Yeah, Findlay actually shot a bit better toward the end, but Ohio State really put on the defensive pressure in the second half. A non-Div 1 opponent but still a good performance.
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- Thread starter vrbryant
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jimotis4heisman
Banned
dont have time now, but later ill do a little blurb for those who couldnt make it.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
From ONN:
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Terence Dials scored 22 points and Ron Lewis, playing his first game for Ohio State, added 20 as the Buckeyes defeated Findlay 83-53 in an exhibition game Sunday.
J.J. Sullinger added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Buckeyes, who had little trouble against the Division II Oilers. Ohio State built a 20-6 lead in the first eight minutes and the advantage grew to as many as 32 points in the second half.
Brent Schnipke and Dustin Pfeifer led Findlay with 13 points apiece. The Oilers shot only 37 percent from the field, including a 5-of-23 performance from 3-point range.
The Buckeyes outrebounded Findlay 44-25 and shot 52.5 percent. They were a respectable 5-of-16 on 3s, but went only 14-of-20 at the foul line.
Led by Dials, Ohio State had 54 points in the paint to 24 for Findlay.
Dials was 9-of-12 from the field and 4-for-5 at the line. Lewis, who had to sit out last season after transferring from Bowling Green, hit 8-of-13 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 free throws and had three steals.
Junior college transfer Sylvester Mayes had seven points, five rebounds and three steals in his Ohio State debut.
http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=4080055&nav=menu241_6
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Terence Dials scored 22 points and Ron Lewis, playing his first game for Ohio State, added 20 as the Buckeyes defeated Findlay 83-53 in an exhibition game Sunday.
J.J. Sullinger added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Buckeyes, who had little trouble against the Division II Oilers. Ohio State built a 20-6 lead in the first eight minutes and the advantage grew to as many as 32 points in the second half.
Brent Schnipke and Dustin Pfeifer led Findlay with 13 points apiece. The Oilers shot only 37 percent from the field, including a 5-of-23 performance from 3-point range.
The Buckeyes outrebounded Findlay 44-25 and shot 52.5 percent. They were a respectable 5-of-16 on 3s, but went only 14-of-20 at the foul line.
Led by Dials, Ohio State had 54 points in the paint to 24 for Findlay.
Dials was 9-of-12 from the field and 4-for-5 at the line. Lewis, who had to sit out last season after transferring from Bowling Green, hit 8-of-13 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 free throws and had three steals.
Junior college transfer Sylvester Mayes had seven points, five rebounds and three steals in his Ohio State debut.
http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=4080055&nav=menu241_6
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com (free)
11/6/05
11/6/05
Buckeyes Cruise In Exhibition Opener
Terence Dials
By Steve Helwagen
Managing Editor
Date: Nov 6, 2005
Ohio State got 22 points from Terence Dials and 20 from debuting Bowling Green transfer Ronald Lewis in posting an 83-53 win over Findlay in its exhibition opener Sunday.
As expected, there was some good and bad as Ohio State hosted Division II Findlay in its exhibition opener Sunday.
Senior center Terence Dials scored 15 of his game-high 22 points in the first half as the Buckeyes cruised to a 83-53 win before 7,282 at Value City Arena.
“I think this was a great test for us,” said OSU coach Thad Matta, beginning his second season with the Buckeyes. “I think you have to give Findlay some credit. They are well coached and run some great actions. They were able to force our hand.”
Matta was concerned as his team led just 40-32 at halftime. But the Buckeyes turned up the intensity and outscored Findlay 43-21 in the second half. OSU held Findlay to 8 of 26 shooting (30.8 percent) and forced 13 turnovers in the final 20 minutes.
“I was a little bit shocked with the lack of intensity that we came out with,” Matta said. “We didn’t compete at the level that we need to compete at. We didn’t get into a real good flow in the first half. I think in the second half we were more active off the ball defensively.”
Dials, who also had six rebounds in 23 minutes of action, opened the game at center. He was joined in the starting lineup by senior Je’Kel Foster at point guard, junior Ronald Lewis at the two guard, senior J.J. Sullinger at the three and senior Matt Sylvester at the four.
