May 23, 2013

Ohio State five-star recruit says God wanted him to play for the Buckeyes

May 7, 2013 by 13 Comments

This past winter, leading up to National Signing Day, Georgia recruit Vonn Bell was said to be deciding between playing for Alabama, Tennessee or The Ohio State University. The five-star recruit surprised many when he opted for Columbus over the warmer confines of the SEC. As it turns out, Bell may have had a little bit of guidance in making his decision.

From the AJC:

I didn’t really have any secrets. I kept everything all open with everybody. But about the biggest secret was probably keeping it secret (about Ohio State) until signing day. The first two days (before signing day), I just woke up out of my dreams. Me and God just had a conversation. He said ‘I want you go to Ohio State.’ Then I just knew ever since then. That was probably the longest time I ever kept a secret, those two days.

He just woke me up in the middle of my sleep, and I just heard ‘Ohio State’ in my head. I just listened to it, and stuck with it. Ohio State was in my heart. I didn’t know (which college I was going to sign with) until then. I asked God to give me a sign, and He gave me a sign. I woke up the middle of the night.

Bell went into Signing Day as the fourth-best safety in the country, a top-35 recruit overall. In addition to Alabama and Tennessee, the speedy play-maker turned down Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Notre Dame.

[Related: While We’re Waiting… What a night in Cleveland]

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While We’re Waiting… Mark Price as coaching candidate?

April 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

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Hadn’t heard this one before. Are fans excited enough by this? “Mark Price is the best available head coaching candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is not a question of nostalgia, but rather a matter of practicality and reality. Price, while by far the most popular Cavalier in the history of the franchise, has the playing experience and success to demand respect, the technical expertise to help mold a young team’s skills, and the background of having worked for and with some of the most accomplished head coaches in the history of the NBA.” [Cleveland Jackson/Stepien Rules] [Read more...]

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NCAA Rumor: Big Ten to divide into East, West divisions

April 19, 2013 by 8 Comments

After months of speculation, the Big Ten reportedly has agreed on a new realignment strategy for its new-look 14-team conference: an East and West division split.

According to league sources via ESPN.com’s Brett McMurphy and Adam Rittenberg, the conference will move in that direction in 2014 when Maryland and Rutgers officially join the fold. The conference also will be pursuing a nine-game football schedule starting that year, pending a commissioner vote next week.

Thus, according to this latest sourced report, here is how the 2014-15 Big Ten would look:

East Division: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
West Division: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin

Back in January, the conference announced that it would look to move away from the Legends and Leaders division monikers that they somewhat arbitrarily used beginning in 2010. Per conference commissioner Jim Delany of the previous decision-making and naming process, they “didn’t have great options.”

Now, the conference appears to be pursuing the more traditional route of a geographical split. Yet, it won’t be without controversy.

With arguably the two best football programs — OSU and UM — in one division, there could be a remarkably easier route to the championship game each year for the Nebraskas and Wisconsins of the world. The conference also has decided to make Indiana-Purdue the only cross-division protected rivalry for optimal long-term flexibility, according to this report.

[Related: Leaders, Legends, and Balance: A Look Into Big Ten Division Realignment]

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NBA News: Ohio States DeShaun Thomas to enter NBA Draft

April 5, 2013 by 11 Comments

Ohio State forward DeShaun Thomas has decided to forego his senior season and enter the NBA Draft this summer.

Thomas is a 6-foot-7-inch wing who averaged 19.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Buckeyes in 2012-13, playing an integral role on a team which made it to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8.

Regarding Thomas’ future, WFNY’s Kirk Lammers projected the following:

Thomas certainly has his limitations, including his ball handling, his defensive motor, and his lack of true power forward size. Those aren’t going away, and they’ll likely keep him a second round pick whether he stays or goes. I see Thomas having success at the NBA level as a microwave-type bench player who can rattle off 10 points in the blink of an eye.

Currently, Thomas is ranked by ESPN’s Chad Ford as the 48th prospect overall, ranging anywhere from the second round to potentially being undrafted. Thomas is versatile, strong, athletic and can undoubtedly score. Questions loom surrounding his work ethic as well as his occasional bout of poor shot selection and indifference on the defensive end of the floor. Draft Express has Thomas ranked 52nd, citing a lack of foot speed for a three, size and length for a four at the NBA level.

