Buckeye basketball player annouces he is going pro

I imagine if you aren’t on Twitter right now or ever your first thought is LaQuinton Ross has announced himself for the NBA draft. You would be wrong though at least for now. Amadeo Della Valle announced just a little while ago that he was leaving OSU to play professionally in Europe. Most likely his home country of Italy.

On a personal note I think most of Buckeye Nation will miss ADV a lot. He was a good kid and enjoyed his college life to the fullest. He will most be remembered for his hair than his play on the court. He was dealt a bad hand having to try and come in and replace Jon Diebler as the air apparent to our go to guy for deep shooting. He never found his touch though hitting 35% of his shots and 32% from 3 point range in his career. He has had a lot of success in Italy and will make a lot of money playing in his home country.

From all of us here at MotSaG we wish to send the floppy haired Side Show Bob look a like in fashion. Ciao! Arrivederci! and Buongiorno!

B1G Tournament Game 2 (Nebraska) Semi-live Blog

We are about 10 mins away from tip off. Just saw Michigan avoid getting upset by the Illini 64-63. This match with Nebraska is a rubber match game. Ohio State beat Nebraska at home by 31 points earlier this year than 2 weeks later went and lost at Nebraska by 6 points. Ohio State needs this win to advance to play Michigan tomorrow in the semi-finals. The game will come down to who shots the ball better today LaQuinton Ross for OSU or Terran Petteway for the Cornhuskers. I will do my best to give as many updates as possible as soon the game starts. Go Bucks!!!

FIRST HALF

Under 16 minute timeout- Early on the Buckeyes are playing extremely well and lead 6-3. Defensively they have held Nebraska to 1-6 shooting and have a steal that led to a Slam Thompson fast break slam dunk. Amir Williams and Trey McDonald both with awful offensive fouls on moving screens. OSU is shooting 43% early.

14:54 left in the 1st half- Tim Miles and Nebraska are forced to take a quick timeout after OSU comes out hitting. Lenzelle with a 3 and Q with a long 2. Up 11-3 now. Go Bucks!!!

Under 12 min timeout- Things are getting sloppy and chippy. Ohio State with 6 turnovers and 4 fouls right now. Nebraska with 2 TOs and 3 fouls. Ohio State is shooting 56% right now and if they could just make better passes would have a big lead. Nebraska is shooting 16% right now. OSU up 11-7 with Amedeo going to the line to shoot 2 FTs.

Under 8 min TO- It is the Amir Williams show folks it is his world and we just live in it. Amir is 4-5 for 8 points and 3 rebs and 1 block. OSU is shooting 60% and leads Nebraska 20-14.

Under 4 mins TO- LaQuinton Ross is starting to get hot now. He is 4-4 for 8 points and 4 rebounds. Nebraska is keeping themself in the game with 3 pointers galore. They are 5-13 from behind the Arc and just 4 for 15 from inside it. OSU is up 27-25 and has the ball.

Halftime- Nebraska hits a few open looks to end the half and now lead OSU 31-28. OSUs big issue is 9 turnovers in the first half and poor 3 point defense. If OSU can clean up their passes and keep shooting at 52% they will win this game. If they go cold early in the 2nd half it wont end well.

All-B1G Teams Announced

Earlier today I wrote a piece dedicated to Aaron Craft and tonight he was given some love by the B1G Coaches and Media voters. While this is the first time since 2005 that there are no OSU players on the First Team All-B1G teams Aaron Craft and LaQuinton Ross and Shannon Scott were all honored for their play this year.

Aaron Craft was named 2nd team by the media and 3rd team by the coaches. He was also honored as the B1G’s Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All Defensive team.

LaQuinton Ross was named 3rd team by the media and Honorable Mention by the Coaches.

Shannon Scott was named to the B1G All Defensive team.

You can see all of the selections and interviews by clicking this link from BTN.com.

