These guys are good

[DougHeil]

Big 10 refs as general principle are awful. I don't think any group of refs in any other conference dictate the outcomes of games as much as those guys do. They blew an incredibly obvious back court on Purdue at a critical juncture and randomly alternate between calling nothing to calling ticky tack fouls left and right.

Matta's fascination with never developing a bench rears its ugly head again. Lighty was just begging to be benched all game with his terrible decision making, but they don't have anybody to go to because Matta has given no bench wings any meaningful minutes in conference games. It's not very difficult to steal 2 or 3 minutes here and there to get some of these guys some exposure to a big game stage, but he just never does it.

Congrats to Dielber for stepping into the record books, but he is once again easily contained by a good team. If you are a lights out shooter, you have to find more than 6 shots in a big game, especially when your teammates aren't getting themselves on track and the offense is sputtering.

Buford got in early foul trouble and then took a bunch of stupid shots in the 2nd half as if he was trying to make up for lost time. I thought he had developed better shot selection and was letting the game come to him. Not today.

This is basically a 5 man team right now and none of them can consistently get to the rim off the dribble. I think that is the #1 thing that is ultimately going to sink this team short of a title run. This should be Lighty's role, but he's too busy turning the ball over and thinking he's a 3 point marksmen. That's putting a lot of pressure on Sullinger and Craft to put the team on their backs in hostile environments and crunch time situations. Sullinger appears equal to the task, but Craft isn't quite there yet.

Agreed. Matta is going to find himself with another player or players who will be requesting to get out of their scholarships so they can go to a school who wants to play them. I don't understand the mindset of not caring about depth.

 

[DougHeil]

One reason I am upset with this game is that OSU could now win out, but only get a #2 seed. I think this loss drops them way down in the polls. Do we think there are at least 4 teams better than OSU right now? I sure do. We have many weaknesses that team's are starting to beat us with. We have zero depth as well. Getting a #1 seed is far better than being a #2 seed. It could also make a big difference where we play the first round. Instead of playing in our backyard, we could be playing hundreds of miles away.

OSU needs to now win out including the big ten tournament in order to have a chance at getting a top seed.

 

[Clevelandfan15]

When the polls come out tomorrow I think Ohio State will stay #2 or most likely #3. I think Duke claims the top spot. Remember Kansas, Texas and Pitt all went 1-1 this week and OSU played the toughest opponent out of those teams. As far as #1 overall seed they need to win the rest of their games. For a #1 seed period they can't let Purdue catch them in the big ten standings.

 

[Chris]

You stop that one shooter from shooting. You learn from one week ago that ONE guy can beat you. You adjust. You don't lose that way again, but yet, OSU lost the same damn way..... again. That's on the coach. Moore scored 18 points in the FIRST half. You stop him. You don't allow him to be comfortable. You stop him any way you can. You foul him HARD. You run him off the line. You don't allow the same damn player to score 20 points the very next half. geez, you do what you have to do, but you make someone else beat you. OSU didn't learn the lesson at Wisconsin.

You can clearly see the players who seem to disappear via mistakes or defense, etc. The best teams know how to adjust. Matta does not. How does ONE player score HALF the points of a team in the big ten? It just shouldn't happen. Pathetic.

I am extremely upset about this game. I was so damn optimistic about this team up until now. Not anymore.

:chuckles: I don't ever, EVER want to hear you yell at me for being "pessimistic" or not so optimistic about Cleveland fucking sports.

Ever again. :rofl:

 

[MoFlo]

Matta is overrated. The team is overrated. This is two games where Matta could not figure out how to stop ONE PLAYER. He allowed one dude to beat him. JUST ONE. The OSU perimeter players, except Craft, are gawd awful. They may as well sat the bench to let the scrubs play as Lighty, Diebler, and Buford were just pathetic today. Totally. The only two players who seemed to want to do anything at all were Sully and Craft. Pathetic display.

This team is overrated. Matta is overrated. They will find out real quick in the tourney when they get knocked out fairly early. Unless they somehow are able to stop the hot player, they will lose. Just pathetic. That game was embarrassing.

I've never seen somebody go from 1 extreme to the other as much as you.. & living in Cleveland my entire life, that says a lot :chuckles:

 

[Chris]

I've never seen somebody go from 1 extreme to the other as much as you.. & living in Cleveland my entire life, that says a lot :chuckles:

That's what I'm talking about, I like Doug. He's such a nice guy to have around but I'm starting to kind of just gloss over his posts and not take them very seriously. [Cue endless jokes about how nobody takes my posts seriously :chuckles: ] But in all seriousness, it feels like just a couple weeks ago we were unstoppable, unbeatable, and going undefeated straight through the championship. Now the sky is falling on our collective asses. Come on, Doug. You're better than this.

 

[DougHeil]

That's what I'm talking about, I like Doug. He's such a nice guy to have around but I'm starting to kind of just gloss over his posts and not take them very seriously. [Cue endless jokes about how nobody takes my posts seriously :chuckles: ] But in all seriousness, it feels like just a couple weeks ago we were unstoppable, unbeatable, and going undefeated straight through the championship. Now the sky is falling on our collective asses. Come on, Doug. You're better than this.

I recall saying we would be beat a few times. I never expected to be beat the exact same way for two games in one week though. That's why I'm upset. We allowed ONE player to beat us from 3 in each game. Unexceptable.

