Ohio State Wins East Regional, Punches Its Ticket To Final Four

Transcription

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“For The Buckeye Fan Who Needs To Know More”
March 31, 2012
BAYOU
BOUND
By MARCUS HARTMAN
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Staff Writer
Time and change will be more than part
of the Ohio State alma mater this spring as
the Buckeyes take their first on-field steps
toward becoming the 123rd football team in
school history.
The majority of the starters – and members of the 2011 two-deep, for that matter
– return from the disappointing 6-7 campaign
of a year ago, but that might not mean much
given the changes throughout the rest of the
program.
2012 Spring
Football Preview
mid-December, ‘This is the worst practice team I’ve
ever coached.’
“I said, ‘Fellas, right now, you’re a round-of-32
team. That is what it is. We’re going to be out in the
round of 32 unless some things change.’ ”
It’s a wonder, then, that second-seeded Ohio State
is fresh off a 77-70 win over top-seeded Syracuse, a
March 24 victory that has the 31-7 Buckeyes
on their way to the Mercedes-Benz
Superdome in New Orleans for the Final
Four.
That’s because things didn’t change – at
least not immediately.
Remember, a stretch in February
during which the Buckeyes lost three
of five games happened after Matta was
blunt enough with his team to elaborately point out its
deficiencies. If the coach was concerned about the way
his team was practicing in December, the public blunders that developed into concerning losses down the
stretch of the regular season had to keep him awake
at night.
Urban Meyer took over as head coach in
late November and used the phrase “culture
shock” when describing what the players
are in for during his first spring on the job
in Columbus.
For 15 work days from March 28 through
the annual spring game April 21, the
Buckeyes will learn Meyer’s spread offense
and the tempo at which he wants them to
run it.
Defensively the changes might not be
as stark, but players on both sides of the
ball can expect to learn plenty about the
expectations Meyer and his new staff have
for them.
The tone was set during a grueling two
months of workouts under new strength and
conditioning director Mickey Marotti, a time
that saw plenty of players impress their new
bosses even as they told people they had
never been through anything so difficult in
their young lives.
The Buckeyes new and old will not have
much time to waste getting acclimated,
however, as Meyer expects to leave spring
practice with his starting lineup set. He
hopes to do as little tinkering as necessary
to the lineup when the team reconvenes in
August, putting a premium on picking up
the nuances of the new coaches’ systems as
quickly as possible.
Potentially complicating matters further
could be the lack of familiarity between the
members of the coaching staff itself. Six of
Meyer’s nine assistants – defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, co-defensive coordinator
Everett Withers, cornerbacks coach Kerry
Coombs, defensive line coach Mike Vrabel,
offensive coordinator Tom Herman and
offensive line coach Ed Warinner – will be
Continued On Page 6
Continued On Page 20
SONNY BROCKWAY
ONE GOAL DOWN – Jared Sullinger (0), Lenzelle Smith Jr. (32), William Buford (44), Evan Ravenel (30, right) and head
coach Thad Matta (foreground) celebrate as they near the end of Ohio State’s East Regional final win.
Ohio State Wins East Regional,
Punches Its Ticket To Final Four
By ARI WASSERMAN
Ohio State was labeled a 2012 Final Four team long
before even Thad Matta knew what to expect. When
the head coach finally got a good enough look at his
team to come to his own conclusions, he disagreed
with the overwhelming sentiment from the
public.
That’s because the view Matta had was an
intimate one. He watched the team intently
in practice, a time when the Buckeyes were
more than just how the public viewed
them. They weren’t just a team with an
All-America big man, a dangerous senior
scorer, and one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball.
Matta saw them as a collective unit. The weaknesses were glaring, though he never spoke about
them publicly.
“As I watched them unfold, we struggled early
in terms of mental toughness in practice – finishing
out a two-hour practice with the intensity it needed
to be,” Matta said. “That prompted me to say in
K
Meyer Ready
To Start His
First Spring
Y
Vol. 31, No. 19
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Happy For Final Four
Two weeks ago, I wrote a letter saying I
wasn’t sure how good the Ohio State men’s
basketball team was as it began its NCAA
Tournament run. I guess I have my answer
now that the team has reached the Final Four.
I can’t tell you how excited I am for this team
after watching it beat Syracuse.
In my last letter, I was afraid of the reaction
that would happen if the team was upset, especially as it concerns Thad Matta. Matta is an
excellent coach, one of the best in the country,
and hopefully this accomplishment stops the
complainers in Buckeye Nation. It’s also been
nice to see him praised across the country by
college basketball analysts.
I also have to praise Deshaun Thomas.
Most people knew him for his selfishness in
shooting the basketball early in his career,
but he’s become a complete player down the
stretch. I hope he comes back for another season, but I’ll bet he’ll be joining Jared Sullinger
in the NBA. As a result, I’ll be enjoying every
minute of the Final Four.
Jason Stevenson
Avon Lake, Ohio
Foster Falling Short
I am feeling dissatisfied in the job Jim
Foster has been doing.
I don’t mean to undervalue the recruiting
job he does or discount the incredible feat of
winning more than 200 games at three different schools. That alone puts him in the Hall of
Fame in my book.
It is his handling of the Buckeyes the past
several years that I have issues with. I am by
no means an expert. I am merely a fan, former
player and more a student of the game with
many hours logged in my 48 years either playing or watching the game.
But it wasn’t until Samantha Prahalis
arrived in Columbus that I absolutely had to
watch every game possible. The entire Sammy
era has been full of underachievement and so
disappointing. Yes, I know they won two Big
Ten titles and three Big Ten tourney titles, but
it should have been four of each with the talent
Foster has had.
Pick up a program from one of the past two
years and read the bios on these ladies. They
are not just stars on their high school teams,
they are all-time legends of their schools.
Every year he has the player of the year in the
Big Ten and usually the defensive player of
the year as well. This year he has both again
as well as the two leading scorers and leading
shot-blocker in the conference. And they didn’t
win anything and were bounced from the
NCAA tournament far too early again.
I’m not saying that they have been good
enough to win national championships, but
they have had enough to get to the Elite Eight
and a Final Four or two.
Time after time in OSU’s losses, I hear and
agree with the professional analysts discussing
the game and saying Ohio State has not made
proper (or any) adjustments to how they are
being attacked or doing something about the
rebounding and interior weaknesses, especially defensively.
Anytime you allow a team to have more
offensive rebounds than your total rebounds,
and it continues after halftime, it says two
things – there is a lack of effort on the part of
the kids which reflects the coach, and it calls
into question said coach’s ability to adjust and
put the kids in the best place to be successful.
How you ask? As I said, I am no expert,
but if you are getting killed on the inside with
your man-to-man defense you might want to
try putting some bodies in the paint via a zone
defense. I know that opens up the outside shot
looks, but they have to make those shots and I
have confidence in our guard play to limit the
quality of those shots.
If we are simply that weak in the paint,
so be it. Accept it and change the pace of the
game. Go all-out, run and press them to death.
Does anybody have four quicker, more athletic
women to put on a full-court press than we
do in Sammy, Tayler Hill, Amber Stokes and
Kalpana Beach?
Finally, I hope Foster teaches these phenoms something in four years because it
appears to me they are leaving here with the
same skill-set they arrived with and that he
takes them as far as he can take them, but not
as far as they can go.
David Assenheimer
Tiffin, Ohio
Tone Down Criticism
Like almost every other Buckeye fan, I’m
excited at the prospects of Urban Meyer taking
over as head coach of the football team.
However, I don’t particularly like it when
the coach seemingly goes out of his way to
criticize the players. I know he didn’t recruit
many of these Buckeyes, and his motivation
could be to tear them down before building
them back up again. I just wish he wouldn’t do
his tearing down in public.
I think it sets a bad example and would
hope Coach Meyer tones down his criticism
in the future.
Mike Pryson
Kalamazoo, Mich.
If you would like to express an opinion
concerning Ohio State University sports, please
send your letter to BSB Letters, P.O. Box 12453,
Columbus, OH 43212, or email it to [email protected] for use in BSB. Letters must be
signed and include the writer’s hometown and
a daytime telephone number for verification.
Publication priority will be given to those letters
that are brief, and we reserve the right to edit
letters for publication.
WEEKLY POLL
Each week, BuckeyeSports.com runs
a poll for its readers to vote on. Go to
www.BuckeyeSports.com and visit the
Hineygate and Ask The Insiders forums
to check out the next poll. Results will
be printed in the next edition of BSB.
Are you more excited for spring
football or the Final Four?
Spring football:
17.2 percent
Final Four:
82.8 percent
Poll ran on March 25-26
“Talkin’ ’bout practice!
This will be only my third Ohio State Final Four
in my lifetime. Spring practice comes around every
year and has no real bearing on the regular season
except to get a glimpse of the team ... during spring
practice. Football is my favorite sport by a country
mile, but Ohio State being in the Final Four trumps
spring practice easily. In the frenzy of text messages
and phone calls (during the Syracuse game), none of
them were about spring practice.
Conversely, it is not hard to be excited about
both and to follow both closely. They are not mutually exclusive.”
– HermosaBeachBuckeye
“Love the basketball team, will be cheering like
crazy, but the short time the kids stay these days
makes it hard for me to invest as much as with
football.”
– robkron
“Anyone who picks spring football has no soul.”
– mwldublin
From The Pages Of BSB
25 Years Ago – 1987
“I remember sitting with Woody in the dingy coaches’
room after the 1978 Gator Bowl and emerging to an empty
and half-dark stadium, watching him trudge slowly, head
down, to a waiting car, realizing that a brilliant coaching
career had ended. It was the saddest moment in all my years
of sportswriting,” Paul Hornung wrote in the BSB dated April
1987.
“The saddest, that is, until early morning March 12, 1987,
when the voice on the telephone said softly, ‘Woody has
passed away.’ ”
Hornung was far from the only person to share his
thoughts on the death of OSU football coaching legend
Woody Hayes.
“Coach Woody Hayes cared for me. He cared for you. He
cared for Ohio State University and he cared for the football
program,” said current OSU head coach, former player and
Hayes assistant Earle Bruce.
“His passing was something I thought I would be prepared
for, but it still hit me pretty hard,” two-time Heisman Trophy
winner Archie Griffin said. “He was a father figure to me. I
love the man. He meant everything to me. He was a man
who cared about people like nobody else did.”
The program Hayes led to such prominence began spring
practice under Bruce four days after Columbus was hit by six
inches of snow.
Although star junior forward Jim Jackson struggled in
first- and second-round games at Riverfront Coliseum in
Cincinnati, the OSU men’s basketball team advanced to its
second consecutive Sweet 16 for the first time since 196162.
Ohio State rejected a proposal from the University of
Cincinnati, which hosted the opening weekend games in the
Queen City, to exchange approximately 300 tickets for the
first two rounds of the tourney for a home-and-home series
between the Buckeyes and Bearcats.
For their regular-season exploits, Jackson was named
Big Ten Player of the Year and Randy Ayers was named
conference coach of the year. Both were honored for the
second consecutive season.
The OSU wrestling squad took fifth place at the NCAA
national championships, headlined by sophomore Kevin
Randleman, who won the 177-pound title by pinning Corey
Olson of Nebraska in the final.
In the eyes of many members of the media, Bob Huggins
of Cincinnati, Pete Gillen of Providence, Mike Montgomery of
Stanford, Rick Majerus of Utah and Steve Alford of Southwest
Missouri State surfaced as the leading candidates to succeed
Ayers as Ohio State’s 12th men’s basketball coach.
Meanwhile, women’s head coach Nancy Darsch had also
been dismissed, and athletics director Andy Geiger contacted
Stanford assistant Amy Tucker, a former Buckeye serving on the
staff of former OSU mentor Tara VanDerveer, about succeeding
Darsch. Tucker said she wanted to put off a decision until the
Cardinal finished its NCAA tournament run.
Former OSU quarterback Art Schlichter was arrested at a
Baltimore-area rehabilitation center for allegedly violating his
probation by making bets.
Former OSU left tackle Orlando Pace wowed about 50
NFL personnel assembled for the school’s pro day by running
the 40-yard dash in 4.89 seconds and completing a 30-inch
vertical leap.
Missouri, the 12th seed in the West Region of the NCAA
Tournament, rudely escorted the Ohio State men out of the
Big Dance with an 83-67 shellacking that was not as close as
the final score indicated.
Despite the sour ending, head coach Jim O’Brien earned
a $90,000 bonus and an automatic one-year rollover on his
contract for leading his team to Big Ten titles in the regular
season and conference tournament.
Jim Tressel told reporters on the eve of his second spring
practice as OSU football coach that he was left scratching his
head after a recent function at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café.
“The line of questioning led me to believe that no one will
get a first down against us and we’ll never get one,” Tressel
said, “and I was like, ‘Man, neither of those things is true.
We’re not that bad (on offense) and we’re not that good (on
defense).’ ”
2 • BUCKEYE SPORTS BULLETIN March 31, 2012
University president William “Brit” Kirwan accepted
the position of chancellor of the Maryland state university
system.
Luke Fickell joined Tressel’s staff as special teams
coordinator.
Five Years Ago – 2007
After narrowly escaping upsets at the hands of Xavier and
Tennessee in rounds two and three of the NCAA Tournament,
the top-seeded men’s basketball Buckeyes convincingly
dispatched highly-regarded Memphis, 92-76, to win the
South regional title and punch their ticket to Atlanta for the
Final Four.
Meanwhile, multiple news outlets reported that Mike
Conley Sr., father of OSU point guard Mike Conley Jr., had
taken steps to become an NBA agent.
Among his potential clients was freshman center Greg
Oden, who prior to the Final Four became the first Ohio State
freshman and only the fourth of all time to earn first-team
All-America honors from The Associated Press.
The news was less rosy for the OSU women’s cagers, who
lost their opening-round NCAA tournament game to 13thseeded Marist, 67-63. Jessica Davenport scored 13 points and
committed 11 turnovers in her final college game.
The football team looked forward to a round of spring
practices that would see it need to replace 13 starters.
One Year Ago – 2011
Kentucky freshman guard Brandon Knight made a
midrange jumper with 5.4 seconds left to give the Wildcats a
62-60 lead in a regional semifinal game against Ohio State.
When William Buford’s three-point attempt clanged off the
rim at the buzzer, the No. 1-seeded Buckeyes were finished
with an NCAA Tournament run many had expected to stretch
through the Final Four.
It was the end of a nightmare performance for Buford,
who went 2 for 16 from the field while scoring nine points.
“I had a great look,” Buford said. “It just didn’t fall for
me. Shots did not fall for me tonight.”
In the women’s tournament, No. 4 seed Ohio State saw
its season come to a close with an 85-75 loss to No. 1-seed
Tennessee at the University of Dayton Arena
www.BuckeyeSports.com
OPINION
Ohio State Is More Than Just A Football School
Vol. 31, No. 19
March 31, 2012
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2011-12 PUBLICATION SCHEDULE (VOL. 31)
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No. 12 Nov. 30
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August
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What do UCLA, North Carolina, Kentucky,
Duke and Kansas have in common with Ohio
State?
The answer is obviously not football. The
Buckeyes have celebrated five consensus
national championships in that sport, five more
than the Bruins, Tar Heels, Wildcats, Blue
Devils and Jayhawks have won combined.
When the conversation turns to basketball,
however, the overriding conjecture is that the
Buckeyes do not belong in that group of elite
programs. And that is where the overriding
conjecture is dead wrong.
I mentioned this in a previous column a
couple of years ago, but in light of the Ohio
State basketball team making its 11th trip to
the Final Four, it bears repeating.
Back in 1989 when Gary Williams was head
coach of the Buckeyes, the two of us were
visiting in the coach’s office at St. John Arena.
At one point during the interview, Williams
wheeled around in his chair, looked outside
his second-story window and said something
to the effect of “I’ll never understand why this
school doesn’t support basketball the way it
does football.”
Without much thought about how it would
sound, I immediately replied, “Well, Coach,
there’s a simple explanation and part of it is
why your office is located on Woody Hayes
Drive and not Fred Taylor Drive.”
Williams didn’t like it, but the implication
was clear. Ohio State was then, is now and
always has been a football school. That has to
do with any number of reasons, not the least
of which is the fact that the football program
generates many, many more dollars than the
basketball team.
Football is also the sport where most
Buckeye fans get their identity. Ask 100 fans to
name their favorite Ohio State sports memory
and chances are 95 of them will have to do
with football.
In terms of championships, however – or
at least in terms of playing for championships
– the basketball Buckeyes are very much on
par with their football brethren.
Ohio State celebrates those five consensus
national championships in football (1942, 1954,
1957, 1968 and 2002) and several more if you
count the National Championship Foundation
title in 1944, the championship awarded by
the Football Writers Association of America in
1961 and the trophy handed out in 1970 by the
National Football Foundation.
Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team has
only the 1960 national title banner hanging in
the rafters of the Schottenstein Center.
But with the basketball Buckeyes making
their 11th trip to the Final Four, the program
has cemented its claim to join elite status with
the aforementioned cage powerhouses. Only
UCLA (18), North Carolina (18), Kentucky
(15), Duke (15) and Kansas (14) have made
more trips to the Final Four than Ohio State.
The perception of Ohio State as a football
school was steeped mightily by the Woody
Hayes era that began in 1951, produced its first
national championship in 1954 and became an
all-encompassing behemoth in the late 1960s
and early 1970s.
It was Taylor’s unfortunate fate to serve
as basketball coach of the Buckeyes during
the same era as Hayes. Taylor’s persona of
mild-mannered tactician made far fewer headlines than his football counterpart’s bombastic
personality. But the truth of the matter is that
Taylor’s best years were more successful than
any comparable stretch Hayes put together.
From 1960-63, the basketball team posted
a 98-10 record (a .907 winning percentage)
with four straight Big Ten titles, three trips to
the Final Four and one national championship.
Hayes’ best four-year span came between 1972
and ’75 when the football team went 40-5-1,
good for an .880 winning percentage, won the
Big Ten championship each year and appeared
in a record-setting four straight Rose Bowls.
Still, Ohio State football has generally
always trumped Ohio State basketball in the
minds of most fans. Not that it should be that
way. There should be room to embrace both
programs by the majority of Buckeye Nation.
EDITOR’S
NOTEBOOK
Mark Rea
And why not? Florida proved in 2007 that
national championships can be won both in
football and basketball (victimizing Ohio State
in the process of capturing both). Now, with
Urban Meyer patrolling the halls of the Woody
Hayes Athletic Center and Thad Matta marking his second trip to the Final Four in the past
six seasons, why can’t the Buckeyes be national championship contenders in both sports?
History dictates they always have been.
the concept of a national championship tournament. The first tourney was held the following season at Patten Gymnasium on the
Northwestern University campus in Evanston,
Ill., with Olsen’s Buckeyes losing to Oregon
in the title game. Olsen remained tournament
chairman from its inception until 1946.
• Did you further know the term “Final
Four” also has Ohio roots? It first appeared that
year in an article for “The Official Collegiate
Basketball Guide” and was coined by Cleveland
Plain Dealer sportswriter Ed Chay. In the story,
Chay simply mentioned that “outspoken coach
Al McGuire’s (Marquette) team was one of the
final four” during the previous season’s tournament. Someone at the NCAA liked the phrase
and the governing body of college sports later
trademarked it.
• McGuire is credited with first referring
to the NCAA Tournament as “The Big Dance.”
During his team’s run to the 1977 championship, the coach wore the same blue blazer for
each regular-season game. When asked if he
would continue to wear the blazer in the NCAA
Tournament, McGuire replied, “Absolutely.
You gotta wear the blue blazer when you go to
the big dance.”
Never A Better Time Than Now
A Few Observations
• Did anyone notice that Syracuse began
to leave William Buford alone on the offensive
end during the final minutes of the regional final
game? The OSU senior’s late-season shooting
slump became more pronounced in the NCAA
Tournament. After scoring 17 points on 5for-11 shooting in the tourney opener against
Loyola, Buford went 8 for 33 (24.2 percent) in
the next three games vs. Gonzaga, Cincinnati
and Syracuse.
Look, the last thing I would ever want to do
is dump on a kid who has played his guts out
for Ohio State these past four years. Likewise,
I know Matta feels he owes Buford a huge debt
of gratitude for his years of service. But doesn’t
the coach also owe his only senior the chance
to win a championship ring even if it means
some Final Four bench time?