As others have pointed out, pure basketball motivations aren’t all that are in play here. As the Mansfield Journal wrote, As the father to a one-year-old son, Thomas may be choosing a paycheck rather than delaying money for another year.

[Related: Buckeye Basketball 12-Pack: Closing Thoughts]

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Buckeye Basketball 12-Pack: Closing Thoughts

April 3, 2013 by 14 Comments

Thad MattaIt was an up and down season for Thad Matta’s Ohio State Buckeyes. The team ended their season last Saturday night with a 29-8 record and a loss to Wichita State in the Elite Eight 70-66 after trailing by as many as 20 points in the game. Prior to that, the Buckeyes were on a 11-game winning streak that included wins over Michigan State (twice), Wisconsin, Indiana, and lethal offenses in Iowa State and Arizona in the NCAA tournament. In many respects this team overachieved, yet their hot streak, easy tournament draw, and wide open West bracket left falling short of the Final Four a clear disappointment. Here, I’ll cover some of my lasting thoughts from another season of Buckeye basketball. [Read more...]

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Power Outage Sends Bucks Home Instead Of On To Atlanta

March 31, 2013 by 7 Comments

amirblankstareEleven minutes. With 11 minutes to go in their season, the Ohio State Buckeyes woke up out of a coma and started playing. Down 20, they made a valiant comeback effort, closing it to as little as 3 points with 2:48 remaining. However, their disgraceful first half play which included 24% shooting plus a couple of missed defensive rebounds late were too much to overcome as the ninth-seeded Wichita State Shockers stunned the Bucks 70-66 to advance to the Final Four in Atlanta. The loss ends OSU’s season, and it leaves the team and its fans asking what went wrong on the Staples Center floor for a majority of the game. [Read more...]

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WFNY Stats & Info: Easiest roads to the Final Four

March 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment

With Ohio State’s dramatic win over Arizona last night, I’m certain many of you are asking this question: Who else has played only 6 seeds or worse en route to a possible Final Four? As usual, I have the statistical research for the answer today.

Dating back to the start of the 64-team bracket style in 1985, there have been 116 regions including this year. Out of those 116 regional winners that then advanced to the Final Four, Ohio State would be the 11th winner that didn’t play a top-5 seed. Thus, on average, it occurs about every three years. Here’s the list thus far:

Year Region Seed Team W #1 W #2 W #3 W #4 Result?
1986 E. Rutherford 1 Duke 16 8 12 7 Runner-up
1990 Oakland 1 UNLV 16 8 12 11 Champion
1990 Dallas 4 Arkansas 13 12 8 10 Final 4
1991 E. Rutherford 1 N. Carolina 16 9 12 10 Final 4
1993 Seattle 1 Michigan 16 9 12 7 Runner-up
1999 E. Rutherford 1 Duke 16 9 12 6 Runner-up
2001 Atlanta 1 Mich. State 16 9 12 11 Final 4
2004 Phoenix 2 Connecticut 15 7 6 8 Champion
2008 Detroit 1 Kansas 16 8 12 10 Champion

 

I had previously tweeted that Kansas in 2008 was the last such team to accomplish this feat. Their most difficult opponent was a No. 8 seed in the second round, then won in the all 1-seed Final Four. Two other teams — 1991 North Carolina and 2001 Michigan State — didn’t play any teams ranked better than No. 9.

Oddly enough, these teams then went 7-3 in the national semifinals, followed by 3-4 in the championship game. Those numbers obviously are slightly better than just average.

Of course, many high-ranked seeds lost to low seeds en route to their hopeful Final Fours. So these are just the 10 success stories against easy schedules in the first 28 years of the 64-team bracket style.

Ohio State still has one difficult task en route to their second straight Final Four — that’s No. 9 Wichita State, the same one that took down No. 1 Gonzaga last weekend. The Shockers are now ranked #20 in Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings and already had impressive wins over VCU and Creighton during the regular season.