Aaron Craft Oh How We Love Thee

There are many, many, many beloved players and coaches in the history of Ohio State that are cult like heroes to Buckeye fans. The list is long and will never be finished as long as college athletics exist and Ohio State fields a team of any sport. There is a hierarchy though and most fans have an order for their personal top 5 players. Most probably will start with a heisman trophy winner or the only two time winner ever or possibly a coach who won a National Championship or a few of them. Suffice it to say the reasoning behind how most make their lists almost always includes the player or coach doing something memorable for Ohio State during their career.

Then though you have the curious case of Aaron Craft. He is the rosy-cheeked, rubiks cube solving, taco making, opponent angering, intellectually advanced, engaged to be married, and non-twitter using annomaly known as Aaron Craft. He is a basketball player that has averages 9 points a game and 4.6 assists per game over his four year career. He is a defensive juggernaut and the all time leader in steals for the B1G. He is a guy who will hustle on every play and give you 110% effort every minute he is on the floor. He however is not what many would consider a very good basketball player. He is an awful scorer/shooter. He is avg at best at free throw shooting. He is awful at 3 point shooting. His assist to turnover ratio is pedestrian at best.

https://twitter.com/JeffBoals/status/443008126350934016

Yet there may not be a single more beloved person in Ohio State history in the eyes of many fans. There are very few people who when it was announced he was engaged to his longtime girlfriend would have caused the amount of tears by female fans and many straight male fans.

There are few guys who can make solving a Rubiks Cube cool instead of something a nerd would do to impress his dweeb friends. To some this ability is weird and not deserving of being a skill. So I put it to the test recently and I printed out a cheet sheet of the actual moves it takes to solve a rubiks cube and then asked 6 people between the ages of 18-22 to solve it using the exact sequence of moves it takes to solve. 1 of the 6 could do so on the first try. A total of 2 could do it within 30 mins. The other 4 ripped up the paper and acused me of giving them bad directions (I had not for what its worth). Even with directions most people couldn’t solve the tricky puzzle. Yet Craft can do it in record time and then autograph it and give it to a fan.

He turned what to many of us is simply a dinner into a cult phenomenon and a fund raiser for a charity with his Taco Tuesday with his craft roommates. It became so big that the school used it as a way to welcome new freshman students and made shirts and sold tacos at a home game to support a well deserving charity. Taco Tuesday will forever be associated with Aaron Craft.

Craft is an the exception to every rule. He is a guy that former and current coaches said they would build a team around. Take Tom Izzo for example the future Hall of Fame HC of the MSU team who just lost to OSU in Aaron Crafts last home game. This is his response to a question about his feelings about Aaron Craft…

The you have Dan Dakich for example a guy I can’t stand who loves him some Indiana Hoosiers like no other yet still he has an affinity for Craft that is stalkerish at best. Many say Dan loves Craft more than his own son who happens to be a bench player for OSUs main rival Michigan. His thoughts on Crafts final game…

There is no more polarizing player in CBB. Fans love to hate him and would love if he was on their team and any real fan will admit that. He is pesky and annoying and if he had the ability and size of some of the great Bball players ever to go with his work ethic and energy would be a certain 1st round NBA pick.

Here is how some on Twitter remembers Aaron Crafts 4 years at Ohio State…

https://twitter.com/McLovin1654/status/443022350783881217

This one quote from Craft sums up why he is so beloved…

I could go on and on showing tweets from people who love and hate Aaron Craft. The thing that will always stick out to me is how much he has meant to the team and how successful he has helped OSU be in his 4 years.

Freshman year- He helped the team to a 34-3 record B1G regular and tourney titles and Sweet 16 birth.

Sophomore year- He helped them to a 31-8 record and B1G reg season title and Final Four.

Junior year- He helped them to a 29-8 record and a B1G tourney title and Elite 8.

Senior year- Right now they are 23-8 heading into the B1G tourney and NCAA tourney. So even in the worst year of his career team wise they will still most likely win 25+ games possibly a title and go deep in the NCAA tourney. To be determined.

He has 117 and counting wins as a player for OSU and has a real chance to avg 30 wins a year in his 4 year career. He is simply a winner on and off the court. He is a model student athlete and the kind of guy every OSU fan should be proud to say he represents our University. He is loved and beloved and will have hero status as one of the top people to ever don the Scarlet and Gray. Aaron Craft will be missed for many reasons but he will always be a Buckeye and for that I am extremely grateful. When I make my top 5 OSU people of all time Aaron Craft will be on it and he very well may be the top spot for a long time to come.

