Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State vs. Michigan
The first time Ohio State beat Michigan this year, it was because of the Buckeyes' superlative outside shooting.
In the rematch, it came down to muscle, defense and the bench.
Terence Dials had his fifth consecutive double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds and No. 13 Ohio State stayed atop the Big Ten with a 64-54 victory over the Wolverines on Saturday.
"I've been beating the drum for defense all season," coach Thad Matta said. "That is something that as we go down the stretch we need to be able to hang our hat on."
The Buckeyes (21-4, 10-4) hit 16 of 22 free throws to Michigan's six of nine.
J.J. Sullinger added 13 points and eight rebounds for Ohio State, and the bench provided 17 points: Ron Lewis had eight, Ivan Harris five and Matt Terwilliger four.
"In both of the games against Michigan, the bench was the difference," Matta said.
Ron Coleman scored 13 points, Daniel Horton -- who had 39 points against Illinois in his last game -- finished with 12 and Courtney Sims had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan (18-8, 8-7), which dropped its fourth straight road game. In the earlier meeting, Sims had 26 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.
"It was really a struggle for us offensively," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said.
Horton was 4-of-16 from the field and 2-of-8 on 3-pointers.
"I didn't want to let him get going," said Ohio State's Jamar Butler, who guarded Horton most of the game. "That's what he did against Illinois. The team helped me out with him."
Two of the shooting stars in the Buckeyes' 94-85 win at Michigan on Feb. 9 -- in which they hit 15-of-24 3-pointers -- had off games. Je'Kel Foster, who had 17 points in that game, scored two points and didn't make a field goal. Reigning Big Ten player of the week Butler was limited to five points.
Dials has broken out of a midseason slump to average 19.6 points and 12.6 rebounds over the last five games.
"I'm shooting a lot more and staying aggressive," Dials said. "The guards are doing a great job of finding me in spots where I can score. They make it easy for me."
Amaker said it was apparent that Dials is playing his best as his collegiate career comes to an end.
"He's a big-time post presence," Amaker said. "His double-double and his ability to score around the rim was certainly hurtful for us."
Dials continually came up with deep rebounds and loose balls in the lane. When Sims got the ball inside, Dials always seemed to be there to offer resistance.
"He's finishing better than he was earlier in the season," Matta said. "His defense was 100 times better than the last time we played Michigan."
Ahead by five at the half, the Buckeyes pulled away by beating the Wolverines off the dribble and inside. Matt Sylvester hit two free throws after drawing a fourth foul on Michigan starting forward Graham Brown, then Sullinger scored inside off a nifty assist from Foster. Dials then hurried downcourt after a missed shot and dunked off a pass from Butler to make it 33-24.
The Wolverines cut the lead to four points twice before Harris hit two big shots. Scoring on consecutive possessions, Harris touched off a 10-0 run by hitting a 15-foot fallaway off an inbounds pass, then made a long, arching 3-pointer in transition to push the lead to 53-41.
"Any time Ivan comes into the game, something's going to happen," Sullinger said. "The basket's huge for him."
Sullinger followed with a 10-footer in traffic and Dials scored inside and then later hit a foul shot. All of a sudden, it was 58-41 with five minutes left and the Buckeyes were in control despite an awful shooting day.
Ohio State, which shot 61 percent from the field in the earlier meeting, was held under 40 percent for the fourth time this season
Ohio State men's lacrosse faces UNC
"The scrimmage went well and we learned a lot about our team," coach Joe Breschi said. "It was nice to compete against someone else after five weeks of going against each other. We played with energy and excitement for four quarters."
The Buckeyes return 35 of 50 letter winners from last season. In a vote by the team, seniors Andrew Bender, Gary Bining, Jason Bloom, Ben Wolff, and Brian Yontz were chosen to lead the team as captains.
"I am definitely ready for the season to begin," said junior midfielder Chris Li. "We start practicing as soon as school begins, and you get the feeling that the season is never going to come, but once it's finally here, it's a huge rush and it gets the team really excited to play against other people besides ourselves."
