Sweet 16: (4) Kentucky vs. (1) Ohio State

• LJ

  

  GOONx19;719735 wrote:In the regular season, per ESPN, FSU averaged 5.74 blocks per game. 9th in the country. Kentucky averaged 6.27, 3rd to only Syracuse and Northwestern State.

  
  You're right, it wasn't switching for some reason. but FSU is first in the post season.
• LJ

  

  According to the overall season stats for both
  
  FSU and UK are both at 6 blocks per game but FSU averages 8 steals per game and UK 5
  
  I still say without a doubt that FSU has a better defense. Lower FGM%, much stronger and more physical down low and better at taking the ball. FSU only averaged 1 more RPG.
• se-alum

  

  FSU's best defender also missed alot of games. They are easily the best defensive team in the country with Singleton.
• Thread Bomber

  

  Look out KY... You have just been thrown in the tracks...
  
  
  
• hoops23

  

  Crimson streak;719709 wrote:I think osu gets by Kentucky by 5. Kentucky doesn't have an answer for sullinger. If unc wins that is a bad match up for osu I can see them falling to nc

  
  Wait.. How is UNC a bad match-up for OSU?
• osu45804

  

  Maybe we should just stop commenting on this thread because according to Woody Paige on Around the Horn "Ohio State has no chance at winning the tournament"
• devil1197

  OSU is more experienced, more talented, and more balanced.
  
  Inside or outside game, slow or fast tempo. I've said it before, this OSU team can play any style of game.
  
  Craft will have to be at his best against Knight but he'll slow him down enough.
  
  Buckeyes have shot the ball well all year long and have been on fire lately, I think it keeps up.
• rightfield

  Buckeyes definitely win this one.
• Crimson streak

  

  hoops23;719979 wrote:Wait.. How is UNC a bad match-up for OSU?

  
  Unc runs their offense through the post, and have a big height advantage down low. Which means sullinger will have to work at both ends the whole game and I can see him getting in foul trouble. The big mismatch would be Henson. Who is going to guard him? Deibler? Un less lauderdale plays extended minutes. But that also puts Buford lighty or deibler on the bench
• se-alum

  

  Crimson streak;720256 wrote:Unc runs their offense through the post, and have a big height advantage down low. Which means sullinger will have to work at both ends the whole game and I can see him getting in foul trouble. The big mismatch would be Henson. Who is going to guard him? Deibler? Un less lauderdale plays extended minutes. But that also puts Buford lighty or deibler on the bench

  
  OSU has the big strength advantage on the inside.
• namod65

  

  Crimson streak;720256 wrote:Unc runs their offense through the post, and have a big height advantage down low. Which means sullinger will have to work at both ends the whole game and I can see him getting in foul trouble. The big mismatch would be Henson. Who is going to guard him? Deibler? Un less lauderdale plays extended minutes. But that also puts Buford lighty or deibler on the bench

  
  Yeah I watched UNC play and laughed when I imagined Zeller trying to go against Sullinger. He's not the first thin 7-foot white guy Sullinger has faced this year.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  I don't watch or listen to ESPN, but apparently various experts have now talked about how whoever the opponent was (George Mason, now Kentucky) will stop Ohio State and beat them. Very few of these talking heads are apparently picking OSU to win.
  
  One thing's for sure: if they keep predicting Ohio State to lose, one of these times they MAY be right, and then they can crow about how smart they were, even though they kept picking them to lose multiple times and nobody is supposed to remember that.
  
  Anyway, it just reaffirms my decision to abandon ESPN programs (aside from games) years ago.
• dwccrew

  

  Writerbuckeye;720313 wrote:I don't watch or listen to ESPN, but apparently various experts have now talked about how whoever the opponent was (George Mason, now Kentucky) will stop Ohio State and beat them. Very few of these talking heads are apparently picking OSU to win.
  
  One thing's for sure: if they keep predicting Ohio State to lose, one of these times they MAY be right, and then they can crow about how smart they were, even though they kept picking them to lose multiple times and nobody is supposed to remember that.
  
  Anyway, it just reaffirms my decision to abandon ESPN programs (aside from games) years ago.

  I'm not saying you didn't hear that, but a lot of the ESPN analysts (and other network analysts) have said OSU is the tourney favorite.
• se-alum

  

  There was an ESPN article on how the GMU/OSU game would come down to the wire....lol!
• thedynasty1998

  

  I don't know who anyone is listening to, but everyone I hear is claiming OSU to be the best team in the tourney.
• Automatik

  

  Dickie V still has OSU winning it all. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Automatik;720725 wrote:Dickie V still has OSU winning it all. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing.

