During football season we brought you a Q&A session with a blogger or beat reporter from each opponent, well with the big basketball game against Ohio State coming up tomorrow we sat down with our friends at Buckeye House Call for our debut of Courtside Sitdown.
To see our answers to their questions click here.
1) We experienced just how good Aaron Craft is defensively, but do you need more from him offensively to become a Final Four contending team? Is the matchup between Jordan Taylor and him the “one to watch” in this game as well?
BHC: I’m not convinced we need more offense from Crafty to make a serious March run. If the talent we put on the court can understand their roles and fill them adequately, Aaron can fill the true PG roll, distribute, and play the D he’s become known for. With that being said, we haven’t seen that other talent come come together all at once for a significant stretch of games and if that continues, we need every offensive contribution Craft has to offer. Last year we saw him get into lane for easy buckets and cash in on a few threes, but that was while being surrounded by bigger threats in Diebler and Lighty. This team needs to find those consistent threats again in a hurry. Depending on Aaron for significant offense isn’t a good March recipe for Ohio State.
2) How much did you learn about your team with that thumping from “That team up north” last Saturday?
BHC: That was tough. No mater what our top scorer get on any given night (that night was Deshaun Thomas with 25) if we’re not balanced then we can’t win. If Sullinger, Thomas, and Buford could get on a roll together (see the Duke game) then Ohio State could really contend in March but far more often we’ve seen one excel and two struggle. That game against Michigan was just one more frustrating example of the Buckeyes not being able to put a complete game together with their main stars and contributors.
Oh yeah, it also reminded us of how much we hate the Skunkbears.
3) In the first game between us Sullinger, William Buford, and Deshaun Thomas all had 15 or more field goal attempts and no one else had more than 3 attempts, is that a recipe for success once again?
BHC: That can certainly be a recipe for success on many nights, but if you want to get beyond the sweet sixteen next month you have to have a 4th option. On most March nights your opponent simply has too much talent to lean on two, maybe three scorers. Can it work again Sunday against Wisconsin? I believe it can, but our lone senior Buford can’t be a third of that three-headed monster and throw up a 3-for-14 night. That is our recipe for disaster, and it’s been shown a number of times this year. Keep an eye on how Buford reacts to Senior Night. It could be the difference in a win or loss for Ohio State regardless of what the others do.
4) It’s William Buford day a.k.a. Senior Day at Value City Arena, what is your take on his senior season?
BHC: Frustrating, to say the least. I think he fit better following behind the Lauderdales, Lightys, and Dieblers of last season. As the one senior on this team he’s been asked to lead a very young team and he simply hasn’t embraced that. At times he’s excelled and looked like a lottery pick, while other games he hasn’t even lived up to the first=round selection he’s projected to be. Are the tools and talent there? Certainly. But the consistency hasn’t been. That’s a scary equation come NCAA Tournament time.
5) After witnessing the performance of Jordan Taylor in the first game of 2011, how worried about something similar happening in this game?
BHC: That kid single-handily knocked off Ohio State in Madison last year. It’s been on the mids of fans (and certainly the team) each time we’ve seen him since. The show he put on last February was nothing short of amazing (21 in the second half to come back from a 15-point deficit to beat #1 Ohio State). I cringe when I see him now for that very reason. I can’t see him having a repeat performance in the second half Sunday – in Columbus – but if he starts to get off early it could be a long day for Ohio State.
Bonus Question #1: Prediction and why?Ohio State 61 Wisconsin 53
BHC: While Ohio State has alternated wins and losses the last four games, the Michigan game may have been a wake-up call. Their performance Tuesday against Illinois was more in line with early-season expectations and we’re hoping that’s a sign of things to come rather than just the negative effects of a team that’s quit on Bruce Weber. Columbus is simply a tough place to place, especially this late in the season. It’ll be a tough mountain for Wisconsin to climb – we just need keep an eye on that damn Taylor.
Bonus Question #2: What are your expectations for the Buckeyes and who do you have in the B1G and NCAA tournaments?
BHC: I think the B1G will come down to OSU and Sparty, but if the Buckeyes don’t get it together quickly they could be out sooner than later. The next three games, including v Wisconsin Sunday, will tell us a lot about momentum (or lack there of) and how Ohio State performs in Indy.
As far as the NCAA’s I still believe Ohio State’s talent will rival anyone in America short of maybe Kentucky (who knocked us out last March). We’ve been relegated to a likely 2 or 3 seed so an eventual Final Four trip could depend greatly on whether we draw Kentucky or Syracuse as our #1 seed. I’m not sure anyone beats Kentucky next month, but drawing the ‘Cuse could go a long way towards getting us to the round of four where anything can happen.
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