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New #1 Team

  • vball10set
    as I said before, anyone who starts off or ends their post with "I'm the biggest Buckeye fan there is, but....", or "I love Ohio State as much as anyone, but..." has no cred with me. You don't need to make this proclamation to express an opinion, just do it.
  • reclegend22
    I thought the Duke fans said this was the best team in college basketball since the 2001 Duke team(the last time they claimed they had the best team of all time)? Heck even OSU was able to overcome a terrible offensive day at FSU, and they won convincingly.
    This Duke fan called Duke the most consummate team in college basketball since the 2005 Tar Heels and 2001 Blue Devils. This was before Kyrie Irving, arguably the most proficient point guard in the country through the season's first six weeks, fell to the floor with a season-ending injury. Try and keep up.

    Irving's sidelining changes the entire complexion of the Duke team. He was the catalyst, the play-maker and the architect. Attempting to cast aspersions on a statement that was made in Duke's favor pre-Irving's injury after Irving's injury is similar to Hakeem Olajuwon standing in the middle of the woods in Oregon during Houston's 1994 playoff run. It's underwhelmly dense.
  • Prescott
    Injuries can be devastating to teams as we saw last year with Purdue, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Michigan State.The losses of Hummel, Onuaku, Bryant, and Lucas certainly had a negative impact on their respective teams.
  • ytownfootball
    Injuries are part of the game. When you have them it makes lofty claims of superiority seem ridiculous. Teams either find a way to overcome them and still produce, a la Purdue, or fold like a cheap lawn chair. Duke will be fine.
  • reclegend22
    Solid attempt at discrediting Duke's national championship.

    As much as I want Duke to win the championship again this year, for the second season in a row and the fourth time in the past 21 seasons, in no way will Irving's injury that take away from any of the other 315 teams that may win the title this season. And I certainly wouldn't indicate that it did. Injuries are part of the game.
  • reclegend22
    I like that ytownfootball and I began and ended our thoughts with the same exact phrases, respectively. :D
  • Prescott
    Solid attempt at discrediting Duke's national championship.
    I am just stating the obvious. Injuries impact most teams in a negative way.It is ok for you to point out that duke is better with Irving, but it isn't ok to point out that Syracuse, Purdue, WVU, and Michigan State would have been more formidable without the critical injuries their teams suffered. I get it.
    Teams either find a way to overcome them and still produce, a la Purdue,
    What exactly has Purdue won since Hummel's injury?
  • ytownfootball
    Prescott;641420 wrote:
    What exactly has Purdue won since Hummel's injury?

    Nothing, yet they're still playing at what I would consider a high level. When Hummel went down, people immediately wrote them off as no longer in contention, they're still capable.
  • vball10set
    http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6030019
  • Prescott
    Nothing, yet they're still playing at what I would consider a high level. When Hummel went down, people immediately wrote them off as no longer in contention, they're still capable.
    Time will tell, but Purdue without Hummel is simply not the same quality of team.Their best win this year is an OT win at Virginia Tech.Most teams need a consistent 3rd scorer and Purdue is still searching for that guy.
  • ytownfootball
    Oh absolutely not the same, but they're still able to give good team fits. They are a team that on any given night kinda deal now as opposed to a guaranteed tough out, only point being posed.
  • killer_ewok
    http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6030019
  • centralbucksfan
    Good to see OSU #1. I think any of the top 3 could be there. 'Cuse has been impressive..I think I would have them above Kansas at this point...maybe even above OSU. But we'll take it for now. As Matta said, its not a real big deal in terms of the time of the year, but its good for the program.
  • FatHobbit

    The article points out that Lighty started his career at #1 and he now he's back to #1 again. I wonder which team would win a hypothetical matchup, the 2006 OSU buckeyes (with a healthy Oden) or the 2010 buckeyes?
  • thedynasty1998
    FatHobbit;641522 wrote:The article points out that Lighty started his career at #1 and he now he's back to #1 again. I wonder which team would win a hypothetical matchup, the 2006 OSU buckeyes (with a healthy Oden) or the 2010 buckeyes?

    Most would probably disagree, but I think Sullinger > Oden. However, I do think the 2006 team was better overall.
  • centralbucksfan
    FatHobbit;641522 wrote:The article points out that Lighty started his career at #1 and he now he's back to #1 again. I wonder which team would win a hypothetical matchup, the 2006 OSU buckeyes (with a healthy Oden) or the 2010 buckeyes?