  
  He is such a moron these days. I understand his passion, but I cannot think he does anything good in terms of ratings at this point.
• charliehustle14

  OSU is on a mission right now....I just can't see them losing to UK. You can bet UK is going to try their damnedest to get Sullinger in foul trouble early. Sully just has to play smart and keep his head. The only way I see UK beating us is if Sully gets in significant foul trouble early. I think Dallas is capable but without Sullinger out there, it really takes away from our outside game and guard play.
• vball10set

  thedynasty1998;720665 wrote:I don't know who anyone is listening to, but everyone I hear is claiming OSU to be the best team in the tourney.

  
  I as well...even Seth Davis said that OSU is the most dominant team, which is saying a lot coming from him (he loves the ACC)
• jhay78

  

  OSU - 78
  Kentucky- 63
  
  I think Craft will slow down Knight and Kentucky's youth will get the best of them in the 2nd half.
• Big Gain

  cats gone wild;719426 wrote:I agree, but if OSU is hot....I see them winning by 10-15, not 17+. Big factor for UK is if T Jones decides to play his A game for the first time in tourney.

  
  Unless Lauderdale plays A LOT more than he usually does, the 6-8 250 Jones will be matched up against the 6-5 220 Lighty. Who has the advantage? Jones taking Lighty inside or Jones having to chase Lighty all night running off screens?
• SportsAndLady

  

  Writerbuckeye;720313 wrote:I don't watch or listen to ESPN, but apparently various experts have now talked about how whoever the opponent was (George Mason, now Kentucky) will stop Ohio State and beat them. Very few of these talking heads are apparently picking OSU to win.

  
  Give me a break. If you don't watch or listen to ESPN, don't quote them...becuase you are wrong. Many analysts have taken OSU to win, and even if they haven't chosen them to win, they have acknowledged OSU is a great team that will be tough to beat. Don't give me the whole "we don't get any respect" BS, writer.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Big Gain;721302 wrote:Who has the advantage? Jones taking Lighty inside or Jones having to chase Lighty all night running off screens?

  
  Jones taking Lighty inside.
• Azubuike24

  

  Jones actually likes to defend the perimeter, too much. He bails himself a lot of times because he has like a 7'2 wingspan and he blocks a lot of outside shots. However, he hangs around on the perimeter at both ends of the floor and it makes UK very prone to allowing easy lay-ups and not having interior help defense.
  
  If Jones really focused on defense and stayed inside, he would probably average 12 rebounds a game and block 3 shots a game. He could be a nasty interior defender, but he just hasn't developed that yet. If Lighty draws him outside, it may not allow Lighty to have an advantage, but it will surely allow other penetration and make Sullinger's job that much easier.
  
  Joe Mazzula of West Virginia had more lay-ups last Saturday as he had all year because once he beat Knight or Lamb and Harrellson wasn't in the center of the paint, there was absolutely no help. This is my biggest fear for Friday, easier baskets for OSU.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  SportsAndLady;721331 wrote:Give me a break. If you don't watch or listen to ESPN, don't quote them...becuase you are wrong. Many analysts have taken OSU to win, and even if they haven't chosen them to win, they have acknowledged OSU is a great team that will be tough to beat. Don't give me the whole "we don't get any respect" BS, writer.

  
  Other fans have been posting stuff periodically from shows like Around The Horn, etc. and note that while most of the folks on there say OSU is the best team, many of them then go on to predict them losing at some point.
  
  I honestly don't give a crap one way or another and am NOT playing the "we don't get respect" card, because I don't believe that. I just thought it interesting that for two games now, people have posted stuff about talking heads praising the team and then talking about how they can be beat.
  
  I think it's shallow TV and radio personalities trying to catch lightning in a bottle by hedging their bets. Say OSU is the best, but talk about how they think they can lose. If it happens, they get to pat themselves on the back for a few days.
  
  As for me: I take NOTHING for granted in a single elimination tournament. I've seen the "best" team not win the NCAA on too many occasions.
  
  I'm just taking it one game at a time as I have all season and enjoying the hell out of it -- because we likely won't see another run like this by an OSU team again for a long time. It just doesn't happen that often. Oden & Conley's group got to the title game, but it was through a lot of good fortune (Xavier and Tenn. as prime examples), along with talent.