

That made for an emotional homecoming for Lighty, a former Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph star, and a miserable night for the Patriots, who already figured to have a miserable night trying to cope with an Ohio State offense that sometimes seems to have more weapons than a millipede has legs.

It seemed as if it took forever for Lighty to get from mom to the locker room. The Lighty clan probably wished the moment would never end.

"You never know, I might not be able to come back and play in front of them," Lighty said. "So just for them to experience this moment with me is something that's always going to be close to my heart. With all the support that they have shown for me, spending five years driving down to Columbus, it was important for me to come up here and play for them."

Cont...

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...only-part-of-lightys-special-day.html?sid=101

 

[bkochmc]

Wonderful performance back home, Mr. Lighty... Absolutely wonderful!

Now do it again for 4 more games.