June 19, 2013

NCAA Basketball News: Ohio State Revises Coach Thad Matta’s Contract

January 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

While this season has been a bit of an up and down year for the Ohio State men’s basketball team, their head coach Thad Matta is still being rewarded with a revised contract that sees a boost to his annual salary. According to Rusty Miller of the Associated Press, the new contract will see him receive a 10% bump to his salary (bringing him to over $3.2 million per year) including academic bonuses.

Additionally, the contract also revises some language regarding NCAA violations. The contract now requires Matta to report anyone who “may potentially have violated NCAA rules”. The new wording is presumed to be an effort by OSU to avoid some of the ambiguities that made negotiations with Jim Tressel a little trickier in the wake of the email coverup scandal that ultimately cost the coach his job.

Thad Matta is now under contract with Ohio State through July 2019.

[Related: Meltdown In Game’s Final Minute Spoils Deshaun Thomas Show]

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OSU LB Storm Klein Arrested

July 7, 2012 by 5 Comments

Ohio State senior linebacker Storm Klein was arrested Friday evening in Columbus on charges of domestic violence and assault.

Klein, who has started 10 games for the Buckeyes and a potential starter, remains innocent until proven guilty of course. But his arrest marks already the 3rd arrest for Buckeye players since Urban Meyer’s arrival.

The Buckeye coach came to Columbus with a reputation for having players with legal issues at Florida and while he didn’t recruit any of the players who have been arrested, this certainly isn’t going to sit well with the coach. If the charges stick, expect Klein to be made into an example by Meyer.

No details or comments have been released by Ohio State at this time.

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OSU’s Jared Sullinger Not Invited to NBA Draft Green Room

June 25, 2012 by 9 Comments

This is not hyperbole right now. I’m not sure Ohio State has had a player with higher character than Jared Sullinger since Thad Matta took over. First round draft picks rarely need sympathy, nor to be hyped up, and it’s tough to feel bad for a guy who is about to be very rich playing the game he loves.

Never the less, things keep going bad for Sullinger. The latest comes from ESPN’s Andy Katz who reported that the NBA did not invite Sullinger to the NBA Draft Green Room. The distinct priviledge, normally reserved for the top 10-15 prospects, was once an inevitability for Sullinger. However, after the crushing blow of having doctors red flag him for his back issues, Sullinger’s stock has been in a free fall.

Surely being in the green room, while not the most important thing in the world, was a long time dream of Sullinger’s. Now that dream will never be realized, as he will be stuck on the outside looking in. Sullinger, who made the decision to return for his sophomore year rather than face an NBA lockout, was a likely top 5 pick last year. The decision to come back likely cost Sullinger at least 10 draft slots and millions of dollars over the lifetime of his rookie contract. Hopefully the experience and lessons learned from the extra year of seasoning will allow Sullinger to eventually make up the difference. Because, really, this could not have happened to a nicer guy who deserves it less.

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Ohio State Wins ESPN’s Lawsuit Over Public Records

June 19, 2012 by 5 Comments

If you recall a while back, we talked a little bit about the ESPN lawsuit they brought against the Ohio State administration. The basis of the case is that when the Jim Tressel scandal broke, ESPN’s Tom Farrey made repeated requests for information from the University, citing Ohio’s Open Records Laws.

While OSU did turn over much of what Farrey and ESPN requested, some items were withheld by the University with the school arguing that turning over the records would violate FERPA’s student privacy protection guidelines. ESPN wasn’t satisfied with that answer, and took it to the courts to try to get the documents handed over to them.

It was an interesting case with some fairly serious ramifications no matter which way the courts decided. After several months of arguments, the court has reached it’s decision:

The court on Tuesday unanimously ruled that for the most part Ohio State properly shielded records as either protected by federal privacy laws or attorney-client privilege.

The court said in a few cases Ohio State must remove certain names from documents which it then must provide ESPN.