“I think we went with more of a veteran group,” Matta said. “We went with the guys in practice statistically – and we chart everything in practice – that were at the top of the ladder.”
Lewis, a transfer from Bowling Green, added 20 points, five rebounds and three steals. He had 14 points in the second half and hit 8 of 13 shots from the floor. He rocked the house on one baseline jam over a Findlay defender and also had a breakaway reverse jam late in the game.
“It felt good,” Lewis said. “It was my first game back in a year. It felt good to come out and play with a good team and just run up and down the floor. It brought a brightness to my eyes to play in front of a crowd.”
Sullinger had 10 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
“I think James today may have been the MVP for our team,” Matta said. “He is one the guy I felt gave everything he had. That’s the way he has been practicing. You see the carryover here. The harder he plays, the better things will go for him.”
Freshman Brayden Bell added eight points, hitting a pair of three-point shots. The 6-8 Bell also tallied three assists in 10 minutes of action.
“I thought Brayden was good,” Matta said. “I thought it was good that his first shot went in. That took some of the pressure off him. We just have to continue to get him to understand the importance of all the little things. But that is part of being a freshman and getting him to mature into being the player we want him to be.”
Foster and Sylvester Mayes each contributed seven points. Mayes, a JUCO transfer, also had five rebounds and three steals in 22 minutes.
“I think Sylvester Mayes is going to continue to get more comfortable and the game will become easier for him,” Matta said.
Sylvester chipped in five points, while Ivan Harris and Matt Terwilliger each had two. Jamar Butler had four assists in 22 minutes, but did not score.
Brent Schnipke and Dustin Pfeifer each had 13 points to lead Findlay, which was 30-4 and reached the Division II NCAA Elite Eight a year ago.
“They’re just bigger, stronger and faster,” said Findlay coach Ron Niekamp. “We struggled to do things against this team that we are normally able to do against an average team. It was a whole new level of competition for us.”
OSU outscored Findlay 13-2 to open the game. Sylvester canned a three-pointer after Sullinger had saved a Sylvester airball. Dials then scored twice off lob passes from Foster and added a three-point play as the Buckeyes built their 11-point bulge with 15:22 left in the first half.
Dials then had a turning shot in the land off a Butler feed and another score on a jam off a lob from Sylvester on the fast break as OSU went up 17-4 with 13:56 left in the half.
But Findlay rallied behind a barrage of three-point shots to cut the lead to 21-17 with 9:00 left in the half.
OSU used a 9-2 run, capped by a Foster three-pointer, to go up 38-25 with 3:03 left in the half. Findlay closed the half on a 7-2 run, keyed by a Frank Phillips three-point play, to cut OSU’s halftime lead to 40-32.
“The first half was ugly,” Sullinger said. “We didn’t play hard. We didn’t get a loose ball. We said at halftime they outtoughed us in the first half.”
Findlay got as close as six on Dorian Bass’ three-pointer that made it 41-35 with 18:14 left. OSU went on an 11-2 run as Lewis scored on a driving bank shot and hit a three off a Sullinger feed. Dials’ layup inside gave OSU a 52-38 lead with 15:05 left.
A 12-2 OSU run – keyed by seven points from the cat quick Mayes – helped OSU go up 66-44 with 9:29 left.
As Findlay began to tire, OSU reeled off a 15-2 to get their biggest lead at 81-49 with 1:56 left in the game. Dials and Lewis each had four points in that run. Lewis highlighted it with a breakaway reverse jam.
“We got a lot more runouts in the second half because we were playing better defense,” Dials said. “It starts at the defensive end. You can’t get fast break points unless you get stops. It’s our goal this year to be a running team. In the second half, we saw glimpses of what we can do.”
OSU hosts Division II Ashland for an exhibition next Sunday at 2 p.m. before opening the regular season Nov. 20 against Chicago State.
