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Ohio State def. Minnesota, 67-64

  • Leonardo
    Minnesota comes to Columbus for a Sunday afternoon Big 10 meeting. The Golden Gophers started the season 11-1, including wins over North Carolina and West Virginia, then lost two in a row before picking up a four-point win over Indiana at home.

    Thoughts?
  • Mulva
    Interested to see how Sullinger fares against Sampson 3. Buckeyes should win by at least 10-12 in my opinion.
  • hoops23
    Trap game.

    However, that's why I felt it important to have a close game against Iowa. They needed the challenge... The wake up call.

    OSU should win by 10+
  • CinciX12
    How exactly is the #21 team in the country coming into your gym a trap game? Its before a Michigan team that while a rival OSU should handle relatively okay.

    Are you implying they won't be focused? After tonight at Iowa I don't see it in their best interest to come out unfocused in back to back games. Unless they are interested in running 25 miles or so as punishment.
  • hoops23
    hoops23;626352 wrote:Trap game.

    However, that's why I felt it important to have a close game against Iowa. They needed the challenge... The wake up call.

    OSU should win by 10+
    BOLD.
  • CinciX12
    Yeah, but how is it a trap game? Trap game implies they are looking ahead usually. They aren't going to overlook the better team to focus on the lesser of the 2 opponents is all I'm saying.
  • hoops23
    CinciX12;626400 wrote:Yeah, but how is it a trap game? Trap game implies they are looking ahead usually. They aren't going to overlook the better team to focus on the lesser of the 2 opponents is all I'm saying.

    I'm just using trap game in terms of a game the Bucks could have been in danger of losing. Not in terms of overlooking an opponent.

    I had the feeling that if the Bucks cruised against Iowa, they would have been in prime position for an upset against a solid Minny team.

    I think they re-focus now though.
  • athlete37
    "There may be nothing more frustrating than the trap game. By simple definition, a trap game is one where a team is looking past their current opponent towards the one they will be playing the next week. In those cases, the team may not be as prepared or as focused as they should be, and they may not cover like they should."
    "INCONCEIVABLE!!"
  • hoops23
    O_o
  • centralbucksfan
    CinciX12;626400 wrote:Yeah, but how is it a trap game? Trap game implies they are looking ahead usually. They aren't going to overlook the better team to focus on the lesser of the 2 opponents is all I'm saying.

    Have you EVER played sports? Nothing is easy come conference time. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone knows the other teams tendencies, their plays, defenses, etc, etc. Its big time D1 basketball. Is OSU better? Absolutely. In a "perfect world", it should be easy. But its sports and nothing is ever perfect. Having watched Minny, and having great respect for Tubby...they will be ready to play. Maybe it ends up a blowout. But even at that, it wont' be easy. I agree, coming off IU and Iowa..this certainly isn't a trap game. Its a home game vs a ranked team. Should be a good crowd and I expect OSU will come ready to play.
  • thedynasty1998
    This is the second time someone has said "trap game" without knowing what it means. It's not a trap game. Iowa could have been considered a trap game.

    Minnesota is a really good team and they are one of the two teams in the Big 10 that I think could really cause OSU problems. Hopefully the students show up and create an exciting atmosphere for the Bucks.
  • centralbucksfan
    hoops23;626352 wrote:Trap game.

    However, that's why I felt it important to have a close game against Iowa. They needed the challenge... The wake up call.

    OSU should win by 10+
    Even though the game ended close score wise..not sure I would call it a challenge. OSU just came into this game very disinterested, lacked energy and effort. That was the difference between winning by 20 and the final score of this game. When OSU cranked it up, they went on a 15-0 run in second half to really put the game away. The let up again down the stretch.
    I didn't like it, but not too worried. As someone said, over the course of 30 games...things like this happen on occasion.
  • se-alum
    Mulva;626340 wrote:Interested to see how Sullinger fares against Sampson 3. Buckeyes should win by at least 10-12 in my opinion.
    Agree. This will be Sully's biggest challenge to date.
  • centralbucksfan
    se-alum;626514 wrote:Agree. This will be Sully's biggest challenge to date.

    Maybe. Fla St and SC had better athletes than what Sampson is. Sampson is a better basketball player. But he isn't known for being a defensive stopper. Be interested to see if they are matched up that often. With Lauderdale on floor, i would assume Sampson will start on him. When he goes out, they might be matched up. So they will go against each other on occasion depending on who OSU has on the floor.
  • gorocks99
    Minnesota could give OSU some issues inside as Sampson, Iverson, and most especially, Mbakwe, are great inside presences, but I worry (as a Gopher fan) about their inability to guard outside shooters. Look at the MSU game - Minnesota was up at halftime in very large part because MSU just wasn't hitting from outside (I think they were something like 1/14 in the first half). Then, in the second half, they let MSU shoot 70% from three.