The court also denied ESPN’s request for attorney fees.

This is a big decision, not just for Ohio State, but for all public Universities with high profile athletic departments. While many media outlets were aligning with ESPN in the case, several educational institutions were siding with Ohio State. By upholding Ohio State’s right to protect the privacy of its students, a precedent has been set for similar future cases with other schools.

[Related: ESPN v Ohio State: The Lawsuit and What It Means]

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Ohio State Lands 4-Star QB Prospect JT Barrett

April 18, 2012 by 11 Comments

Urban Meyer has landed yet another highly thought of 4-star recruit. JT Barrett, the 7th ranked QB prospect in the country out of Wichita Falls, Texas, confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he will be a Buckeye, according to Scout.com’s Bill Greene.

Barrett is a QB very much in the mold of Braxton Miller. Though Barrett is smaller than Miller, Barrett seems to fit the mold of what Urban Meyer wants to do with Ohio State’s offense. He is agile enough to keep plays alive with his feet and operate plays in space, but he also has the ability to stand in the pocket and make good throws. The very definition of a dual threat QB.

[Scout.com: Barrett Goes to the Buckeyes]

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Wide Open Big Ten Tourney Gives Bucks A Chance To Solidify

March 8, 2012 by 3 Comments

As the three-way split of the Big Ten regular season title will lead you to believe, with three additional teams within three games of first place, the top half of the conference is incredibly strong and balanced. This makes this year’s Big Ten Conference Tournament, which kicks off later today in Indianapolis, all the more interesting. The Ohio State Buckeyes, co-champions of the conference, took the third seed by virtue of losing tiebreakers with top seed Michigan State and #2 Michigan. With Wisconsin rounding out the top four teams that do not have to play Thursday, you could make a case for any of them, along with a giant killer in Indiana, a tournament lock in Purdue and a bubblelicious Northwestern squad, to take home the hardware.

For the Buckeyes, this is a true opportunity to return to the top tier of teams and take a stab in the dark at a #1 seed. For OSU to win three games in three days, they could potentially have to go through Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State. They are a combined 3-2 against those teams, and the average margin of victory was just under 7 points in those 3 wins. The last thing the Buckeyes need, however, is an easy road. What they do need is to show many of the same characteristics they displayed in that second half in East Lansing on Sunday to impress the committee. Even more important, they must prove that Jared Sullinger can play a physical game for close to 40 minutes, William Buford can avoid the horrid shooting performances, and the team can play the type of lockdown defense they’ve displayed for about 80% of the season.

[Read more...]

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Urban Meyer Lands the #3 Recruiting Class in the Country on National Signing Day

February 2, 2012 by 6 Comments

NSD made Urban Meyer a happy man

Wednesday was National Signing Day, the first day high school senior prospects are allowed to sing Letters of Intent, finalizing their commitments to the school of their choice.

For Ohio State, NSD has typically been a non-event over the last decade. Jim Tressel’s recruiting style was to secure verbal commitments early. The prospects OSU was still in on when it came to NSD typically put on the hat of other schools during their signing day announcement ceremonies.

This year, with Urban Meyer in control of the program, things were a little different. Part of it was just a matter of circumstance. With Coach Meyer being hired so late in the process, he didn’t have a chance to secure early verbal commitments. He honored every scholarship offer that was given before he arrived on campus, but for the most part, there was a shift in the way recruiting was done once he stepped foot on OSU’s campus. [Read more...]

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Ohio State Lands First 5-Star Commitment For Class of 2013

January 31, 2012 by 12 Comments

Middletown's Jalin Marshall

Urban Meyer just doesn’t stop landing recruits. This is a period of recruiting unlike anything else I’ve ever seen before. It feels like hardly a week goes by without Meyer bringing in yet another 4 or 5 star recruit. National Signing Day for 2012 is coming up tomorrow, but that’s not stopping Meyer from already securing playmakers for 2013.