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jimotis4heisman
Banned
a few thoughts first
every year when basketball season rolls around i am for some reason suprised at the crowd. the crowd is typically 3-4 inches taller than i am used to walking around with in and around the shoe. also note that i saw two girls nearly my size from findaly....big big girls.
thougts on players
#0 sullinger- played his normal game. once again refused to use his right hand near the rim, cost him atleast two buckets. rebouned well as normal. played with his typical intensity and lackadazical lapses. was caught in a few backcuts and back screens. also on a play that was fought for a loose ball a timeout was called when osu got it, jj dove on the floor and rolled around on it for awhile by himself, i have no idea why, it was wierd to say the least.
#3 harris- ivan looked out of sync and slow today. seemed sluggish and tenative. also did not get in during the second half til about the 10 minute mark. still likes to float aroun the arc and seemed hesitant to put the ball on the floor.
#12 lewis- slasher, attacks the rim hard and posts up well for a guy his size. plays a relatively physical brand for a person of his size, likes to intiate contact and play for and ones. had a baseline drive and flush that i havent seen the likes of since a guy who wore #22. also had a rim rocking reverse dunk in transtion. quick and had a few nice steals. played good defense and reminded me of the guy i saw playing loose and tough at the 'haven.
#14 butler- shot still seems iffy to me. technique is not real polished. reality is he will never be a stroker. but seems more comfortable. did a good job of bring the ball up the floor and settting the offense, the thing that is most important in the play of a pg.
#21 bell- big kid who has a beautiful perimeter shot. likes to float around the arc. physical when he wants to be. can run the floor well for a man of his size. had three very nice passes but forced two, one of which his man made a bad cut behind his man, breaking the cardinal rule of cutting. had a very nice behind the back move in transtion. did not enter the game in the second half until after the 10 minute mark. played the 4.
#23 foster- very up and down performance honestly. we know what he can do and the intensity he plays with, but it took him awhile to bring it today. eventually he did, good defender, good rebounder, nice shoot.
#32 mayes- ran the point and played combo gaurd. a few people mentioned the name dee brown, i dont think he has that kind of speed, but this kid is special. no doubt why he was the #19 player in teh country a few years ago. plays tough defense and made some nice steals, attacks the rim with authority. made a few increidbly athletic plays around the rim. though he seemed slightly out of it in sets. a player to keep your eye on this year.
#34 dials- played like td. had one dunk where he pulled the rim down to about 8 feet and when he released it it popped way up. seemed lighter and quicker.
#40 sylvester- played well, nothing spectacular. seemed more willing to pass and play within the sets rather than creating 1 on 1.
#42 terwilliger- honestly lots of improvement needed here. footwork was sloopy. his hands looked very mediocore and lacked a physical streak that will be needed in big ten play. did not do a good job of checking out and seemed to even forget to check out, not a good thing for a man playing the 5. development is necessary but still young in a postion that is very difficult to play.
overall thoughts-hard to tell against a team like findaly. nothing spectacular but enough upside that i left with a smile. time will tell as we have a few overlooked OOC games in vatech, @st joes and @ iowa state. troubles may come with lack of big men. its hard to beat quality opponents without a quality and consistent game from your big men. time will tell...
every year when basketball season rolls around i am for some reason suprised at the crowd. the crowd is typically 3-4 inches taller than i am used to walking around with in and around the shoe. also note that i saw two girls nearly my size from findaly....big big girls.
thougts on players
#0 sullinger- played his normal game. once again refused to use his right hand near the rim, cost him atleast two buckets. rebouned well as normal. played with his typical intensity and lackadazical lapses. was caught in a few backcuts and back screens. also on a play that was fought for a loose ball a timeout was called when osu got it, jj dove on the floor and rolled around on it for awhile by himself, i have no idea why, it was wierd to say the least.
#3 harris- ivan looked out of sync and slow today. seemed sluggish and tenative. also did not get in during the second half til about the 10 minute mark. still likes to float aroun the arc and seemed hesitant to put the ball on the floor.
#12 lewis- slasher, attacks the rim hard and posts up well for a guy his size. plays a relatively physical brand for a person of his size, likes to intiate contact and play for and ones. had a baseline drive and flush that i havent seen the likes of since a guy who wore #22. also had a rim rocking reverse dunk in transtion. quick and had a few nice steals. played good defense and reminded me of the guy i saw playing loose and tough at the 'haven.