• Imagine one game with this scenario:
Jared Sullinger gets his normal double-double, Aaron Craft has an overall game like he
did against Gonzaga, Deshaun Thomas lights
up the scoreboard as he did against Loyola,
Lenzelle Smith Jr. rains in threes the way
he did against Cincinnati and Syracuse and
Buford shakes off his lengthy slump and finally
plays the way we know he’s capable of playing.
No opponent – not even heavy favorite
Kentucky – could match that kind of firepower.
• How do you like this starting five for next
season: Craft at the point, Smith at shooting
guard, LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson at
forward and Amir Williams at center.
Craft is already a star and Smith only needs
consistency to become one. Ross has an impressive skill set, Thompson can literally jump out of
any gym and Williams will become better and
better the more experience he gets.
Of course, that starting five is minus Sullinger
and Thomas. This year was a gift from Sullinger,
who could have gone to the NBA last year and
been a lottery pick. As for Thomas, continued
success through the Final Four will likely mean
he’s gone next year as well.
Some Tournament Trivia
• Did you know the NCAA Tournament is
the brainchild of a former Ohio State basketball coach? In 1938, OSU head coach Harold
Olsen, also a past president of the National
Association of Basketball Coaches, proposed
According to a recent survey by the Nielsen
Co., more than 80 percent of Americans have a
computer in their homes, and of those, almost
92 percent have Internet access.
Personally, I would have thought those
numbers to be much higher. Another number
I would have thought to be much higher is
the percentage of BSB subscribers who have
signed up to read our online-only issues. It’s
a good percentage, but nowhere near the
percentage of subscribers we know have computer and Internet access.
For those of you who have been procrastinating about signing up to read your BSB
issues online, there really has been no better
time than the present. Our next electronic
issue will be dated April 3 and will contain
full recaps of the Ohio State basketball team’s
Final Four run.
Spring football practice under first-year
head coach Urban Meyer will also be getting
under way, and BSB will have detailed reports
of the early camp sessions in that April 3 electronic issue.
Rest assured, the Final Four and early spring
drills will be covered in the next issue of BSB
print, but that issue doesn’t go to press until
April 10 and there will be plenty of other news in
the meantime. The only place to read full recaps
will be the April 3 electronic issue of BSB.
Don’t think we’re trying to phase out BSB
print and that putting off signing up to read
issues electronically will prevent us from
doing that. We simply want you to know that
by not signing up for this service – which is
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After you sign up, you will continue to
receive your print copy in the mail like always,
and you will also have the opportunity to read
it online as soon as it is finished – on Monday
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March 31, 2012 BUCKEYE SPORTS BULLETIN • 3
OHIO STATE INSIDER
INSIDER
Craft Leads Buckeyes
With Brother On Mind
Perspective was not difficult for sophomore point guard Aaron Craft to keep as he
helped the Ohio State men’s basketball team
advance to the Final Four during the fourth
weekend of March.
At the same time the Buckeyes were preparing to face Cincinnati in a regional semifinal game March 22, his older brother was getting closer to being deployed to Afghanistan.
Brandon Craft, 23, is a member of the U.S.
Army.
“We fight for a basketball game, but he’s
fighting for something bigger than all of
us,” the younger Craft said one day after the
Buckeyes downed the Bearcats by an 81-66
final score to advance to the Elite Eight.
“Obviously, I’m going to worry a little bit,
but he would be the first one to tell you that
you shouldn’t worry. He’s been trained and
that’s the path he chose. He wants me to
focus on basketball as much as possible and
continue on the path I’m going through.”
Brandon was able to watch on TV in
Washington state as his brother scored 11
points and handed out five assists while making a school NCAA Tournament-record six
steals against the Bearcats, but he was scheduled to be sent out before the Buckeyes took
on Syracuse on March 24 for the right to
advance to the Final Four.
The brothers were able to talk prior to
Ohio State’s 77-70 victory over the Orange,
however.
“We had the going-away talk,” Aaron said
after scoring five points and notching four
assists vs. Syracuse. “He just told me to enjoy
it. He wishes he could watch and be here, but
he’s doing something more important, and it
just keeps everything in perspective.
“I’m just really happy that I was able to
enjoy this with our basketball team and with
all these guys, and hopefully we can continue
to do so next week.”
Redd Backing Buckeyes
Through Final Four Run
Michael Redd is back in the NBA, but
he has not forgotten about his college alma
mater.
The Columbus native cheered the
Buckeyes to victory over Syracuse from his
home in Ohio’s capital city before traveling to
Cleveland for a March 25 game between the
Cavaliers and his current team, the Phoenix
Suns. Redd scored four points during a 10883 Sun victory and told The (Cleveland) Plain
Dealer he admires many things about this
group of Buckeyes.
“It was a great win,” Redd said. “We just
looked great – the total package.”
He called Craft “the engine that drives that
machine” and gushed about the NBA potential of sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas.
“He’s a natural scorer,” Redd said. “He has
improved defensively. He’s longer than what
people think, more athletic than what people
think. Those are all NBA qualities. ... At 6-8,
he can stretch the floor and shoot threes.
His midrange game is pure. He can do a lot
of things.”
The 32-year-old Redd saved his highest
praise for sophomore All-American big man
Jared Sullinger, who shook off first-half foul
trouble to score a game-high 19 points against
Syracuse.
“He’s a lottery pick,” Redd said. “He should
be. He’s a load. That’s why the (Buckeyes
are) off the charts. Great hands, great touch,
great feel around the rim. He’s good.
“He’s going to be terrific (in the NBA).
Sometimes you think too much about certain
players – overanalyze. The guy’s a great basketball player. I spent a lot of time with him
this summer, saw him in the gym every day
until the lockout ended. He can do it all. Great
hands, great feel for the game, basketball IQ
is unbelievable.”
Redd’s career appeared to be in jeopardy
after knee problems limited him to 61 games
combined over the previous three seasons,
but he has averaged 13.8 minutes per game
this year, his first season with Phoenix after
11 as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
He made his season debut with Phoenix
by scoring 12 points in a 101-90 loss to visiting
Cleveland on Jan. 12 and had played in 34 contests through March 26. He was averaging 7.1
points per game.
A member of the Ohio State Athletics Hall
of Fame, a former All-Star and an Olympic
gold medalist, Redd carries a career NBA
scoring average of 19.3 points.
Medical Hardship
Ends Linebacker’s Career
Chad Hagan’s Ohio State career has come
to an end because of an undisclosed medical
issue. The linebacker was removed from the
roster on the team’s official website in midMarch, and a team spokesman confirmed
Hagan was in the process of applying for
a medical waiver. That would allow him to
remain on scholarship without being part of
the active roster.
Although the specific reason for his
change in status was not revealed, Hagan has
battled multiple physical ailments dating back
to his high school career at Canonsburg (Pa.)
Canon-McMillan.
Hagan played his junior prep season with
a stress fracture in his left leg, and then doctors discovered a potentially life-threatening
heart ailment during surgery to repair the
original injury. After undergoing successful
heart surgery, he was able to return to the
gridiron for his senior season as a three-star
safety recruit.
Hagan chose Ohio State over offers from
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and North
Carolina State, but his freshman season was
wiped out by an undisclosed surgery believed
to be for a knee injury.
He made his debut as a Buckeye during a
27-22 win over Toledo on Sept. 10 and wound
up playing seven games as a special-teamer. He
was credited with two tackles for the season.
Removing Hagan from the roster puts
the Buckeyes at 81 scholarship players, one
below the maximum for the next three seasons
because of NCAA sanctions. He is the third
player to go the medical hardship route this
offseason, following linebacker Scott McVey
(shoulder) and defensive lineman Melvin
Fellows (knee).
Bertani Joins Ohio State
Compliance Staff
Ohio State associate athletics director for
JOSH WINSLOW
GOODBYE – Ohio State football
player Chad Hagan (23) has decided
to end his playing career and is in
the process of applying for a medical
waiver.
compliance Doug Archie announced March
22 the hiring of Brad Bertani to his department.
Bertani, 42, joins Ohio State as an assistant
compliance director after eight years at the
University of Tennessee, where he was an
associate director overseeing all 20 men’s and
women’s sports.
The job represents a homecoming for
Bertani, an Upper Arlington, Ohio, native
who played football at Denison University
before earning a master’s degree from
Ohio University and a law degree at Capital
University.
He began his professional career as
a compliance intern at Ohio State before
stints at Detroit Mercy and Marshall
University. Bertani also spent four years
as a membership services representative
for the NCAA.
“We are very excited to have Brad join
our compliance team,” Archie said. “Brad
brings experience from the SEC and NCAA
to our team. He has served as the chair of the
NCAA Interpretations Committee, NCAA Big
Ten Conference liaison and as the staff liaison
to the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeal
Committee.
“I have known Brad personally and professionally and look forward to working with
him again.”
Former Buckeye Cager
Joins Coaching Ranks
Tony Stockman, a guard for the Ohio State
men’s basketball team from 2003-05, was
named the new head basketball coach at Ohio
Christian University on March 20.
“I want to help young men grow on
and off the court as they become future
leaders in our community,” said Stockman,
who takes over a program coming off a 2710 season that included the school’s first
appearance in the National Christian College
Athletics Association Final Four. “Ohio
Christian University is a great place to grow
and develop both spiritually and as a young
professional. If you are a young person looking for that kind of opportunity, then OCU is
the place to be.”
OCU is located in Circleville, Ohio.
Stockman joins the Trailblazers after an
eight-year international basketball career during which he played for professional teams in
OHIO STATE INSIDER
France, Germany, Israel, Mexico and most
recently Brazil.
The 2000 Ohio Mr. Basketball winner after
averaging 25.5 points per game at Medina
High School, Stockman began his college
career at Clemson before transferring to Ohio
State for his final two years of eligibility. He
started 41 of 61 games in scarlet and gray
and scored 777 points (12.7 per game) while
making 139 of 404 three-point field goals (34.4
percent).
“Tony is a leader in every sense of the
word,” said Ohio State head coach Thad
Matta, who took over the Buckeye program
prior to Stockman’s senior season. “He was a
floor general for us and was the closest thing
you could get to a coach on the floor.”
Stockman, wife Brittany and sons Tayden,
Maddox and Braysen plan to live in Circleville
and be actively involved in the community.
The Silver Bullets promptly posted six
consecutive top-six finishes in the country in
points allowed, and Heacock gained a reputation as one of the nation’s best at his post. As
defensive line coach, he mentored 10 firstteam All-Big Ten players and four first-team
All-Americans.
Heacock, an Alliance, Ohio, native, won
the Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top
assistant coach following the 2007 season.
Before arriving in Columbus in 1996,
Heacock served stints as an assistant at
Washington, Bowling Green and Muskingum
College, his alma mater. He also served eight
seasons as head coach at Illinois State from
1988-95.
Former Buckeye
Lineman Dead At 50
Second-year head coach Jerry Francis,
an Ohio State men’s basketball forward from
1986-89, led Pickerington Central to its first
Ohio Division I state championship March
24.
The Tigers knocked off Toledo Whitmer by
a 45-40 final at Value City Arena in Columbus
with a key contribution from Jae’Sean Tate,
whose father, Jermaine, is also a former
Buckeye cager.
The younger Tate scored 10 points and
came up with a key loose ball and basket in
the final two minutes as the Tigers held on
for victory.
Francis played in 133 games and scored
1,486 points as a Buckeye. He served as a
team co-captain along with Jay Burson and
Tony White during the 1988-89 season.
Former Ohio State defensive tackle Chris
Riehm passed away unexpectedly March 11
in his hometown of Medina, Ohio. He was 50
years old.
Riehm was a four-year letter winner at
Ohio State from 1979-82 and started on the
defensive line during his sophomore, junior
and senior seasons. He appeared in 41 games
during his OSU career, including 33 starts,
and finished among the team leaders in tackles with 62, including eight for loss and three
sacks, during his senior year.
He went on to a three-year career in the
NFL with the Los Angeles Raiders from
1986-88. He also played in the USFL with the
Oakland Invaders and Houston Gamblers.
Riehm is survived by his wife, the former
Mary Garrison, and parents Carrolton C.
Riehm and Sandra Thoburn.
Contributions in Riehm’s memory may be
made to Highland High School, 4150 Ridge
Road, Medina, Ohio 44256.
Meyer Settles On
Home At Muirfield
Two Hockey Buckeyes
Find Professional Team
Francis Wins State
Championship As Coach
In the months leading up to his hiring,
Urban Meyer was rumored to have purchased
homes in just about every area surrounding
a high-profile college football program in
search of a new head coach, but ultimately
none of those proved founded.
That much was confirmed with the news
in mid-March that the new Ohio State football
mentor and his wife, Shelley, had closed on a
$1.45 million, 11,700-square foot home in the
Columbus suburb of Dublin.
The Meyers’ new home has seven bedrooms and four full baths and covers nearly
two acres. It overlooks the seventh green of
the Muirfield Village Golf Club, home to the
annual Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack
Nicklaus.
Defenseman Sean Duddy and forward
Danny Dries, both seniors on the Ohio State
men’s ice hockey team this past season,
found professional teams to call their own in
March.
Duddy, a 2012 co-captain, signed with the
Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL on March
13.
The native of Ann Arbor, Mich., logged 14
points (one goal, 13 assists) in 35 games with
the Buckeyes last season. In four collegiate
seasons, Duddy earned 24 points (two goals,
22 assists) in 124 career games.
The Gladiators play at the Double-A level
BSB 2012 Electronic
Issue Schedule
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Feb. 14
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April 3
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June 19
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Nov. 2
Nov. 16
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Dec. 4
and are an affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres and
Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL.
He had a pair of assists and a minus-1 rating in four games through March 26.
Meanwhile, Dries signed with the St. John’s
IceCaps, an AHL team in Newfoundland,
Canada, on March 20. They are the top affiliate of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets.
The Lake Orion, Mich., native totaled
22 points – including 13 goals – and 34
penalty minutes this season playing for the
Scarlet and Gray. He began his career at the
University of New Hampshire before transferring to Ohio State after his sophomore
season.
Dries had a shot on goal and a minus-1 rating in his professional debut, a 3-2 loss to the
Hershey Bears on March 22.
Athletic Department Stands
Seventh In Latest Standings
Ohio State checked in seventh in the
Directors’ Cup standings released March 22.
The Buckeyes trailed No. 1 Stanford,
Florida State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Texas
and Minnesota after receiving points from
the men’s and women’s track and field teams,
Spring Football
Coverage Slate
This should be one of the more interesting springs in a long time for the
Ohio State football team. Head coach
Urban Meyer has said starting positions
will be determined during the upcoming
practices, so that fall camp can be spent
preparing for individual games.
Buckeye Sports Bulletin’s expanded
print and electronic publishing schedule
will allow us to provide weekly coverage
of all the football action as well as the
entire Ohio State sports scene from now
through late May.
Upcoming print issues will be published April 10 and 24 while electronic
issues will be posted April 3, 17 and 20 as
well as May 1, 8, 15 and 22.
In total, Buckeye Sports Bulletin publishes 36 electronic issues annually in
addition to our regular print schedule.
Current Buckeye Sports Bulletin subscribers wishing to access our 36 additional electronic issues must email their
name, address, phone number and preferred email address to subscriptions@
BuckeyeSports.com. We will send back
simple instructions on how to access the
additional electronic issues as well as
the electronic version of the print BSB
on Mondays during football season and
Tuesdays the rest of the year. A complete schedule of the additional electronic
issues appears on this page.
Please note that subscriptions@
BuckeyeSports.com is an email address,
not a website. After you send BSB your
information, we will send you instructions
on how to access the website.
Those current subscribers who elect
to enjoy the electronic version of BSB as
well as the additional electronic issues
will continue to receive their print copy of
BSB in their mailbox at the usual time.
If you have any questions, please feel
free to call us at (614) 486-2202.
women’s swimming and wrestling during the
winter sports season.
The next release of the standings – scheduled
for April 5 – could see the Buckeyes make a jump
as they add points from the men’s basketball
team’s appearance in the Final Four and the fencing team’s national championship won March 25.
Former Football Assistant
Opts To Hang Up Whistle
Jim Heacock, an Ohio State football assistant from 1996-2011, is calling it a career after
40 years as a college football coach.
Heacock, 63, was one of five assistants
from the 2011 OSU staff not retained by new
head coach Urban Meyer, but he indicated
after a 24-17 loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl
on Jan. 2 that he intended to continue coaching. He apparently changed his mind after
not finding a coaching opportunity he felt
comfortable with that would not require moving his family.
“My family has been following me around
the country while I did what I wanted to do
and what I enjoyed doing,” Heacock told
WBNS Radio in Columbus on March 14. “I
feel like it’s time for me to give back a little
bit.”
Jim Tressel retained Heacock when he
took over for John Cooper in January 2001
and elevated him to defensive coordinator
prior to the 2005 season.
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COVER STORY
Sullinger’s National Title Dreams Remain Alive
Continued From Page 1
“Things weren’t always good with this
team,” sophomore Deshaun Thomas told
BSB. “We had our issues, we had problems,
and we lost because of it. But the season
wasn’t over and that’s what we kept telling
each other.”
Before the February slump happened,
things looked good for the Buckeyes. Ohio
State was on track to achieve the goals outsiders figured were foregone conclusions before
the season started – Big Ten regular-season
and tournament championships followed by a
deep NCAA Tournament run.
Then the Buckeyes lost on their home
floor to Michigan State on Feb. 11 – snapping a 39-game Value City Arena winning
streak – and the Spartans drew even in the
conference race. Afterward, star player Jared
Sullinger said his team played like “spoiled
brats” during the loss.
Those comments became more glaring
when the Buckeyes went on to trade wins for
losses the following two weeks, a time during
which Sullinger publicly expressed concern
about the way referees were officiating Ohio
State’s games.
As the team prepared for Wisconsin on
Feb. 26, Matta saw the same problems in
practice that he had witnessed in December.
This time, though, they were magnified to
the point that he couldn’t stand to watch them
anymore.
So he threw his team out of the gym.
The Badgers did what Matta expected as a
result – they delivered what seemed to be the
knockout punch when they dealt Ohio State
♦
a home loss on Senior Day. The defeat put
the Buckeyes two games behind Michigan
State in the Big Ten race with two games
remaining. OSU’s Big Ten title dreams were
all but dead.
“Everybody on the outside said we didn’t
have a chance,” junior Evan Ravenel said. “It
was hard not to believe that at times, but we
somehow stayed together.”
There’s no telling what Matta was thinking
at that point. Maybe he would have taken a
deal with the devil to get the Buckeyes into
the Sweet 16, the round each of his last two
teams couldn’t get past.
Then something crazy happened and Ohio
State was given CPR. Indiana knocked off
Michigan State in Bloomington and suddenly
the Buckeyes were in control of their own
destiny again. All they had to do was win two
games – both of which were on the road – to
achieve at least a share of their third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title.
“What turned the corner for me was that
night when we realized we had a chance to
win a share of the Big Ten championship,”
Matta said. ”It seemed like it sort of came
together there.”
Given another crack at achieving something the team thought was lost, Ohio State
went to Northwestern and Michigan State
and earned victories to grab a piece of the
Big Ten title.
Both games were won on the
Buckeyes’ final possession, including a
buzzer-beater in East Lansing by senior
William Buford to lift the team in a way
that couldn’t have been scripted before
the season started.
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For the first time all season, the Buckeyes
were the team they were supposed to be.
“We went soul-searching and we found
our soul,” Sullinger said. “Now we’re competing for a national championship.”
Here the Buckeyes stand – two wins
away from winning only the second national
championship in program history and the first
since 1960. And Ohio State looks stronger
than it ever has, especially given the way it
advanced past top-seed Syracuse to win the
East Regional final.
The Orange followed the blueprint to beat
Ohio State. Syracuse got the Buckeyes in foul
trouble – both Sullinger and Ravenel picked
up two whistles in the first half – and Buford
didn’t play particularly well.
Given Syracuse was one of the best teams
in college basketball – they were 34-2 before
falling to the Buckeyes in the Elite Eight
– the Orange would probably have liked
their chances if told before the game that
Sullinger would be a nonfactor in the opening
20 minutes.