First it was Cam Burrow committing last week, now Middletown freak athlete Jalin Marshall has decided to become the 2nd member of the 2013 class and the first 5-star recruit for that class. Marshall, the top recruit in the state of Ohio for 2013 may not have been a surprise, as his long time desire to be a Buckeye was a poorly kept secret, but never the less, this is a huge get for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

Scout.com’s Bill Greene has the story: [Read more...]

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Urban Meyer Bringing Recruiting Excitement to Ohio State

January 20, 2012 by 20 Comments

OSU Coach Urban Meyer

When Urban Meyer was hired to be the new head football coach at The Ohio State University, everyone knew things were going to change at Ohio State. Many predicted that recruiting in particular would be dramatically different under Urban Meyer’s watch.

That’s no slight on Jim Tressel. Urban Meyer will be lucky to match what Jim Tressel accomplished in his decade at the helm. But Jim Tressel was a rare, unique man and coach. His laid back approach to recruiting meant that Ohio State took a decent number of “projects”, if you will. If there was a player of exceptional character but borderline talent, Tressel wasn’t afraid to offer the kid a scholarship in the belief that he could coach him up. And it worked. Tressel’s track record of turning overlooked 2- and 3-star recruits and turning them into players drafted by NFL teams speaks for itself. [Read more...]

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Buckeyes Buried by Brandon Paul’s 43-point Explosion

January 11, 2012 by 3 Comments

Brandon Paul.

For his transcendent performance, he deserves the first words of this article. The 6’4″ junior Illini guard from Gurnee, Illinois, who is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, pummeled the Buckeyes with a relentless torrential downpour of three point shots. He connected on 8-of-10 three-point attempts and posted a career-high 43 points as the Illini pulled out a close one against the fifth-ranked Buckeyes 79-74. The Buckeyes have now suffered their second conference loss, and with a tight Big Ten race between Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, and these Illini, they now have some soul-searching to do.

Paul’s ability to dissect the Buckeye defense headlined an off night for a generally pesky defensive squad. Illinois shot a stunning 60% for the game as well as 11-of-18 (61%) from behind the arc, Paul being a huge chunk of that. [Read more...]

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WFNY Top 10 Cleveland Stories of 2011: #2 Ohio State Hires Urban Meyer

December 29, 2011 by 17 Comments

As the year comes to a close, like we have done the last three years, WFNY will take a look at what we view to be the 10 biggest sports stories affecting our local sports scene. Each day through the rest of the year, we will be counting down from ten to one. We started with #10 – The Colt Concussion, next was #9 -Key Cavalier Wins. We broke down the Baron Davis Trade and talked some Tribe at #7. Kirk was on the Pat Shurmur hire for #6. We stuck with that Browns theme and discussed the big draft day deal involving Julio Jones and Phil Taylor (#5). We went back to the Red, White, and Blue with #4, the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. Yesterday TD touched on the Cavaliers winning the draft lottery and picking Kyrie Irving at #3. Today, it’s time to talk about the moment Ohio State was saved from falling off the cliff.

#2: The Ohio State University Hires Urban Meyer as Head Football Coach [Read more...]

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Buckeye Basketball Brief: Bucks open up Big Ten season, dominate Northwestern

December 29, 2011 by 1 Comment

The favorite to win the Big Ten conference opened up conference play last night, and they did not disappoint. Jared Sullinger looked healthier, the three point shots were falling, and that suffocating defense returned to dismantle the 10-2, veteran-led Northwestern Wildcats. In this week’s installment, we’ll focus on what the Buckeyes can use from the past week to build on heading into the Big Ten slate.