[Related: LaQuintessential! Ross Sends Bucks To Elite 8 on Second Straight GW Shot]

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LaQuintessential! Ross Sends Bucks To Elite 8 on Second Straight GW Shot

March 29, 2013 by 11 Comments

rossgwzonaTwo straight games. Two shot clocks turned off with a tie game and the ball in the Buckeyes’ hands. Sean Miller’s Arizona Wildcats weren’t going to give Aaron Craft another clean look at a game-winning jumpshot, and Deshaun Thomas had a defender glued on him in the corner. Without calling a timeout, Thad Matta called a Craft-LaQuinton Ross pick and roll from the sideline. When both defenders collapsed on Craft, the Buckeye point made the right read once again, kicking it to Ross, who buried a NBA-range three ball to give the Buckeyes the lead with two seconds remaining and eventually the win.

It capped off a 14-point second half for Ross, and the sophomore who got a late start  as a freshman and next to nothing in terms of playing time last year saved his team for the second straight game. The Buckeyes won 76-73, and they’re going to their second straight Elite 8 after the win in Los Angeles last night. For the second straight game, however, they faced plenty of adversity.

[Read more...]

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Animated: Ohio State Buckeyes game winner by LaQuinton Ross

March 28, 2013 by 3 Comments

The title says it all. It was a close game. It was a poorly officiated game both ways. In the end, all that matters is that the Ohio State Buckeyes advance. And they do so in spectacular fashion once again. This time Aaron Craft dished to LaQuinton Ross who nailed a long three to secure the victory over Arizona. Elite Eight coming right up.

LaQuinton Ross Game Winner

[Related: Animated: Aaron Craft sends Ohio State to the Sweet 16]

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The Diff: NCAA tournament Sweet 16 odds

March 27, 2013 by 2 Comments

Over the month of March, The Diff has been all about college basketball. First, it was the bubble odds, then an update of said bubble odds, and most recently, initial tournament odds. With the Buckeyes tipping off in the Sweet 16 tomorrow night in Los Angeles, I’m back with another round of updates today.

The Diff

On one side of the argument, it was an exciting weekend for upsets and the average college basketball fan. 15 Florida Gulf Coast shocked the world and their jump into the spotlight almost seems like it has to be a Hollywood script. The success of 9 Wichita State, 12 Oregon and 13 La Salle also has been a fun surprise for many, even if their brackets were busted. Which then brings me to the other side of the argument — the success of stat predictions. I warned last week that I’ve never been very good at brackets. And thus far, the stats have been way off. [Read more...]

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WFNY Stats & Info: Elite 8 of NCAA tournament facts

March 25, 2013 by 4 Comments

There truly is no better time of the year than March Madness, right? Exactly. And that’s why today, after my spree of statistical #tournyhistory tweets @udjrosen last night, I’m here today at WFNY to share some notable facts as we enter the Sweet 16. Here you go with my Elite 8 of neat facts:

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No. 1: The 2 Ohio State-6 Arizona matchup will be the 27th between a 2-seed and a 6-seed since the tournament expanded to the 64-team format in 1985. In the previous 26 matchups, 2-seeds have a 20-6 record. This includes Ohio State’s victory over 6-seed Cincinnati in 2012.

No. 2: The 2013 tournament is the first ever with three 12-or-lower seeds to make the Sweet 16. (h/t @SportsCenter) In fact, a total of 15 teams seeded 9 or lower have made the Sweet 16 in the last four seasons. In the previous six, only 13 such teams had made the Sweet 16. Parity, eh?

No. 3: With three sub-12 seeds making the Sweet 16, I thought it’d be appropriate to rehash how these teams have done in this round: 1-25 (4%) all-time. Yikes. (More on this one win in a moment) It’s then significantly better for 10-11 seeds: 12-48 (20%). Logically, this would be because 12′s or 13′s historically are faced with a more daunting schedule in the regional semifinals.

No. 4: Now, the story of the tournament: the amazing 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. They’re obviously the first-ever 15-seed to make the Sweet 16. All-time, since 1985, 15-seeds now have a 7-109 (6%) record in the first round. They’re now 1-6 (14%) in the second round.

No. 5: Keeping with FGCU: Surprisingly, per ESPN, 0.95% of brackets submitted to their website had the Eagles in the Sweet 16. As crazy high as that may seem, it might actually be about right. Out of 116 regions, this is the first 15-seed to make the Sweet 16. So 1/100 is approximately about right. Good job, America.

No. 6: Also a first in 2013: Our first ever matchup between a 9-13. The 9-seed Wichita State Shockers will play the 13-seed La Salle Explorers in Los Angeles for an Elite 8 berth. Lowest-ever seed to make an Elite 8? That would be a 12-seed, once: 2002 Missouri. With an easier than normal matchup, La Salle could break that record.

