Exhibition Reaction: Buckeyes More Athletic than Ever

One thing became clear on Sunday afternoon when the Ohio State Buckeyes opened their season in Exhibition play against the Walsh University Cavaliers. We weren’t given any indication on whether this team is going to win or lose more games that last year. We have no idea how deep Thad Matta’s bench is going to be. We still aren’t sure who is going to start on Friday against Wright State in the season opener.

But the one thing we can take from the court last Sunday is that this team is more athletic than ever.

We saw it from players we are accustomed to. Aaron Craft closed defenders with what seemed to be even more quickness than his freshman campaign. Though he didn’t necessarily light up the scoreboard, he showed a court savvy and leadership that Buckeye Nation has been looking for (and sometimes forgets about from last season). His 4 steals were yet again the reason why he should be considered the best on the ball defender in the country.

It’s become routine to see Jared Sullinger take over ballgames against nearly every opponent. Though it’s hard to believe, Sunday was a glimpse of what is to come this season. The 15 pounds he’s lost looks more like the shedding of a fat man suit. The chiseled sophomore controlled the boards, got up the floor faster than any other big man, and even found room on the perimeter. As a fan, it’s always encouraging to see an imposing player take his game to another level.

As an opposing coach, it seems unfair.

How do you stop a man that scores 15 points and goes 7-9 from the field in just 23 minutes of play? How do you control someone who pulled ten rebounds and gave his offense a second chance four times?

Plain and simple, you don’t.

Instead, you try and shut down the contributors around him. On Sunday, that was nearly impossible. Senior William Buford put together 17 points in 21 minutes. He led the team in assists, and was perfect from the charity stripe. Sophomore Jordan Sibert, who many consider the x-factor this season, came off the bench and scored 15 in 16 minutes, while going 5-6 from the field. His play was matched by fellow sophomore J.D. Weatherspoon, who was up and down the court like an athlete possessed to slamma jamma. His thirteen points complimented the 8 rebounds from starting sophomore guard  Lenzelle Smith Jr. Everyone seemed like they knew their place on the court. Of course, there were some struggles. Our freshman sensation — Shannon Scott, turned over the basketball a game high five times.  The McDonalds All-American struggled a bit on the floor, but it became apparent that a lot of it had to do with first game jitters.  He didn’t look polished for NCAA action just yet, but Thad Matta gave him several chances in this ballgame. His 20 minutes was the most of any freshman and the 5th highest amount on the team. Many think that this was the game that takes him out of the lineup, but I disagree. It’s those type of learning opportunities that Thad Matta thrives on.

For some athletes though, there is no curve on which to learn on. Sam Thompson showed Buckeye Nation on Sunday what he is capable of and why Matta calls him the most athletic player he has ever coached.  The Chicago native was impressive beyond the score sheet. He had a couple running blocks on the way to the hoop, emphatic dunks of the dribble and pass, and seemed to know where his place on the court was.

There is something special about this kid, and I think we’ll see a lot from him this season.

Here is a look at other notes from the game:

• Replacing Diebler — Overall the team did a good job of spreading the basketball around the perimeter. Even Jared Sullinger dropped one from deep. As a whole, the Buckeyes went 9-19 (47%) from beyond the arc. One thing I think we can take from this game is that the majority of the production from deep will come from the sweet strokes of William Buford and Jordan Sibert. Off the bench, the sophomore guard hit 5-6 from deep and really took advantage of open looks. Buford went 3-6 from deep, but did force some shots. He also found Sullinger open on the perimeter. Sully hit 1-3 from beyond the arc.

• Inside Battle — Wright State will be more of an indication on Friday, but for the most part Thad Matta elected against Walsh to keep Sullinger in at the four and rotate at center. One thing that came clear is that Evan Ravenel is the most game ready player at the position. We saw some good defensive plays from Amir Williams, but he has a lot of adjustments to make to the college game. At points the action sped up too much for him to hang with defenders. If Evan Ravenel doesn’t get 25 minutes a game or more early in the season, I’d be shocked.

• Filling Craft’s Role — Sam Thompson did a good job of buying playing time on Sunday and has everything it takes to be the extra spark off the bench on both sides of the floor. He has a knack for finding the basketball, and though he could use some work on man-to-man defense, he makes plays. He might be this year’s Deshaun Thomas, depending on if he stays consistent and if Tank continues to start.

• The Guard Rotation — Lenzelle Smith did a great job in the starting lineup and moved the basketball efficiently, but I’m still not sold that his position will be starter by committee. With Sibert, Thompson and Weatherspoon all playing well, that 2/3 rotation could be a continuing battle throughout the first part of the season. Of course that all depends on Thad Matta, who has a tendency to play who he thinks fits.

Coming up tomorrow, we’ll get you ready for Wright State by previewing the Raiders with Mike Klinshirn of Raider Roundball. We will also open up the Live Chat for Friday’s action at 8:30 PM ET!