The UNC Tar Heels are armed with All-American defenseman Stephen McElduff along with 32 returning letter winners from last season. In the past, UNC has won every game against the Buckeyes.
"We have set very high expectations, and we are ready to fulfill them, so we expect a lot from this year," said sophomore defenseman Ricky Pages. "We have prepared for North Carolina for the past two weeks, so I feel very prepared to open our season against a tough UNC team."
OSU looks ahead to one of the toughest schedules it has seen. Duke will be the biggest test this year, Pages said. though the matchup with Duke is still far away, OSU will also face Penn State and Brown along with others this season.
"I feel we are prepared for UNC, without seeing them play this season, but based on the scouting from last year," Breschi said. "This early in the season, it's about us and how we execute the game plan. The Tar Heels are very talented across the board, but so are we. We play seven games against preseason top 20 teams. Each week will be a challenge for us."
With high expectations, the Buckeyes look to surpass their 6-8 record from last year. OSU plays their first three games away from home; at UNC, followed by trips to Navy and Hobart.
"On offense, (sophomore) Kevin Buchanan, (moved from midfield last year), will develop as he becomes more comfortable at the attack position," Breschi said. "On defense, Ricky Pages has the ability to take over a game when he plays within himself. Our goal is to improve each week and prepare ourselves for the conference games beginning in mid April. If you win the conference, you get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. I want the guys to enjoy the experience and compete like hell."
In the Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Yearbook Preseason Coaches' Poll, Ohio State was ranked No. 21. UNC was ranked No.14. Despite these numbers, the Buckeyes move toward this weekend with confidence in their stride.
"Coach Breschi told us at the beginning of the year that it's all about us this year and Loyola was a great step for us in the right direction to have a successful season," Li said.
The Ohio State Buckeyes Defeat the Illini of Illinois
The boys of Marion, Ohio, and Pleasant High fame were reunited once again. I don't have to tell you that it felt so good. On the eve of the OSU/Illinois game, I came up to CBus a day early to hang out with my boys, the Weedwacker and TCom.
We took in a few Big 10 games during the day. It was great to see Michigan State lose to Minnesota, Indiana tank against Iowa, and Michigan fall to Purdue. Big 10 basketball is fantastic.
We took in a little Mike Jones during our pre-game festivities, and the boys were ready to hit the town.
We went to this little Pub on the Short North, where the beer was flowing like water. The Wacker and I were killing Pabst's Blue Ribbon (PBR) like we were still big men on campus.
After a little while, TCom's cousin met us there. His father is a team doctor for the Cleveland Browns. I could barely hold myself back from asking him how the Soldier (Kellen Winslow Jr.) was doing.
Out of nowhere, Mike Valpredo shows up. This is the Mike Valpredo of Columbus NBC fame. He's a sportscaster. Valpredo is a friend of a friend of Tcom. If you thought that the Sandwasher would be ecstatic to hang out with someone who's rubbed elbows with the likes of Rudy Johnson, Carson Palmer, and Frisman Jackson, you would be correct. That is until Valpredo turned out to be a Class A turd. There's a reason Dad Sandwasher once chided that "Valpredo looks like he's never gotten his hands dirty."
After a few more hours, the natives began to get restless. To the chagrin of the Wacker and me, we headed out to another bar. The Wacker and I had TiVoed the Stanford/Gonzaga game and were ready to roll home. This club was a "Valpredo" spot. It just wasn't my style. I'm a tennis shoe-wearing kind of guy. There were people walking around the hotspot wearing tuxedos. I think it goes without saying that PBR wasn't served at this establishment.
We did get home in time to enjoy a little bit of the game before I feel asleep a little before 2 bells on the couch. I'm absolutely pathetic. My days of staying up until 4/5 in the morning are long over. The Wacker had to send me up to bed like my dad. It was a sorry turn of events.
One quick note about the Stanford/'Zaga game. All the fans had fake moustaches. I can't complain too much, because you have 80-year-old fans sitting close to the action at OSU games wearing stupid buckeye necklaces. But, if you are in college, what's stopping you from growing a real mustache in tribute to the greatest college basketball player since Larry Joe Bird? What's stopping them from growing a cool 'stache; that 3:30 class; the minimum wage job at Starbucks? There's no excuse.