No. 7: Speaking of La Salle, they became the second First Four team to advance all the way to the Sweet 16. Of course, 11-seed VCU also accomplished that feat in 2011 all the way to the Final Four. Also including 12-seed South Florida’s first-round upset in 2012, that makes First Four winners a combined 7-5 in three seasons (thus far).

No. 8: Finally, a nod to the only 1-seed that bowed out over the weekend: Gonzaga. The ‘Zags have actually made it to 15 consecutive NCAA tournaments, but only appeared in one Elite 8. Their record by round: 13-2 in Round of 64; 5-8 in Round of 32; 1-4 in Sweet 16; 0-1 in Elite 8. As my friend Nate pointed out too, that lone Elite 8 was actually the first of these 15 years as a 10-seed in 1999.

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[Related: The Diff: Ohio State’s March Madness odds]

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Craft’s Game-Winner, Late Heroics Save Bucks From Cyclone Upset

March 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

craftgwiowastateTwo turnovers. Two missed free throws at the front end of 1-and-1s. Four missed free throws total in the second half. A layup that had too much spin on it and spun out.

These are all things that happened to Aaron Craft late in this ballgame. The Twitter crowd was out with its pitchforks and lit torches, ready to strike the Buckeyes’ junior point guard. What was a 13-point lead with six minutes remaining became a 2-point deficit with two minutes to go following a 17-2 flash twister from Iowa State. But, Craft made play after play down the stretch, and the goat horns drawn in pencil were erased by a controversial charge taken, a gritty and-one bucket inside, and the game-winner with 0.5 seconds remaining as Craft waved off Deshaun Thomas and sunk the shot himself to lead his Buckeyes to a 4th straight Sweet 16 in a 78-75 thriller in Dayton. [Read more...]

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Animated: Aaron Craft sends Ohio State to the Sweet 16

March 24, 2013 by 3 Comments

It was the ultimate “No no no no no no… YES!” shot. Aaron Craft is not known to be a three point shooter. He wasn’t even going to be known as a free throw shooter much as he missed some of those down the stretch of this game. But, in this one time with this moment in front of him with a tie game, Aaron Craft stepped up, waved off his teammates and drained a three point shot with almost no time remaining.

Animated: Aaron Craft Drops It

[Related: Slammin’ Sammy: Buckeyes Crush Iona’s Will In Tourney Opener]

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While We’re Waiting… A conversation with Mark Shapiro

March 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

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Our friends at The DiaTribe had a neat opportunity of a sit-down with Mark Shapiro. Here is Shapiro’s first quote: “‘Yeah, if you define active by spending money. This is my 22nd season with the team, and there’s never been anything of this magnitude. It’s clearly both a statement and effort by ownership. This isn’t just a front office effort. We identify players, make recommendations and provide alternative plans and they ultimately make the decisions. With both Swisher and Bourn, Paul Dolan was extremely involved and assertive in our efforts to get those players.’” [Al Ciammaichella] [Read more...]

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Slammin’ Sammy: Buckeyes Crush Iona’s Will In Tourney Opener

March 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

thompsonslamiona“I think they haven’t played against the style of play like we play. I think they play a lot of teams that like to slow it up, and they can really get into them. Because we pressure so much and we go against it every day in practice, I don’t think it’s something we’ll have a problem with.

Those were the words of Iona guard Lamont “Momo” Jones this week prior to last night’s game. The transfer from Arizona had an air of confidence about him heading into this 15-2 matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes. There’s no doubt that two wins by 15 seeds in last year’s tournament (as well as one yesterday during this game) aided that confidence. It’s a fair argument that Ohio State has only faced a few teams that like to play an up tempo pace. However, that air of confidence was squeezed out of Jones and Iona’s third highest-scoring offense by Aaron Craft and company. Forty minutes later, Jones made just 3-of-14 shots for 9 points and the Buckeyes forced 19 turnovers, scored 29 points off those turnovers, and scored 34 points via the fastbreak as they obliterated the Gaels early in the second half and cruised to a 95-70 victory in their NCAA Tournament opener. [Read more...]