    RIght now, I'd have to go with the Oden team because Oden was such a force/presence on defense. Conley at PG was pretty damn good. I Sully is better on offense then Oden, but not the defensive presence Oden was. I think this team is more well rounded offensively with more weapons all around. But Oden in the middle and Conley at the PG are the difference. If not for a great Florida team... ;)
  • killer_ewok
    Ahh, didn't look back to see if it had already been posted on the thread because the time on the story was 1:10 and the last post before mine was at 1:01.

    My bad.
  • bases_loaded
    Oden was never 100% healthy at OSU, we will never know how good he could've been.
  • thedynasty1998
    bases_loaded;641542 wrote:Oden was never 100% healthy at OSU, we will never know how good he could've been.

    So? Why does that matter? You can only judge him off of the season he did have and the impact he made. He played one season and left.
  • killer_ewok
    centralbucksfan;641517 wrote:Good to see OSU #1. I think any of the top 3 could be there. 'Cuse has been impressive..I think I would have them above Kansas at this point...maybe even above OSU. But we'll take it for now. As Matta said, its not a real big deal in terms of the time of the year, but its good for the program.

    The Orange have looked good thus far. Losing Wes Johnson, Rautins and Onuaku was going to be a lot to overcome. At least that's what I thought. But they're actually more athletic, deeper and the zone is longer and more active than last year. Triche is the X-factor. He's been more assertive at the offensive end lately and he provides them with a 4th legit scoring option. He's shooting well from the perimeter and stepping up when other guys go "cold" or are being doubled. It will be tough tonight at #4 Pitt without leading scorer Kris Joseph. He took a nasty spill Saturday against Cincy and hit his head hard on the court. He has a concussion so he'll be kept out of this game as a precaution but he should return for Saturday's game assuming all the symptoms have subsided by then. But, tonight's game was very losable WITH Joseph. Without him.....it's gonna be damn tough. Ashton Gibbs is tough to stop.

    #3 vs #4.........should be a good game. I think Pitt ultimately takes it though. Somebody will need to step up and fill the void left by Joseph's absence. I'd like to see Southerland have a big game but my worry is Jardine tries to do way too much and costs the team. Melo played his best game of his Frosh campaign against the Bearcats the other day so I hope he continues to progress this season. That would be big for the Orange.
  • Prescott
    I think some people are forgetting how dominant Oden was in the championship game while battling two future NBA starters in Noah and Hroford.Oden was 10/15 from the field while scoring 25 points and he also grabbed 12 rebounds and had 4 blocked shots.
  • centralbucksfan
    Prescott;641561 wrote:I think some people are forgetting how dominant Oden was in the championship game while battling two future NBA starters in Noah and Hroford.Oden was 10'15 from the field while scoring 25 points and he also grabbed 12 rebounds and had 4 blocked shots.

    I surely didn't. Unfortunately, he was the only one who really played well in that game. I believe he also fouled out Noah and another bench guy . And had Horford in foul trouble as well. And I believe he did all of that in foul trouble himself.
  • thedynasty1998
    Prescott;641561 wrote:I think some people are forgetting how dominant Oden was in the championship game while battling two future NBA starters in Noah and Hroford.Oden was 10'15 from the field while scoring 25 points and he also grabbed 12 rebounds and had 4 blocked shots.

    I don't forget that. And it's even more impressive now as Horford and Noah are having really good success in the NBA. The biggest benefit Oden had was playing alongside Conley. Conley had that experience with him that he knew where to get him the ball and could create. Without Conley I don't know if he would have been quite as productive.
  • swamisez
    Buckeyes got 28 votes in the coaches poll I believe.
    They could get a few more with Syracuse and Pitt tonight if things shake out in their favor.

    Polls don't mean much, but it is a marker of success to be atop the world twice in the last 4 years (They were number one for some points in 2007 right, cannot remember). Hats off to Coach Matta, I don't think many envisioned them doing this when he was hired away from Xavier.
  • ytownfootball
    swamisez;641604 wrote:Buckeyes got 28 votes in the coaches poll I believe.
    They could get a few more with Syracuse and Pitt tonight if things shake out in their favor.

    Polls don't mean much, but it is a marker of success to be atop the world twice in the last 4 years (They were number one for some points in 2007 right, cannot remember). Hats off to Coach Matta, I don't think many envisioned them doing this when he was hired away from Xavier.

    Would his success at OSU be more attributable to getting the one and dones or overall coaching ability?

    I think it's hard to separate the two because recruiting is part of coaching but he has had some of the better recruiting classes. But then again he has been able to maximize his components. I've discussed this with friends and haven't come to a real good answer.