    If Ohio State starts strong from beyond the arc (which, heck, they're really good from beyond the arc anyway) they'll keep a comfortable 10-15 point lead all day. If they struggle, Minnesota will be in it until Ohio State starts hitting outside shots. If by some strange occurance that DOESN'T happen ... I'd look for it to be a closer-than-Buckeye-fans-want game.
  • CinciX12
    centralbucksfan;626511 wrote:Have you EVER played sports? Nothing is easy come conference time. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone knows the other teams tendencies, their plays, defenses, etc, etc. Its big time D1 basketball. Is OSU better? Absolutely. In a "perfect world", it should be easy. But its sports and nothing is ever perfect. Having watched Minny, and having great respect for Tubby...they will be ready to play. Maybe it ends up a blowout. But even at that, it wont' be easy. I agree, coming off IU and Iowa..this certainly isn't a trap game. Its a home game vs a ranked team. Should be a good crowd and I expect OSU will come ready to play.

    I don't think it is unfair to just say that Minnesota is better. Michigan is still a fairly decent team, I understand that.
  • thedynasty1998
    CinciX12;626746 wrote:I don't think it is unfair to just say that Minnesota is better. Michigan is still a fairly decent team, I understand that.

    Not real sure why he jumped all over your comment. Obviously Minnesota is better.
  • CinciX12
    thedynasty1998;626749 wrote:Not real sure why he jumped all over your comment. Obviously Minnesota is better.

    Well because we don't really care for one another. You go after Jon Diebler and I go after the whole team lol.
  • centralbucksfan
    CinciX12;626746 wrote:I don't think it is unfair to just say that Minnesota is better. Michigan is still a fairly decent team, I understand that.

    Misread your comment. I thought you were referring to Minn as an easy win for OSU. My bad.
  • thedynasty1998
    CinciX12;626768 wrote:Well because we don't really care for one another. You go after Jon Diebler and I go after the whole team lol.

    I've been really good about Diebler this year. Dude is playing exceptional basketball.
  • centralbucksfan
    thedynasty1998;626840 wrote:I've been really good about Diebler this year. Dude is playing exceptional basketball.

    Interesting considering Diebler really isn't doing any more than what he did last year except for being one of the better players at getting Sully the ball in the post and shooting a better %.

    09-10 stats:
    13pts
    2.8 rbs
    1.5 asst

    10-11 stats
    12.5 pts
    1.9 rbs
    2.6 asst.
  • thedynasty1998
    centralbucksfan;626897 wrote:Interesting considering Diebler really isn't doing any more than what he did last year except for being one of the better players at getting Sully the ball in the post and shooting a better %.

    09-10 stats:
    13pts
    2.8 rbs
    1.5 asst

    10-11 stats
    12.5 pts
    1.9 rbs
    2.6 asst.

    Thanks for bringing it up. He is more suited for the style of play that OSU is playing this year. Last year, it was a one man show and I kept waiting for someone else to step up, and that guy should have been Diebler.

    My problem hasn't been the statistics with him anyways. It's always been toughness and aggressiveness, and I think he's improved on both of those this year.
  • centralbucksfan
    thedynasty1998;626906 wrote:Thanks for bringing it up. He is more suited for the style of play that OSU is playing this year. Last year, it was a one man show and I kept waiting for someone else to step up, and that guy should have been Diebler.

    My problem hasn't been the statistics with him anyways. It's always been toughness and aggressiveness, and I think he's improved on both of those this year.

    Someone else to step up with the ball in Turner hands 90some % of the time? And again, how exactly could Diebler step up? He is't that great of an athlete. Doesn't handle the ball all that well. Again, he is what he is, a shooter, period.
    As far as toughness..we can again agree to disagree. Is he a Kramer(Purdue), obviously not. He is what he is and has his limitations. Matta obviously thinks highly of him to play him as much as he did last year and this year. Thats enough for me.
  • thedynasty1998
    centralbucksfan;626919 wrote:Someone else to step up with the ball in Turner hands 90some % of the time? And again, how exactly could Diebler step up? He is't that great of an athlete. Doesn't handle the ball all that well. Again, he is what he is, a shooter, period.
    As far as toughness..we can again agree to disagree. Is he a Kramer(Purdue), obviously not. He is what he is and has his limitations. Matta obviously thinks highly of him to play him as much as he did last year and this year. Thats enough for me.

    Why must you continue with this? I have praised his play for this year, yet you want me to continue to criticize him for last year.

    You think Turner wanted to dominate the ball and do everything for the team last year? No. I'm sure he wished he had someone else to score points when he couldn't. Diebler could have been more aggressive last year in attacking the rim, shooting more often and trying to setup Turner at times.

    As for toughness, I think he could have been much much more aggressive in rebounding. Last year Turner was the main rebounder and was relied upon way too much to get all rebounds. This year you have Sullinger to get rebounds, as well as others, so that is not as big of an emphasis for a spot up shooter like Diebler.
  • centralbucksfan
    thedynasty1998;626970 wrote:Why must you continue with this? .

    Ya, your right. I mean I have proved you wrong over and over again numerous times...just as with the above stat/comparison from last year to this year. Your just to damn ego driven to EVER admit it though.