#14 butler- shot still seems iffy to me. technique is not real polished. reality is he will never be a stroker. but seems more comfortable. did a good job of bring the ball up the floor and settting the offense, the thing that is most important in the play of a pg.
#21 bell- big kid who has a beautiful perimeter shot. likes to float around the arc. physical when he wants to be. can run the floor well for a man of his size. had three very nice passes but forced two, one of which his man made a bad cut behind his man, breaking the cardinal rule of cutting. had a very nice behind the back move in transtion. did not enter the game in the second half until after the 10 minute mark. played the 4.
#23 foster- very up and down performance honestly. we know what he can do and the intensity he plays with, but it took him awhile to bring it today. eventually he did, good defender, good rebounder, nice shoot.
#32 mayes- ran the point and played combo gaurd. a few people mentioned the name dee brown, i dont think he has that kind of speed, but this kid is special. no doubt why he was the #19 player in teh country a few years ago. plays tough defense and made some nice steals, attacks the rim with authority. made a few increidbly athletic plays around the rim. though he seemed slightly out of it in sets. a player to keep your eye on this year.
#34 dials- played like td. had one dunk where he pulled the rim down to about 8 feet and when he released it it popped way up. seemed lighter and quicker.
#40 sylvester- played well, nothing spectacular. seemed more willing to pass and play within the sets rather than creating 1 on 1.
#42 terwilliger- honestly lots of improvement needed here. footwork was sloopy. his hands looked very mediocore and lacked a physical streak that will be needed in big ten play. did not do a good job of checking out and seemed to even forget to check out, not a good thing for a man playing the 5. development is necessary but still young in a postion that is very difficult to play.
overall thoughts-hard to tell against a team like findaly. nothing spectacular but enough upside that i left with a smile. time will tell as we have a few overlooked OOC games in vatech, @st joes and @ iowa state. troubles may come with lack of big men. its hard to beat quality opponents without a quality and consistent game from your big men. time will tell...
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BuckTwenty
Parties with Pete Johnson's Beard
Observations from Section 106...
If this is the worst this team can play like, I think we have an amazing team on our hands, folks. Very impressive, particularly how we started the game (a 20-6 run) and how we played the 2nd half.
Starting Line-Up:
PG Je'Kel Foster (BIG surprise)
SG Ron Lewis
SF J.J. Sullinger
PF Matt Sylvester
C Terrance Dials
Terrance looked dominant in this game down low. He had one dunk that actually lifted the back end of the hoop an inch or two off the ground. Findlay had no answer for him, though they tested him driving to the hoop a lot, and he earned his 4th foul with 8 minutes to go in the game. If we can get the ball down low to him, he'll have no problem putting that ball in the hoop. 1st team Big Ten.
We played 3 players at PG- Foster, Jamar Butler, and Sylvester Mayes. Butler had somewhat of a quiet game (I don't think he scored a bucket, if my memory serves me right). I noticed he played some good 1-on-1 D though, and handled the ball well in traffic. Foster played the 1 well. I like the idea of our best defender being on the floor more. Had a steal that Chris Jent was probably very proud of (sliding across the floor). Very impressed with Mayes! He may be the best ball handler on the team, and did not expect him to be such a good defender. He's great driving to the basket and he made some smart plays. I thought he forced one of his shots, but his athletic ability helped him finger-roll the ball from 8 feet. He makes a GREAT spark off the bench.
Ron Lewis came in with pretty high credentials, but I think he's actually better than advertised. That kid can jump out of the gym. Extremely athletic, and an accurate shooter. He put on a dunking show in the 2nd half, putting up a reverse jam shortly after the break (I'd have given him a solid 9 on it). I'd actually consider him to be the 2nd best player on the team, behind Dials. He's solid all-around. I can see why he gets fouled so often. I think you guys are all gonna love this fella. I can't wait to see Oden and Company with Lewis and Mayes.
