Omit Evan Turner from the Ohio State Buckeyes’ basketball roster. The junior point guard is declaring for the NBA draft and forgoing his senior year at OSU. That’s one loss for Ohio, but a major win for Chicago-native, Turner. Omit Cleveland baseball from the winless column. The Indians rallied past the Chicago Whitesox in an AL Central duel last night for their first victory of the season. Cleveland won 5-3 on Matt LaPorta’s tiebreaking double with two outs in the seventh. That should even the Chicago-Ohio score.
The explosive Player of the Year is headed to the pros. Turner is expected to be one of the top three picks in this year’s NBA draft. The 6’7” 21 year old collected just about every regular season award in college hoops. Turner was selected Big 10 Player of the year in addition to winning the Naismith Award and being the favorite for the Wooden Award. The Buckeye guard averaged over 20 points and nine rebounds per game in leading the OSU to their second best season in school history. Coach Thad Matta and the Buckeyes will surely miss his services next season. The Buckeyes suffered with Turner temporarily out of the lineup due to injury earlier last season. The team went just 3-3 in his absence. The leader of the Buckeyes, Turner made a quick recovery to piece together and unforgettable season and cap off a stellar collegiate career in Columbus. Turner seemed unsure of his role as a freshman and sophomore. Matta moved him to point guard this season, and that made a difference. Redefined and refined, Turner picked up triple-doubles in two of the first five games. His signature moment was perhaps his game-winning basket near half court to beat Michigan in the Big 10 quarterfinals. Turner orchestrated and incredible run through the NCAA tournament for the Buckeyes. Matta ensures the Buckeyes will have a strong recruiting class. But Turner’s departure leaves a bittersweet void on the roster. The junior won’t have a chance to win a national championship, but by declaring for the draft now, he will not risk costing the university a scholarship for next season.
The Indians scored three runs off Jake Peavy in the top of the fourth inning to erase a 3-0 deficit. The Indians scattered seven hits against a struggling Peavy. The right-hander didn’t look like the solid White Sox pitcher who finished 2009 going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA. To his credit, he did have little offensive supply. One man provided the only RBIS for the home team. First baseman, Paul Konerko, connected on a two-run homer and delivered a sacrifice fly for the Chicago offense. It was Konerko’s second two-run blast in as many games. Cleveland tied the game during a three run fourth inning. Michael Brantley singled in a run after Peavy hit Mike Redmond with a pitch to load the bases. Grady Sizemore knocked home a pair of runs on a two-out smack to right field. The visiting team took the lead in the seventh when Shin-Soo Choo led off with a single and scored on LaPorta’s double. Choo scored a ninth inning insurance run on Andy Marte’s bases-loaded grounder. Randy Williams took the loss for Chicago. Fausto Carmona was the pitcher on the winning end. The Dominican Republic hurler tossed six wild innings of one hit ball but issued six walks. Left fielder, Juan Pierre, stole two bases and added a hit in the loss. Aaron Laffey, Joe Smith and Chris Perez worked in relief for the Indians. Perez worked the ninth for his first save of the year. He walked Mark Kotsay with one out before fanning Alex Rios. Marte’s diving stab of A.J. Pierzynski’s grounder to first base ended Chicago’s threat and sealed the win for Cleveland.
Parting Points: Look for quite a few Kentucky Wildcats on the draft board this season.
Tiger returns to the Master’s. Yawn.
Granderson is grand for NY---at least against the Red Sox. Let’s see what the outfielder does through the course of the season. I was all for this pick-up by the Yanks because I think he is a class act.
Thoughts and prayers for Maria Navratilova, who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Showing posts with label Evan Turner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evan Turner. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Excellent Evan’s Euphoric Ending
It wasn’t quite Bo Schembechler versus Woody Hayes, but Ohio State’s 69-68 triumph Friday was escalated because it came against rival Michigan. Basketball games between the schools seldom have the fervor of football games but are still filled with pugnacious play. There’s something special about this rivalry no matter what the sport. It’s considered a huge setback to lose. Buckeye junior, Evan Turner, sent the Wolverines packing with a buzzer beating 37 foot shot in the Big Ten quarterfinal at Conseco Fieldhouse. The top ranked Bucks erupted in celebration after Turner took an inbounds pass with 2.2 seconds on the clock and released a shot over Michigan’s Stu Douglass as time expired. The blue and maize, seeded eighth in the tournament, rallied from 13 points down in the final ten minutes. They took the lead on junior, Manny Harris’ beautiful pull-up jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining. The two point netter should have sealed the surprising win for momentum-snatching Michigan. Officials consulted replay before officially ruling Turner’s basket a good shot. Turner, the probable player of the year in men’s college hoops, finished with 18 points and 8 assists to lead the Buckeyes. The phenom is closing in on 500 points this season. Harris drained 26 points in a disappointing loss for the Wolverines.