2014 OSU Spring Football – Questions To Answer (Part 2)

Part one of this series dealt with questions and challenges that I perceive as important, but lower priority, for Ohio State to address this spring. On any college football team, there will always be issues with players unhappy about playing time. Any coach will want to see more production from any position group. Below are the top five pressing issues, as I see them, for Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer to focus upon between March 4th and the date of the April 12th Ohio State Spring Game.

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5. Placekicker – While Coach Meyer is always wanting touchdowns from his offense, it is sometimes required to have a placekicker on the roster who can come through with a clutch field goal at the end of the game. Reliable Drew Basil has exhausted his eligibility, opening the door for true freshman Sean Nuernberger to claim the position. Nuernberger enrolled early at Ohio State, allowing him the opportunity to seize the job this spring. Competition for the placekicker position may come from Kyle Clinton, a walk-on who saw game action during the 2012 season. This position could rise in importance by the conclusion of spring games, based upon Nuernberger’s performance this spring.

4. Backup Quarterback – Senior quarterback Braxton Miller made the decision to come back to Ohio State for his fourth and final year of eligibility, pleasing Ohio State coaches and fans alike. With Miller’s recent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, Ohio State will use the spring practices to determine who the primary backup quarterback is to Miller – Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett, or newly-signed Stephen Collier.

Based upon Ohio State Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Tom Herman’s comments, Jones will begin spring practice as the primary backup…

https://twitter.com/BenAxelrod/status/436296300028387328

Jones played sparingly in 2013, appearing in three games. Most of Jones’ game appearances were as a result of both Miller and departing backup Kenny Guiton having Ohio State in front by a considerable margin; Jones usually would hand the ball off, or run himself. Throwing only three passes, it would be fair to say that Jones will certainly be given more opportunities as a passer this spring.

Barrett was the primary quarterback recruit targeted by Coach Herman for the 2013 recruiting class. Barrett redshirted in 2013, using the time to recover from a serious knee injury that wiped out most of Barrett’s senior high school season. Barrett’s leadership qualities have been raved about by the Ohio State coaching staff; will these qualities allow him to leapfrog Jones for the backup spot by the end of spring practice?

Lastly, Stephen Collier. The wild card of this group, Collier enrolled early and will participate in spring drills. Described by Coach Meyer as a “development guy”, Collier will battle for the backup position, but it would be highly surprising if Collier could overtake both Jones and Barrett for the primary backup quarterback spot.

Yes, Braxton Miller will/should be under center, when the season begins on the road at Navy on August 30th. As Ohio State fans have witnessed over the past two seasons, having a dependable backup quarterback behind Miller has often made all of the difference between winning and losing. This battle could also have repercussions for the 2015 season, after Miller has left Ohio State.

3. Linebacker – On National Letter Of Intent Day for 2014, Coach Meyer stated, “That’s far too many mistakes have been made in either lack of development or whatever and it’s just not where we need to be” in reference to the Ohio State linebackers. When that statement was made, this is how I interpreted it, along with many others…

Compounding the challenges for this position group are the losses of Ryan Shazier (to the NFL) and Mike Mitchell (transfer). With Curtis Grant and Josh Perry returning, Trey Johnson would seem likely to have an opportunity to claim Shazier’s starting spot. Based upon Grant’s concussion history, as well as Perry’s injuries, it is not improbable that Ohio State will have a completely overhauled linebacker corps for the season opener against Navy on August 30th. The biggest name for fans to be focused upon this spring? Incoming freshman Raekwon McMillan, who enrolled early. Others in the mix may be walk-on Joe Burger, Camren Williams, and redshirt freshman Darron Lee.