Lewis and Sullinger are an electric duo on the court together. This team came out pretty flat, but Sullinger was really putting himself out there tonight and seemed like only one out there playing with emotion. I know that at least 3 of Sully's 10 rebounds were on the offensive boards, and each one he pulled down with AUTHORITY. I LOVE the way he rips those rebounds down. He makes it look so easy, but it's easy when you can jump 3 1/2 feet in the air. Made some great plays on some loose balls, and made some great decisions when he had the ball. Next to Terwilliger, J.J. might have made the most progress this off-season. Looking forward to seeing Lewis and J.J. on the floor together more often.
Terwilliger got a lot of playing time tonight as the back-up to Dials at center. It's apparent that there's quite a big drop off between Dials and Twiggy on D, as Findlay really took the ball inside when Dials was not in. One thing is for sure- this kid hustles ala Nick Dials. He put a lot of effort in and is much improved from last year. Looking forward to seeing more of him. For what its worth, 2 of his 4 fouls were pretty ticky-tack.
Ivan Harris did not get very much action tonight. Seemed to do a lot of the dirty work behind the scenes when he was in. His only points came off of a missed shot, and was able to smoothly get the ball from underneith the basket and slide it in for 2. I would like to see him get some more time.
Matt Sylvester was disappointing. He didn't come out with any fire, and seemed to be "Mr. Hotshot" when he had the ball, trying to impress the crowd. Airballed his first shot, but was rebounded and given back to Matt, which he promptly replied with a three. I still like Sylvester off the bench at PF. I think being on the bench helps motivate him, and the kid definetly needs some motivation.
2nd biggest surprise on the night (besides Foster at PG) was the play of Brayden Bell. I was expecting him to be a project, but he was playing like a 2nd year college player. In his first shift of the game, he put up a 3, which he swished, to his own amazement (you should have seen his face after he hit it). Ended up making 2 of 3 from behind the arc on the night. Even brought the ball down on a fast break, and dribbled behind his back to alude a defender, which the crowd loved. He had some GREAT frozen rope passes in the offensive end too. He could see a lot of meaningful minutes this season.
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The way the exhibition was set up, we were subbing guys constantly to see how they would react in game situations. I think the guys who are locks as starters are Dials, Sullinger, and Lewis. PG and PF are wide open, in my opinion. It was obvious that Matta is experimenting with different players at PG, and I'm happy that we have at least 3 players (maybe 4 if you count Lewis) who can bring the ball down the court. Butler definetly has some competition this year at PG. PF is a big question mark. I'd love to see Sylvester off the bench, but Harris didn't make any plays that might change Matta's mind.
We turned the ball over 16 times. Not sure who turned the ball over when, but we need to work on that. I think we've got a great defensive team, but we need to be a little bit more discliplined. I liked what I saw defensively from Dials, Mayes, Foster, Butler, and Sullinger. If we're gonna get beat this year, its gonna be from down low in the paint, through fouls, or fast breaks (we didn't get back on defense fast enough a couple times). Dials and Twiggy got their 4th fouls within a minute and a half of each other midway through the 2nd half, and played the rest of the game with our 2 centers in major foul trouble.
In warm-ups, Findlay seemed to be hitting everything, but weren't lighting it up during the game. They came out to play, and I give them a lot of credit, because they played so hard. They kept their starters in for most of the game, and it was evident their team was pretty tired late in the game.
There was a section of students where the old student section used to be, but it seemed to be half as big as it used to be (and I didn't see any other groupings of students in the arena). Not sure where the student section is gonna be located this year, but I hope its a lot closer to the floor than where it was last year. They're out of the action behind the hoop.
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I know this was only Findlay, and I tried to remain realistic with what I've said (particularly with my predictions), but its hard to not be excited with what I saw today. We have a ways to go still, but the talent is obvious. We have a special group of guys on the floor in S&G, and we WILL be a contender for the Big Ten championship this year. As long as the big men can stay out of foul trouble and we can keep our players healthy, its hard to see us not getting 20 wins this season. I think this team will be ranked sooner rather than later.
Matta is a miracle worker.
