The #12 Ohio State Buckeyes (20-4, 9-4)
vs.
The Michigan Wolverines (18-7, 8-6)
_____
Saturday, February 25 - 1:30 p.m.
<p><img align=right width=280 height=210 src="http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/gallery/files/3/transmichigan6mc.gif">MICHIGAN - Official Site of Michigan Athletics - Once more into the breach, dear friends. Saturday's redux of Ohio State versus Michigan (Hoops Edition) represents what is thought by many to be the Buckeyes' last remaining test of the regular season. While I will wait until next week to argue that assertion (Northwestern, especially in Evanston, is nothing to be trifled with), Michigan remains a significant obstacle in our path to a Big Ten title. Despite having lost two of their last four, the Wolverines continue to show that, like a lot of teams in the conference, they can play with anyone at any time. A big home win over the Illini will likely have the maize and blue in high spirits heading into tomorrow's game, but by all accounts, this is not a solid road team; Amaker's guys are 2-5 on the road against the rest of the Big Ten, including a recent loss to lowly Purdue. They're a tough team to peg, to be sure. They were 16-3 entering game one against us, and have logged some quality wins. Hell, they even beat Minnesota at The Barn--something neither MSU or Iowa can claim. But the last few weeks have been unkind, and a return to the top 25 now looks doubtful. The story never changes, though. They're still a Big Ten team, and you don't see Big Ten teams mail it in very often. The good news for us is that at this point in our season, the biggest threat to our success is not the opposition, but rather our capricious style of play. In our four losses, we've gone 29 of 97 from behind the arc. In our twenty victories, well...you know. A big part of getting those shots to fall is believing that they will, and if the MSU game was any indication, they're believing all the way to the bank. We needed every bit to best these guys in Ann Arbor, so we'd better bring it all again tomorrow, just in case. Here go dem dudes right now:vs.
The Michigan Wolverines (18-7, 8-6)
_____
Saturday, February 25 - 1:30 p.m.
<p><img align=left src="http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/gallery/files/3/UM_horton.jpg" border="1" Hspace="10" Vspace="0">Then: Senior guard Daniel Horton. Six-foot-three, 205 pounds. The perennial sub-.400 shooter finally found his stroke somehow, and is leading this Michigan team back to prominence. He enters tomorrow's game first on his team in scoring (16.5 ppg), assists (5.7 apg), steals (1.7 spg), and minutes played (33.7 mpg). He's one of the conference's best from the stripe (.918), and has attempted more than four free throws per game so far. In what will probably be Jamar Butler's toughest assignment of the year to date, Horton will be looking to keep up with his conference play scoring average (21 ppg) and torch us from both inside and out. It's going to take a concerted effort to contain the former McDonald's All-American, but doing so would be an enormous step towards victory.
Since 2/9: Mr. Horton has had an eventful four games since we saw him last. In UM's two losses, he went 8 for 27 with 27 points (just 8 versus Purdue). In their two wins? 19 for 33 with 60 points. Let it never be said that the guy can't score, but it certainly seems to be that as Daniel Horton goes, so go the Wolverines. With the way JBut's been playing of late - on both sides of the floor - I'd say we're in good shape on that front. This is not to say, of course, that he couldn't follow his sparkling 39 point performance versus Illinois with another great game, but I think I'm right to have confidence in Butler. The guy is turning into a star before our eyes.
<p><img align=left src="http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/gallery/files/3/UM_sims.jpg" border="1" Hspace="10" Vspace="0">Then: Another difference between this Michigan team and our own is the presence of a true shot blocker. Junior forward Courtney Sims (6-11, 245) has progressed steadily in his two-plus years of college ball, and is making serious noise in the Big Ten. The Boston native is second in the conference in blocked shots, and leads the pack in field goal percentage at a staggering 61.7%. Unlike many other big men, Sims is quite good at the line (.727) and manages to reach it a fair amount. He's second on the team in rebounding, and will be an interesting match for Terence.
Since 2/9: Sims, who had his best game of this season against us, has not equaled that quality since. His line in that game: 26 points, 16 rebouds, four blocks. His averages over his last four: 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and just one total block. In all fairness, he has had to face the likes of Matt Keifer, Paul Davis and James Augustine, and came off the bench in favor of senior Chris Hunter against Minny and MSU. With Hunter down (knee), Sims is back in the starting line-up, and will be looking to get back into form against Dials, the man he bullied the first time 'round. I have to believe Terence and the coaching staff will be plenty prepared for #44 tomorrow, but I'm more concerned with containing...
Michigan's two wings, Dion Harris and Ron Coleman, were big in the first meeting, combining for 29 points. Harris has had a rocky go of things since he rolled his ankle that night, but he's still the same guy who scored in double figures in 14 of Michigan's first 21 games. He and Coleman, whose role has really increased in the last ten or so games, represent those third and fourth options that will become critically important if/when Horton gets stifled. I'm sure I sound like a broken record at this point, because I say it before just about every game, but it will be a lot easier to keep these guys under our thumb if we can account for all their points. What I mean is that I'd rather see Horton and Sims combine for fifty than Harris and Coleman combine for forty. With our ability to rain threes, I think we can overcome a lot, but letting guys like that operate efficiently is always bad news.
It's difficult for me to not look ahead. You see that light at the end of the tunnel, and all you want to do is slap some Ws on these last three games and get down tournament-style. Wednesday's win, though, finally cemented us in the national conciousness. The few people left who weren't paying attention to us before definitely are now. Bathed in the spotlight, now's the time to step forward, dominate and finish strong. Victories now are an investment in the immediate future, and will pay off big come Selection Sunday. So let's go get it...
Projected starters:
Ohio State
F - Matt Sylvester
C - Terence Dials
G - J.J. Sullinger
G - Je'Kel Foster
G - Jamar Butler
Michigan
F - Graham Brown
C - Courtney Sims
G - Ron Coleman
G - Dion Harris
G - Daniel Horton
My prediction: OSU 78 - UM 69
Up next, Northwestern...