But it didn’t matter. Ohio State got contributions from myriad players, whether it was
sophomore shooting guard Lenzelle Smith
Jr. or seldom-used freshman big man Amir
Williams, who gave his team nine valuable
minutes to keep it in the game with Sullinger
in foul trouble.
Now when Final Four opponent Kansas
turns on the film, the game plan for stopping
the Buckeyes won’t be quite as cut and dry.
Ohio State is deeper, it is confident and it
is getting contributions from players who
were often afterthoughts during the regular
season.
“We’re a scary team right now,” Thomas
said. “Every single person on this team can be
the best player on the team on any given night.
It’s hard to game-plan for us when we’re feeling like this. We’re playing great basketball
right now, and you have to honor every single
player on this team as a weapon.”
Outsiders were right about the team when
predicting it would be in the Final Four.
Matta, however, got an inside look at what it
took to get to this point.
“I think one of the biggest challenges this
team had to overcome is that they were cast
into a light before the season even started of
what they were going to be,” the OSU coach
said. “And it was unfair in my mind because
you lose three starters and you had so many
unknowns.
“To their credit, I think they understood
the importance of all the little things, and that
was always the challenge for me – to get them
to understand the little things. They’ve done
the work. They’ve done the job and they’ve
put us in this position.”
Sullinger Captures Dream
Satch Sullinger has taught a lot to his son
Jared, whether it is about the game of basketball or how to find fulfillment in life. When
the younger Sullinger was facing the hardest
decision of his life last year – whether to go to
the NBA or stay at Ohio State – he heard his
father’s voice in the back of his head.
“His goal of winning a national championship at Ohio State was within the realm of
their reality,” Satch told BSB. “It wasn’t a goal
that was unrealistic. It was a realistic goal.
He’s always been raised to know that if you
have a dream you have to participate in your
own dream.”
The life the younger Sullinger turned
his back on is an intriguing one. The NBA
could have been his home this year, where
basketball meets a glamorous lifestyle filled
with endless money, unmatched fame and
anything imaginable for a 20-year-old kid.
Sullinger knew what he was turning down
when he opted to return to Ohio State for a
second season. He thought about what he
would be leaving in the balance, but it all
seemed unimportant when compared to another chance at NCAA Tournament success.
It was a tough decision, needless to say.
The boyhood dream for every basketball
star is to reach the NBA and enjoy the
privileged life that comes with it. There was
one major con that couldn’t be overcome by
Sullinger, though – Ohio State’s stinging loss
to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 a year ago.
He said he hasn’t thought about the NBA
since returning to the Buckeyes.
“No,” Sullinger responded when asked if
he ever thought twice about his decision not
to go to the NBA after his freshman season.
“I love this school too much and I knew this
basketball team had a chance to win.”
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COVER STORY
KEVIN DYE; FILE PHOTO (INSET)
SONNY BROCKWAY
NEW HARDWARE – Ohio State head coach Thad Matta (left) and sophomores
Aaron Craft (center) and Jared Sullinger (right) celebrated with the East
Regional trophy after the Buckeyes beat Syracuse on March 24.
Sullinger had a piece of the net from
Ohio State’s win over Syracuse tied to his
Final Four hat when he answered the question. Ahead of him is a career in the NBA no
doubt, but a stop in New Orleans now will
come first.
“He’s got that winning mentality – that
refuse-to-lose mentality,” OSU assistant Jeff
Boals said while describing Sullinger. “His
goal is to win a national championship and
he’s won on every level. He has an unbelievable will to win.”
Even when his will to win didn’t seem
strong enough – think February – the twotime All-American kept at it. His mind could
have been in the clouds, dreaming about the
NBA and the big payday that comes with it.
He isn’t ashamed to admit he was reading
press clippings, especially when Ohio State
wasn’t playing up its expectations. Sullinger
could have checked out – the June NBA draft
isn’t that far in the future after all.
Instead, doubt is what fueled Ohio State’s
NCAA Tournament run.
“I appreciated everyone that doubted this
basketball team,” Sullinger said. “Everyone
said we were the underdogs, we weren’t good
enough, not mentally strong enough, not
physically strong enough, mentally immature
– we heard it all.
“When we were going through that slump
in February, everybody was saying this team
was kind of on the downhill. We heard the
negative comments. I want to thank you all
because through all the adversity, we constantly pushed through that.”
The storylines were all over the place
during the team’s Big Dance run. Thomas
had a stretch of games good enough to
join Sullinger’s NBA talk, sophomore point
guard Aaron Craft continued to play top-notch
defense, and Smith has come on of late as a
big scoring threat.
Sullinger remained consistent through the
ups and downs. Whether it was foul trouble or
foot pain – he admitted to suffering through
lingering issues with a painful plantar fasciitis
condition down the stretch of the regular
season – the Buckeyes knew they were going
to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 20
points and 10 rebounds out of their big man.
“And it’s not over yet,” Sullinger’s father
said. “This is just another step into the process of the journey. If they’re satisfied getting
to the Final Four, then it is over. But this is
just another obstacle in the way of their goal
– which is the national championship.
“Jared has been raised that there are only
three things you have total control over: what
you think, what you say and what you do. He
has done that and that’s part of the reason
why he and this team are in this position.”
Final Four … Finally
It has been 20 years since Chris Jent had
a chance to make a 12-foot baseline jumper to
send Ohio State to the Final Four.
It was 1992 when Jent misfired on the
biggest shot of his playing career, leaving
the Buckeyes with a 75-71 loss to Michigan’s
Fab Five in the Southeast Region final in
Lexington, Ky.
Memories of the tears Jent shed in the
postgame locker room are still fresh, and the
now 42-year-old remembers the moments
leading up to the shot as vividly as what he
just ate for breakfast.
Now a first-year Ohio State assistant
coach, Jent is taking the trip to the Final Four
he never got to make 20 years ago. It isn’t
redemption, but it is a dream come true for
the lifelong Buckeye.
“I have tried to put the past aside,” Jent
told BSB. “I just told myself the only time I’m
going back to a Final Four is if I am a part of
Ohio State and a Buckeye again. Obviously,
we have great love and passion for Ohio
State, and that’s what brought me back into
the fray.”
Jent left Ohio State two decades ago and
became quite accomplished in the game of
basketball. A former interim NBA head coach
with the Orlando Magic, Jent is probably best
known for his time as LeBron James’ shooting
coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When Matta brought Jent out of the NBA
to be an assistant with the Buckeyes, some
viewed it as a demotion for the coach. Jent
HE MADE IT – Twenty years after losing to Michigan in the Elite Eight as an
Ohio State standout (inset), OSU assistant coach Chris Jent, seen here with
sophomore Aaron Craft, is finally going to the Final Four.
saw it as an opportunity to be something he’s
always been – a Buckeye.
“I was hoping we’d get to this point and I
knew we had the talent to do it, but I never
dreamed this would happen, especially this
quickly,” Jent said. “It is really hard to explain
how I feel right now because you reflect a lot
on those negative emotions you had years
and years and years ago.
“Like I said before – I would never go back
to the Final Four unless I was with this team.
Now, to be here, is phenomenal.”
Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk
The Final Four teams are quite familiar
with one another. In one game, there’s a bitter in-state rivalry and both feature a rematch
of a game that has already been played this
season.
If anything, New Orleans is going to be
interesting.
The games kick off March 31 in the
Superdome, starting when Kentucky plays instate rival Louisville at 6:09 p.m. Eastern. UK beat
the Cardinals 69-62 in Lexington on Dec. 31.
Approximately 30 minutes following the
conclusion of that game, Ohio State will get
another shot at Kansas. The Jayhawks scored
a 78-67 win over the Buckeyes in Lawrence
on Dec. 10, but Sullinger missed the game
because of back spasms.
The winners of the two games will face
each other two days later with the national
title at stake.
“We caught a break the first time when
Jared didn’t play and we were kind of finding
ourselves,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said.
“We knew they were a team that could make
a run and win a national championship. They
have so many pieces that are so good. It
starts with Jared.”
The Jayhawks dealt Ohio State its first
loss of the season, and All-America forward
Thomas Robinson led his team with 21 points.
Kansas never trailed despite a second-half
surge by the Buckeyes when Buford scored
17 of his 21 points after the intermission.
This time the matchup should be dramatically different. It isn’t in Lawrence and the
Buckeyes will have the services of Sullinger,
who has played perhaps the best basketball of
his career in recent weeks.
Kansas senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor,
who scored 22 points in the Jayhawks’ 80-67
regional final win over North Carolina to seal
the rematch with the Buckeyes, understands
it is a whole new test.
“I think it’s going to be good game,”
Taylor said. “The last time we played them,
they had their best player on the bench and
it was a home game, so it’s definitely their
chance to get back at us.
“But we feel like we didn’t play our best
that game, either. I didn’t play my best individually that game, and I’m sure Thomas is
excited to play against Jared, so I think it’s
going to be an exciting game.”
Sullinger agreed.
“Hopefully it’s not our last game,” he said.
“We’re just trying to play hard and play smart,
and not going down to New Orleans for a
vacation. It’s a business trip.”
OHIO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Beasts Of The East: Ohio State Wins Regional
By JEFF SVOBODA
The nature of coaching is that many of
the men in charge have a hard time stepping
back and truly enjoying a victory, as there is
always another game to win.
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta didn’t
want to fall into that trap March 24 after his
Buckeyes knocked off Syracuse by a 77-70
score to capture the East Region of the
NCAA Tournament.
“I’ve been a head coach now for 12 years,
and the one thing I’ve always tried to do was
enjoy the special moments,” Matta said. “We
don’t even know who we’re playing yet (in
the Final Four in New Orleans). I think taking the time to celebrate is something that
they deserve.”
That celebration began earlier on the
floor of TD Garden. The Buckeyes slowly
but surely closed out the Orange in front of
19,026 fans, including a small pocket of scarlet and gray that stood out like a sore thumb
in a heavily orange-clad arena.
As a result, Matta made sure to credit
those fans when he took to a hastily erected
podium, backed by players donning new
championship hats and T-shirts, for the trophy presentation.
“We will see you in New Orleans,” Matta
said, inciting a roar that was soon joined by
the school pep band’s rendition of “When the
Saints Go Marching In.”
The party was well-deserved.
The second-seeded Buckeyes (31-7) were
the tougher and better team against the
Orange, absorbing the early loss of big man
Jared Sullinger because of foul trouble and
then utilizing the All-American’s talents to
their fullest upon his return while knocking
off the top seed.
Sullinger finished with game-high honors of 19 points and was named the most
outstanding player of the region, but his
contribution was far from the only one on the
night. None was bigger than the 18 points put
in by blistering sophomore guard Lenzelle
Smith Jr., who was joined on the all-regional
team by classmate Deshaun Thomas, who
finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Senior William Buford was the fourth
Buckeye in double figures with 13 points
and nine more boards, while sophomore
point guard Aaron Craft had five points, four
assists and one steal and played his usual
excellent defense. Freshman Amir Williams
played nine critical minutes and had three
points, four rebounds and two blocks while
junior Evan Ravenel and freshmen Shannon
Scott and Sam Thompson also did their
parts.
“Everybody kind of pulled together, and
it’s something we’ve been preaching with
this basketball team,” Matta said.
Syracuse, already owner of a schoolrecord win total, finished the season 34-3.
Guard Brandon Triche had a team-high 15
points while senior point guard Scoop Jardine
finished with 14 to go with six assists.
“I thought we fought as hard as we have
all year,” longtime Syracuse head coach Jim
Boeheim said. “But I give Ohio State a ton
of credit. They played really, really well.
They’ve got a great basketball team and they
deserved to win.”
Ohio State’s biggest minutes might have
been those played without Sullinger. The big
man was a beast in the early going, working
well with Thomas against Syracuse’s 2-3
zone and going 2 for 4 from the floor with
four points and three rebounds before pick-
Ohio State 77, Syracuse 70
March 24, 2012
TD Garden; Boston
Ohio State
Total FG FT Reb.
(31-7)
Min. M-A M-A O-D A PF Pts.
Sullinger
26 5-9 9-12 3-4 1 3 19
Thomas
40- 6-14 2-2 3-6 1 3 14
Craft
39 1-3 3-3 1-3 4 5
5
Smith Jr.
35 4-10 7-9 1-2 1 2 18
Buford
40 3-12 6-8 3-6 2 3 13
Scott
0+ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Thompson
6
1-1 0-0 0-0 0 1
2
Williams
9
1-2 1-4 1-3 1 1
3
Ravenel
5
0-0 3-4 1-0 0 2
3
Totals
200 21-51 31-42 14-25 10 20 77
Percentages: FG: 41.2%. FT: 73.8%. 3-point
goals: 4-13 (Thomas 0-2, Smith Jr. 3-6, Buford 1-5).
Team rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 3 (Williams 2,
Sullinger). Turnovers: 12 (Thomas 3, Sullinger 2,
Craft 2, Williams 2, Smith Jr., Buford, TEAM). Steals:
4 (Sullinger, Thomas, Craft, Thompson).
Syracuse
Total FG FT Reb.
(34-3)
Fair
31 1-2 6-6 1-3 0 4
8
Joseph
37 4-11 2-3 2-0 0 1 10
Christmas
16 3-3 0-0 0-2 0 4
6
Jardine
33 5-12 1-2 0-1 6 3 14
Triche
28 4-10 5-6 0-1 1 2 15
Waiters
20 2-8 5-6 0-1 2 5
9
Keita
24 1-3 1-2 3-7 0 4
3
Southerland
11 2-4 0-0 0-1 0 5
5
Totals
200 22-53 20-25 8-18 9 29 70
Percentages: FG: 41.5%. FT: 80.0%. 3-point goals:
6-16 (Joseph 0-2, Jardine 3-7, Triche 2-4, Waiters 01, Southerland 1-2). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked
shots: 7 (Keita 4, Christmas 2, Joseph). Turnovers:
12 (Joseph 4, Jardine 2, Triche 2, Waiters 2, Fair,
Keita). Steals: 6 (Joseph 3, Waiters 2, Jardine).
Halftime: Tied 29-29. Technical foul: Syracuse
head coach Jim Boeheim. Officials: Higgins, Nance,
O’Neill. A: 19,026.
SONNY BROCKWAY
IMPORTANT MINUTES – Freshman Amir Williams (23) played nine important
minutes for the Ohio State men’s basketball team during a 77-70 win against
Syracuse in the NCAA East Regional final.
ing up his second foul – a debatable one at
that – on a Dion Waiters layup with just 6:18
gone.
When Waiters made the free throw to
complete the three-point play, Ohio State
held a 13-11 lead.
A dunk by Baye Keita with 9:31 left in the
half gave Syracuse a 22-21 advantage, and
with the Orange partisans roaring, it looked
like the game might get away.
But Ohio State buckled down thanks to
a variety of contributions to shepherd the
game to halftime with the teams deadlocked
at 29. Williams checked in when Ravenel got
his second foul and affected several Orange
shots while the rest of the Buckeye defense
kept Syracuse to just 6-of-18 shooting with
Sullinger on the bench.
“I just thought we could have gotten some better shots in the first half,”
Boeheim said. “We needed to do a better
job in the first half offensively, and that’s
where I think we lost the game. We needed
to be in a better position at the end of the
half.”
Ohio State’s offense wasn’t any better, going only 4 of 17 from the floor in
Sullinger’s absence, but the Buckeyes had
confidence that they got into the break with
so little impact from Sullinger.
“We were battling out there,” said Smith,
the recipient of four stitches above his right
eye after an early knock of heads with
Triche. “It’s always great to have him out
there on the floor, but at this time in the
tournament you can’t worry about things like
that. You’re not going to have guys out there.
You can’t let that get you down. You have to
fight even harder.”
When Sullinger returned to the floor in
the second half, it was clear he would make
a difference as he spurred the Scarlet and
Gray to a 17-7 run to start the stanza that
gave his team a 46-36 lead.
Ohio State went ahead for good on two
free throws by Buford with 18:16 left that
made the score 35-33. Smith drained a three
next time down the court before Buford
followed his own shot to draw a foul. The
senior made 1 of 2 from the charity stripe,
and Thomas netted a putback to give OSU
eight straight points.
After a three by James Southerland of
Syracuse made it 41-36, Sullinger went strong
to the hole for a basket and then created his
own shot between two Orange defenders to
push the lead to nine. Lastly, Smith ended
the run at 13:47 with 1 of 2 free throws just
moments after Craft sent the Buckeyes into
a media timeout in a frenzy by taking a
charge on Waiters.
Syracuse got the lead down to one point
twice with around seven minutes left, but
the Buckeyes hit a string of important shots
to push it back to as much as eight in the
final minute. Particularly big baskets were a
three-pointer by Smith that extended OSU’s
lead from one to four at 55-51 with 7:11 on
the clock and a floater by the sophomore
that made it 62-55, baskets that bookended
five straight OSU points by Sullinger.
Things really looked good when Thomas
hit a tough shot along the baseline with 1:47
left to make it a six-point game at 64-58.
The Orange made the last few minutes harrowing, however, getting it down to a onepossession game at 70-67 with 37 seconds
remaining. But Ohio State made 13 of 14 foul
shots down the stretch to ice the victory.
Syracuse committed 29 fouls in the game
– including a first-half technical foul on
Boeheim as he argued a call – to just 20 for
Ohio State.
As inconsistent as the officiating was,
it didn’t take away from the quality of play
– and the amount of drama – in the contest.
“I thought it was a high-level college basketball game, probably the way it’s supposed
to be in the regional finals,” Matta said. “We
beat a tremendous basketball team tonight.”
The reward was Matta’s second Final
Four in eight years and first since 2007. It
was first celebrated by a trip up a ladder to
cut down the nets, but the ultimate prize was
a visit to the Big Easy.
“It’s a great feeling,” Thomas said. “I love
it. This is everybody’s dream. At the end of
the game I wanted to cry, but I held it in.
That’s how emotional it is because everybody wants this.”
Buckeyes Best Bearcats For Sweeter Sweet 16 Result
By JEFF SVOBODA
Ohio State 81, Cincinnati 66
March 22, 2012
Not even head coach Thad Matta knew
how good his young Ohio State team was
going to be in 2011-12.
As it turns out, the Buckeyes were good
enough to advance deeper into the NCAA
Tournament than either of their star-studded
predecessors.
Ohio State clinched that designation
March 22 in front of a crowd of 18,796 at
Boston’s TD Garden, using its own brand of
inconsistent but ultimately redeeming basketball to down sixth-seeded Cincinnati by an
81-66 final in the Sweet 16.
The win was the second-seeded Buckeyes’
30th of the season, but given the round in
which it came – and Ohio State’s demise in
the regional semifinal each of the past two
seasons – it was surely the sweetest.
“I couldn’t be happier for this team,” Matta
said. “If you would have told me in November
this team was going to win 30 games, I would
have said there’s no way. And to their credit,
they’ve done a great job of putting us in the
position.”
The Buckeyes controlled three-quarters
of the game against their in-state rivals in a
heavily anticipated matchup – just the 10th
in the all-time series and the second in the
past 50 seasons – but that one slip-up left the
Queen City challengers in position to get the
win.
Despite taking a 12-point lead into halftime, Ohio State (30-7) allowed the Bearcats
(26-11) to retake the lead within the first six
minutes of the second stanza.
But instead of folding, OSU showed its
newfound mettle, putting together a 17-1
run over six minutes and change to punch
its ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time
since 2007.
“We lost a lot of close games like this
where some guys punched at us and we kept
backing up,” sophomore point guard Aaron
Craft said. “But from the Big Ten tournament
on, we try to stand our ground as much as
possible.
“We understand that these are great
teams that are going to go on runs. It’s going
to happen. We just can’t get too down on ourselves, try to stay as positive as possible, and
it worked today.”
There were a number of keys to the win,
from the dominating frontcourt pairing of
Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas – who
combined for 47 points and 17 rebounds
– against Cincinnati’s undersized lineup to
the steady contributions of all five starters on
the floor.
But the biggest difference was Ohio State’s
defensive intensity. In addition to its late shuttering of the UC attack, Ohio State forced
18 turnovers out of a Cincinnati team that
entered the game losing only 10.6 per game
to place ninth in the country in that statistic.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t take
care of the basketball,” UC head coach Mick
Cronin said. “We gave ourselves no chance
to win. They’re hard enough to guard, but
with 18 turnovers we just gave ourselves no
chance.”