If this is the worst this team can play like, I think we have an amazing team on our hands, folks. Very impressive, particularly how we started the game (a 20-6 run) and how we played the 2nd half.
Starting Line-Up:
PG Je'Kel Foster (BIG surprise)
SG Ron Lewis
SF J.J. Sullinger
PF Matt Sylvester
C Terrance Dials
Terrance looked dominant in this game down low. He had one dunk that actually lifted the back end of the hoop an inch or two off the ground. Findlay had no answer for him, though they tested him driving to the hoop a lot, and he earned his 4th foul with 8 minutes to go in the game. If we can get the ball down low to him, he'll have no problem putting that ball in the hoop. 1st team Big Ten.
We played 3 players at PG- Foster, Jamar Butler, and Sylvester Mayes. Butler had somewhat of a quiet game (I don't think he scored a bucket, if my memory serves me right). I noticed he played some good 1-on-1 D though, and handled the ball well in traffic. Foster played the 1 well. I like the idea of our best defender being on the floor more. Had a steal that Chris Jent was probably very proud of (sliding across the floor). Very impressed with Mayes! He may be the best ball handler on the team, and did not expect him to be such a good defender. He's great driving to the basket and he made some smart plays. I thought he forced one of his shots, but his athletic ability helped him finger-roll the ball from 8 feet. He makes a GREAT spark off the bench.
Ron Lewis came in with pretty high credentials, but I think he's actually better than advertised. That kid can jump out of the gym. Extremely athletic, and an accurate shooter. He put on a dunking show in the 2nd half, putting up a reverse jam shortly after the break (I'd have given him a solid 9 on it). I'd actually consider him to be the 2nd best player on the team, behind Dials. He's solid all-around. I can see why he gets fouled so often. I think you guys are all gonna love this fella. I can't wait to see Oden and Company with Lewis and Mayes.
Lewis and Sullinger are an electric duo on the court together. This team came out pretty flat, but Sullinger was really putting himself out there tonight and seemed like only one out there playing with emotion. I know that at least 3 of Sully's 10 rebounds were on the offensive boards, and each one he pulled down with AUTHORITY. I LOVE the way he rips those rebounds down. He makes it look so easy, but it's easy when you can jump 3 1/2 feet in the air. Made some great plays on some loose balls, and made some great decisions when he had the ball. Next to Terwilliger, J.J. might have made the most progress this off-season. Looking forward to seeing Lewis and J.J. on the floor together more often.
Terwilliger got a lot of playing time tonight as the back-up to Dials at center. It's apparent that there's quite a big drop off between Dials and Twiggy on D, as Findlay really took the ball inside when Dials was not in. One thing is for sure- this kid hustles ala Nick Dials. He put a lot of effort in and is much improved from last year. Looking forward to seeing more of him. For what its worth, 2 of his 4 fouls were pretty ticky-tack.
Ivan Harris did not get very much action tonight. Seemed to do a lot of the dirty work behind the scenes when he was in. His only points came off of a missed shot, and was able to smoothly get the ball from underneith the basket and slide it in for 2. I would like to see him get some more time.
Matt Sylvester was disappointing. He didn't come out with any fire, and seemed to be "Mr. Hotshot" when he had the ball, trying to impress the crowd. Airballed his first shot, but was rebounded and given back to Matt, which he promptly replied with a three. I still like Sylvester off the bench at PF. I think being on the bench helps motivate him, and the kid definetly needs some motivation.
2nd biggest surprise on the night (besides Foster at PG) was the play of Brayden Bell. I was expecting him to be a project, but he was playing like a 2nd year college player. In his first shift of the game, he put up a 3, which he swished, to his own amazement (you should have seen his face after he hit it). Ended up making 2 of 3 from behind the arc on the night. Even brought the ball down on a fast break, and dribbled behind his back to alude a defender, which the crowd loved. He had some GREAT frozen rope passes in the offensive end too. He could see a lot of meaningful minutes this season.
