Archives for February 2014

Former Buckeye Named NBA Conf POTW

February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

One thing is for sure Jared Sullinger is finally finding himself in the NBA and guess what? He fits right in. The Former Buckeye star finds himself in the mix for being a bonafide NBA star. Last week he avg. 21 ppg, 13 rpg, and 2 shots blocked per game. He has 5 straight Double Doubles going right now as well.

He also was recrntly named to the Rising Stars game for the NBA All-Star weekend.

For the season he is avg. 13.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ohio State Men’s Basketball Back in the AP Poll

February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

basketball_iconOhio State, sporting an uncharacteristic like record of 19-5 has made its way back in to the AP Poll, clocking in at #22 (they also moved up from #25 to #20 in the Coaches’ Poll).

After three straight wins (over Wisconsin, Iowa, and Purdue), Ohio State seems to be on a little mini-run heading into the game against Michigan, a showdown of two previous conference front-runners. Ohio State has showed steady improvement while Michigan is struggling to find an answer to when teams stifle Nik Stauskas’ prolific offense.

The B1G still boasts five teams in the Coaches’ Poll. You can see the rest of the rankings over at ESPN.

Filed Under: College Basketball, Ohio State Basketball

Malik McDowell to visit OSU? (Per Report)

February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The saga surrounding Malik McDowell is not over and by the sounds of it will only get more crazy over the next 2 months. Rivals is reporting that Malik will most likely take unofficial visits to both OSU and FSU soon and they hope to have a decision made by the end of March on where he will go to school. Here is some of the highlights from the report…

McDowell announced a commitment to Michigan State over finalists Florida State, Michigan and Ohio State on National Signing Day. He did not follow up that commitment by sending a letter of intent to East Lansing, however.

The choice of Michigan State was McDowell’s, but his parents have been clear that they would like to see their son at one of his other finalists. Exploring those possibilities more in-depth is likely over the coming weeks according to his father, Greg McDowell.

“I know he is open to taking some unofficials to Florida State and Ohio State,” Greg McDowell said. “We plan on doing some unofficials and see if he and his mom can resolve this. It’s possible she’ll be open to Michigan State as well, so we’ll have to see.”

Greg McDowell also noted that Michigan is still in the picture, and conversations are ongoing with all three finalists he did not pick on National Signing Day.

“One thing I have to say about those schools is after hearing everything, they were calling — not on the recruiting aspect, but calling to see if the family was all right,” Greg McDowell said.

While last Wednesday is known as National Signing Day, it was technically the opening of the signing period, and prospects have until the end of March to send in a letter of intent before that signing period closes.

Suffice it to say the drama isn’t over and Ohio State is very much still in it to land the highly rated DE prospect from Michigan.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Aaron Craft your Rosy-Cheeked B1G POTW

February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

We are just a week or two past the moment when so many OSU fans were screaming OSU was not even worthy of a NIT invite and that Aaron Craft was having a dissapointing season… Fast Forward.

Today the Big Ten announced that Aaron Craft was named the Player of the Week his second of this season.

Aaron had 17 points, 6 assts, 6 steals, and 3 rebounds while shooting 86% and 100% from 3 point range in a road win upset of #17 Iowa. He followed that up with a 7 pt, 3 rb, 4 assts, and 3 steal game victory over visiting Purdue.

The comeback that is Ohio State Basketball has been done mostly by Craft being more aggressive and making shots to open up others more. If he keeps playing this way the limits on this team will dissolve fast. Congrats to Aaron Craft and his roommates and enjoy Taco Tuesday and get that win over TTUN tomorrow night.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

A Look at the 2014 Recruiting Class: Defensive Line

February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The D-Line is always an important part of a good defense. The Buckeyes added Jalyn Holmes, Dylan Thompson and Darius Slade. These are three solid defensive lineman that will have a huge impact in the next couple years.

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Jalyn Holmes: Jalyn was given a 4 Star ranking from ESPN. He is the 16th ranked Defensive End coming out of the 2014 class. Jalyn had offers from very prestigious programs such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida State and Florida. He is 6’5 and weighs around 235. He is a very solid D-End who can end up filling Noah Spence’s role in the next couple of years. From watching film, you can tell Jalyn can get to the ball with authority. He sheds blocks well and can get into the backfield quickly. I am excited to see what he can do in a Buckeye uniform.

tmp89jqRO-mdly-photoDylan Thompson: Dylan was given a 4 Star ranking from ESPN. He is the 37th ranked Defensive Tackle coming out of the 2014 class. Dylan had offers from Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee and more. He is 6’5 and weights around 275. He is known for his run defense. He is another who can shed blocks and get to the ball quickly. Watching his highlights from the Columbus NFTC really shows how athletic and quick he is. He really strengthens our D-Line core. He is a name we will be hearing about in the next couple seasons.