Ohio State kept the Bearcat attack under
wraps in the opening 20 minutes while taking
a 37-25 lead into the break. The Buckeyes
forced Cincinnati into nine turnovers in the
opening period while keeping it to a 10-for26 showing (38.5 percent) from the field.
Reserve forward Justin Jackson had eight
points and five rebounds, but leading scorer
Sean Kilpatrick was held to only four points
TD Garden; Boston
Cincinnati
Total FG FT Reb.
(26-11)
Gates
29 3-7 1-1 0-5 0 3
7
Wright
34 6-12 2-2 1-3 3 5 18
Dixon
38 3-10 1-2 1-1 1 3
8
Kilpatrick
36 6-12 0-0 0-1 2 2 15
Parker
32 4-10 1-3 2-4 2 2 10
Davis III
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Jackson
20 4-5 0-0 3-3 0 5
8
Mbodj
5
0-0 0-0 0-2 0 0
0
Guyn
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1
0
Sanders
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Totals
200 26-56 5-8 8-21 8 21 66
9-23 (Wright 4-6, Dixon 1-5, Kilpatrick 3-8, Parker 14). Team rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: 5 (Jackson
4, Gates). Turnovers: 18 (Jackson 4, Wright 3,
Kilpatrick 3, Parker 3, Dixon 2, Gates, Mbodj, Guyn).
Steals: 5 (Gates 2, Dixon, Parker, Guyn).
Ohio State
Total FG FT Reb.
(30-7)
Sullinger
37 7-13 9-10 5-6 3 3 23
Thomas
39 9-16 3-4 3-3 0 2 24
Craft
39 2-7 6-10 0-4 5 1 11
Smith Jr.
35 7-8 0-0 1-5 2 1 17
Buford
30 1-8 1-2 2-3 1 4
4
Scott
16 1-4 0-1 0-1 3 0
2
Thompson
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Ravenel
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Totals
200 27-56 19-27 12-23 14 11 81
8-17 (Sullinger 0-2, Thomas 3-5, Craft 1-4, Smith Jr.
3-4, Buford 1-2). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked
shots: 1 (Thomas). Turnovers: 11 (Craft 4, Buford 4,
Sullinger, Thomas, Scott). Steals: 13 (Craft 6, Buford
3, Smith Jr. 2, Sullinger, Scott).
Halftime: Ohio State 37, Cincinnati 25. Officials:
Luckie, Eades, Irving. A: 18,796.
SONNY BROCKWAY
STATE CHAMPS – Ohio State earned a Sweet 16 victory against Cincinnati on
March 22 thanks in large part to a 23-point, 11-rebound performance by OSU
sophomore Jared Sullinger.
thanks to the stiff defense of OSU senior
William Buford.
On the other end, Ohio State’s offense
efficiently made the extra pass on most of
its possessions, assisting on nine of 14 field
goals. Thomas was dominating, posting 20
points by the intermission, while Sullinger
added 10 points and nine rebounds as the
Buckeye duo had its way with Cincinnati’s
zone defense.
“I was really good in that zone, flashing
and kicking it down to Sully and just getting in
the open area and just knocking down shots,”
Thomas said. “That’s what got me going.”
However, Cincinnati would not go quietly. The Bearcats switched to man-to-man
defense to slow down the Buckeyes, but the
real story was how Cincinnati finally was able
to pierce the OSU defense. Kilpatrick ignited
the rally with the Bearcats’ first eight points
of the second half, and Cashmere Wright
gave the Bearcats a 44-43 lead at the 14:05
mark with a three-pointer.
When forward Yancy Gates made a free
throw coming out of the under-12 media
timeout, the Bearcats’ lead had reached four
at 52-48.
“For some reason, guys thought that they
were going to stop fighting,” OSU guard
Lenzelle Smith Jr. said. “We got into our
relaxed mode and took a chill pill, but they
came out fighting.”
But just as quickly as Ohio State had
lost its defensive chops, the Buckeyes found
them. Cincinnati’s next 10 possessions ended
with five turnovers, four missed shots and a
single made free throw by Dion Dixon.
On the other side of the floor, Ohio State
pulled away. Sullinger hit three free throws in
a row to make it a one-point game before Craft
put the Buckeyes ahead for good at the 10:23
mark, making it 53-52 with a jump shot.
After Thomas hit a tip-in on a missed
Buford dunk, Dixon scored from the charity stripe to make it 55-53, but the Buckeyes
responded with the next 10 points. Smith
started the run with a trey from the right
wing, and then Craft coolly nailed another
three – one of eight makes in 17 tries for
OSU – before Smith hit a layup after a great
entry pass from Sullinger, who finished the
run with a jumper to make it 65-53 with 5:55
to go.
Two games after a career-high 31 points to
begin the NCAA Tournament against Loyola
(Md.), Thomas finished with 24 points to lead
the attack. Sullinger had his 16th doubledouble of the year with 23 points and 11
rebounds. Smith had 17 points on 7-of-8
shooting – including 3 of 4 on threes – and
Craft had 11 points and five assists.
Buford struggled, going 1 of 8 from the
floor and finishing with four points in an
offensive performance much like his 2-for-16
showing against Kentucky last season that
helped contribute to OSU’s upset loss to the
Wildcats.
Unlike that game, however, the Buckeyes
lived up to the old survive-and-advance mantra this time around.
“We made it farther than we made it my
last three years here,” Buford said. “That’s all
that matters to me.”
Wright led the Bearcats – who fell to 4-6
all-time vs. OSU – with 18 points before fouling out late while Kilpatrick added 15.
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Second-Seeded OSU Races Past Greyhounds, Zags
By MARCUS HARTMAN
Had the Ohio State basketball team
been victorious in the Big Ten tournament’s championship game March 11,
the Buckeyes likely would have been
rewarded with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA
Tournament.
Despite falling by a 68-64 final score to
Michigan State in a hard-fought game reminiscent of a contest you’d see deep in the
NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes entered
the Big Dance feeling like they were playing their best basketball of the season.
Being assigned to the No. 2 seed in the
East Regional, the Buckeyes hoped the
experience gained in their third battle of
the year against the Spartans – a No. 1 seed
in the tournament – would pay dividends.
In the first weekend of the NCAA
Tournament it did as the Buckeyes
advanced to their third Sweet 16 in as many
years with wins over No. 15 Loyola (Md.)
and No. 7 Gonzaga in Pittsburgh.
What follows are capsules from the
games against the Greyhounds and
Bulldogs. Complete recaps were published
in the March 20 electronic issue of BSB
available to all paid subscribers. If you
have not already signed up for this free
service, see the instructions on page 5 of
this issue.
Gonzaga, March 17
Fighting through physical play in the
paint that stopped him from dominating
inside for most of the game, sophomore
All-American Jared Sullinger scored six
crucial points during the final 3:36 to boost
the Buckeyes to a 73-66 win over seven
seed Gonzaga in front of 18,588 fans at the
Consol Energy Center.
Sullinger, who made a basket off the
glass over 7-foot Robert Sacre to extend
the Buckeyes’ lead to five at 66-61 with 1:03
remaining, helped Ohio State close out a
pesky Bulldogs squad to advance to the
tournament’s Sweet 16.
While Sullinger was either out of the
game with early foul trouble – he logged
only nine minutes in the first half – or being
contained in the paint by Gonzaga’s athletic
big men, it was a balanced offensive attack
that kept Ohio State in the game.
Sullinger and sophomore guard Deshaun
Thomas led the Buckeyes with 18 points
apiece, but perhaps the best offensive game
of Aaron Craft’s career kept the Buckeyes
constantly afloat. The sophomore point guard
had season highs with 17 points and 10 assists,
accounting for his first career double-double.
Freshman guard Gary Bell Jr. led the
Bulldogs (26-7) with 18 points while junior
forward Elias Harris added 16. Freshman
point guard Kevin Pangos totaled 10 points,
but he was blanketed by Craft throughout
the game and made only 3 of 13 shots from
the field. Pangos also had only one assist
against two turnovers
Sacre finished with eight points and six
rebounds in 24 minutes on the floor.
Ohio State led 52-42 with 14:22 remaining in the game, but Gonzaga switched to a
zone defense and tied the game at 61 with
4:03 to go.
Ohio State 73, Gonzaga 66
March 17, 2012
March 15, 2012
Consol Energy Center; Pittsburgh
Gonzaga
Total FG FT Reb.
(26-7)
Edi
20 1-2 2-2 0-3 1 2
4
Harris
34 6-14 2-4 2-5 0 4 16
Sacre
24 3-6 2-3 1-5 1 4
8
Pangos
34 3-13 2-2 1-0 1 1 10
Bell Jr.
36 5-9 5-6 1-3 5 2 18
Carter
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Stockton
14 0-2 1-2 0-1 5 1
1
Spangler
2
0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0
0
Moenninghoff 1
0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Hart
15 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 3
0
Dower
18 4-9 0-0 5-1 1 2
9
Totals
200 22-56 14-19 13-21 14 19 66
8-23 (Edi 0-1, Harris 2-6, Pangos 2-8, Bell Jr. 3-5,
Stockton 0-1, Moenninghoff 0-1, Dower 1-1). Team
rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: 1 (Sacre). Turnovers:
9 (Dower 3, Sacre 2, Pangos 2, Harris, Bell Jr.). Steals:
3 (Pangos 2, Hart).
Consol Energy Center; Pittsburgh
Loyola (Md.)
Total FG FT Reb.
(24-9)
Walker
28 3-8 1-2 0-4 1 4
8
Etherly
37 6-12 7-8 3-4 2 1 19
Cormier
28 5-12 2-2 1-2 0 1 14
R.J.Williams
22 1-1 0-0 0-0 4 5
2
Olson
33 1-11 4-6 0-5 1 3
7
Winbush
11 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0
0
Drummond
15 2-6 0-0 0-0 1 5
4
Latham
15 0-3 2-2 0-1 0 3
2
P.Williams
1
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Brooks
8
1-1 1-2 0-2 0 2
3
Wandrusch
2
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Totals
200 19-54 17-22 5-19 9 24 59
4-14 (Walker 1-3, Cormier 2-4, Olson 1-6, Drummond
0-1). Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 8 (Etherly
4, Walker 2, Latham, Brooks). Turnovers: 12 (Walker
3, Cormier 3, Drummond 3, Etherly, Olson, Brooks).
Steals: 6 (Walker 3, Olson, Drummond, Latham).
Ohio State
Total FG FT Reb.
(29-7)
Sullinger
26 5-9 6-7 1-3 0 3 18
Thomas
39 7-15 1-2 5-2 1 3 18
Craft
40 7-9 2-2 1-2 10 2 17
Smith Jr.
28 2-6 2-2 0-5 1 2
7
Buford
40 4-13 3-4 0-5 1 3 13
Scott
11 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2
0
Thompson
1
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Williams
4
0-0 0-1 0-0 0 1
0
Ravenel
11 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 1
0
Totals
200 25-53 14-18 9-22 13 17 73
1-4, Buford 2-7, Scott 0-1). Team rebounds: 5.
Blocked shots: 4 (Thomas 2, Smith Jr., Williams).
Turnovers: 11 (Thomas 2, Craft 2, Smith Jr. 2,
Ravenel 2, Sullinger, Buford, Scott). Steals: 6 (Craft
3, Sullinger, Buford, Scott).
Halftime: Ohio State 39, Gonzaga 37. Officials:
Corbett, McCall, Breeding. A: 18,588.
Ohio State
Total FG FT Reb.
(28-7)
Sullinger
32 4-14 3-4 4-7 2 2 12
Thomas
35 13-22 4-4 7-5 1 1 31
Craft
33 1-2 6-6 0-5 4 3
8
Smith Jr.
25 1-2 1-3 0-8 0 3
3
Buford
29 5-11 4-4 0-3 2 3 17
Scott
20 1-4 0-1 0-2 0 2
2
Thompson
13 0-1 2-2 2-1 2 1
2
Weatherspoon 3
0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1
0
Ravenel
10 1-1 1-2 1-1 0 3
3
Totals
200 26-58 21-26 16-33 11 19 78
0-1, Buford 3-7, Scott 0-1). Team rebounds: 3.
Blocked shots: 8 (Sullinger 5, Thomas 2, Ravenel).
Turnovers: 18 (Craft 5, Smith Jr. 3, Buford 3, Thomas
2, Ravenel 2, Sullinger, Scott, Thompson). Steals: 6
(Craft 3, Sullinger, Buford, Scott).
Halftime: Ohio State 42, Loyola (Md.) 31. Officials:
Breeding, Eppley, Porter. A: 19,413.
Sullinger answered with a baseline
bucket to give the Buckeyes a two-point
lead at 63-61 with 3:36 remaining in the
game, and then Thomas made 1 of 2 free
throws to extend his team’s lead to 64-61 at
the 2:41 mark.
Pangos had a chance to tie the game
with a wide-open look from the corner, but
he misfired, one of six misses the Gonzaga
freshman had in eight long-range attempts
for the game. OSU senior William Buford
came down with the rebound and Sullinger
made the shot over Sacre at the other
end that helped put the game out of the
Bulldogs’ reach.
In addition to his double-double, Craft
had three steals in the game, pushing
his season total to 88 and breaking Mike
Conley Jr.’s single-season record of 87,
set during the 2007 run to the NCAA
Tournament title game.
out to a 5-1 lead in the early going behind
a big dunk by junior forward Erik Etherly
and a three by sophomore guard Dylon
Cormier before Ohio State’s athleticism
allowed the Buckeyes to slowly pull away.
Sullinger was hard to handle early as
he scored the Buckeyes’ first six points –
including a trey from the left wing – before
an old-fashioned three-point play by sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. stretched OSU’s
advantage to 13-7 with 13:20 remaining in
the opening half.
Ohio State’s lead fluctuated between
four and nine until the 7:49 mark of the half
when Sullinger drove the lane and laid it in
to make it 31-20.
The lead got as high as 15 two different
times before the Buckeyes finished the
first half up 42-31. In addition to Thomas’
14 first-half points, Ohio State got 12 from
Sullinger. Each had six rebounds as well.
Smith added seven rebounds.
The second half was in many ways a
replication of the first. The Ohio State lead
swung between 12 and 19 for the first 14
minutes and change until Thomas’ bucket
with 5:35 left gave him his career-high
point total and made the score 70-50.
Ohio State (28-7) was finally able to pull
away behind a shooting percentage of 60.9
in the second half, but the Greyhounds did
cut the OSU lead to 11 at 70-59 with 2:18
left, prompting head coach Thad Matta to
insert his starters back into the game for a
final 8-0 run.
Buford hit two three-pointers in the closing moments to finish with 17 points, while
Sullinger had his 15th double-double of the
year with 12 points – none in the second
half – and 11 rebounds. The Buckeyes also
held a 49-24 advantage on the glass.
Loyola – a team whose home gym holds
2,100 but who was playing in front of a facility-record 19,413 fans – was led by Etherly,
who had 19 points and seven rebounds
while Cormier added 14 points.
BSB staff writer Jeff Svoboda contributed
to this report.
Loyola (Md.), March 15
OhioStateBuckeyes.com/BuckeyeClub | 614.292.9908 | email: [email protected]
Ohio State 78, Loyola (Md.) 59
Thomas set a new career scoring high
with 31 points and tallied his third career
double-double, pacing the Buckeyes to a
78-59 victory against 15th-seeded Loyola
(Md.) in the NCAA Tournament’s second
round.
The OSU sophomore’s 31 points topped
by one his previous best – set Dec. 17
against South Carolina – and he added 12
rebounds to fall one shy of a career high.
“I was just trying to get in the right spots
at the right time, run a play, run with pace
like Coach always tells us,” Thomas said.
“Then I was just knocking them down. I
was just feeling it a bit.”
Thomas was an equal opportunity scorer, leading Ohio State with 14 points in the
first half and at one point in the second half
posting 13 of the team’s points in a row.
He finished 13 of 22 from the field, falling
just one shy of OSU’s NCAA Tournament
record for field goals in a game set by Jerry
Lucas in 1960 and equaled a year later by
the Buckeye legend.
The Greyhounds (24-9) actually jumped
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Ohio State Is No Stranger To Final Four Trips
By MARK REA
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Managing Editor
Ohio State has a rich NCAA Tournament
tradition through the years including
appearing in four of the first eight Final
Fours. The Buckeyes return this season to
college basketball’s version of the Promised
Land, taking on Kansas on March 31 in
the national semifinals at the Louisiana
Superdome in New Orleans.
It will mark the program’s 11th trip to
the Final Four, the sixth most in tournament history.
North Carolina and UCLA are tied for
the most Final Four appearances with 18
each. Next is Kentucky, which this season
makes a 15th trip to the Final Four to tie
Duke for third most, while Kansas will be
making trip No. 14 this year.
Ohio State began making Final Four
treks in 1939 – the NCAA Tournament’s
inaugural year – and has appeared in three
consecutive Final Fours on two occasions.
The Buckeyes were among the tournament’s final four teams from 1944 through
1946 and made three straight trips again in
1960-62.
The 1960 appearance resulted in the
program’s only national title, including
a 75-55 blowout of defending champion
California in the championship game.
Here are brief recaps of Ohio State’s previous 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament’s
Final Four.
• 1939 – The first-ever NCAA
Tournament featured an eight-team field
consisting of seven conference champions
and one independent. East region teams
were Brown, Ohio State, Villanova and
Wake Forest, while Oklahoma, Oregon,
Texas and Utah State represented the
West.
Quarterfinal matches weren’t close with
each advancing team winning by double
digits. The same held true in the semifinals as OSU rolled to a 53-36 victory over
Villanova while Oregon easily dispatched
Oklahoma by a 55-37 final.
In the title game, held in Patten
Gymnasium on the Northwestern campus in Evanston, Ill., the Howard Hobsoncoached Ducks scored a 46-33 win over the
Buckeyes to capture the title. Ohio State
took a measure of solace when All-America
forward Jimmy Hull was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
• 1944 – Ohio State made a return trip
to the tournament as part of an eight-team
field that also featured Catholic, Temple
and Dartmouth in the East region as well as
Iowa State, Missouri, Pepperdine and Utah
from the West.
The Buckeyes drew Temple in the quarterfinal round and dealt the Owls a 57-47
loss at New York City’s Madison Square
Garden. Back at the Garden for the semifinals, OSU wasn’t quite as fortunate, falling
to Dartmouth by a 60-53 final.
The Big Green went on to lose a 4240 decision to Utah in the championship
game. The Utes were led by freshman
Arnie Ferrin, who was named the tournament MVP. Ferrin went on to become the
only four-time All-American in Utah history
and led the team to the 1947 NIT title as a
senior.
• 1945 – The 1945 tournament was
filled with legendary coaches including
Adolph Rupp of Kentucky, Henry Iba of
Oklahoma A&M, Howard Cann of NYU and
Harold Olsen of Ohio State. Each would later
be inducted into the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Buckeyes were joined in the East
region by Kentucky, NYU and upstart Tufts
University while the West was represented
by Arkansas, Oklahoma A&M, Oregon and
Utah.
OSU got past Kentucky in the quarterfinals by a 45-37 score, but the Buckeyes
dropped a 70-65 overtime thriller to NYU in
the semifinals. The Violets advanced to the
championship final, where they lost a 49-45
final to Oklahoma A&M. The Cowboys’ 7foot center Bob Kurland, who won Olympic
gold medals with the U.S. basketball team
in 1948 and 1952, was the tournament
MVP.
• 1946 – The Cowboys and Kurland
were back to defend their title in ’46 and
were joined in the West region by Baylor,
California and Colorado. Meanwhile, Ohio
State was making its third straight tournament appearance and was part of an East
region that included NYU, North Carolina
and Harvard.
The Buckeyes rolled to a 46-38 win in
their quarterfinal match with Harvard but
came up short again in overtime in the
semis, losing a hard-fought 60-57 decision
to North Carolina. Meanwhile, A&M (now
known as Oklahoma State), sailed through
Baylor and Cal before notching a 43-40 win
over the Tar Heels in the championship
final.
Kurland repeated as tournament MVP
and Iba claimed his second straight national championship. That was a first-ever feat
in the NCAA Tournament and would not
be repeated until a Bill Russell-led San
Francisco won back-to-back titles in 1955
and ’56.
The 1946 tournament marked the first
time that losers of the national semifinal games played one another for a
third-place trophy. Ohio State captured
that honor with a 63-45 victory over Cal,
thanks in part to 19 points from junior
center Jack Underman. The third-place
game would continue through the 1981
tournament.