What Time Is It? Game Time!!!
The Weedwacker and I woke up showing little wear and tear from the night before. I think the 11+ hours of sleep helped with that. We quickly devised a game plan and quickly went to work. We were going to do the "3 S's" (shower, shave, and I'll let you figure out the last "S"), grab a quick bite to eat at Bob Evans, and then arrive at the Schott at about 12:20 to take in a little pre-game action.
Our plan was quickly foiled. We each successfully completed the "3 S's" without a hitch, but neither of us realized that Bob Evans was America's Sunday morning restaurant. Maybe if one of us had attended church on a requisite level, we would have been wise to this little secret.
We didn't have the time or patience to wait at Bob's, so we decided to go to Burger King. The only problem was that we were left with way too much time.
The Weedwacker and I were going to kill some time at Barnes and Noble, but the Weedwacker had food lodged into his recently completed dental work. I guess the Wacker just had 4 wisdom teeth pulled by some British dentist. This dentist had left major "flesh wounds" in the back of the Wacker's mouth, and he somehow logged food in there. I'm getting sick just thinking about it.
Because there wasn't a toothpick to be found, The Wacker tried to use a coffee stirrer from Barnes and Noble (I'm breaking my all time record for most corporate entities mentioned in one article), but he only pushed the food deeper into the wound. We had to cut our magazine perusal short so the Wacker could go back to his house to brush his teeth.
I was hoping the Buckeyes had a better game plan than us. This had all the makings of being a bad Fox network reality show (There's my dig at Fox for canceling the all-time best television show, Arrested Development).
Fifteen minutes later, the Wacker returns with the food still stuck in his teeth. He's really starting to make me sick to my stomach. After the night prior, I was feeling surprisingly good, but I didn't say my stomach was lined of iron. He was making me queasy.
I suggested that we stop by the Varsity Club on our way there to get a toothpick. I told him that as soon as we entered the arena that he needed to go to the bathroom and take care of that. I didn't want him to mention it again.
The Wacker failed to heed my advice, and we went to our seats. I tried to enjoy the pre-game festivities. I was taking pictures of former Buckeye great and CBS announcer Clark Kellogg, Illinois warming up, and the Wacker and me.
The Wacker was getting pissed that I kept talking to him and taking our pictures while he was trying to concentrate on his dislodged food.
Wacker: "You need to let me focus for a second. Stop dicking around."
Washer: "I told you to take care of your business in the restroom. You're not only grossing me out but all of the patrons around us."
Wacker: "Screw you Washer."
After a few more pictures...
Wacker: "Yes, I got it."
I think I threw up a little in my mouth.
I knew the crowd would be rearing to go for this game. Illinois came to Columbus with a No. 9 ranking and a lot of hype. I knew it was a good sign when we entered the arena 40 minutes early and it was already packed. OSU fans typically have a listless attitude towards basketball games, routinely showing up just minutes before tip off. This wasn't the case.
For the first time all season, OSU's media department showed the outside of the Buckeyes locker room before the team ran out on the floor. I can't tell you how clutch this was. The crowd went nuts as the Buckeyes exploded out of the locker room door. We got to watch as the Buckeyes jumped and pushed each other through the hallways, psyching each other up. The crowd was at a fever pitch before the team even reached the floor.
With about 2 minutes before tip off, OSU's coach and savior, Thad Matta, nonchalantly walked out of the locker room and past the Illinois bench with the crowd savoring every moment.
After OSU won the tip off, I said to Wacker that "A 3 would be sweet here." I got my wish. Matt Sylvester launched a 3, but I don't think it hit anything, not even the backboard. After a defensive stop, the Bucks got the ball down low to Terence Dials for a deuce. That would be the start of a special day for Dials. He played with vigor and heart that we haven't seen in a long time. Dials finished with 19 points and 16 boards. That was unthinkable after his abysmal game against Michigan on Thursday.
At the 16-minute television timeout, Je'Kel Foster was already 2-for-2 from the 3-point line. OSU had jumped out to an early lead, but Illinois was imposing their will down low.
