Buckeye Blogger NetworkA great game on Monday night led to a great result- Michigan didn’t win. I’m sure that was as exciting for you as it was for Rick Pitino, right?
Congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals on their season, and to Columbus’ Trey Burke on his college career. Thanks, too, for deciding to go pro so I can actually enjoy your talent without being sick to my stomach.
Closer to home, the BBC Bracket Challenge has a winner… artist extraordinaire, Kevin Dearth, whos “RIP Homer” entry won by one point over two other challengers. The neat thing about this entry- it’s named in honor of his step father, a Louisville fan who passed away earlier this year.
Kevin wins the prize package- a shirt from The Buckeye Room, an autographed copy of Maurice Clarett’s new book, some swag from our friend Mekka Don, and the chance to grace the pages of tBBC with a guest post.
For staff bragging rights, The Wonder From Down Under edged out yours truly by one point as well- I knew Charles had some of that Australian mojo going for him.
Thanks for participating in this year’s event… Go Bucks!
In the NCAA Tournament timing is everything. For the Buckeyes, they picked the wrong time to play their worst possible game and Wichita State picked the right time to play high level basketball. The final result……the Shockers advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1965 with a 70-66 victory over Ohio State.
The Buckeyes came out flat from the very beginning. They didn’t shoot well, they didn’t play good defense, and most importantly, they didn’t play like a team which led to a halftime deficit of 35-22 behind 8-33 shooting. The second half started out just like the horrific first half. The Shockers continued to hit shots and make plays and was able to hold a 20 point lead at one point in the second half. A big part of the Wichita State success was freshman Fred Van Fleet. He hit key shots down the stretch and finished the game with 12. Ohio State decided to start playing around the ten minute led by a full court press and LaQuinton Ross’ shooting. They were able to get the lead down to 4 but unfortunately for the Buckeyes it wasn’t enough.
The Positives:
1. Fight – After what was absolutely embarrassing first 30 minutes to the game, the Buckeyes showed they weren’t going away without a fight. The final 10 minutes of the game was all Ohio State but it just wasn’t enough.
2. The “Q” – LaQuinton Ross had a solid game scoring finishing with 19. He went 4-12 from the field and he was able to get to free throw line in which he hit 9-10.
The Negatives:
1. Poor Shooting – The Buckeyes shot absolutely horrendous from the field. Their dismal 31% barely topped their worst of the year when they shot 30% against Kansas. They settled for jump shots and didn’t really look to drive to the basket until they had fallen too far behind. In the first half of the game, they had Wichita State in the bonus early and never was able to get to the double bonus.
2. Foul Trouble – The Buckeyes averaged 15.8 fouls per game this year. They finished the game with 22 which included Smith Jr. fouling out, Thomas with 4 and Craft with 4.
3. Lack of Defense – Ohio State has made a living of creating turnovers and being able to score points off those turnovers. Tonight, they were only able to force 12 turnovers and didn’t score a single point off any of them.
Ohio State’s season comes to end with a final record of 29-8. In a season of ups and downs, the Buckeyes were able to make an exciting run at the end of the season but fell just short of their goal. They could have laid down in the middle of the season and they could have laid down tonight but they didn’t. They showed heart and they showed some pride. I speak for all of Buckeye Nation when I say that I am proud of how this team fought this year to get where they did with no “real stars”. We here at The Buckeye Battle Cry look forward to next year but it doesn’t mean we are done……be sure to check back often for all your Buckeye news.
Well, howdy-do, Buckeye nation! Thanks for paying attention to my little neck of the sunshine state… hope it works out as well as last time Ohio State had a team out here. You know what? Since we’ve already got a visit scheduled to the Bay Area for September, what say we just go for the trifecta and come on back out this way in January. Multiple options for today’s soundtrack- Vintage, Old School, Hippie, Country, Top 40, Hip Hop, Rock. Oh, and I’ve got a great recommendation for a place to stay.
Silver Bullet, Knotts Berry Farm
Buckeye 411
This weekend I had the opportunity to go and see Ohio State play in the second & third rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Dayton. Having never been to a tournament game before, I took my fair share of pictures, and figured I would share some of them with all of you. Seeing the Buckeyes advance on Friday was fun, but yesterday’s game was something else. I won’t ever forget the experience, and I definitely won’t ever forget Aaron’s last second heroics & the atmosphere in Dayton Arena after the shot went in. I was happy to be able to watch it happen live with my fellow Ohio State students. It’s a moment I’m quite sure we’ll all be talking about for a long, long time. Now with that said, I present to you My Weekend in Dayton….
Walking to Dayton Arena on Friday afternoon.
If you’ve never seen a game there, I highly recommend that you do. An absolutely amazing venue to see a game. Read More
School: University of Arizona
Location: Tucson, AZ
Founded: 1885
School Type: Public
Student Population: 39,236 total, 30,867 undergrad
Stadium: McKale Center
Seating: 14,545
Opened: 1973
Head Coach: Sean Miller
Experience: 4th year
After a huge Saturday, there’s only one top seed remaining in the West Region… your Ohio State Buckeyes. But- they face the Iowa State Cyclones, who’ve got the size to match up with OSU’s inside game, and are dangerous from beyond the arc; something the Scarlet and Gray has struggled with in B1G play this year.
For more on Fred Hoiberg’s team, check out Ken’s work from yesterday.
Join us and The Buckeye Blog, Buckeye Empire, Men of the Scarlet and Gray, and Buckeye Ninja as we cheer on the Buckeyes in tournament time! The chat will kick off around 12:00 PM Eastern, with tip off on CBS around 12:15.
Go Bucks!
Note: We’ve had folks gently remind us that this is actually the third round of the tournament. Sorry… we ain’t counting the “play in games” until the tournament expands to 96 teams.
Time to start the Buckeyes’ journey through the Wild, Wild West Region. With Wisconsin and New Mexico already headed home, Gonzaga and Kansas State struggling, it’ll be interesting to see what comes out of Dayton over the next two games.
For a quick primer on the Gaels, check out Ken’s work from earlier this week.
Join us and The Buckeye Blog, Buckeye Empire, Men of the Scarlet and Gray, and Buckeye Ninja as we cheer on the Buckeyes in tournament time! The chat will kick off around 7:00 PM Eastern, with tip off around 7:15.
Go Bucks!
Sponsored Post- Every year, teams hold their collective breath as the NCAA selection committee convenes to assign seeds and sites to the 64 best teams in the country. For many teams, the simple luck of the draw could mean the difference between cross-country trips on a few days rest, or home court advantage just miles from campus.
This year, quite a few draws hold significant promise for a handful of teams. Georgetown, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas, and Kansas State have each benefited significantly from the seeds bestowed upon them by the committee, and look to ride something of a home court advantage to the Sweet 16.
Over in the West Region, the two seeded Ohio State Buckeyes will be playing just up the road at UD Arena in Dayton. Like Georgetown in the South, it wouldn’t be wise to bet against this two seed riding home court to the Sweet 16.
UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
For great deals on March Madness tickets, from the first four all the way to the Final Four visit TiqIQ.com.