• 1960 – Thanks to a strong class
of high school stars signed in 1958, Ohio
State made the first of three consecutive
trips to the NCAA Tournament championship game.
By 1960, the tournament had expanded
to include 25 teams playing in four regions.
The Buckeyes were included in the sixteam Mideast region along with Georgia
Tech, Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame, Ohio
University and Western Kentucky.
Tournament teams were not seeded
in those days, but OSU received an opening-round bye before facing high-scoring
Western Kentucky, which was coming off
a 107-84 pasting of Miami in the regional
quarterfinals. But the Hilltoppers had no
answer for Ohio State sophomore center
Jerry Lucas, who totaled 36 points and 25
rebounds during a 98-79 victory. Lucas’
point total remains an OSU record for an
NCAA Tournament game.
The Buckeyes went on to coast to an
86-69 victory over Georgia Tech in the
regional finals, giving the team its first
trip to the Final Four in 14 years. OSU
then proceeded to run roughshod over
its opponents, first taking a 76-54 decision
over NYU before blowing away defending
national champion California by the 75-55
score in the title game.
Lucas was named tournament MVP after
averaging 24.0 points and 16.0 rebounds in
four games.
• 1961 – With Lucas returning along
with junior classmate John Havlicek and
senior captain Larry Siegfried, Ohio State
was a heavy favorite to repeat as the national
champion. The Buckeyes, who entered the
tournament with a perfect 24-0 record, were
placed in a Mideast region that included
such perennial heavyweights as Kentucky
and Louisville as well as such underdogs
as Morehead State, Ohio University and
Xavier.
Following a first-round bye, OSU had
some difficulty with Louisville before scoring a 56-55 squeaker over the Cardinals.
The regional final was a much more comfortable affair as the Buckeyes got 33
points and 30 rebounds from Lucas during
an 87-74 win over Kentucky. The rebound
mark established another OSU record in an
NCAA Tournament game for Lucas.
In the national semifinal game against
St. Joseph’s, coached by the famed Dr.
Jack Ramsay, the Buckeyes ran away with
a 95-69 victory. But two days later, they
were denied a second straight title when
Cincinnati landed four players in double
figures and scored a 70-65 upset win.
Lucas was again named the tournament’s most valuable player after averaging
24.5 points and 18.3 rebounds during his
four games.
St. Joseph’s won the third-place game
with a 127-120 win in four overtimes over
Utah. No NCAA Tournament game has
since gone to four overtimes. The victory
was later vacated when St. Joseph’s was
rocked by a gambling scandal.
• 1962 – The Buckeyes were determined to avenge their only loss from the
year before and sailed into the 1962 tournament fresh off a third straight Big Ten title
and a 23-1 regular-season record.
OSU found some familiar faces in the
Mideast region as Western Kentucky and
Kentucky again qualified for tournament
play. But neither team from the Bluegrass
State could get past the Buckeyes as the
Hilltoppers dropped a 93-73 decision in
the semifinals before the Wildcats were
victimized in the regional finals by a 74-64
decision.
Those victories sent Ohio State back to
the Final Four, and the team sailed through
Wake Forest, 84-68, in the semifinals. But
Lucas sustained an injury in that contest
and wasn’t his normal self for the championship game rematch with Cincinnati. The
OSU star still accounted for 11 points and
16 rebounds, but the Bearcats got 22 points
and 19 boards from center Paul Hogue to
win a surprisingly easy 71-59 decision.
Despite the fact he averaged 18.0 points
and 15.0 rebounds during the tournament,
Lucas was denied a third straight MVP trophy as the award went to Hogue, who had
averaged 29.0 points and 19.0 rebounds in
the Final Four.
• 1968 – Legendary head coach Fred
Taylor appeared in his fourth and final
Final Four, guiding an overachieving team
to a tie for the Big Ten championship.
The Buckeyes were back in the Mideast
region, joined by the likes of Bowling
Green, East Tennessee State, Kentucky,
Marquette and Florida State. OSU received
a first-round bye despite going only 18-7
during the regular season. Its first tournament action came in the regional semifinals and resulted in a 79-72 win over East
Tennessee State.
FILE PHOTO
CHAMPS – John Havlicek (left) and
head coach Fred Taylor (right) led
Ohio State to its only men’s basketball national championship in 1960.
That set up a regional final vs. Kentucky,
and the Buckeyes squeezed out an 82-81 victory thanks to a combined 45 points and 19
rebounds from senior forward Bill Hosket
and sophomore center Dave Sorenson.
Unfortunately for Ohio State, it ran into
a North Carolina buzz saw in the national
semifinals and bowed with an 80-66 loss.
The Tar Heels went on to lose a 78-55
decision to UCLA in the title game, giving
the Bruins their fourth national championship in five years. Lew Alcindor (who later
became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was named
tourney MVP.
The Buckeyes took home the thirdplace trophy following an 89-85 win over
an Elvin Hayes-led Houston team. Junior
forward John Howell scored 26 points and
pulled down 13 rebounds in that game for
OSU while Hosket added 19 points and 17
boards. Hayes had game-high totals of 34
points and 16 rebounds for the Cougars.
• 1999 – Ohio State ended a 31-year
Final Four drought with an improbable
postseason run by a team that had finished
with an 8-22 record the year before.
The NCAA Tournament had undergone lots of changes since the Buckeyes
had been away, including an expansion to
include 64 teams. OSU entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South region
and opened with double-digit victories over
Murray State (72-58) and Detroit (75-44)
before bouncing No. 1 seed Auburn by a
72-63 final.
That set up a regional final vs. thirdseeded St. John’s, and the Buckeyes scored
a 77-74 victory over the Red Storm to earn
a trip to the Final Four in St. Petersburg,
Fla.
The magical postseason run ended
there, however, with a 64-58 loss to eventual champion Connecticut. The Buckeyes
were victimized by a cold second half from
the floor as they made only 8 of 33 attempts
(24.2 percent). Ohio State guards Michael
Redd and Scoonie Penn totaled 15 and 11
points, respectively, in the title game but
shot a collective 10 for 31 (32.2 percent) for
the contest.
Buckeyes In The Final Four
Year
Record
Finish
Champion
1939
1944
1945
1946
1960
1961
1962
1968
1999
2007
16-7
15-6
15-5
16-5
25-3
27-1
26-2
21-8
27-9
35-4
Runner-Up
Fourth
Fourth
Third
Champion
Runner-Up
Runner-Up
Third
Vacated
Runner-Up
Oregon
Utah
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Cincinnati
UCLA
Duke
Florida
2012 BSB Quickly Schedule
FILE PHOTO
CLOSE TO A TITLE – Former Ohio State standout Greg Oden (20) led the
Buckeyes to the Final Four in 2007, but OSU fell to Florida and Joakim Noah
(right) in the national championship game.
Five years later, Ohio State’s feel-good
march to the Final Four as well as most
of the team’s victories from 1999 through
2002 were vacated due to NCAA violations committed during head coach Jim
O’Brien’s tenure.
• 2007 – Third-year head coach Thad
Matta put together a team that featured
several veterans and a mix of talented
freshmen, and that formula propelled the
Buckeyes all the way to the national championship game.
Ohio State carried a 30-3 record into
the tournament, earning a No. 1 seed in
the South region. An opening-round 78-57
rout of Central Connecticut preceded a
pair of heart-pounding victories – a 78-71
overtime win over Xavier followed by an
85-84 victory over Tennessee to get to the
regional finals.
There, the battle-tested Buckeyes
took out second-seeded Memphis, getting 22 points from senior guard Ron
Lewis during a 92-76 decision to advance
to the Final Four at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta.
During the national semifinals, Ohio
State scored a 67-60 win over Georgetown
before the postseason ride ended with an
84-75 loss to defending national champion Florida in the title game. Freshman
center Greg Oden totaled 25 points and
12 rebounds for the Buckeyes while
freshman point guard Mike Conley Jr.
added 20 points, six assists and four
steals.
The loss was especially bitter because
the Gators had defeated the OSU football
team three months earlier to capture the
national title in that sport.
Jan. 6
Jan. 13
Jan. 17
Jan. 20
Jan. 27
Jan. 31
Feb. 3
Feb. 14
Feb. 21
March 6
March 20
April 3
April 17
April 20
May 1
May 8
May 15
May 22
June 19
July 17
July 31
Aug. 7
Aug. 14
Aug. 31
Sept. 7
Sept. 14
Sept. 21
Sept. 28
Oct. 5
Oct. 12
Oct. 19
Oct. 26
Nov. 2
Nov. 16
Nov. 23
Dec. 4
Smith Emerging As
Threat At Right Time
By halftime of the NCAA Tournament’s
East Regional final, the cut above Lenzelle
Smith Jr.’s right eye had started to swell.
Worse yet, the Ohio State sophomore had
more stitches (four) above his eye than
points scored (two).
As he sat in the locker room in a tie game
with Syracuse, Smith’s eyesight was blurry
but his vision for the role he needed to play
never wavered.
COURT REPORT
Ari Wasserman
Sixteen points later – including multiple
big shots down the stretch in the Buckeyes’
77-70 Elite Eight win over the Orange in
Boston’s TD Garden on March 24 – the
sophomore shooting guard was one of the
top reasons Ohio State is packing its bags for
the Final Four in New Orleans.
“I’ve been saying this all season long,”
sophomore Jared Sullinger said. “The bigger
the game, the bigger Lenzelle plays. He’s a
big-game player.”
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta told
Smith the matchup with the Orange would
be about toughness. It wasn’t even three
minutes into the game when Smith got firsthand proof of what Matta was talking about.
Syracuse guard Brandon Triche collided
with Smith, and Triche’s head left a bleeding
gash above the OSU sophomore’s eye. Smith
was removed from the game for roughly five
minutes and went to the locker room to get
patched up.
“I am surprised people on the court didn’t
hear me screaming,” Smith said, describing
the pain endured while the stitches were
being applied by team doctor Grant Jones.
“But this game was about toughness. As
much as it hurt, I couldn’t wait to get back
out onto the floor for my team.”
Smith had the option to sit out the rest
of the game, but he didn’t allow the question from Jones to be completely formulated
before interrupting and demanding he get
back into the game as quickly as possible.
When Smith first checked back in, he
admitted he couldn’t see much out of his
right eye. Perhaps that’s why he misfired on
all four of his shot attempts heading into the
locker room at halftime.
But Smith settled down during the break.
He learned to allow his pain to be only a
minor nuisance, and he returned to the
game strong. He finished with 18 points after
making four of his six shot attempts in the
second half.
“He stepped up and made a couple of big
shots for us,” sophomore point guard Aaron
Craft said. “And on the other end, he did a
good job of keeping their great guards in
front of him and trying to do his best.
“He was a little out of it the first half after
getting hit and getting those stitches, but he
did a great job at halftime of kind of regrouping and sticking together. And he knocked
down some big shots for us.”
Statistically, Smith isn’t a lethal scorer.
He averaged only 6.8 points per game during
the Big Ten season and had only a few occurrences when he came across as a big threat
to score with the basketball.
But in the Sweet 16, Smith became one of
Ohio State’s top offensive options. He scored
15 points on 6-of-7 shooting in Ohio State’s
81-66 win over Cincinnati on March 22 and
followed two days later with his big secondhalf performance against Syracuse.
More impressive than Smith’s point totals
were the situations in which he was able to
knock down shots. He knocked down a crucial triple against Syracuse with 7:11 remaining in the game to extend Ohio State’s lead
to four at 55-51. Later, he added a jumper
with 3:15 remaining in the contest to push
his team’s advantage to 62-55, a shot that
really made it tough for the Orange to stay
within striking distance.
“We’re always looking for clutch shooters,” sophomore Deshaun Thomas said.
“Lenzelle has been really clutch for his and
he showed (in the Syracuse win) that he isn’t
afraid to take and make big shots. He was
huge for us.”
Given teams will always try to blanket
Sullinger, the Buckeyes can never get enough
outside shooting. If Smith can be a consistent
option – along with senior William Buford
and Thomas – that makes the Buckeyes a
threat to win their first national championship since 1960.
If Sullinger’s words are correct about
Smith’s propensity to show up when the
team needs him the most, Ohio State should
be thankful that the stage it’s about to play
on couldn’t possibly be bigger.
“It’s not that I can’t score, it is that this
team didn’t need me to a lot of the time this
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SONNY BROCKWAY
STEPPING UP – Sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. (32) made several key shots
down the stretch of Ohio State’s 77-70 win in the East Regional final against
Syracuse en route to scoring 18 points.
season,” Smith said. “I went a lot of games
where I simply wasn’t shooting. But now the
coaches want me to shoot and even when I
miss, they tell me I am going to make the
next one.
“I am confident as ever and I know I can
help this team accomplish our goals. I am
fine taking big shots or dishing the ball off
to the other players for better ones. I think if
I am playing well we’re more of a complete
team and I am happy things are coming
together at this point of the season.”
Big Man, Big Minutes
Syracuse seemingly had Ohio State on
the ropes after Sullinger picked up two quick
fouls in the first 6:18 of the game and his
replacement, junior Evan Ravenel, picked up
two shortly after and was also forced to leave
the game.
Comfortable at the end of the bench
was seldom-used freshman big man Amir
Williams when Matta called his name to
check into the game. It was the Elite Eight
against one of the top teams in the country,
and the youngster should have been overwhelmed.
“I just went in there and didn’t think
about how hard it was going to be or how
easy it was going to be,” Williams said. “I was
just ready to play no matter who we’re playing. Whether it’s Michigan State, Gonzaga or
Syracuse, I was just thinking in my mind, ‘Go
out there and play your hardest,’ and that’s
what I did.”
With Sullinger – Ohio State’s best player
and top offensive option – on the bench,
Syracuse was supposed to go on a run to put
itself in position to hold a lead in the second
half. Williams didn’t allow that to happen.
Syracuse trailed by two points at 23-21
when the freshman checked into the game
with 8:45 remaining in the first half. Playing
the rest of the minutes until the break,
Williams had three points, four rebounds,
two blocks and an assist.
The Orange outscored the Buckeyes by
only two with Sullinger on the bench, setting
the halftime score at 29-all and setting up
Ohio State’s second-half flourish.
“We got Sullinger in foul trouble early
but we didn’t take advantage of it,” Syracuse
head coach Jim Boeheim said. “You know
when he gets back in he’s going to be difficult, and he was. But I thought the first half,
it got away from us.”
Things could have gone south for Williams
when he first checked into the game. He
missed a pair of free-throw attempts during
his first minute and saw Syracuse forward
C.J. Fair dunk an alley-oop pass because the
big man didn’t get back on defense quickly
enough.
But Williams settled down and made
clutch plays to keep Ohio State in the game.
When Sullinger returned to the game in the
second half, he helped lead the Buckeyes to
the victory by scoring 15 of his game-high 19
points in the final 20 minutes.
“Amir used to get frustrated, but I told
him his time would come,” Thomas said.
“And look – his time came on a huge stage
in the Elite Eight. I remember telling him to
just be patient and know things would happen. I am happy he stepped up when his time
came and when we needed him.”
Perhaps Williams is more ready for a
steady role than given credit for. Criticized
for a perceived lack of strength, the freshman
used his 6-11, 220-pound frame to his advantage against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense.
Williams will undoubtedly go back to his
spot on the bench during the Final Four, but
the freshman proved he’s capable of keeping
Ohio State steady if it runs into early foul
trouble again.
“Amir always had the talent,” Sullinger
said. “It’s just unfortunate he’s playing
behind me and Evan at the time, so watch
out for him next year.
Encouraged By Bright Future
LaQuinton Ross hears the fans chanting
his name and he reads the social media
websites that clamor for him to get on the
court. Ross, a natural scorer who has been
his team’s best player throughout his basketball career, started believing it was wrong he
wasn’t playing more in his freshman season
at Ohio State.
In a moment of frustration after not playing in Ohio State’s road win at Minnesota
on Feb. 14, Ross thought he’d weigh in on
the public discussion about him not playing
more minutes.
He posted on his Twitter account, “Don’t
know how much longer I can take this
BULL----!!!!!” The second he sent the tweet
out to his thousands of followers, he knew
he had made a mistake.
Looking back at it now that over a month
has passed, Ross understands his role on
this team and has matured to understand
that playing at a
program like Ohio
State is about
progressing as a
player.
“It has been really tough because
I have never been
on the bench in my
entire life,” Ross
told BSB. “It’s a
humbling situation, though. It has
LaQuinton Ross
helped me understand you can always have room to improve.
“I got upset one time and that was really
out of my character. I got frustrated and I
have talked to coaches since then and I have
come to find out that it is way better just to
talk to them than to put stuff like that out to
the public.”
Coming into his freshman season, Ross
was figured to be an instant contributor.
Scout.com rated him a top-50 prospect in the
2011 recruiting class, and his proficiency on
the offensive end has been a perceived need
for the Buckeyes.
However, Ross’ enrollment was delayed
until December after the NCAA ruled him
academically ineligible in September. While
he was home in Jackson, Miss., completing
his academic requirements, Ross missed
a good portion of Ohio State’s preseason
workouts and individual sessions with the
coaching staff.
Because of his propensity to score in
bunches in high school, fans have often wondered why Matta has been reluctant to use
Ross this season. To the coaching staff it is
simple – he has a lot of growing to do before
he’s ready to play considerable minutes for
this deep Buckeyes team.
“He’s doing well,” OSU assistant coach
Jeff Boals told BSB. “He’s gotten better
since he’s gotten here in December. He
was thrown into a tough situation, coming
here midyear and missing all the preseason work and the individual workouts
and defensive fundamentals. But he has
2011-12 Ohio State Men’s Basketball Statistics
31-7 Overall (13-5 Big Ten)
Statistics through games of March 24
Player
G-GS Min.-Avg. FG-FGA
Jared Sullinger 36-35
Deshaun Thomas 38-38
William Buford 38-38
Aaron Craft
38-38
Lenzelle Smith Jr. 38-38
Evan Ravenel
38-3
J.D. Weatherspoon 25-0
Jordan Sibert
24-0
Sam Thompson
38-0
LaQuinton Ross
9-0
Amir Williams
28-0
Shannon Scott
36-0
Trey McDonald
13-0
TEAM
Ohio State
Opponents
Pct. FT-FTA
223-420
240-453
199-479
111-219
86-181
46-85
29-47
24-79
34-69
5-15
19-36
20-71
1-6
.531 16-38
.530 49-138
.415 59-168
.507 21-61
.475 29-77
.541
0-0
.617
0-2
.304 13-50
.493
1-14
.333
2-8
.528
0-0
.282
1-18
.167
0-0
.421 172-224
.355 81-109
.351 90-109
.344 91-128
.377 53-87
.000 41-59
.000 18-31
.260 10-18
.071 12-22
.250
6-7
.000 10-28
.056
2-9
.000
0-0
.768 110-219
.743 98-107
.826 33-154
.711 22-104
.609 51-125
.695
31-51
.581
16-11
.556
5-28
.545
10-30
.857
0-4
.357
27-35
.222
4-34
.000
3-3
45-50
329-9.1
205-5.4
187-4.9
126-3.3
176-4.6
82-2.2
27-1.1
33-1.4
40-1.1
4-0.4
62-2.2
38-1.1
6-0.5
95-2.5
7600 1037-2160
7600 815-2006
.480 191-574
.406 231-710
.333 586-831
.325 408-585
.705 455-955
.697 315-802
1410-37.1
1117-29.4
1084-30.1
1201-31.6
1285-33.8
1215-32.0
958-25.2
383-10.1
157-6.3
273-11.4
401-10.6
35-3.9
188-6.7
382-10.6
38-2.9
38
38
Rebounds
Pct.Off.-Def.Total-Avg. PF-FO
Pct. 3P-3PA
come to work every day and he’s gotten
better.
“He went through a rough stretch where
he was frustrated, but he’s a great kid with
an unbelievable personality and he’s going
to be a really good player for us.”
Ross has shown flashes of his offensive
prowess late in games this season. Against
Illinois on Feb. 21, the freshman scored five
points in five minutes, including a score that
came off a crossover dribble and nice drive
to the basket.
Scoring comes natural for Ross. It is
learning the most important thing, at least in
Matta’s eyes, that is going to be the key for
him getting onto the floor in a sizeable role
in his sophomore season.
