Columbus Dispatch Article About the Game

[Jonny2TheP]

The opening sentence in the Columbus Dispatch article about the game last night is one for the ages. Feels pretty overdramatic and hyperbolic, but that sure doesn't take away from my joy of reading it. Here it is:

"It was a blowout nobody saw coming but that Ohio State will feel the effects of for years."

Oh, be still my heart.

 

[GatoLouco]

I obviously don't know their team, but they seemed soooooo poorly prepared. They looked like they had no plan for Martinelli. They did not double him at all. So, in the first 10 minutes, when we were struggling to score, he was finding good shots. Scored 6 I believe, could have scored more. So I thought maybe that was their strategy, let him eat, don't let the others beat you. As the game went on I just think their coach was clueless. Home game against bottom feeder, who cares, right? In the end Martinelli got his share, so did everyone else.

Their coach also failed to lit a fire under their butts. He switched to full court with like 10 minutes to go. But it felt their hearts were not even remotely in it. Week night, 1/3 capacity filled, many reasons I guess... But I would be livid if I were a fan of theirs. This was a must win if you were a bubble team.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

I obviously don't know their team, but they seemed soooooo poorly prepared. They looked like they had no plan for Martinelli. They did not double him at all. So, in the first 10 minutes, when we were struggling to score, he was finding good shots. Scored 6 I believe, could have scored more. So I thought maybe that was their strategy, let him eat, don't let the others beat you. As the game went on I just think their coach was clueless. Home game against bottom feeder, who cares, right? In the end Martinelli got his share, so did everyone else.

Their coach also failed to lit a fire under their butts. He switched to full court with like 10 minutes to go. But it felt their hearts were not even remotely in it. Week night, 1/3 capacity filled, many reasons I guess... But I would be livid if I were a fan of theirs. This was a must win if you were a bubble team.

I have a good friend that is a huge OSU fan. He's very knowledgable and is one of the actual reasonable OSU fans out there. Him and I were texting after the game last night and I told him that OSU's performance last night may have been the worst I have seen any team play this year. Not only did they play a terrible game, but as you just said, they looked completely unprepared and had zero energy. It was the definition of a dud performance.

But what I like about how we played is that we took advantage of that. We have a habit of playing down/up to our competition and last night instead of doing that, we took advantage and pulled away. It was great to see.

 

[GatoLouco]

But what I like about how we played is that we took advantage of that. We have a habit of playing down/up to our competition and last night instead of doing that, we took advantage and pulled away. It was great to see.

Defnitely. We played smart and, IMO more important, we were composed. Melt downs like against Nebraska are a part of growing up for our young guys. Last night we kept being aggressive.

My headline for the Columbus Dispatch would have been: "First there was the Bowling Green massacre. Last night there was the Columbus massacre".

 

[Hungry Jack]

We shot well (except from 3), got to the line, did not turn the ball over--and still bagged only 70 points. It must have been a slow tempo game (I was at my son's practice last night and missed the game).

 

[CappyNU]

We shot well (except from 3), got to the line, did not turn the ball over--and still bagged only 70 points. It must have been a slow tempo game (I was at my son's practice last night and missed the game).

63 possessions last night, tied for 5th-slowest game of the year. It was our 11th-best offensive efficiency of the year, and the 7th-best against OSU this season, while it was our 3rd-best defensive efficiency of the year and the best against OSU.

 

[MC_Cat]

I also found this headline rather hilarious:

Ohio State fails to show up for their own basketball game, get destroyed by Northwestern, 70-49

The Buckeyes were either unprepared, unbothered, or both on Thursday night.

www.landgrantholyland.com

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

He switched to full court with like 10 minutes to go. But it felt their hearts were not even remotely in it.

When they started pressing us, I thought we were in trouble, but, as you say, OSU was not really getting after it.
Windham looked as composed as one could hope. We saw a lot worse from Clayton and yes, even Leach.

 

[MC_Cat]

When they started pressing us, I thought we were in trouble, but, as you say, OSU was not really getting after it.
Windham looked as composed as one could hope. We saw a lot worse from Clayton and yes, even Leach.