After the 12 minute television timeout, Dials came out with an "And1" dunk. It seemed like the Buckeyes had a big play after every timeout on this day. The plays that Matta called were beautiful and the players executed them brilliantly.
With more than half of the first half over, Jamar Butler exploded for two 3's and Foster hit his fourth 3 in a row to burst out to a 33-24 lead. OSU was waxing Illinois. I thought OSU could play with Illinois, but I didn't expect this type of exceptional display both offensively and defensively.
It was kind of sloppy for both teams at the end of the half. OSU held on to a 9 point lead, 37-26.
Dee Brown was held to just 2 points in the first half. OSU didn't allow Brown to have even one of his famous coast-to-coast fast breaks. The pressure that Foster and Butler put on Brown was quite remarkable. James Augustine was keeping the Illini alive with 11 points (Unfortunately for the Illini, Augustine didn't score another point). My Uncle Kevin made a great point after the game. Just like Thursday night's game against Michigan and Courtney Sims, OSU didn't have an answer for Augustine. But, for whatever reason, Illinois stopped running plays for him.
Throughout the first half, Foster, Butler, and Dials were clutch for the Bucks.
At the half, I was exhausted. My voice was almost gone, my head had a pulse, and my hands were sore. I was so hot that I had to go out to the smoking terrace to get some cold air.
At the start of the second half, I saw the greatest live play of my life. Je'Kel Foster knocked the ball away from the Illini. He caught up with the ball and threw it over his head as he dove over the Illini bench. I held my breath as the ball hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. I could see Dee Brown snatching the ball out of the air and barring a 3. But, Butler snatched the ball out of the air and went down the court without numbers (1-2). I thought he was going to pull the ball back out, but he pulled up to the left of the point and nailed a 3 over Brown. The Schott absolutely erupted. Easily the loudest that I've ever been privy to.
On the very next series, more outstanding defense lead to an Illini stop, and Butler came down and buried another 3. If you watch Matta's team, he does an incredible job of motivating this team at the half. OSU comes out and plays defense on a different level. It's like the Chicago Bulls teams of the '90s. Frequently, Illinois couldn't even get into their offense.
Midway through the second half, Illinois made one last run and got within 9 points, but OSU displayed excellent poise and confidence, quickly putting the lead back out of reach. Butler finished with a game high 22 points and Foster added 18.
OSU ran away from the No. 9 team in the country, 69-53. It was a great day to be a Buckeye. College basketball is funny. When the week started, I was hoping for a split this week (Michigan/Illinois), and after the Bucks beat both teams, I'm thinking of running the table and claiming a number 1 seed in the "Big Dance."
Buckeyes Host Golden Gophers of Minnesota
OHIO STATE VS. MINNESOTA
The Buckeyes own a 21-game edge (74-53) in all-games played vs. Minnesota with a 46-18 advantage in Columbus. The Golden Gophers are 35-28 against Ohio State in Minneapolis. Ohio State dropped both meetings a year ago. The Buckeyes are 20-3 all-time vs. Minnesota when ranked among the Top 25 in the Associated Press poll. Ohio State is ranked No. 20 this week.
DIALS TOP OSU SCORER IN GAMES VS. GOLDEN GOPHERS
Senior Terence Dials leads the Buckeyes vs. Minnesota in scoring. He has averaged 12.2 points in five career meetings vs. the Golden Gophers. J.J. Sullinger is next with 10.8 ppg. in four games vs. UM. Both Dials (8.6 rpg.) and Sullinger (8.3 rpg.) contribute more than 8.0 rebounds per game vs. the Golden Gophers.
2005-06 BUCKEYES CONTRIBUTE TO OSU ASSIST RECORDS
The 2005-06 Buckeyes, led by sophomore point guard Jamar Butler, have recorded two of the Top 10 Ohio State team performances in assists this year. The Buckeyes dished out 28 assists vs. Penn State Jan. 5 and were credited with 27 helpers vs. Florida A&M Jan. 30. The 28 assists vs. PSU rank as the No. 6 single game effort in OSU history while the 27 vs. FAMU rate tied for 7th. The last time Ohio State handed out 27 or more was Dec. 7, 1996 vs. Long Island (27). Butler leads the current team with 83 assists. He recorded a career high nine assists vs. PSU and eight vs. FAMU.