1. Leading off, Deshaun Thomas is turning into a star and the best pure scorer on this team. Sullinger’s injury and Buford’s scoring droughts provided a perfect storm where Thomas had to provide a lot of scoring, and in my opinion, he’s never going to look back. With his 19 against Kansas, Deshaun started a stretch where he has scored at least 15 points in six straight games. Thomas added 16 last night on 6-of-13 shooting along with 5 rebounds (4 offensive). There’s a big part of the OSU offense that remains largely untapped, and that’s Deshaun Thomas in the paint. He has shown the ability to collect garbage points around the rim, but in limited opportunities, he has shown he can facilitate high-low post action and nail that 8-foot half hook. Thomas is one of the top two or three outside threats on this team, but he is that much more effective if he is able to give Matta a second legitimate post scoring option. Thomas is no longer a black hole on offense or a liability on defense, because he has worked incredibly hard at both ends to improve.

[Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting…Buckeyes Head To Phog Allen, Oden Suffers Setback

December 10, 2011 by 4 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.

Previewing #2 OSU / #13 Kansas later today down at Phog Allen Fieldhouse:  ”After an early loss to #1 Kentucky in New York, Kansas rebounded to make it to the Maui Invitational final. But sloppy defense late and an improbable 3-pointer led to another loss against #6 Duke. Since then, the Jayhawks have won 3 straight against inferior competition in preparation for OSU. It usually takes a couple of weeks to recover from the Maui trip, and in addition to that the team battled “the crud” for a bit before shaking it off.

Helping to make up for the loss of so much fire-power, and especially the loss of the Morris twins, is junior forward Thomas Robinson. Robinson has been a beast on the front-court, at one point recording six straight double-doubles. Robinson racked up a career high 26 points in KU’s victory against Long Beach State on Tuesday and also grabbed 11 boards. He is not as large as Sullinger, but he cleans the glass pretty well, averaging 12 rebounds per game.

Another key player for Kansas is senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor is a distributor, but he’s also a serious scoring threat from the one. He’s shooting nearly 46% from the field this season, including a sizzling 57% from downtown. Reserve guard Conner Teahan is another dead-eye shooter from distance, hitting 45% of his threes. He helped the Jayhawks break the game open against Long Beach, hitting 4 triples and scoring a career high 14 points.”  [Joe Beale  / Eleven Warriors] [Read more...]

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Ohio State Coach Luke Fickell Watches the Inevitable Become Reality

September 19, 2011 by 12 Comments

“It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” – Common misquote of Grantland Rice

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” – Red Sanders, often attributed to Vince Lombardi

“Just win, baby!” – Al Davis

What matters more than anything in sports? Integrity? Principles? Playing the game the “right” way? Or is it simply winning?

I suppose it depends on who you ask. When it comes to the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning tends to be the only standard. Oh, make no mistake, for years OSU has tried to get away with the ruse that they do things the right way, that there’s some kind of standard of excellence that applies to a more broad stroke than simply winning.

But when it all comes down to it, Ohio State simply stands for one thing and one thing only in terms of their beloved football team: Winning. And if corners are cut in the name of winning, well, Ohio State hasn’t shied away from their share of shortcuts. [Read more...]

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Pickerington’s Roger Lewis Commits to Ohio State

August 10, 2011 by 8 Comments

With all the scandal and all the uncertainty with regard to the future, Ohio State knew that recruiting the 2012 class was going to be an obstacle. This point was driven home by the flux of top Ohio recruits committing to Michigan, including the likes of Tom Strobel and Chris Wormley. The deepest blow, of course, came from Kyle Kalis’s decision to de-commit from Ohio State and commit to Michigan.

It has become clear that while the 2012 class just isn’t interested in going to play football at a place where it is unknown yet what punishment is coming and who the head coach will be in the future. And while this is certainly understandable, it’s also unfortunate for Ohio State and puts them in a position they certainly aren’t used to when it comes to recruiting, particularly in Ohio. [Read more...]

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Return of Fall Camp Provides Welcome Distraction For OSU

August 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It’s only been the most tumultuous offseason in Columbus since the disgraceful and untimely fall of Woody Hayes. So it should be of precious little surprise that the opening of fall camp today brings about so much relief. There is certainly more than a pinch of excitement in the air as talk in central Ohio turns from scandal to football once more.