2. Defensive Back – After being torched through the air by Michigan State in The B1G Championship Game, then by Clemson in The 2014 Orange Bowl, changes were necessary for the Buckeyes across the board, both in coaching and in personnel. Coaching changes bring new Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Chris Ash, to replace Everett Withers, who left for the head coaching position at James Madison. Kerry Coombs remains on staff, but Ohio State fans believe Coach Ash will be in charge of rebuilding the Ohio State secondary. From National Letter Of Intent Day 2014, Coach Meyer stated on Ash, “And then Chris Ash is charged with he’s got a serious responsibility. That’s to improve our pass defense. He’ll be in charge of the entire back end of our defense. He’s going to coach safety. He’s going to continue to coach corners. However we’re going to have one voice back there, it’s his responsibility to improve our pass defense… And obviously it’s more than just a secondary. It’s linebackers and everything. But you’re going to see some significant changes in the way we approach our business back there.”.

Personnel changes are needed not only due to poor performance, but also for players who have exhausted their eligibility, such as Bradley Roby (NFL Draft early departure), C.J. Barnett, Christian Bryant, and Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown. Doran Grant is the only returning starter, and after the 2013 season by the defensive backfield, Grant may not have a lock on a starting position. Armani Reeves, Eli Apple, Cam Burrows, Vonn Bell, Tyvis Powell, Gareon Conley, Christopher Worley, Jayme Thompson, and Ron Tanner will all be battling for starting positions and the prestige of their new position coach this spring.

1. Offensive Line – This was a close call, between the revamped secondary or the offensive line, for the most important area of concern for Ohio State to work upon this spring. While the secondary loses three starters, the offensive line loses four starters, plus flips starting right tackle Taylor Decker to the left side. Ohio State did very well with its recruiting class for offensive linemen, securing five players; two freshmen, Marcelys Jones and Kyle Trout, have already enrolled and will participate in spring practice.

If Decker can switch over from right tackle to left tackle with minimal issues, that will be very reassuring for the Ohio State coaching staff and fans. Jacoby Boren seems likely to have the inside track to the center position, as Boren filled in admirably for departing senior Corey Linsley. Likewise, Pat Elflein would seem to have a shot at the right guard position, after filling in for departing senior Marcus Hall. “Darryl Baldwin is penciled in at right tackle”, based on Coach Meyer’s comments from National Letter Of Intent Day 2014. Keeping my eyes and ears open for news about the performance of the offensive line will be paramount this spring, as this unit will largely determine the strength or the challenges of Ohio State’s offense for the 2014 season.

As always, looking forward to all of your commentary and critiques. Most of all, I am just happy to have football to focus upon, even if it is just from March 4th through April 12th.

Buckeye Hoops: Indiana Preview

The season thus far for Thad Matta and his Buckeye hoops team has been a roller coaster to say the least. Plagued with inconsistent offensive play, the Buckeyes struggled again on the road losing to Penn State in their most recent outing. The road to a first round bye in the Big Ten Tournament does not get any easier with an away trip to Indiana looming in an hour.

What to Expect from Ohio State:

Whether at home or on the road, the Buckeyes can not seem to consistently hit shots. Sometimes the shots fall sometimes they don’t. When they don’t, Ohio State will need to live off of turnovers. It will all start with Aaron Craft and how effective he can be defending talented point guard Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell leads the team in scoring with 17.6 points per game for Indiana and is the heart of their offense. If Craft is effective, it is imperative in my opinion for the Buckeyes to run all game. Lets be honest, there are no establish jump shooters on this team who someone can point at and rely on. I believe the easiest fix to that issue is to create turnovers and get out and run.

Another way for the Buckeyes to get out and run will be for them to win the rebounding battle, which they lost against Penn State. A stat that can be won or lost solely on hustle, something that Thad Matta teams generally pride themselves on. The Buckeyes will also have to be much more careful with the basketball as they looked extremely sloppy against Penn State.

I believe coming off the tough loss, and coming in to a very hostile environment will force the Buckeyes to be fully engaged for this game. While Penn State was a massive disappointment, however there is not time to sulk for Ohio State. They will have to be very active on the boards and on the defensive side of the ball in order for them to have a good shot at winning in this one.