Sophomore Jamar Butler is shooting 43 percent from the field (42-97), up from 33 percent (36-108) as a freshman ... made 23 of 54 (.426) 3-pointers this year--(14-61/.230 a year ago) ... rates No. 10 among Big Ten players in 3FG pct. ... averages 4.9 assists per game and has seven or more in six games ... scoring average up to 8.4 ppg. from 3.6 ppg. as a freshman ... 33 assists and just six turnovers in Big Ten play (+5.5 ast./TO ratio) ... three games vs. Big Ten with 0 turnovers ... just one TO for every 21.8 minutes played this season (523 minutes/24 TOs) ... overall +3.46 ast./TO ratio is best in Big Ten ... nearly 3-to-1 ratio for career (157 asts./55 TOs, +2.85).
* Senior Terence Dials scored 19 points vs. MSU to pass Clark Kellogg on the all-time scoring list Jan. 15 ... Kellogg was the expert analyst in the game vs. the Spartans ... reached 500 FGs made as a Buckeye (508-911/.558) following a 6 of 14 effort at Iowa (1/28/06) ... career field goal shooting percentage rates No. 4 all-time at OSU ... connecting on 71 percent from the foul line (58-82), his best single season percentage as a Buckeye and an improvement from his .617 effort a year ago (113-183) ... double figures in nine of last 12 games ... leads team in league play with 14.4 ppg. ... has connected on 50 percent or better from the field in 14 of 18 games and in 11 of the last 12 contests ... 11 career double-doubles ... his 7.2 rebound average rates No. 7 among league players, .557 FG pct. rates sixth.
* Senior Je'Kel Foster is one of just four Buckeyes all-time to record six or more steals in a single game ... Troy Taylor (1982-85), Curtis Wilson (1984-88) and Scoonie Penn (1999-2000) are the others ... Foster recorded six thefts vs. both Gardner-Webb and at Purdue this season ... a career 48 percent shooter from the field (169-351) ... foul shooting pct. has improved from 65 pct. as a junior (17-26) to 77 pct. this year (37-48) ... connected on 3 of 5 3-pointers vs. Florida A&M last time out (108-244/.443) ... career pct. from long range is second best in OSU history.
* Senior J.J. Sullinger tied a career high with 24 points vs. Florida A&M Monday ... reached 500 career rebounds (524) with six vs. Wisconsin Jan. 18 ... reached 100 career steals with one theft vs. MSU Jan. 15 ... working on a third-consecutive 300-point season at Ohio State, (185 pts./10.3 ppg.) this year ... has made 15 of 17 foul shots in Big Ten play ... his FT shooting percentage of .882 in league games rates No. 5 among conference players.
* Senior Matt Sylvester has made a last second 3-pointer to win games in each of the last two seasons ... his trey with 5 seconds left gave OSU a stunning 65-64 win vs. then No. 1 Illinois last March ... another triple at the 5 second mark gave the Buckeyes the come-from-behind win vs. LSU earlier this season ... reached 600 points as a Buckeye (630/6.3 ppg.) with 12 at Penn State Jan. 21 ... has 10+ points in five of last six games ... rates No. 2 among league players in 3-point field-goal shooting percentage (12-23/.522) vs. Big Ten opponents.
* Junior Ron Lewis gives the Buckeyes 12.9 points a game ... third leading scorer this season, his first as a Buckeye ... team's best foul shooter (.798/71-89) ... his .482 FG pct. (68-141) is best of his career ... shot .396 (145-366) as a sophomore at Bowling Green in 2003-04 ... reached 300 career FGs with 6 of 11 effort at Iowa (1/28/06) for his career (306-730/.419).
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Ohio State vs. MichiganOhio State men's lacrosse faces UNC
The Ohio State Buckeyes Defeat the Illini of Illinois
Buckeyes Host Golden Gophers of Minnesota