Changes at the top aren’t the only thing bound to change for the Scarlet and Gray this year, though. Indeed, Jim Tressel’s departure may be the most immediate change noted, but between graduation and suspension, there is turnover galore among the starting lineup, leading to plenty of positional battles to keep an eye on. [Read more...]

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ESPN v Ohio State: The Lawsuit and What It Means

July 12, 2011 by 23 Comments

Sometimes people can apply laws in a manner that is inconsistent with the spirit in which the law was first enacted by the legislators. In the case of Ohio’s Open Records laws, the public’s right to know stems from a general mistrust of the English Monarchy.

In fact, as recently as 1901 in the Superior Court of Cincinnati, the court made the following judgment: [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting…Tribe drops one in the Bronx, and Lighty works out for Cavs

June 11, 2011 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

Another tough night for Carmona:  “Fausto Carmona was counted on to be the ace of the Indians’ rotation this season. His recent struggles have made him more of an enigma for a Cleveland club that is desperately trying to pull free from its June swoon.

On Friday night in the Bronx, Carmona struggled with his command in a turbulent 11-7 loss to the Yankees. Carmona’s wild performance set an ugly tone for an evening in which tempers flared, benches cleared and the Tribe’s offense remained missing in action until it was too late.

“Fausto had a rough day,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “He really struggled with his control from the get-go and put us behind the eight ball. And we continue to struggle at the plate.”

When the smoke cleared, the Indians (34-27) had dropped their seventh game in an eight-game span. Cleveland has lost 12 of its last 16 games and has labored mightily in the batter’s box. Along the way, the seven-game lead that the Tribe held in the American League Central has since been whittled down to one.” [Jordan Bastian / MLB] [Read more...]

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Bruce Pearl Firing Completely Unrelated To Jim Tressel

March 22, 2011 by 58 Comments

Sometimes when major stories break, it can be difficult to follow the intricacies of the situation. As a result, it’s easier to just take the lazy way out and try to draw parallels and make comparisons that don’t necessarily exist.

By now everyone has heard that Tennessee has fired men’s head basketball coach Bruce Pearl. So of course, the natural thing to do is to jump to conclusions and connect imaginary dots between the two cases. In truth, for those who actually follow these cases and know the facts of what happened, the similarities aren’t very real at all.

Our old friend Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel is already informing us that Urban Meyer will be Ohio State’s head coach in 2012. Don’t worry, he has evidence to back his claim up. He cites a Bleacher Report article written by someone named Big House Bob. Big House Bob says that the Jim Tressel and Bruce Pearl cases are identical. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting…CSU falls to Butler, an open letter to LeBron, and Harrison Barnes leads NC past Duke

March 6, 2011 by 8 Comments

Cleveland State loses in Horizon League semis:  

“Butler had been a bad matchup for Cleveland State all season, and it was no exception a third time Saturday night in a 76-68 Horizon League Tournament men’s basketball semifinal loss against the Bulldogs. But going 21-of-26 from the line and holding Butler to 36.7 percent shooting in the second half allowed CSU to be within 60-58 with 5:22 to play.

However, Butler guard Shawn Vanzant proved to be the difference as he made 4 of 5 3-pointers, all in the second half, including consecutive 3s that put the Vikings on their heels for good after getting so close to the upset.

“When we cut it to two, those two 3s took the wind out of our sails,” CSU coach Gary Waters said.

Vanzant also delivered the final nail. Leading by six with 1:17 to play, Butler’s offense was stalled, forcing coach Brad Stevens to call a timeout with nine seconds left on the shot clock. Five seconds later, yet another Vanzant 3-pointer put the Bulldogs up, 73-64.”  [Elton Alexander / The Plain Dealer] [Read more...]

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