“I think my main thing is learning the
defense,” Ross said. “Obviously that didn’t
happen because of my lack of time here, but
I am doing fine. I am a smart kid and I have
picked up on everything probably as well as
anyone could have in my time here.
“Practice has been great. I am just doing
what I have been doing me entire life and
that’s playing basketball. I don’t feel like basketball changes from high school. The only
thing that is different is the kids get bigger
and stronger and it is more organized. But at
the end of the day, it is just basketball.”
As Ohio State prepares for the Final Four,
it is clear that Ross’ freshman season will
come and go without him playing considerable minutes for the Buckeyes. But with
the looming departure of Buford, Ross is
energized about what his future could look
like next season.
“I am just happy to have Buckeye Nation
behind me this past year,” he said. “They
obviously know my game from high school
so I guess they assume that I can help on the
court right now. I am going to keep working
hard every day so I can be the type of player
that helps this team.”
Sullinger is the first player to repeat
as a freshman and sophomore since Chris
Jackson did it with LSU in 1989 and ’90 and
only the fourth Ohio State player to repeat as
an AP All-American. He joins Robin Freeman
(1955-56), Jerry Lucas (1960-62) and Gary
Bradds (1963-64).
“We knew he was going to be a special
player,” Matta said of Sullinger. “And to see
him get these accolades he has received and
won at the level he’s won speaks volumes
to the player he is. That select category and
only being a sophomore let’s you know what
a great player he is.”
Sullinger was the only member of the AP’s
preseason All-America team to make any of
the postseason teams. Sophomore forward
Harrison Barnes of North Carolina, sophomore
swingman Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut and
senior point guard Jordan Taylor of Wisconsin
earned honorable mentions. Terrence Jones
of Kentucky, another sophomore forward, was
the fifth member of the preseason team.
Closing In On Decision
Being one of the top prep basketball players
long before recruiting became a large part of his
life, Chris Walker learned to deal with the process. The 6-10, 200-pound power forward from
Bonifay (Fla.) Holmes County has even grown
to like some of the perks of being one of the best
players at his position in the nation.
But the constant phone calls, emails and
questions regarding where he’ll play his college basketball have finally become too much.
“I will be making a decision soon,” Walker
said. “There is no date is set.”
Rated the nation’s third-best power forward in the 2013 class according to Scout,
Walker has scholarship offers from some
of the top programs in the country. When
A TO BS ST Pts.-Avg.
106-1 44
61-0 34
68-0 103
94-2 178
74-0 76
69-1
9
8-0
4
21-0 18
34-0 27
5-0
1
23-0
2
47-0 60
3-0
1
69 36 42
46 9 15
81 9 32
82 7 95
46 5 34
28 8 10
8 4 6
14 1 11
19 14 7
3 0 0
8 23 4
36 2 18
4 0 0
3
634-17.6
610-16.1
547-14.4
334-8.8
254-6.7
133-3.5
76-3.0
71-3.0
81-2.1
18-2.0
48-1.7
43-1.2
2-0.2
613-4 557 447 118 274
717-16 383 562 109 187
2851-75.0
2269-59.7
he makes his decision, he’ll be choosing
between Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio
State, Baylor and Syracuse.
Given Walker is a Southern prospect,
Ohio State’s chances of pulling him out of
Florida seem to be small. With other top programs such as Florida, Kansas and Kentucky
still in on the power forward, that could
make it even harder.
Walker has yet to visit with the Buckeyes
but has been to other programs on his
list multiple times. Scout national recruiting
analyst Brian Snow said Ohio State is still
alive, but it will be incredibly hard for the
Buckeyes to win the battle.
“It would be very tough for Ohio State,”
Snow said. “Other schools have been in front
for a long time, and without a campus visit
scheduled, the chances are extremely small
that he comes to Columbus.”
Though Walker feels as if he’s close to
making a decision, as long as Ohio State
remains on his list the Buckeyes have a
chance. Whether he’ll visit Columbus is still
up in the air, but if Ohio State can somehow
get him on campus the odds of landing him
would most certainly increase.
“The decision will be based off my relationship with the people, the fan base and
everything,” Walker said.
Parker To Announce In April
Lithonia (Ga.) Miller Grove big man Tony
Parker, Ohio State’s top 2012 recruiting target, will announce his decision April 11.
The Buckeyes made Parker’s final six,
along with Duke, Georgia, Kansas, Memphis
and UCLA. The 6-8, 255-pound big man is
a five-star player rated as the No. 20 overall prospect in the 2012 class, according to
Scout.
Repeat All-American
The Associated Press released its AllAmerica team March 26 and Sullinger was
on it for the second consecutive year. The
6-9 sophomore became the first repeat AP
All-American since North Carolina center
Tyler Hansbrough in 2008-09.
Joining Sullinger on this year’s first team
were four other forwards – junior Thomas
Robinson of Kansas, freshman Anthony
Davis of Kentucky, senior Draymond Green
of Michigan State and sophomore Doug
McDermott of Creighton. Sullinger will face
off directly against Robinson when Ohio State
plays Kansas in the Final Four on March 31.
“It means a lot when your name is with
Tyler Hansbrough,” Sullinger said. “He was
a great basketball player. It means a lot. I
think it’s a credit to my teammates.”
OHIO STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Season Ends Abruptly For Foster’s Charges
Needless to say, the 2011-12 season did
not come to the type of end the Ohio State
women’s basketball team had anticipated.
Despite their disappointment at receiving
a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament, the
Buckeyes vowed to make the most of it by
knocking out No. 9 Florida and taking a run
at undefeated No. 1 seed Baylor in round
two.
The clash with the Lady Bears never
materialized, however, as the Buckeyes fell
by a 70-65 score to the Gators in a firstround contest March 18. That sent Ohio
State home with a final record of 25-7 while
Florida advanced to the round of 32 before
it absorbed a 76-57 beating at the hands of
Baylor.
DOUBLE DRIBBLE
Marcus Hartman
Tears flowed throughout the OSU locker
room in the aftermath of the first-round
NCAA loss with the realization that a season
full of ups and downs had come to a sudden
end before any of the Buckeyes were ready
to let go.
Suffering most was star point guard
Samantha Prahalis, who took questions from
reporters as she remained curled up in her
locker at the sparkling new Stroh Center in
Bowling Green, Ohio.
The team’s only senior scored 2,010
points and handed out 901 assists in her
four-year career, but only nine and three,
respectively, came in her final outing as a
Buckeye. She missed nine of her 13 fieldgoal attempts and could not find the will to
look for the positives in a season that started
with relatively low expectations compared to
recent years.
“It’s pretty terrible,” she said. “All I can
think about is this game. It’s pretty awful.”
Prahalis had a lot to do with the Buckeyes
outperforming some of the preseason prognostications.
She led the Big Ten in scoring (22.5
points per game) and assists (5.9) during
SONNY BROCKWAY
UNHAPPY ENDING – Ohio State women’s basketball head coach Jim Foster
(sitting, right) and his Buckeyes saw the 2011-12 season end March 18 with
a 70-65 loss to Florida in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
conference play en route to being named
Big Ten Player of the Year. Displaying significantly more maturity than earlier in her
career when she was regarded as something
of a hothead, Prahalis led the Buckeyes with
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both words and actions throughout the season and earned the respect and admiration of
her teammates along the way.
The Commack, N.Y., native did not lead
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Minutes from OSU and Nationwide
Jim Foster also enjoyed a standout season
from Tayler Hill. A junior combo guard from
Minneapolis, Hill led the Big Ten in scoring for all games during the regular season
(20.7 points per game) and made the firstteam all-conference squads of the media and
coaches.
She handled the ball at times and proved
to be a versatile weapon, finishing third in
the conference in steals (2.5) and three-point
field-goal percentage (42.5) while making a
league-high 76 three-pointers.
The third member of the Ohio State
backcourt, junior Amber Stokes, also turned
in a career year. She averaged 7.5 points and
3.6 rebounds per game as a first-year starter
and took over as the team’s No. 1 stopper
on defense. Her 39 steals made for a modest
total, but Stokes’ on-ball defense impressed
the league’s coaches enough for them to
vote her Big Ten Defensive Player of the
Year. She joined Hill on the all-defense team
and set herself up for a strong finish to her
career in 2012-13.
While the backcourt was a steady source
of strength – as expected – for Ohio State,
the frontcourt had some ups and downs.
Freshman Kalpana Beach stepped into
the lineup at power forward and showed
immediately the athleticism to be an effective Big Ten player, but she was not reliable
on a nightly basis. The Westlake, Ohio,
native scored in double figures six times but
was shut out in eight contests. She finished
with solid first-year averages of 5.1 points
and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Sophomore center Ashley Adams, who
entered the starting lineup for the first time
midway through her freshman season, was
inconsistent as well. At 6-5, she was an
imposing force on defense while leading the
conference with 2.9 blocks per game, but
limited mobility hindered her rebounding
efforts.
Despite her size, Adams grabbed only
6.7 rebounds per game, good for 10th in the
Big Ten. Offensively, she flashed significant
passing skills (69 assists, third on the team)
and shooting touch (52.6 field-goal percentage, second in the Big Ten) but faded in
and out of games. Adams scored in double
figures 11 times but was held to four points
or fewer on 13 occasions.
She saved one of her best games for
last, however, as she scored 11 points and
grabbed 14 rebounds (tying a personal
best) with seven blocked shots against the
Gators. It was the fifth double-double of
the season for the Siloam Springs, Ark.,
native.
Overall, the Buckeyes on a typical night
went as far as star guards Prahalis and
Hill took them, so it should come as little
surprise they would bow out of the NCAA
tournament when one of them struggled in a
game. Prahalis or Hill led the team in scoring
in every contest, including two when they
matched each other for top honors.
The dominance of the pair was important
as Foster maintained a relatively short bench
most of the year.
Only freshman guard Raven Ferguson
and sophomore forwards Martina Ellerbe
and Darryce Moore averaged double-figure
minutes off the bench throughout the course
of the season.
Moore, a 6-2 enforcer in the paint, enjoyed
a significantly increased role over her freshman season and finished the year averaging
5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 15.3 minutes
per game. She hit 67 of 115 field goals (58.3
percent) and brought a physical presence to
OHIO STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
the team that some players said had been
lacking in recent seasons.
The 5-11 Ferguson took some time to get
acclimated to the college game but became
an extra threat from the outside (37.8 percent three-point shooting) and averaged 4.1
points and 2.1 rebounds per game. She drew
Foster’s praise for her increased awareness
in the past month of the season and figures
to be a top candidate to take Prahalis’ spot in
the starting lineup next season.
As a team, the Buckeyes showed some
clear strengths and weaknesses.
They led the Big Ten in field-goal percentage and blocks and finished second in
scoring offense, three-point shooting percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio during
conference play.
On the flip side, Ohio State was last
in the league in three-point percentage
defense and 10th of 12 teams in rebounding
margin.
Both of those deficiencies surfaced in the
NCAA tournament loss to Florida.
The Gators made 9 of 21 three-point
attempts for a 42.9-percent mark that far
exceeded what they had put up in their 31
games leading up to the tournament when
they were just a 29.2-percent shooting team
from long range.
Florida also dominated the glass, finishing with a rebounding advantage of 46-35.
That included 20 offensive rebounds, leading
to 16 second-chance points.
In a five-point loss, the Buckeyes were
outscored by a 27-12 margin from beyond
the arc and 16-5 in second-chance points.
They enjoyed advantages of 42-30 in the
paint and 18-10 on the fast break, but those
were not enough to offset the other areas,
especially given Prahalis’ struggles.
When it was all over, Foster took a balanced view of the season.
“You don’t like to see Sammy go out the
way she went out, but it was a team that
didn’t have a lot of expectations in the preseason that came on and created the weight
of expectations,” the OSU coach said.
“And I thought Tayler stepped up to the
challenge. I think Amber played very well,
Ashley also, so it bodes well for the future.
It’s a shame that Sammy has to go out with
the feeling the way she feels right now.”
Asked what she would remember from
the last Ohio State team she was a part of,
Prahalis said the chemistry.
“We all get along like a little family,” she
said. “It’s just real disappointing because we
could have had a chance and I just feel like it
just sucks. It’s tough.”
Gators Chomp Buckeyes
Playing in front of a mostly friendly crowd
of 4,195, the eighth-seeded Buckeyes turned
the ball over on their first three possessions
and fell behind No. 9 seed Florida by a 9-0
count.
Ohio State finally got on the board with a
foul-line jumper by Beach at the 17:48 mark
but was forced to play from behind the rest
of the way. The task proved too great as
the Buckeyes lost to a lower-seeded team
for the seventh time in 10 NCAA appearances during Foster’s decade-long tenure in
Columbus.
“We just had some very bad turnovers,
unforced turnovers,” Foster said. “A couple
of passes thrown over a player’s head. When
we moved the ball, we got quality shots.”
Ohio State (25-7) cut the deficit to three at
the 12:38 mark after Prahalis stole a rebound
and made a base-line jumper to make it 17-14,
but freshman guard Andrea Vilaró Aragonés
answered with a three-pointer for Florida
(20-12). Senior teammate Ndidi Madu followed her with a layup to stretch the Gators’
Florida 70, Ohio State 65
March 18, 2012
Stroh Center; Bowling Green, Ohio
Florida
Total FG FT Reb.
(20-12)
George
33 6-17 4-6 2-4 1 1 16
Stewart
22 1-4 0-0 0-4 2 4
2
Bartley
33 5-15 2-2 2-2 3 0 15
Bonds
28 3-6 3-4 0-2 2 1 11
Jones
34 3-10 0-1 4-4 3 0
7
Allen
17 2-11 0-0 1-1 2 2
4
Madu
20 4-7 0-0 2-4 1 1
9
Vilaro Aragones 5
1-1 0-0 0-1 0 1
3
Shine
3
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Svete
5
1-3 0-0 1-1 0 2
3
Totals
200 26-74 9-13 20-26 14 12 70
9-21 (Bartley 3-7, Bonds 2-3, Jones 1-6, Allen 0-1,
Madu 1-1, Vilaro Aragones 1-1, Svete 1-2). Team
rebounds: 11. Blocked shots: 2 (Stewart, Madu).
Turnovers: 10 (Bartley 3, Jones 2, George, Stewart,
Bonds, Vilaro Aragones, TEAM). Steals: 3 (Bartley
2, Stewart).
Ohio State
Total FG FT Reb.
(25-7)
Beach
15 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 1
4
Adams
39 5-9 1-2 0-14 4 1 11
Stokes
30 6-12 0-0 0-1 2 3 12
Hill
40 9-15 2-2 1-2 4 3 23
Prahalis
40 4-13 1-2 0-3 3 1
9
Kynard
0+ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0
0
Moore
18 1-3 0-0 1-3 0 3
2
Ferguson
9
1-3 1-2 0-1 0 0
4
Harmon
9
0-1 0-2 2-0 0 0
0
Totals
200 28-59 5-10 6-29 13 12 65
4-11 (Stokes 0-1, Hill 3-6, Prahalis 0-3, Ferguson 1-1).
Team rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 11 (Adams 7,
Stokes 2, Hill 2). Turnovers: 13 (Stokes 3, Moore 3,
Adams 2, Hill 2, Prahalis 2, Beach). Steals: 7 (Hill 4,
Adams, Stokes, Prahalis).
Halftime: Florida 39, Ohio State 31. Officials:
Kantner, Smith, Parrish. A: 4,195.
SONNY BROCKWAY
QUIET FINALE – Big Ten Player of the Year Samantha Prahalis (21) was held
to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting in her final collegiate game.
advantage back to eight, a lead that peaked at
13 when sophomore guard Jaterra Bonds hit a
three-pointer with 7:21 to go to make it 30-17.
But the Buckeyes battled back to within
eight by halftime.
Ohio State cut the deficit to four points
on five occasions in the second half, but the
Buckeyes got closer than that just once. That
was thanks to a Hill layup that made it 65-63
Florida and prompted Gators head coach
Amanda Butler to call a timeout with 54.3
seconds left.
The crowd came to its feet at that point,
but its excitement was dampened when
junior forward Jennifer George dribbled
around Adams for a tough layup in the lane.
That stretched the Florida lead back to four
at 67-63 with 45 seconds remaining and
marked a rare head-to-head victory for the
Gators’ top post presence.
George entered the game leading Florida
in scoring and was the top point-getter for
the Gators against Ohio State, but she had to
work hard for her 16 tallies. She missed 11
of 17 shots from the floor and had her shot
blocked by Adams five times.
Nevertheless, George’s last basket
stemmed the tide one last time for the victors. OSU reserve forward Emilee Harmon
missed a shot from about 16 feet with the
shot clock running down on the ensuing
Ohio State possession, and Jones was fouled
after coming up with the ball in a scrum.
Jones missed the front end of a oneand-one situation with 16 seconds left, but
sophomore forward Lily Svete came up with
the offensive rebound and passed to Bonds,
who was fouled by Hill and made the subsequent two free throws to seal the game with
12 seconds to go.
Hill wound up Ohio State’s leading scorer
with 23 points while Stokes added 12 and
Adams notched 11.
Prahalis’ nine points were a bitter way for
her to end her Ohio State career.
“She’s the kind of player who needs a
rhythm,” Foster said. “I don’t think she ever
got comfortable with it today.”
Bartley and Bonds joined George in double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively, for the Gators, who advanced to face
undefeated No. 1 seed Baylor in the second
round.
A more complete recap of this game
appeared in the March 20 electronic issue
of BSB. All electronic issues are available to
current subscribers free of charge. For signup information, see page 5 of this issue.
Pros, Cons Of Staying Home
Foster was not shy in expressing his displeasure at receiving an eight seed after his
team was projected to be closer to a No. 5 or
6 when the season came to a close.
The Buckeyes were ranked 16th in
the final Associated Press poll and went
4-3 against ranked teams. They beat representatives from the ACC, SEC, Big 12
and Pac-12 during the regular season and
finished in a three-way tie with Purdue and
Michigan State for second in the Big Ten
standings.
With teams required to play at home if
they are part of a predetermined field of
host schools, the women’s basketball selection committee has some leeway in altering
seeds, but Foster still felt his team was not
treated fairly.
Asked if there was some tradeoff involved
with being able to play only about two hours
away from his home campus in Columbus,
he seemed not to think so. In fact, he suggested fans from another region might enjoy
the chance to see Prahalis in action.
“In my mind, we have one of the most
exciting and dynamic players in women’s
college basketball,” Foster said the day
before the Florida game. “She’s going to
be a first, second, third or fourth pick in
the WNBA draft. She won’t go any worse
than fourth. She’s exciting and dynamic
and we need to sell our game. The people
of Ohio have seen her for four years. I think
it would have been a wonderful opportunity
to go into another environment and bring
people that may not have necessarily seen
the game (because) if you watch the local
or news or whatever, and a one-minute clip
of highlights of her career, it would draw
people.
“And in a sport that is starving for that, I’d
like to see more thought in taking our best
players and our best teams and not protecting them but using them as attributes and
assets.”
Foster also mused about the possibility
of a larger market getting the chance to see
Baylor’s 6-8 center Brittney Griner in action.
“Quite frankly, I’d like to see Britney
Griner in Chicago (during the opening)
weekend,” Foster said. “With all due respect
to Bowling Green, (Chicago is) the thirdlargest media center in the United States.
You have NBA players tweeting about her
gifts. A player like that comes along once in
a lifetime. Sell the game. Promote the game.
Think the game.
“Having said that, I’ve really grown fond
of the state of Ohio. I’m glad to be here.”
BIG TEN NOTES
Big Ten Teams, Sans OSU, Fall Short Of Final Four
In the NCAA Tournament, one week’s hot
news can be erased in 40 minutes of game
play, as the Cinderella stories and favorite
storylines of the first week often gracefully
bow out in the process of the Final Four
being set.
So it went for the Big Ten in this year’s
Big Dance.
The league was part of the buzz of the
first weekend of the tournament after four
conference teams advanced to the Sweet 16
and league teams went 9-2 in all. However,
while Ohio State advanced to the Final Four,
the rest of the Big Ten teams made their exits
during the regional semifinal round.
BIG TEN NOTES
Jeff Svoboda
Michigan State entered as the top seed
in the West Region, but the Spartans’ stay
in Phoenix was cut short as fourth-seeded
Louisville posted a 57-44 victory March 22.