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The way the exhibition was set up, we were subbing guys constantly to see how they would react in game situations. I think the guys who are locks as starters are Dials, Sullinger, and Lewis. PG and PF are wide open, in my opinion. It was obvious that Matta is experimenting with different players at PG, and I'm happy that we have at least 3 players (maybe 4 if you count Lewis) who can bring the ball down the court. Butler definetly has some competition this year at PG. PF is a big question mark. I'd love to see Sylvester off the bench, but Harris didn't make any plays that might change Matta's mind.
We turned the ball over 16 times. Not sure who turned the ball over when, but we need to work on that. I think we've got a great defensive team, but we need to be a little bit more discliplined. I liked what I saw defensively from Dials, Mayes, Foster, Butler, and Sullinger. If we're gonna get beat this year, its gonna be from down low in the paint, through fouls, or fast breaks (we didn't get back on defense fast enough a couple times). Dials and Twiggy got their 4th fouls within a minute and a half of each other midway through the 2nd half, and played the rest of the game with our 2 centers in major foul trouble.
In warm-ups, Findlay seemed to be hitting everything, but weren't lighting it up during the game. They came out to play, and I give them a lot of credit, because they played so hard. They kept their starters in for most of the game, and it was evident their team was pretty tired late in the game.
There was a section of students where the old student section used to be, but it seemed to be half as big as it used to be (and I didn't see any other groupings of students in the arena). Not sure where the student section is gonna be located this year, but I hope its a lot closer to the floor than where it was last year. They're out of the action behind the hoop.
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I know this was only Findlay, and I tried to remain realistic with what I've said (particularly with my predictions), but its hard to not be excited with what I saw today. We have a ways to go still, but the talent is obvious. We have a special group of guys on the floor in S&G, and we WILL be a contender for the Big Ten championship this year. As long as the big men can stay out of foul trouble and we can keep our players healthy, its hard to see us not getting 20 wins this season. I think this team will be ranked sooner rather than later.
Matta is a miracle worker.
Upvote
0
crazybuckfan40
Head Coach
There is a reason why Mayes started at pg.
Lets not worry about Butler he will be fine. Hey JO nice analysis, but lets not worry about Butler's shot. It will be fine, he has one hell of a stroke and worked on it all offseason.
Lets not worry about Butler he will be fine. Hey JO nice analysis, but lets not worry about Butler's shot. It will be fine, he has one hell of a stroke and worked on it all offseason.
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jimotis4heisman
Banned
http://dispatch.com/bball/bball.php?story=dispatch/2005/11/07/20051107-F1-01.html&chck=t
OHIO STATE 83 | FINDLAY 53
Tale of two halves in exhibition opener
Buckeyes pick up pace after dull start
Monday, November 07, 2005
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH Ron Lewis drives to the basket in his OSU debut. He scored 20 points, including 14 in the second half.
NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH Ohio State’s Je’Kel Foster, right, beats Findlay’s Dustin Pfeifer to the ball during the second half.
Defense and rebounding.
Ohio State men’s basketball players say they have heard their coaches preach those two words more than any other in the three weeks since practice started.
"Our intensity on defense is going to be a measuring point all season," center Terence Dials said. "If we take care of that, we’ll be a pretty good team. But right now we still have a (long way) to go."
That much was evident yesterday in the first exhibition game of the season.
The Buckeyes barely measured up to Findlay in the first half in Value City Arena, playing lax defense, standing around on offense and allowing the Oilers, a NCAA Division II team, to hang within eight points at the break.
The second half was the opposite. Greater effort on defense sparked a heightened pace on offense that carried the Buckeyes to an 83-53 victory.
Dials scored a game-high 22 points for Ohio State, 15 in the first half, when he made his first six shots from the field.
Bowling Green transfer Ron Lewis added 20 points in his OSU debut, 14 after halftime, and J.J. Sullinger had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Dustin Pfeifer and Brent Schnipke led Findlay with 13 points apiece.
"The first half was ugly," Sullinger said. "We didn’t play hard. I don’t think we got a loose ball. They were all over the floor. They out-toughed us. When we came in at halftime, we said we had to play harder."