What to Expect from Indiana:

Indiana’s youth has been their source of inconsistency this year. Possessing a 4-3 record at home, with marquee wins over Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but also posting bad losses to Penn State and Northwestern. That being said, the Hoosiers youth has been improving as the season progresses. The Hoosiers posted their best offensive outing against #20 ranked Iowa putting up 93 points, led by senior Will Sheehy scoring 30 and freshman Stanford Robinson scoring 17 off the bench. They prefer to run and play an up tempo game and will try and do that against Ohio State. If IU can prevent the Buckeyes defense from getting set then they should have some success scoring the rock.

This will be a good test for both inconsistent teams as they make their respective push for the Big Ten tournament. A surging offense vs a stout defense always makes for an entertaining match-up. What is even more entertaining is watching Tom Crean squirm and shout, hopefully Thad Matta and company can provide that beautiful sight for all of Buckeye nation.

Prediction: OSU- 74 IU- 71

2014 OSU Spring Football – Questions To Answer (Part 1)

“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the spring who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.” ~ B.C. Forbes

I have no idea if Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer is an avid reader of Forbes magazine, but I feel comfortable in stating that Coach Meyer agrees with Mr. Forbes’ ideas about the importance of spring as it relates to results in the fall. Ohio State will kick off the first of fifteen spring practices on March 4th, with the last culminating in the spring football game on April 12th in Ohio Stadium.

While Ohio State returns several key players from last year’s squad that went 12-2 in 2013, Coach Meyer and his coaching staff will have to address and work upon position group areas before the 2014 season commences. Over a two part series, I have ranked the various position group areas, from least concerning to most concerning, as I perceive them.

It is entirely possible that this list may look entirely different when April 13th arrives. Feel free to comment below. Let us begin…

Honorable Mention: Senior QB Braxton Miller’s Continued Passing Improvement – Before this series was written, I ranked this as my #10 question heading into spring football practices. With the recent news of Miller’s offseason surgery, it led me to reassess this as a top priority. Miller will/should have limited work in the spring, to avoid further injury, while also allowing the backup quarterbacks (more on them in this series, I promise) more repetitions in game-like conditions. This concern could certainly warrant a higher ranking, heading into fall camp.

10. Special Teams Units – While ranked low, this unit is of extreme importance to the overall success of any team. Eliminating an opponent’s ability to return kickoffs and punts can often be a difference between winning and losing. With that criteria in mind, keep in mind that several of the incoming freshmen who are not yet on campus. The players I anticipate playing on special teams for Ohio State in 2014 are names from the highly-touted 2013 recruiting class – players such as Jayme Thompson, Darron Lee, Christopher Worley, Eli Apple, Cam Burrows, or Gareon Conley. Again, this list is highly subjective, as there are several freshmen who will look to make an impact when they arrive on campus, and could fluctuate greatly by the time the season begins.

9. Tight End – Senior Jeff Heuerman returns, with redshirt junior Nick Vannett also in the mix. Senior J.T. Moore returns, after a conversion from the defensive line. Moore’s role is primarily for blocking. The wild card of this group is redshirt freshman Marcus Baugh. Baugh was highly recruited, yet has received negative scrutiny for repeated off the field incidents. If Baugh stays out of trouble, will he do enough this spring to warrant playing time this coming season?

8. H-Back/Pivot/Hybrid/Slot – Notice how I used various terms, as I have read any and all of these during Coach Meyer’s tenure at Ohio State to describe this important offensive position; H-Back seems to be the nomenclature I have seen more frequently as of this writing. Regardless, players such as Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, and newly-arrived Curtis Samuel would seem to fit the H-Back position well for Ohio State. Questions to work on this spring for H-Back would seem to be are there other players on the squad who may also be able to contribute in this manner? More importantly, can the H-Back position become more than a decoy, as Dontre Wilson was often relegated to during the 2013 season?

7. Running Back – Carlos Hyde is busy preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft, so returnees Warren Ball, Bri’onte Dunn, Rod Smith, and Ezekiel Elliott will all battle for the starting job. Elliott is the favorite going into spring practice, but all should give him a run for the position. Hybrids Dontre Wilson and Curtis Samuel will also be involved. Can Ohio State RB coach Stan Drayton keep everyone happy?