darius-slade-27f4a5c146e943dcDarius Slade: Darius was given a 3 Star ranking from ESPN. He is the 104th ranked Defensive End coming out the 2014 class. It seemed as if he was set on Michigan State. But would check out OSU. It turned out he did not even have to take a visit to commit to a great incoming class. Slade had some offers from Michigan State, Rutgers, UCONN, Penn State and Pitt. He is 6’3 and weighs about 215. He was a Semper Fidelis All-American. Darius was the last defensive lineman to commit to OSU. He is a good player and I look forward to seeing what he can do at the college level.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Mike Mitchell is transferring out of OSU (Per 11W report)

February 9, 2014 by 1 Comment

A few days ago I heard from a reliable source that Mike Mitchell a RS Freshman 5 star LB from the 2013 class was back in Texas and was leaving the OSU program. My source told me that Mitchells father was ill and that Mike had gone home to be with him and was not planning on returning. Today Kyle Rowland of Eleven Warriors confirmed this story in this report…

Linebacker Mike Mitchell has left the Ohio State football team and will transfer after the spring semester, sources told Eleven Warriors. Mitchell, who redshirted last season, plans to attend a college near his Plano, Texas home to be close to his ailing father.

In early January, Eleven Warriors learned that Mitchell had made an unexpected trip to Texas when he received word that his father was ill. But at that time it was unclear whether or not he’d remain with the football program.

The former five-star recruit was one of the crown jewels of the Buckeyes’ acclaimed 2013 recruiting class. But an injury in fall camp set him back and contributed to his redshirt.

I will add that my source told me that Mickey Mitchell the highly rated recruit for Thad Matta’s 2015 class will most likely decommitt as well but as of right now no official word has been made from the Mitchell family on Mickey’s status.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ohio State Beats Purdue 67-49

February 8, 2014 by 1 Comment

The Buckeyes looked sloppy at times, but some slick shooting from Lenzelle Smith Jr. and a harassing defense allowed Ohio State to pull ahead and win Saturday night. Smith was hot behind the arc, hitting four of seven three-point attempts and finished with 16 points along with five assists. LaQuinton Ross led in scoring with 17 points and also led in rebounding with six rebounds.

Ohio State struggled at times finding a good shot, something that has plagued them all season. But when the Buckeyes made good shot selections it paid off. What’s frustrating about watching this team is there’s a good bit of talent, but carelessness and poor decision-making seems to throw them off pretty easily. The saving grace for the team though is it’s defense, which stepped up even more in the second half. Purdue had a hard time getting any offensive rhythm and their starters struggled mightily in this game.

Outside of A.J. Hammons’ 11 points, the other four Boilermakers’ starters combined for only 13 points. As I noted in my preview, Hammons had to have a big game and his fellow starters needed to provide consistent shooting to supplement him. And obviously they didn’t do it. Besides the Buckeyes’ inconsistency on offense, two bench players for Purdue stepped up and kept them in the game. Rapheal Davis and Kendall Stephens contributed 11 points and 12 points respectively off the pine. If it wasn’t for their contributions, Purdue would’ve been blown out.

While the Buckeyes looked like they were going to lose it at times, especially with about around nine minutes to go, they made their shots when had to the most. Shannon Scott had a nice game off the bench providing key shots when necessary and finished with nine points. If Scott can start providing some consistent relief off the bench, that could help Ohio State tremendously come March. Aaron Craft did what he does best and that is being the leader of the team. Craft finished with seven points, four assists and three steals. It gets said a lot, but his presence on defense is what makes the Buckeyes defense good instead of just decent.

With the win, Ohio State has now won three straight games. It’s amazing how the tone of the fans has changed over the past week. Winning tends to do that, huh? I think this team is going to be just fine and will be as ready as they can be come crunch time in March. Up next for Ohio State is arch rival Michigan, who just lost to Iowa on Saturday. A win over the team up north would be great for the Buckeyes’ resume and would continue the momentum the Buckeyes have rebuilt with their three consecutive wins.

Filed Under: College Basketball, Ohio State Basketball

Happy Birthday to our MotSag Founder

February 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

BuckeyeHappyBirthday

Everyone join us in wishing Tony (El Kaiser) a wonderful Happy Birthday and if you are on twitter you can flood his Timeline by sending him wishes to @motsag and or @i_aint_yer_pa and if you dont follow him already do so now you won’t regret it.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Three Yards and a Cloud of Links

February 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Good morning Buckeye Nation. Today I am speaking to you from the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Whats sad is if you actually looked up the weather conditions for Antarctica its actually warmer in many places than Ohio. OK so lets grab our cups of coffee or hot cocoa and get started.

Broken Tater? Word out of Pickerington Central is that Jae’Sean Tate has been shut down for the rest of the year due to a shoulder injury. Tate who is a senior forward for the Tigers signed in November to be a Buckeye next season. Reports are saying he needs surgery for a torn labrum which has been hurting him since May.

We here at MotSaG are hoping Tate makes a full and speedy recovery and is at full strength for the Buckeyes next season. Get well soon young man.