Friday’s win jolted the Buckeyes into a semifinal Saturday showdown against Illinois. Ohio State is now 25-7 and will have a legimate chance at a number one seed in the NCAA tournament if they win the Big Ten. Ohio State was down 23-19. The Bucks struggled with consistency on offense and suffered early foul trouble. Dallas Lauderdale went to the Buckeye bench with nine minutes in the half, but Ohio State overpowered the Wolverines to recapture the lead. Jon Diebler notched eight points during a 13 point run for Ohio State. Michigan was forced to play catch-up after trailing by ten at the break. The Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes 43-34 in the second half. Turner made just one of eight shots in an ailing and inaccurate second half for the junior. John Beilein’s Wolverines chopped the Buckeye’s edge to four points on back-to-back treys by Douglass. Douglass followed up with another 3-pointer to maintain the four point deficit before Ohio State went on a 9-0 run midway through the second half.
Harris sparked Michigan’s comeback with 22 second half buckets. Thad Matta’s Bucks allowed Michigan back into the game, something Hayes surely would not accept had this been on the gridiron. The Wolverines cut the Buckeye lead to two points in the fine frantic minutes. Harris’ floating jumper over Lauderdale was the highlight of Michigan’s comeback, and unfortunately for the Wolverines, the last hurrah. Turner put an end to the short-lived Michigan jubilee. The Wolverines chose not to defend Turner on the inbounds pass from David Lighty. The Big Ten Player of the Year’s remarkable shot will go down as one of the most memorable clutch plays in history of Ohio State basketball. Turner’s 37-footer did not even touch the backboard. It was nothing but net for Evan, and nothing but awesome for the scarlet and gray. I love how Matta plays his starters for all forty minutes. That decision is a testament to the trust he has in his players. All four Buckeyes who clocked forty minutes logged double digits. The Buckeyes are a rhythmic, grinding hardwood team. They played with plenty of heart against a motivated Michigan team. If #21 is not the player of the year, it’s time to eradicate the voters.
Parting Points: It’s nice to see Minnesota go on a bit of a run. They really cranked it up a notch in overtime against Michigan State in order to advance.
The Big East final is set for Saturday—A meeting between Georgetown and WVU.
Kansas pulled away from Texas A&M to reach the finals in the Big 12.
Friday’s win jolted the Buckeyes into a semifinal Saturday showdown against Illinois. Ohio State is now 25-7 and will have a legimate chance at a number one seed in the NCAA tournament if they win the Big Ten. Ohio State was down 23-19. The Bucks struggled with consistency on offense and suffered early foul trouble. Dallas Lauderdale went to the Buckeye bench with nine minutes in the half, but Ohio State overpowered the Wolverines to recapture the lead. Jon Diebler notched eight points during a 13 point run for Ohio State. Michigan was forced to play catch-up after trailing by ten at the break. The Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes 43-34 in the second half. Turner made just one of eight shots in an ailing and inaccurate second half for the junior. John Beilein’s Wolverines chopped the Buckeye’s edge to four points on back-to-back treys by Douglass. Douglass followed up with another 3-pointer to maintain the four point deficit before Ohio State went on a 9-0 run midway through the second half.
Harris sparked Michigan’s comeback with 22 second half buckets. Thad Matta’s Bucks allowed Michigan back into the game, something Hayes surely would not accept had this been on the gridiron. The Wolverines cut the Buckeye lead to two points in the fine frantic minutes. Harris’ floating jumper over Lauderdale was the highlight of Michigan’s comeback, and unfortunately for the Wolverines, the last hurrah. Turner put an end to the short-lived Michigan jubilee. The Wolverines chose not to defend Turner on the inbounds pass from David Lighty. The Big Ten Player of the Year’s remarkable shot will go down as one of the most memorable clutch plays in history of Ohio State basketball. Turner’s 37-footer did not even touch the backboard. It was nothing but net for Evan, and nothing but awesome for the scarlet and gray. I love how Matta plays his starters for all forty minutes. That decision is a testament to the trust he has in his players. All four Buckeyes who clocked forty minutes logged double digits. The Buckeyes are a rhythmic, grinding hardwood team. They played with plenty of heart against a motivated Michigan team. If #21 is not the player of the year, it’s time to eradicate the voters.
Parting Points: It’s nice to see Minnesota go on a bit of a run. They really cranked it up a notch in overtime against Michigan State in order to advance.
The Big East final is set for Saturday—A meeting between Georgetown and WVU.
Kansas pulled away from Texas A&M to reach the finals in the Big 12.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Scarlet Shooting Sizzling
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?
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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