 

[Chris]

I recall saying we would be beat a few times. I never expected to be beat the exact same way for two games in one week though. That's why I'm upset. We allowed ONE player to beat us from 3 in each game. Unexceptable.

So these two teams needed big time shooting performances, and they barely beat us?

edit: At their home floor where they are both very fucking good?

 

[DougHeil]

So these two teams needed big time shooting performances, and they barely beat us?

edit: At their home floor where they are both very fucking good?

Are those questions or statements?

Again, Matta did NOT learn from the Wisconsin game. He allowed ONE player to yet again beat him from 3. You stop that one player, you win both games. This isn't hard to figure out. Sully totally shut down Johnson and anything in the paint. Not so with the perimeter.

 

[Chris]

Are those questions or statements?

Again, Matta did NOT learn from the Wisconsin game. He allowed ONE player to yet again beat him from 3. You stop that one player, you win both games. This isn't hard to figure out. Sully totally shut down Johnson and anything in the paint. Not so with the perimeter.

They are questions that are being asked rhetorically to make a point. An obvious point. If you are expecting this team to be perfect, you are expecting too much. This team is not an all time great team, but there is not any team of that caliber this year in NCAA basketball. If Sully comes back next year, we could have a chance to be a lot better. As it stands this year, this is a very good team that has some flaws.

 

[DougHeil]

They are questions that are being asked rhetorically to make a point. An obvious point. If you are expecting this team to be perfect, you are expecting too much. This team is not an all time great team, but there is not any team of that caliber this year in NCAA basketball. If Sully comes back next year, we could have a chance to be a lot better. As it stands this year, this is a very good team that has some flaws.

But that's a duh? I think you are missing my point. I expect some loses. Why I didn't expect is a team and a coach to not stop ONE player in both loses who were killing them from 3 point range. We lost the same way in both games. One guy gets hot and stays hot throughout the games. Just stop him.

 

[Chris]

But that's a duh? I think you are missing my point. I expect some loses. Why I didn't expect is a team and a coach to not stop ONE player in both loses who were killing them from 3 point range. We lost the same way in both games. One guy gets hot and stays hot throughout the games. Just stop him.

Ok, you sound like my roommate, who screams at the game the whole time, face red and veins popping out of his forehead, "THAD YOU FUCKING SUCK! I can coach the team better! I should coach! get in that fucking zone! Jesus, Diebler, what the FUCK STAY ON YOUR MAN! What, this match up is BULLSHIT! Thad I could coach BETTER THAN YOU!"

Terrible. You get the point. Maybe you should show Matta your magic button that automatically "stops" the player having a great game on the opposing team. You act like Matta didn't try to win the game. I'm betting he did. But they didn't, they weren't good enough today.

It was bound to happen for a couple games. I don't see the big deal.

 

[Lee]

So these two teams needed big time shooting performances, and they barely beat us?

edit: At their home floor where they are both very fucking good?

13 points is barely beating? Most of the 2nd half was 8-11 point deficit. Never once did OSU really put themselves in position to win.

That said, anyone that thinks OSU isnt a #1 seed if they win out is just plain ignorant. What 4 teams do you put in front of them? Pittsburgh lost again this week (3rd time), and has to go to Louisville and Nova, Kansas? Well they most likely are a #1, Texas? They just lost their 4th, no way they get a #1 over OSu, Duke? Ok, there is the 2nd #1 seed. San diego or Brigham young over OSU? Seiously? OSU should still get a #1 seed.

I just hope that Purdue has shown enough to get a #2 seed. Love to see 2 big ten teams in the final 4. OSU and Purdue for the championship game, and then, may the best team win :

 

[Chris]

13 points is barely beating? Most of the 2nd half was 8-11 point deficit. Never once did OSU really put themselves in position to win.

That said, anyone that thinks OSU isnt a #1 seed if they win out is just plain ignorant. What 4 teams do you put in front of them? Pittsburgh lost again this week (3rd time), and has to go to Louisville and Nova, Kansas? Well they most likely are a #1, Texas? They just lost their 4th, no way they get a #1 over OSu, Duke? Ok, there is the 2nd #1 seed. San diego or Brigham young over OSU? Seiously? OSU should still get a #1 seed.

I just hope that Purdue has shown enough to get a #2 seed. Love to see 2 big ten teams in the final 4. OSU and Purdue for the championship game, and then, may the best team win :

Since when do we look at the final score to determine how close a game was?

We were within 4 points in the final minutes, with a critical no call on a back court violation leading to a 3 pointer by Purdue and they never looked back. Yes, it was a close game.

If you think I am somehow taking away from Purdue, I'm not- nor am I blaming refs for anything except that one back court call. It was an obvious blown call in the final minutes of a 4 point game, how can we NOT point it out?

 

[DougHeil]

Since when do we look at the final score to determine how close a game was?

We were within 4 points in the final minutes, with a critical no call on a back court violation leading to a 3 pointer by Purdue and they never looked back. Yes, it was a close game.

If you think I am somehow taking away from Purdue, I'm not- nor am I blaming refs for anything except that one back court call. It was an obvious blown call in the final minutes of a 4 point game, how can we NOT point it out?

I feel you are trying to find a silver lining in a game we never were really in. There was not a single time in that game when I thought; "We got this." Normally I can think we can win a game, or at least it seems like we can win, even at the end. I wrote it at half time that I didn't feel good about this game. That feeling never left me, even when we got it to four points at the end.