Senior forward Draymond Green led the
Spartans with 13 points and 16 rebounds,
but MSU shot only 28.6 percent (14 for 49)
from the floor. Louisville sophomore center
Gorgui Dieng blocked seven MSU shots,
and the Spartans turned the ball over 15
times.
“It’s hard to feel good and hard to feel
bad,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo
said following his 10th Sweet 16 appearance
in 15 years. “It’s hard to feel good because
I don’t think we had anybody that played at
all like they played in the last three weeks.
But it’s hard to feel bad because Louisville
deserved it.”
The Spartans began tournament play with
victories in Columbus against No. 16 seed
LIU Brooklyn by an 89-67 score and ninthseeded St. Louis, 65-61.
Wisconsin also fell on the first night of
Sweet 16 play, though the fourth-seeded
Badgers came within a whisker of advancing
past top-seeded Syracuse in the East Region.
Staging a furious comeback from a 10-point
deficit, hot-shooting Wisconsin went ahead
in the second half but eventually dropped a
64-63 contest to the Orange in Boston.
“We can play with anybody in the country,
and they proved that again,” UW head coach
Bo Ryan said. “We played well enough to
have this one on our side, it just didn’t work
out that way.”
Senior point guard Jordan Taylor and
junior swingman Jared Berggren each had
17 points to pace the Badgers, who erased
an early Syracuse lead by making threes on
six consecutive possessions midway through
the second half. In all, Wisconsin hit 14 of
27 treys, but Taylor missed a three on the
last possession and sophomore guard Josh
Gasser couldn’t hit a follow-up two-pointer as
time expired.
“I think (that was) the best game anybody
has ever played against us and didn’t beat us,”
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “I
can’t tell you how good it feels to win a game
like this. This was a great, great game.”
Wisconsin had advanced to the Sweet
16 with a tense 60-57 win against No. 5
Vanderbilt after opening play with a 73-49
beating of No. 13 Montana.
The third Big Ten team to go down in a
regional semifinal was Indiana. The fourthseeded Hoosiers couldn’t upset top overall
seed Kentucky for the second time this season, dropping a 102-90 contest March 23 to
the Wildcats in Atlanta in South Region play.
Indiana did the best it could to hang with
Kentucky, making 52.2 percent (36 of 69)
of its shots but only 5 of 18 (27.8 percent)
from three-point land. Five Hoosiers hit double figures, led by junior forward Christian
Watford’s 27, but UK also had five scorers top
12 points while making 35 of 37 free throws.
“We scored 90 points,” IU head coach Tom
Crean said after his program’s first Sweet 16
bid since 2002. “They’re a really good team.
They’ve got a lot of guys. They’re tremendous,
so I don’t know if I can break down the game
based on this game. We did a lot of good
things, but they’re a very talented team.”
Indiana downed 13th-seeded New Mexico
State, 79-66, to open the tournament before
taking out 2011 Final Four squad VCU, beating the 12th-seeded Rams by a 63-61 final.
Huskers Go For Miles
Nebraska wasn’t without a men’s basketball coach for very long.
Two weeks after the school fired Doc
Sadler following its first year in the Big Ten,
the Cornhuskers tabbed Tim Miles as their
new head coach March 24.
Miles spent the previous five seasons as
the head coach at Colorado State, leading the
Rams to an NCAA Tournament appearance
this season, their first since 2003.
The 45-year-old Miles posted a record of
71-88 at CSU and has only four 20-win seasons in 17 years as a head coach with stops
at Mayville State in North Dakota, Southwest
Minnesota State and North Dakota State as
well as Colorado State.
“You look at those schools and you don’t
know who this guy is,” Miles said during his
introductory news conference. “Husker fans,
you give us a chance. We’re going to come
through for you. We’ve exceeded expectations everywhere we’ve been, and I intend to
continue to do the same.
“We’re dealing with the elite basketball
conference in the country, the Big Ten. It’s
going to be a blast.”
Sadler failed to take Nebraska to the
NCAA Tournament in his six seasons, and
the Huskers haven’t made an appearance in
the Big Dance in 14 seasons.
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SQUEEZED – Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan could only watch as his No. 4seeded Badgers lost a Sweet 16 game against top-seeded Syracuse in East
Region action.
BIG TEN NOTES
Athletic director Tom Osborne said he
interviewed six candidates before choosing
Miles.
“I told Tim yesterday, ‘You’re going to
hear that this program is in shambles.’ It
really isn’t,” Osborne said. “There are some
things to build on. Obviously, we aren’t in the
upper half of the Big Ten, so he has a lot of
work to do. But he might have more building
blocks than he did at the other places.”
Illinois continues to search for a head
coach, as well, after two of its top candidates
– Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart and
Butler’s Brad Stevens – reportedly spurned
the Fighting Illini’s approaches.
One name that continues to surface is
Ohio’s John Groce, the former OSU assistant
who led the Bobcats to the Sweet 16 and a
near-upset of top-seeded North Carolina.
Meanwhile, one school that won’t be
searching for a new basketball coach is
Northwestern, as school athletic director Jim
Phillips announced March 22 that 12-year
head man Bill Carmody will be back. Rumors
had swirled Phillips was on the fence about
returning Carmody, who has not been able to
lead NU to its first NCAA Tournament berth
in school history in his tenure.
“I want to make it perfectly clear nobody
is satisfied,” Phillips said. “Bill is not satisfied, the kids are not satisfied, the staff is not
satisfied, I’m not. … But we’re headed on the
right track. I’m very optimistic where we are
headed.”
Sandusky Discussed In ’98
Documents were released in mid-March
that show just how close former Penn State
defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was
to being charged with sexual abuse against
minors following a 1998 allegation.
Sandusky, who is currently charged
with more than 50 counts of molestation
against 10 boys with most abuses occurring
after that 1998 investigation, was branded
a likely pedophile by a psychologist who
worked with the alleged victim more than
a decade ago.
However, a second psychologist interviewed at the time by campus police said
Sandusky did not fit the profile of a sexual
predator. Charges were not filed at the time
by either district attorney Ray Gricar or the
state Department of Public Welfare, though
the man who did the investigation for the latter body said he never knew of the claims by
either psychologist.
“I would have made a different decision,” Jerry Lauro told The Patriot-News of
Harrisburg, Pa., noting Penn State police did
not share the information. “It’s unbelievable
and it gets my blood pressure going when
I think about it. The course of history could
have been changed.”
Sandusky’s attorney, Joseph Amendola,
submitted a 95-page pretrial motion to Judge
John M. Cleland on March 22 asking the current charges be dropped because the allegations are not specific enough to take to trial. If
Cleland does not agree, Amendola asked for
a delay in the trial.
In other news related to the story, Penn
State student Ryland Boggess, 19, will spend
at least 30 days in jail for upending a light
pole during riots that occurred following
the firing of late head coach Joe Paterno last
November.
Lastly, Penn State announced March 21
that it will pay for the counseling services of
Sandusky’s alleged victims.
One Big Out, One In
With college basketball season closing for
most schools around the country, now comes
the time of year when some players choose to
leave their situations either for a transfer or
the NBA draft while some others decide to
stay for another year.
Then there is the situation of Minnesota
forward Trevor Mbakwe, who will be able to
return for a sixth year of eligibility after tearing a ligament in his knee Nov. 27 against
Dayton. Mbakwe was averaging 14.0 points
and 9.1 rebounds at the time of his injury.
It’s not clear whether Mbakwe will take
the extra year, however. He is 23 years old
and has a young son, so he might decide to
declare for the draft.
One player who is gone for sure is
Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz, who along
with teammates Colton Christian and Carlton
Brundidge is transferring out of the program.
U-M head coach John Beilein announced the
defections March 21.
“We never like to see players leave the program,” Beilein said. “However, Evan, Colton
and Carlton have made the decision to transfer and continue their careers elsewhere. All
three are fine young men with bright futures.
We wish them and their families nothing but
success going forward.”
Smotrycz is the biggest impact player
of the group, averaging 7.0 points and 3.6
rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game over two
seasons.
“The place sold itself, and it was an unbelievable weekend getting to know Coach
Bielema, Coach Canada and all the players,”
he said. “They are a bunch of hardworking
guys, and it was unbelievable to meet these
people in person.”
O’Brien then returned to Penn State for a
second visit, checking out a March 26 practice.
O’Brien said Vanderbilt joins UW, PSU and
Ole Miss among his possible destinations. He
has not chosen a deadline for making his decision but said it will not be an easy one.
“I am just blessed to have multiple great
opportunities to go and compete and win a
job,” he said. “That’s what makes it tough.”
Green Named All-American
Michigan State’s Green was the Big Ten’s
men’s basketball player of the year and the
heart and soul of the conference’s regularseason and tournament champions.
Now, he is a consensus first-team AllAmerican.
The senior forward has been tabbed on
multiple such postseason all-star teams, the
latest honor coming March 26 when The
Associated Press awarded him the honor.
Previously, he was chosen for All-America
teams selected by the Wooden Award, the
National Association of Basketball Coaches,
Sporting News, CBSSports.com and the U.S.
Basketball Writers Association.
Green led Michigan State with 16.2 points
and 10.6 rebounds per game as well as 54
steals while dishing 141 assists. Previously,
Michigan State’s last first-team All-American
was Mateen Cleaves in 1999.
Izzo was also tabbed as the nation’s best
coach by CBSSports.com.
Big Ten Note-worthy
• Between Rose Bowl contests and
recent regular-season deals with Wisconsin
and Michigan, seeing Oregon on the schedule for a Big Ten team isn’t a major surprise, and that trend will continue as the
Ducks have inked a home-and-home deal
with Michigan State. The Spartans will visit
Eugene in 2014 while Oregon will make a
return trip to East Lansing a year later. MSU
had been scheduled to face West Virginia,
but the Mountaineers asked to get out of the
agreement as they switch conferences from
the Big East to the Big 12.
• In other football scheduling news,
Northwestern and Stanford announced
March 14 that the two premier educational institutions will play a home-and-home
series in 2015-16, with Northwestern hosting
the first contest. The schools were already
slated to begin a four-game series in 2019
in Evanston. The Oregon-MSU and NUStanford deals preface a formal scheduling
agreement between the Big Ten and Pac-12
that will begin in 2017.
• Tommy Stewart, who played quarterback when Illinois made its first Rose Bowl
appearance after the 1946 season, passed
away March 25 at the age of 86. A native of
Gary, Ind., Stewart served in World War II
before lettering four years for the Fighting
Illini grid squad and playing in the 1947 Rose
Bowl, which Illinois won 45-14 over UCLA.
He went on to become a legendary high
school coach in Champaign, retiring in 1983
with 199 wins as the state’s winningest active
coach.
• Penn State police seized prescription
drugs and marijuana from the apartment
of Penn State senior wide receiver Devon
Smith and former PSU defensive end Jack
Crawford in a March 14 raid. The two had
not been charged with any crimes as of press
time.
O’Brien Visits UW
The race to earn the pledge of transfer
quarterback Danny O’Brien is on, and two
Big Ten schools got to make their pitches to
the former Maryland QB in late March.
First, O’Brien checked out the facilities
and the new coaching staff at Penn State during the March 16 weekend.
“There are a lot of great guys that I got
to meet with great facilities in a great college town,” O’Brien told BadgerNation.com
– a member of the Scout.com network like
BuckeyeSports.com – on March 26. “It was a
really great visit.”
After a trip to Mississippi, the 2010 ACC
Rookie of the Year continued on during the
March 23 weekend to check out a Wisconsin
team in sore need of a healthy, competent
signal caller.
After meeting with head coach Bret Bielema
and offensive coordinator Matt Canada, O’Brien
said he had an excellent trip.
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COVER STORY
Offense Looking For New Faces To Emerge This Spring
coaching with him for the first time. Running
backs coach Stan Drayton and wide receiver
coach Zach Smith worked with Meyer during his stint as head coach at Florida from
2005-10, but he last shared a staff with running backs and tight ends coach Tim Hinton
when the two were graduate assistants at
Ohio State in 1986.
Prior to the start of spring practice, Meyer
said he liked the direction the acclimation
process had taken so far.
“It’s great,” he said before describing
regular early-morning meetings in which
members of the coaching staff taught each
other what they would be doing with their
position groups.
“The most underutilized resource on a
staff is each other, and I’m not going to
let that happen,” Meyer added. “I’m going
to use everybody. There are a lot of good
coaches on this staff. They’ve been a lot of
good places with a lot of great ideas. Let’s
use them. By noontime I’m ready to go jump
out a window. I’m tired of sitting in meetings
with coaches, but it’s been very good.”
Needless to say, the spring of 2012 figures to be a busy one for the Ohio State
football program.
Offensive Holes To Fill
The heavier graduation losses hit the
Buckeyes on the offensive side of the ball,
but Meyer can look forward to a returning
starter at the most important spot in his
innovative offense.
Quarterback Braxton Miller is back after
taking over as the starter in the fourth game
of last season. The freshman endured some
growing pains but still completed 85 of 157
passes for 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns
with only four interceptions. Opponents had
more reason to worry when he pulled the
ball down to run, however, as Miller left
countless defenders in his wake en route to
running for 715 yards on 159 carries. He also
scored seven touchdowns on the ground and
was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year at
the conclusion of the season.
Junior Kenny Guiton returns as the likely
backup with true freshman Cardale Jones
and walk-ons Justin Siems and Ross Oltorik
also looking for reps. Oltorik is in his second
tour of duty with Ohio State. The Cincinnati
Moeller product, who began his college
career as a Buckeye, transferred to Arizona
before returning to Columbus for his senior
season.
Though Miller’s 2011 numbers were
impressive, they would have looked better if not for taking 39 sacks that cost him
207 yards. Some were the fault of blocking
breakdowns, and others came when he held
the ball too long.
How much help he gets from the big guys
up front remains to be seen as the offensive
line was the spot on the team hit heaviest by
graduation. Three multiyear starters – center
Mike Brewster and tackles Mike Adams and
J.B. Shugarts – exhausted their eligibility,
and Meyer has expressed some displeasure
with what he found left in the cupboard upon
his arrival.
The line could be configured any number
of ways by the time spring practice is over,
but Andrew Norwell and Jack Mewhort give
Warinner two solid blocks to build around.
Both started every game last season as
sophomores and have the ability to play
guard or tackle, though Mewhort seems better suited inside.
Norwell is expected to slide back outside
to left tackle, where he started the first five
games last season before moving to left
guard to make way for the return of Adams
from a season-opening suspension, while
Mewhort could end up at right tackle.
Mewhort started every game at guard but
also saw some time at tackle when Shugarts
missed a November game with a knee injury
and backup Antonio Underwood struggled in
his place as a true freshman.
Mewhort looks like a lock to be one of the
top five when all is said and done, but where
he ends up likely will be more determined
by the performance of the rest of the line. He
could play guard if one of two newcomers to
the offensive line room, senior Reid Fragel
and true freshman Taylor Decker, can prove
to be quick learners at tackle, but that is a lot
to ask either of them.
Fragel was a regular contributor at tight
end for the past three seasons but chose to
move to tackle with an eye on playing there
in the NFL. Decker was a late recruiting
steal by Meyer, who sees in the four-star
prospect a lot of things to like, starting with
his 6-8, 315-pound frame. Fragel also goes 68 with a listed weight of 298 that is 18 pounds
heavier than last season.
There is no shortage of candidates to play
guard. Aside from Mewhort, juniors Marcus
Hall and Corey Linsley bring game experience to the table and figure to be ready to
play expanded roles. Also in the mix will
be Underwood as well as redshirt freshmen
Tommy Brown and Chris Carter.
Also joining the mix is Darryl Baldwin,
a 6-6, 292-pounder who played seven games
on the defensive line last season as a redshirt
freshman.
Center is also a question mark heading
into spring practice after Brewster started the past 49 games there. Sophomore
Brian Bobek is considered by many to be
Brewster’s heir apparent, but he has limited
experience after only one year in the program. If Bobek falters, Linsley or Mewhort
could be next in line. Both have repped
at center in the past, though Linsley often
struggled snapping the ball during practices
open to the media last year.
Competition at running back and wide
receiver figures to be fierce after the head
coach put himself on record as being concerned about what types of assets he has on
hand at the skill positions.
“I don’t know who is going to catch a
pass,” Meyer said to reporters. “I’m sure you
guys don’t either. There’s no track record.
You go back and watch the film and go, ‘I
don’t know.’ I don’t know who is going to
carry the ball.”
Two-year starting tailback Boom Herron
is gone to graduation as is wide receiver
DeVier Posey.
Senior Jordan Hall could find himself
helping to cover for the loss of both in
Meyer’s offense after rushing for 408 yards
Players On The Spot
• Reid Fragel, offensive tackle – Fragel making the
• Braxton Miller, quarterback – With a new coaching
staff comes a new offense with new responsibilities. How will switch to tackle has generated some buzz, most notably from
Miller adapt from last year’s conservative attack to one that Meyer. Just since the Gator Bowl, the former tight end has
has been described as a power spread? It will be an interest- added 18 pounds to his 6-8, 280-pound frame and seems
ing spring on many levels, but Miller’s development in Urban intent on making a serious run at the vacant right tackle position.
Meyer’s system will definitely be in the spotlight.
• John Simon, defensive line – While some players
• Bri’onte Dunn, tailback – If pre-spring talk is worth
anything, Dunn could be the next big thing at running back such as Fragel have picked up weight, Simon has gone in the
opposite direction. Perhaps because he seemed
for Ohio State. The 6-1, 214-pound freshman is
to wear down a bit at the end of last season, the
joining the Buckeyes for spring drills and could very
senior-to-be has dropped about 10 pounds and is
well emerge as the No. 1 tailback from a talented
now listed at 6-2, 260. That would seem to be the
group of holdovers. Of course, Carlos Hyde, Jordan
ideal size for the defensive end spot opposite the
Hall and Rod Smith might have something to say
Leo.
about that.
• Curtis Grant, linebacker – We kept wait• Wide receivers – It wouldn’t be overly critiing for Grant to make an impact last season and it
cal to characterize as mediocre the production
never happened as the former prep standout never
from last year’s receiving corps. Devin Smith, Corey
quite got the hang of the OSU defensive scheme.
Brown, Chris Fields, Verlon Reed, T.Y. Williams and
Now, with an entire season of experience, we’re
Evan Spencer combined for 53 receptions last year.
looking for the 6-3, 235-pound wrecking ball to
In 2010, Dane Sanzenbacher caught 55 by himself.
have a spring coming-out party.
The time to step up is now – right now – for those
Reid Fragel
• Christian Bryant, safety – There is no
young WRs.
• Brian Bobek, center – Ohio State has been spoiled at doubting that Bryant maximizes his athleticism in a 5-10, 190the center position for most of the last decade with the likes pound package. He finished third on the team last season in
of LeCharles Bentley, Nick Mangold and Mike Brewster man- tackles, led the Buckeyes in breaking up passes and tied for
ning the position. The 6-2, 275-pound Bobek would seem second in passes defended. But we’re looking for more conto be next in line, and gets a chance this spring to show he sistency this spring – a lot more consistency – and we’re fairly
deserves the starting nod over such possible challengers as sure the new coaching staff will be as well.
– Mark Rea
Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley.
on 100 carries and picking up another 114
yards on 10 catches last season. The 5-9, 198pound Hall is built like a slot receiver and
able to make tacklers miss in space, perhaps
making him a better fit in the new Ohio State
offense than the old one.
“Jordan Hall has had a decent career,”
Meyer said. “I would not say good. I would
say decent. I watched him compete and he
should do better. He’s a competitor. I like
Jordan. He had a very good offseason – not
good, I mean borderline great.”
The other three candidates to replace
Herron in the backfield are all bigger backs.
The 6-0, 235-pound Carlos Hyde ran for 566
yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries
last season as a sophomore while Rod Smith
(6-3, 230) ran for 116 yards and a touchdown on 29 totes as a redshirt freshman.
Both could find themselves in a heated battle with touted incoming freshman Bri’onte
Dunn. The 6-1, 214-pound Dunn enrolled in
January and impressed his new head coach
enough to be included among the top performers on the team when winter workouts
concluded.
As for wide receiver, junior Corey “Philly”
Brown leads a group that learned mostly on
the fly last season while Posey sat out 10
games because of twin suspensions.