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The Diff: Ohio State’s March Madness odds

March 20, 2013 by 7 Comments

As a reminder, The Diff is your weekly Wednesday look into the world of sports statistics. This week’s edition is already my 10th such post at WFNY. In last week’s edition, I shared some updates about the Cavs, Indians, NFL Draft and March Madness. Now, with the bracket set, I’m back again this week to discuss what it all means for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Diff

Some of you may know that I have a bit of a history with NCAA tournament projections. No, it doesn’t only go back to as far as my version of The Diff two weeks ago about NCAA tournament math. Nor does it merely go back to my days writing at my own blog called The Sports Report and featuring lots of college basketball content. In actuality, it goes back to as early as March 2007 and David Lee Morgan Jr.’s article about me in the Akron Beacon Journal. To make a long story short, however, for being a statistically minded person, I’m actually ended up being pretty awful at bracket predictions. [Read more...]

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NCAA tourney primer with Kirk and TD – WFNY Podcast – 2013-03-20

March 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

WFNY Podcast LogoThe connection was a bit bad for a few moments as we all tried to figure out who was talking next, but it all got smoothed out pretty quickly. Kirk and TD are two of the more passionate NCAA hoops fans on the site and they wanted to lay out some storylines for the tourney.

  • Quick talk about Phil Dawson’s departure
  • TD and Kirk talk about Ohio State’s number 2 seeding
  • TD talks about Kansas and their draw
  • Which regions are the most brutal?
  • What are the most entertaining opening round games?
  • TD’s final four prediction
  • Kirk’s final four prediction
  • TD and his recommendation / final words on Ubaldo Jimenez

[Read more...]

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O So Beautiful: Wisconsin’s Ugly Pace, But OSU’s Big Ten Tourney Title

March 17, 2013 by 1 Comment

bucksbigtenchamp

It started four weeks to the day in a hostile Madison environment. The Buckeyes were absolutely smoked by 22, getting their doors blown off from the outset in a 24-6 hole and decimating their Big Ten regular season title hopes (or so we thought). Thad Matta said to his team after that game, “It was embarrassing and we’re not going to let this go. We’re going to beat this drum until you guys realize this can never happen again.” Since then, Ohio State has turned the corner. They’re one of the hottest teams in the country, and after wins against Nebraska and Michigan State, they capped off their weekend with a third win in three days, capturing Matta’s fourth Big Ten Tournament Championship and third in four years as they beat Wisconsin at their own slow-paced game with a 50-43 win.

[Read more...]

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Deja Craft: Buckeyes To Play In Fifth Straight B1G Championship

March 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

craftmsufallingFlashback to February 24th. The Buckeyes were trailing by six points at the half to the Michigan State Spartans in The Schott. Deshaun Thomas was struggling (1-for-8 shooting), and the Buckeyes needed another scorer to step up their game. Enter Aaron Craft, who scored 17 of his career high 21 points in the second half as he carved up the Spartan defense with patient but effective dribble penetration off the high ball screen. The Buckeyes would go on to win that game by a 68-60 count.

History does repeat itself sometimes. The Buckeyes trailed at the half once again (by one this time). Deshaun Thomas was off with his shot (4-for-13 shooting), and the Buckeyes needed a second scorer to help Thomas. Aaron Craft answered the bell once again in heroic fashion. Eighteen of Craft’s 20 points came in the back-and-forth second half, and the Buckeyes weathered an incredible seven minute field goal drought in the final seven and a half minutes of the game to hold on for a 61-58 victory and advance to the Big Ten Championship Game tomorrow afternoon in Chicago. [Read more...]

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Buckeyes Sleep-Walk Early, Then Shut Down Huskers

March 16, 2013 by 1 Comment

thompsonnebThad Matta was concerned about it. It’s happened before, his team taking it easy in the first game of the Big Ten conference tournament. There was the overtime six-point victory against 8th-seed Northwestern two years ago. The year before in 2010 as the top seed, they needed Evan Turner heroics to beat eight-seed Michigan by one point. This year, against the 10th-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers, that same “playing down to the competition” aspect happened again. The Buckeyes were in complete disarray on defense and started out disjointed on offense as well. But, an early Thad Matta timeout and benching of Deshaun Thomas sent a clear message. This isn’t going to be easy. After falling behind 15-6, Ohio State went on a amazing 48-13 run over a 21-minute span late in the first half and early in the second half. Because of their in-time wake-up, they’re moving on to the Big Ten semifinals. [Read more...]

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