6. Wide Receiver – The buzzword for this position group is “competition”. Ohio State WR Coach Zach Smith has stated there are no starters, so I would speculate this is a group to keep an eye open for news this spring. Here are the players at Coach Smith’s disposal ~ James Clark, Evan Spencer, Jalin Marshall, Jeff Greene, Johnnie Dixon, Michael Thomas, Corey Smith, Devin Smith, and Frank Epitropoulos. Throw in hybrid Curtis Samuel into that mix. Plus incoming freshmen Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, and Terry McLaurin are not on campus yet. Yow. Can Coach Smith keep all these players happy and in the fold?

Part two will examine what I believe are the top five questions to focus upon as they relate to the 2014 Ohio State spring football practices.

Penn State Preview

OSU LogoOhio State vs. Penn State
Bryce Jordan Center, State College, PA
Feb. 27th, 2014 at 7:00PM ET (ESPN 2)

While the Penn State Nittany Lions (13-14, 4-10 Big Ten) are floating around the Mason-Dixon Line, they’ve shown a lot of improvement this season under head coach Pat Chambers. It’s safe to say the Buckeyes won’t take the Nittany Lions lightly, as they lost in overtime back in Columbus on January 29th. They’ve also been competitive in a number of games they’ve lost. With the one-two punch of D.J. Newbill (17.4 points per game) and Tim Frazier (16.0 points per game), Penn State is dangerous every time out.

One aspect of their game to keep in mind is their lack of assists per game. They only average 11.6 per game which is 264th in the nation. Most of their scoring comes in the isolation or dribble drive fashion. Newbill and Frazier are isolation type of players. I think this plays into the strength of Ohio State’s defense. Craft will not leave Frazier’s pocket when he puts the ball on the floor. Ohio State will take their chances with Craft playing man to man defense.

On the flip side, the Buckeyes come in on a bit of a roll; winning 7 of their last 9 games. That’s a far cry from their midseason struggles when they lost 4 in a row from January 7th through the 20th. LaQuinton Ross (14.3 points per game) and Lenzelle Smith Jr. (11.8 points per game) have both picked up their scoring. By doing so, the Buckeyes have been picking up some big wins. Penn State won’t roll over at home, so it’ll be important for Ohio State to hit some shots early on the road. Guys like Ross and Smith need to see the ball go through the basket early on.

Thad Matta has his crew playing well going into March. He knows this team must grind out games defensively, push the pace when the opportunity presents itself and knock down some perimeter shots with no true inside scoring threat. I like Ohio State to edge Penn State slightly, pulling away in the last 2 minutes, 67-60.

Proof Ryan Shazier runs a 3.4 40 yard dash (Video)

Ok fine the title is misleading but you still enjoyed the video!!!

A look at OSUs big win over Minnesota

It took a little over 5 minutes in the second half to finally take the lead but once they did, the Buckeyes of Ohio State didn’t relinquish it. Scoring a whopping 46 points in the second half after being held to a season low 18 in the first, The Buckeyes came from behind for a 64-46 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The second half domination was led by Sam Thompson who scored 16 of his game high 19 in the second half. Thompson seems to be thriving in his role as starter after coming off the bench for most of the year and has scored in double figures the last two games.

In the first matchup of these two teams, Minnesota outrebounded the Buckeyes and forced 18 turnovers en route to a 10 point victory at Williams Arena. This time around, Ohio State(22-6,9-6) took the rebounding advantage by 10 and only had 11 turnovers. The Buckeyes made a concerted effort to hit the glass with LaQuinton Ross, Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr tying for the team lead with 6 rebounds. Ohio State also got a solid effort in points from Smith Jr. with 13 as he got the second half surge started with scoring the first 2 baskets.

Minnesota(17-11,6-9) was led in the scoring column by Andre Hollins with 13 and Deandre Mathieu only a point behind with 12. Center Elliot Eliason, who was a force in the last matchup, got in early foul trouble and finished with only 4 points. For a team trying to stay off the NCAA tournament bubble, every game is a big one and Minnesota can’t afford to stumble during the stretch run. On the other end of the court, the Buckeyes are solidifiying their resume for the tournament having assured themselves of at least a .500 record in conference play.