We handled their press with confidence and even aggression. I was very impressed. Everyone looked composed and prepared.

 

[Catreporter]

It's important to point out that the Buckeyes have two of the Big Ten's best nonconference wins, by 18 over Texas and 20 over Kentucky. This was an amazing win. Suddenly, the last four games become meaningful again. College hoops are pretty crazy.

 

[TheC]

We handled their press with confidence and even aggression. I was very impressed. Everyone looked composed and prepared.

I was amazed at how easily we beat their press. And it was the same action almost every time. They would let Berry catch the ball wide open on the baseline. They would go to double, but not very hard, and left the cross court pass wide open. I kept waiting for OSU to adjust.

 

[JournCat]

After all the adversity this year … if we could have flipped just a couple of the close losses, say at Penn State and at Michigan, we’d probably be in the last four in. Still very proud of our team for not giving up when many others would have.

 

[CappyNU]

After all the adversity this year … if we could have flipped just a couple of the close losses, say at Penn State and at Michigan, we’d probably be in the last four in. Still very proud of our team for not giving up when many others would have.

Looking at the Torvik teamcast, if we flipped the Iowa, PSU and Nebraska losses, while beating Minny and Iowa, and losing to UCLA and MD, with a 1st-round BTT loss, we would be in the tourney.

 

[macarthur31]

After all the adversity this year … if we could have flipped just a couple of the close losses, say at Penn State and at Michigan, we’d probably be in the last four in. Still very proud of our team for not giving up when many others would have.

I know it's a bit of a fool's errand to ponder the alternate timelines. However, that Iowa buzzer beater, PSU, Michigan, Nebraska - with a bit more luck and the 'Cats would be at 9-7 and in the catbird seat for a third consecutive tourney bid. Now, I hope I'd have the clear eyes to realize that it wouldn't have been a long run, but its remarkable how thin the margins have been.

Either way, it's another reminder about how long these seasons go - its felt like we've been through several:
phase 1: non-con waiting for barnhizer
phase 2: barnhizer leading the team and accruing a litany of freak injuries
phase 3: barnhizer out, and the team adapts to life without him
phase 4: leach out, and now the frosh and fitzmagic get run

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

The opening sentence in the Columbus Dispatch article about the game last night is one for the ages. Feels pretty overdramatic and hyperbolic, but that sure doesn't take away from my joy of reading it. Here it is:

"It was a blowout nobody saw coming but that Ohio State will feel the effects of for years."

Oh, be still my heart.

Awesome article. The first half of it had to explain the dynamics of a CBB season and the NCAA Tournament to a lay reader whose entire knowledge base is college football. Hilarious.

 

[Cataria]

We shot well (except from 3), got to the line, did not turn the ball over--and still bagged only 70 points. It must have been a slow tempo game (I was at my son's practice last night and missed the game).

We took a lot of time in the second half once the lead was at 20.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I know it's a bit of a fool's errand to ponder the alternate timelines. However, that Iowa buzzer beater, PSU, Michigan, Nebraska - with a bit more luck and the 'Cats would be at 9-7 and in the catbird seat for a third consecutive tourney bid. Now, I hope I'd have the clear eyes to realize that it wouldn't have been a long run, but its remarkable how thin the margins have been.

Either way, it's another reminder about how long these seasons go - its felt like we've been through several:
phase 1: non-con waiting for barnhizer
phase 2: barnhizer leading the team and accruing a litany of freak injuries
phase 3: barnhizer out, and the team adapts to life without him
phase 4: leach out, and now the frosh and fitzmagic get run

This season was cursed from the start. We never should have gone to Italy. I heard the Pope doesn't like basketball. He probably put a hex on us.

 

[macarthur31]

We took a lot of time in the second half once the lead was at 20.

To be more specific, it was take 9 seconds to break the diffident OSU press in creative and terrifying ways. Then, Nick holds on to the ball for another 10 seconds, and then initiate the offense. Much of it was attacking the rack given that's Nick's game, and we already had them in the bonus, so what we lacked for in flowing offensive sets were made up for in near perfect FT shooting (18-19. Shakes fist at Nicholson.)