Thad Matta’s 2010 Buckeyes should have no problem decimating opponents. Ohio State basketball looks as promising as ever with the announced signing of six top-notch recruits Thursday. Northland center, Jared Sullinger and forward, J.D. Weatherspoon joined forward, DeShaun Thomas and guards, Lenzelle Smith, Jr., Aaron Craft and Jordan Sibert in declaring Ohio State their school by faxing signed letters to the university. The super six arguably make up the number one recruiting class in the country. While the buzz in Columbus heightens for the future of men’s basketball, Matta’s current undergrads are having little trouble establishing their presence. The number 16 ranked Buckeyes face defending national title winners, North Carolina next Thursday after taking down James Madison 72-44 last night.
Evan Turner cleaned up the court Monday against undersized Alcorn State. The 6’7” Turner turned in a triple double at Value City Arena and the entire Buckeyes team fed off their star. The 100-60 final score doesn’t diminish what Turner accomplished. It was just the second triple-double in program history. Turner’s wide array of skills were on display Thursday night too. Turner followed up his triple-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds in powering OSU to a win over the Dukes. His monster effort in the 2K Sports Classic Thursday propelled OSU to a semifinal showdown with the Tarheels at Madison Square Garden.
The Buckeyes’ 2008-09 season ended at the Big Dance with a first-round loss to Siena in double overtime. Matta coached the Buckeyes to a 22-win season without all Big 10 forward Turner at point guard. With Turner debuting at guard this season, Matta seems NCAA tournament-bound again. The conference’s scoring leader also ranks third in rebounding. His supporting cast is a strong crop of returning starters. David Lighty, the sprightly 6’5” forward is a redshirt junior considered the Buckeyes’ finest, most versatile player. Lighty is the only remaining Buckeye from the 2006-07 NCAA finalist team. He broke his foot early last season but appears at full strength for the Bucs this year. Number 23 added 14 points, while helping OSU begin the second half on a 10-0 run against James Madison. He hit a bucket for three, and contributed five more points on the Buckeyes next 10-0 run. Turner, Lighty and P.J. Hill all have four steals so far this season. Jon Diebler , a junior shooter, joined Turner in the backcourt last season. This season, he projects to be as dangerous a shooter as he was during his freshman year in Columbus. Sophomore guard, William Buford netted 12 for the 2-0 Buckeyes last night. Dallas Lauderdale, whose name reminds me of a plane ticket stub, missed the season opener for Ohio State. The starting center came off the bench Thursday for 13 minutes to snag four rebounds and pocket a pair of points.
Fans turned on by Turner and Matta’s Buckeyes have even more to look forward to with the recruiting class of 2010. But don’t overlook the 2009 ringers. Michigan State is picked to win the prestigious Big 10 crown. The Spartans are poised to repeat as conference champions after they rolled to the NCAA finals a year ago. The Buckeyes and Purdue are the teams that will give conference player of the year, Kalin Lucas and the Spartans are run for their title. The scarlet and gray don’t play the Spartans until February 20th when they travel to Michigan State University. As long as Turner is on the hardwood and the Bucs aren’t short-handed, they will remain competitive. Talent goes a long way in men’s hoops. Good coaching and heart usually take you even farther. Ohio State has all three this year. Since his arrival in Columbus, Matta has done nothing but guide the Buckeyes to victories. The Butler alum has more wins as head coach after five seasons than any other at OSU men’s hoops. Matta’s teams continue to knock off top ranked opponents and gain national exposure and attention. His teams blend a defense-oriented set with offensive skills to assail and attack the opposition. Most Ohio State fans will focus this weekend on the football team’s quest for the Big 10 title with Iowa. If Jim Tressel’s football team falls short, the basketball team is on the cusp of a great season. So wear your scarlet and gray this week. Tomorrow the fracas with Iowa will decide the Big 10 crown. Then, Turner and hoops visit the grand Mecca of basketball to try their hand with North Carolina next week.
Parting Points: Song for hang time- “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse
LeBron James is changing his uniform number from 23 to 6 to honor Michael Jordan. Why did he wear the number in the first place?
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