Buckeye Tabloid Gossip: Apparently the Internets were sent a buzzing recently. I’ll be honest here I am not sure of the who when and where, but someone or something was putting out there that coach Meyer and former coach Vrabel had some kind of falling out. Now since I don’t know the story I am going to put my shiny little two cents in here. Mike Vrabel left for the Houston Texans to coach the linebackers leaving behind his alma mater. I truly believe this was his choice and his alone. The man bleeds Scarlet and Gray and I feel did one heck of a job for the Buckeyes and it was great having him on the sidelines helping these kids become men. Vrabel had an opportunity to coach in the NFL which maybe in his mind (and buy his actions) was much bigger than the collegiate level. He might have aspirations of being a head football coach in the NFL. The reason I bring all this up is that coach Meyers wife had to go to twitter Thursday to set the record straight.

Good luck in the NFL coach Vrabel and you will always be a Buckeye in my and many many of Buckeye Nations hearts. Chase your dream and may you encounter success where ever you turn.

Step Back from the Ledge: I know Buckeye fans we have had some trying times this season watching the mens basketball team. We have been spoiled and expect nothing but the best because lets face it this is The Ohio State University and nothing but the best will do for ANYONE wearing Scarlet and Gray. How spoiled have we become in mens basketball? Well Doug Lesmerises of cleveland.com (Clevleand Plain Dealer) has a nice story on how the Buckeyes program has been the third most successful team in the nation during the regular season. During the last four years the Buckeyes have averaged a 2 seed for the NCAA tournament. That’s pretty impressive when Kansas has averaged a 1 seed and Duke 1.5 seed during the same span.

Speaking of the men’s basketball team don’t forget to watch them go for three in a row versus Purdue tonight and read Josh Schott’s preview on the game.

Breaking cHoke Steps Down: Word out of Ann Arbor is that Brady cHoke is stepping down. The Big House Report is reporting yesterday that cHoke is stepping down as the defensive lines coach. Apparently he wants to be the “head coach” now or something along those lines. Seems that his failures to date have his seat a little hot (must be the reason he doesn’t need a long sleeve shirt on a cold day) so he wants to concentrate on being a the head guy. This is Brady cHokes comments on the move.

Until next time Buckeye Nation stay warm and stay safe.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Basketball, College Football, NFL, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , ,

Purdue Basketball Preview

February 7, 2014 by 4 Comments

Where: Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH

When: Saturday, February 8 at 6 pm ET on the Big Ten Network

Previous Meeting: Ohio State and Purdue last met on the hardwood this season on December 31 in West Lafayette. The Buckeyes won 78-69, in a closely contested B1G opener. Both LaQuinton Ross and Shannon Scott both had tremendous games to lead Ohio State to victory. Ross scored 25 points and pulled in 12 rebounds, while Scott scored 18 points. A 10-2 run late in the game by these two is what sealed the game for the Buckeyes. Aaron Craft had a typical “Craft game”, scoring seven points and pulling in eights rebounds. Craft also had a tremendous 10 assists along with four steals.

Purdue’s A.J. Hammons had a pretty good game, recording a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, along with four assists and five blocks. Boilermaker sophomore Ronnie Johnson scored 16 points and Terone Johnson had 13 points. While Hammons still had a good game, the Buckeyes mostly kept him check as he shot 6 of 16 from the field. The Boilermakers as a team only shot just above 41% from the field and 21% from behind the arc. The Buckeyes veteran experience certainly played a factor in keeping a young Purdue team in check.

What To Watch Out For: Purdue is coming off a triple overtime 77-74 victory over Minnesota after previously losing four straight games. A.J. Hammons, the most dangerous player on the Boilermakers, led with 20 points and pulled in 14 rebounds (team leader). Hammons is only sophomore, which explains why his scoring has been erratic all season and only averages 10.9 points per game. When he’s on his game Purdue has a much better chance of winning. Hammons had a good, but not great game when facing the Buckeyes last time. I look for Purdue to give him a lot of looks and let him try to lead the Boilermakers in this game. Much like Hammons, the entire Boilermakers’ team is inconsistent. If Hammons can score consistently and if the rest of the team can shoot decent, then Purdue has a pretty good shot at winning this game. But that’s a big if.

Ohio State has won two straight road games after losing five of their previous six games. While the victories weren’t pretty, it has rebuilt some much-needed momentum for the team. Aaron Craft, the Buckeye Superman, was instrumental in both wins as he scored all seven of his points in the final four minutes in the win over Wisconsin and led in scoring with 17 points against Iowa. LaQuinton Ross, the team’s leading scorer, scored 13 points in each of the wins. For a team that has struggled with scoring all season, Ross and Craft have been huge for the Bucks. The defense has been solid for most of the season (9th in the nation in points allowed), including the previous matchup against the Boilermakers. The Buckeyes need to repeat their previous defensive performance against Purdue this season if they want to win this game. Purdue is a dangerous shooting team if left unchecked. Ohio State also needs to continue to improve on offense if they hope to be a dangerous team come March.

Prediction: The Buckeyes will continue to build on their momentum and have a repeat defensive performance against Purdue from their first matchup. Craft will do Craft things and Ross will lead the way in scoring. A boost from the home crowd will help too. Ohio State 74 Purdue 62

Filed Under: College Basketball, Ohio State Basketball
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