A three-minute stretch early in the second half decided the outcome. Four missed shots and a turnover by Findlay in a span of seven possessions helped Lewis, Sullinger and fellow guards Je’Kel Foster and Sylvester Mayes to get out in transition and convert layups and free throws. Lewis also had a driving dunk from the wing in a 13-4 run that boosted the Buckeyes’ lead to 59-42 with 13:07 remaining.
Findlay, which shot 42.9 percent from the field and had six turnovers in the first half, shot 30.8 percent and had 13 turnovers in the second.
"They started to pick us up more full court and challenge us physically for 94 feet of the floor rather than let us run our offense," Findlay coach Ron Niekamp said.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta said he was "a little bit shocked at the lack of intensity we came out with. I didn’t think that we were competing at the level that I thought that we would going into this game."
That resulted in a lot of standing around on offense in the first half, when the Buckeyes’ only effective attack was post feeds to Dials and Lewis.
Some of the poor flow may have had to do with the slew of lineup changes Matta made. All 10 players on the roster played at least 10 minutes but none more than 24, and substitutions usually came in bunches rather than one by one.
The fact that only five plays were in the game plan also may have had something to do with it.
"We know we have to get better in our half-court offense, and our sets are going to do that for us," Matta said. "But I’m still not real concerned with set plays. We’ve got two weeks before we need those in."
Ohio State plays its final exhibition game against Ashland at 2 p.m. Sunday. The regular-season opener is Nov. 20 against Chicago State.
If there was a surprise in the starting lineup, it was the guard tandem of Foster and Lewis. Sophomore Jamar Butler started the last 12 games last season at point guard, but Foster had the ball in his hands at the start yesterday.
"We went with those guys that we felt in practice, statistically, were at the top of the ladder," Matta said.
Foster, Lewis, Butler and Mayes all took turns running the point in the game.
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Monday, November 07, 2005
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Here are some pictures of the exihibition game vs Findlay..
Ohio State's Sylvester Mayes, center, grabs a loose ball as teammates Matt Terwilliger (42) Ivan Harris (3) and Findlay's Morgan Lewis, right center, gives chase during the second half Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won, 83-53. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)
Ohio State's Terence Dials (34) dunks the ball as Findlay's Aaron Laflin (5) and teammate Brent Schnipke (14) defend during the first half Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State's Je'Kel Foster (23) looks on in the background. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)
Ohio State's Ron Lewis, center, shoots between Findlay's Brent Schnipke, left, and Dorian Bass (54) during the first half Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005, in Columbus,Ohio. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)
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*shrug* Seems to be a pretty strong Harris contingent among fans, and I'm not sure why. Harris is meek around the boards, sketchy on defense, and a complete unitasker on offense. Syl is one of the most versatile players on the team, a senior, and a co-captain. I don't think him coming off the bench is bad, per se, but to suggest doing it because he 'needs motivation' is preposterous, and I certainly wouldn't expect him to get fewer minutes than Harris. I suspect that if they go primarily with an eight man rotation, the two guys getting squeezed on minutes will be Harris and Bell. You've got four senior captains who are perfectly capable of starting, and have clearly performed well enough in the off-season to earn their spots. Frankly, I like the current line-up just the way it is.
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BuckeyeTillIDie
The North Remembers
Here are some pics I took from the game. Not the greatest, but I thought I'd share..
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jimotis4heisman
Banned
harris is a pretty good defender, better than sylvester imo.vrbryant said:
i just dont see matt terwilliger seeing good pt this year, if we have to rely on him things wont be good. not a knock on matt but he just isnt at this point ready for the fire of b10 as a 5.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
In my opinion, both players are similar on the defensive side, but I believe Sly gives more effort to rebound than Harris does.
Bottom line is that Harris will not get a ton of minutes unless he starts to rebound better.
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BuckTwenty
Parties with Pete Johnson's Beard
He proved on Sunday that he definetly isn't ready yet, but when Dials isn't in the ballgame, Twiggy will be. He will see a lot of PT this year spelling Dials.
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crazybuckfan40
Head Coach
Twig may not of looked good, but there have been reports saying how good he has been able to hold his own against Dials in practice(coming from Dials himself) so we will see.
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