“He’s a competitor, showed up every day
with high energy,” Meyer said of Brown,
who caught 14 passes for 205 yards and a
touchdown last season as he battled an ankle
injury off and on. “(He is) a sponge who is
always in here trying to get extra work. He
shows a lot of ability on the field. I haven’t
seen him catch, but running the routes and
doing things.”
Devin Smith led the team in receiving
yards (294) last season as a freshman and
was listed as the No. 2 wide receiver in
Meyer’s eyes coming out of winter. He
was followed by classmate Evan Spencer,
junior-to-be Chris Fields and sophomore
T.Y. Williams.
Verlon Reed, a starter for the first five
games of last season as a redshirt freshman
before tearing a knee ligament late in a 10-7
loss to Michigan State on Oct. 1, is expected
to be able to take part in some spring drills
but will be limited.
“They’re all showing up,” Meyer said.
“I’m anxious to see what they can do.”
Last and certainly not least are the fullbacks and tight ends. In fact, Meyer described
the group consisting of seniors Zach Boren,
Adam Homan and Jake Stoneburner as well
as sophomores Jeff Heuerman and Nick
Vannett as the best on the team during winter workouts.
“We’re not known as a fullback/tight end
offense, but you’re going to see some formations of that,” Meyer said. “We have to get
our best 11 on the field. If they’re our best
11, there are creative ways we can get those
guys involved.”
Meyer and Herman will work together
to combine their versions of spread offense
and hope to find some basics on which to
rely early on.
“I think all of us have gone through these
transition periods as coaches, and I think
you have a good idea of, ‘Here’s who we are,
here’s our base philosophy,’ ” Herman said.
“Now, what can we be successful doing?
How do the pieces of the puzzle fit and jell
with each other? Maybe then you adapt and
say you have to slow down or keep moving
forward. It’s a fluid deal as you go through
spring practice, but you start with the nuts
and bolts and then start to broaden.”
COVER STORY
MATTHEW HAGER
LOOKING FOR BETTER RESULTS
– Co-defensive coordinator Everett
Withers will work with defensive
coordinator Luke Fickell on improving the Ohio State defense in 2012.
Focused On Improvement
What’s in store for the defense is a bit
more of a mystery heading into spring practice, but the personnel are more familiar on
that side of the ball.
Eighteen of the 22 players listed on the
last depth chart of the 2011 season are back,
as are Fickell and Vrabel from the coaching
staff.
The only regulars to graduate were
linebacker Andrew Sweat and nickel back
Tyler Moeller, but the returnees are not
likely to look much to last season for inspiration as youth, injuries, blown assign-
ments and poor tackling marred a disappointing season.
Fickell was tight-lipped when asked
about potential changes in the defense, but
Withers indicated a major shake-up is not in
the cards.
“We have a lot of similar ideas,” said
Withers, the defensive coordinator at North
Carolina from 2008-10 before serving as
interim head coach there last season. “As we
met a while back when I had a chance to sit
down with him, there are a lot of similar philosophies. I don’t think it is going to be hard
at all. We will be up and running really fast.”
He said to expect the Buckeyes to continue
to have a base defense with four down linemen
with an emphasis on stopping the run first.
“I have a lot of respect for what Coach
Fickell has done here at Ohio State with the
defense and how hard and passionate they
played,” Withers said. “I think it is always
good when you get a chance to be around
somebody else that has done it – is doing it
– and you can put ideas together. I always
thought two heads are better than one, so I
am looking forward to it. It is going to be a
great opportunity and a great journey.”
John Simon and Johnathan Hankins headline a defensive line that returns six of eight
members of the depth chart.
Simon, a 260-pound end, had a team-high
seven sacks and 16 tackles for loss last season and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior while Hankins (three sacks
among 11 tackles for loss) enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign playing mostly
tackle. Joining them as returning starters are
senior nose guard Garrett Goebel and junior
end Adam Bellamy.
They will be pushed by Michael Bennett,
who impressed in a part-time role as a freshman last season, and Joel Hale, a rising
sophomore who has dropped 15 pounds
from his 6-4 frame to check in at 295 for
spring practice.
Also back are sophomores Steve Miller
and J.T. Moore while Kenny Hayes and
Chase Farris hope to impress as redshirt
freshmen.
All indications are that the defense will
continue to include a pass-rushing end
known as the Leo, but who might fill that
role is unclear as senior Nathan Williams will
not be available for the spring following knee
surgery that kept him out of every game but
the opener last season.
Simon filled the role admirably, but he is
expected to go back to his more natural spot
on the other side.
Miller and Moore tried their hands at Leo
last season but proved unready. They could
get another shot, but the answer in the short
term might turn out to be Se’Von Pittman,
a four-star prospect from Canton (Ohio)
McKinley who enrolled shortly before the
start of spring quarter.
At linebacker, Etienne Sabino and Storm
Klein are back after sharing the middle
linebacker role to mixed reviews last year as
juniors, but sophomore Ryan Shazier could
steal the show. He came on late in 2011 after
head and elbow injuries knocked Sweat out
of the lineup and impressed with his athleticism and natural play-making ability. Shazier
had 34 tackles in the last three games
despite playing at only around 210 pounds.
The 6-1 native of Plantation, Fla., is up to 226
heading into spring ball and has fans excited
about his potential.
Spring practice also figures to be a crucial developmental time for Curtis Grant, a
five-star recruit from Richmond, Va., who
failed to have much impact as a freshman
last season after struggling to pick up the
defense in preseason camp. Fickell praised
his development in midseason after moving
from middle linebacker to the strong side,
but his progress never manifested itself in
significant playing time.
Also joining the mix for spring ball are
early-enrolling freshmen Joshua Perry and
Luke Roberts.
All four starters are back in the secondary, but they will be under new guidance.
Coombs inherited a thin but talented
bunch at cornerback, where there are only
three scholarship players. Travis Howard
was expected to have a breakout campaign
last season as a junior, but instead it was
then-redshirt freshman Bradley Roby who
turned heads. Both are back for their second
seasons as starters with Doran Grant hoping
to build on a freshman campaign that was
spent mostly on special teams.
Depth is not a problem at safety, but
Withers will look for more consistent play
out of returning starters C.J. Barnett and
Christian Bryant, both juniors who have
flashed big-play ability but inconsistent tackling so far in their careers.
Senior Orhian Johnson, a former starter,
provides another veteran option, and juniors
Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown and Jamie Wood
are waiting in the wings. Wood will be limited by a lingering shoulder problem, and
senior Zach Domicone will not take part in
spring drills as he continues to rehab a knee
injury.
Also looking to earn a spot on the safety
depth chart for the first time will be redshirt
freshman Ron Tanner and true freshman
Tyvis Powell, who enrolled in January.
Where Meyer should have no problem
with attrition is in the kicking game as both
senior punter Ben Buchanan and junior
kicker Drew Basil return.
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OHIO STATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Top Ohio 2013 Prospect Sets Decision Date
RECRUITING
OUTLOOK
Ari Wasserman
Gibson, the No. 18 receiver in the 2013
class according to Scout.com, is scheduled
to make public his college decision June
20, his mother’s birthday. Gibson has not
made plans for how he’ll announce his decision but is anticipating ironing out details
in the coming weeks.
Also an accomplished track star for the
Tigers, the 6-1, 190-pound speedster has
more than 10 offers, including ones from
Auburn, Ohio State, Illinois, Mississippi
State, Nevada, North Carolina State,
Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt.
Urban Meyer has recruited Gibson
hard, specifically after Ohio State’s head
coach became familiar with him while inking Gibson’s teammate, offensive tackle
Kyle Dodson, in the 2012 class.
Sources close to BSB indicate the battle
You’re Invited to a Sneak Peek at the 2012
OSU Buckeye Football Season
Coach Meyer’s
Spring Kick-Off
Tuesday April 3, 2012
Coach Meyer’s Spring Kick-Off
Tuesday April 3, 2012 / 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Benefitting the Earle & Jean Bruce Alzheimer’s Research Fund
in Neurology at The Ohio State University
VENUE
Woody Hayes Athletic Center
535 Irving Schottenstein, Columbus, OH 43210
For tickets and more information, visit www.BuckeyeSpringKickoff.com
OSU Football Verbal Commitments
Players in the class of 2013 who have issued verbal commitments to play football at Ohio State.
Player
Pos. Ht. Wt. Stars
High School
Cameron Burrows
Evan Lisle
Jalin Marshall
Billy Price
Eli Woodard
CB
OT
RB
DT
CB
6-2
6-6
6-1
6-4
6-0½
195
275
190
265
180
for Gibson is down to Auburn and Ohio
State.
Gibson is ranked by Scout as the No.
7 overall prospect in Ohio. The Buckeyes
already have 2013 commitments from four
of the top six players in the state – No. 1
quarterback Jalin Marshall of Middletown,
No. 4 offensive lineman Evan Lisle of
Centerville, No. 5 cornerback Cameron
Burrows of Trotwood-Madison and defensive lineman Billy Price of Austintown
Fitch.
Four-Star DT To Visit
OSU For Spring Game
Even after earning a verbal commitment from Voorhees (N.J.) Eastern cornerback Eli Woodard, Ohio State is far from
finished recruiting the New Jersey area.
The Buckeyes’ next target from Woodard’s
neck of the woods is four-star defensive
tackle Greg Webb.
Webb, a 6-2½, 290-pound prospect
from Erial (N.J.) Timber Creek
Regional, has already earned
a reputation as one of the best
defensive linemen in the nation,
and he has the scholarship list
to prove it.
Having more than 30 offers
from some of the nation’s top
programs – including Alabama,
Florida State, Miami (Fla.),
Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio
State, Oklahoma, Penn State,
Tennessee and Washington
Greg
– Webb has his work cut out for
him in his recruitment.
Ohio State will have Webb on campus
for its April 21 spring game, but the defensive tackle was in State College the weekend of March 24 to get a feel for Penn State.
Webb felt slighted by the previous Nittany
Lions staff, but his recent visit with new
head coach Bill O’Brien has him feeling
good about the program once again.
“It’s a new slate,” Webb said. “I see this
as being like a 180.”
Webb, the No. 10 defensive tackle in the
2013 class according to Scout, remained
interested in Penn State because the current regime kept defensive line coach Larry
Johnson on staff. Johnson, who has become
known as one of the nation’s top recruiters,
has kept a close relationship with Webb.
But on his visit, Webb got a chance to
get to know O’Brien.
“He’s a great coach,” Webb said. “I feel
he has a great plan for what he’s going to
do at Penn State. It’s going to be back to
Penn State again. I sense another national
championship coming.”
Webb was fairly familiar with Penn State
before taking his visit to State College, but
the most recent trip wasn’t necessarily
about getting a feel for what the Nittany
Lions program has to offer. It was more
about building relationships.
“It was nothing I didn’t already know
about the school,” he said. “I learned about
the new coaching staff a little more, like
Trotwood (Ohio) Madison
Centerville, Ohio
Middletown, Ohio
Austintown (Ohio) Fitch
Voorhees (N.J.) Eastern
(defensive coordinator Ted) Roof and all
those guys. It was a better feel for the new
coaching staff. That’s what the whole trip
was about. They already have me interested.”
Webb said he gets a great feeling walking around Penn State’s campus.
“I feel like it’s legendary and a lot of
people feel the same way about it,” he said.
“I feel like it’s just a great place to be and
an environment that is healthy for a student
to succeed because everything is around
you already.”
Next up for Webb is an unofficial visit to
Maryland the weekend of March 31. The
defensive tackle will not make his college
decision until after his senior season.
Top Tight End Expected
For Scarlet-Gray Game
Meyer has said multiple times that his
offense thrives with an athletic tight end
who is capable of making plays in the passing game.
After Ohio State’s head
coach missed out on top
prospect Adam Breneman
of Cedar Hill (Pa.) Camp
Hill, who committed to Penn
State, he’s hitting the position hard by contacting prospects all over the country.
Another tight end prospect who has grabbed Ohio
State’s attention is Durham
(N.C.) Hillside prospect
Webb
Josh McNeil, who is rated by
Scout as the 2013 class’ fifth-best prospect
at his position.
The 6-5, 240-pounder, who will visit Ohio
State for the program’s spring game on
April 21, has garnered roughly 20 scholarship offers and has emerged as a must-have
at the tight end position. As a junior, McNeil
was impressive in the passing game for his
high school, as he hauled in 60 catches for
600 yards and seven touchdowns.
Clemson has recently made big efforts
to get in good position with McNeil, who is
seeing his recruiting process steadily heat
up. McNeil has yet to visit with the Tigers,
but he anticipates getting on Clemson’s
campus before the end of April.
“I talked to just about the whole coaching staff,” McNeil said of Clemson. “They
kept it short, brief and honest with me.
They told me what I wanted and needed to
hear. They told me I would be able to play
quickly there. That’s the most important
part of my decision making, for my college
I’m going to.”
Clemson is a particularly attractive
option for McNeil because Dwayne Allen,
considered to be one of the top tight
end prospects in this year’s NFL draft,
played for the Tigers. Allen won the John
Mackey Award in 2011, given annually to
the nation’s top college tight end.
“I know they had the No. 1 tight end
(in) Allen,” McNeil said. “I know they’ve
got the really good receivers. I’ve always
SCOUT.COM
Wide receiver Shelton Gibson of
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is in the thick
of his recruiting process, but the four-star
prospect is also ready for the chase to
end.
liked Clemson. They’ve always been a good
program and they’ve always played good
football.”
Perhaps McNeil will also be impressed
by the work Meyer did with current NFL
tight end Aaron Hernandez while he was
at Florida. Hernandez, now with the New
England Patriots, is considered to be one
of the most lethal pass-catching tight end
threats in professional football.
McNeil, who has visited North Carolina,
North Carolina State and East Carolina,
will continue to formulate information on
the schools still on his list before making a
college decision.
“I was thinking about making a top
five between the end of April and beginning of May,” McNeil said, “then make
my decision at the end of the summer
or at the end of the high school season.”
Keystone Linebacker Enjoys
Unofficial Visit To Notre Dame
Ohio State has scheduled a visit with
four-star linebacker prospect Alex Anzalone
of Wyomissing (Pa.) Area the weekend
of March 31, and it will be another stop
for what is turning out to be a very hectic
recruiting process for Scout’s 10th-best
outside linebacker in the 2013 class.
Anzalone, who has already made spring
visits to Florida and Penn State, was most
recently on a trip to Notre Dame the weekend of March 24, and the Fighting Irish
made big strides in the recruitment of one
of the top prospects in the nation.
“I think it moves Notre Dame up,” said
Anzalone, who has garnered more than
30 scholarship offers. “When I go to a
school, I go in with an open mind and see
if I like it or not. It’s pretty non-biased in
the beginning, and then once I visit, it will
either help or hurt them. Everyone is on
the same level, but Notre Dame definitely
moved up.”
Anzalone has earned a reputation as a
must-have linebacker, but Notre Dame had
him in town as a running back prospect.
The 6-3, 220-pound recruit, however, left
South Bend with the option of playing
either side of the ball.
“I learned a lot about the university,”
he said of his trip to South Bend. “I knew
I had a little bit of knowledge about it, but
I got a lot of information and learned a lot
just about the academics, the academic
support, the athletics – also what it’s like to
be a Notre Dame football player and what
the coaches expect from you.”
The coaching staff, led by head coach
Brian Kelly, left a lasting impression.
“They’re really down-to-earth guys and
family men,” Anzalone said of the coaching
staff. “They are really in tune with their
players. I think they have a lot of passion
for the game and they’ve been around for
a while and they have a lot of experience.
They know what it’s like to be a football
player, and they can relate to the players,
which is pretty cool.”
During the first week of April, Anzalone
is taking a family vacation to California,
where he’ll make visits to USC, UCLA and
Stanford.
Anzalone made 54 tackles on defense
and scored 13 touchdowns and averaged
11.6 yards per carry as a running back on
offense. Many programs such as Notre
Dame and Stanford hope to acquire his
services on the offensive side of the ball.
Whether he’ll play linebacker or running
back in college remains to be seen. He said
he will have to make that decision as he
attempts to cut down his massive scholarship list.
However, he hopes his recruiting pro-
cess – though incredibly hectic – doesn’t
drag out too long.
“I think I want to make a decision before
the season,” Anzalone said. “I will have to
trim down the list because I can’t look at
them all.”
OSU’s Top RB Target Visits
U-M, Comes Away Impressed
Richmond (Va.) Hermitage running
back Derrick Green has been one of Ohio
State’s top targets for months, but if the
Buckeyes want him in the 2013 class,
they’re going to have to beat out a lot of
other programs.
Green’s scholarship list is rapidly inflating – he has 24 now – and the 5-11, 220pound back is visiting programs as quickly
as he’s piling up offers. Even worse news
for Ohio State fans is that Green’s most
recent visit was to Michigan, a program
that could start sticking out for the four-star
prospect.
“The visit went real well,” said Green,
who was in Ann Arbor on March 18. ”It
definitely moved them up in my eyes. It was
definitely more than what I expected. What
I saw was nicer and a lot more than what
I expected, actually. I saw the facilities.
I like how they have the biggest football
stadium in college football. My parents
liked it, too.”
Michigan already has commitments
from two running backs in its 2013 class,
but Green will likely remain a top priority
given he’s one of the best in the class at
his position. Scout ranks Green the No. 20
running back in the 2013 class.
The Wolverines also remain in the hunt
for five-star running back Ty Isaac of Joliet
(Ill.) Catholic Academy, the top-rated back
in the 2013 class, and the U-M coaching
staff told Green they were possibly “only
taking one more back.”
Green, however, won’t be rushed in his
recruitment. He recently told BSB that he
could make a post-Signing Day decision,
but that would not be the case if the right
school makes a clear sprint to the top of
his list.
“Right now, I’m in the process of getting to know coaches, getting to see the
facilities and putting names with faces,”
he said. ”I’m not trying to rush anything. I
think I’ll probably narrow my top down at
the end of my senior season, but as far as
making a commit, I’m not sure about that
right now.”
The running back has confirmed to
BSB that Ohio State will get one of his five
official visits.
Top Illinois Offensive Tackle
Planning Host Of Spring Visits
One of the best offensive lineman prospects in the 2013 class is Lemont (Ill.)
Township’s Ethan Pocic, and his offer list
of at least 20 schools is proof enough. Rated
the nation’s No. 6 offensive tackle prospect
by Scout, Pocic has been busy narrowing
down the schools he’d like to visit during
the spring.
“I am going to Florida, Florida State,
Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio
State,” said Pocic, who was named the
MVP of the Core6 Winter Showcase in
Westmont, Ill., a camp that had some of the
best talent in the country.
The 6-6, 280-pounder was one of the
main reasons his high school team went
12-1 while reaching the state semifinals
last year. While leading his team, he was
invited to the Army, Under Armour and
Semper Fidelis All-American games.
The Scout.com 100
Here is a look at the Scout.com 100 list for the class of 2013, with players
ranked in order from 1-100. Ohio State has received verbal committments from
four of these players, listed in bold.
Rk Name
Pos. Ht./Wt.
High School
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
DE
MLB
WR
OT
QB
CB
S
WR
S
QB
DT
DT
RB
RB
DT
OLB
RB
OLB
RB
RB
DT
TE
MLB
DE
OG
WR
OLB
QB
DT
WR
CB
S
S
RB
S
TE
DE
DE
WR
DE
WR
OT
DT
DT
OT
DT
WR
C
OT
OG
MLB
OT
WR
DT
OLB
QB
OT
RB
RB
OLB
OT
S
QB
RB
TE
RB
S
OT
WR
RB
CB
OG
WR
CB
DE
WR
DT
OLB
TE
OLB
WR
OT
RB
DE
WR
OLB
CB
DE
QB
CB
RB
CB
MLB
DE
WR
S
DE
RB
OT
S
Loganville (Ga.) Grayson
LaGrange (Ga.) Troup County
Monaca (Pa.) Central Valley
Lake City (Fla.) Columbia South
Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline
Tampa (Fla.) Wharton
Batesville (Miss.) South Panola
Sealy, Texas
Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta
Whitewright, Texas
Vienna (Ga.) Dooly County
Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Joliet (Ill.) Catholic Academy
Cypress (Texas) Ranch
Auburn (Calif.) Placer
Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers
Stockton (Calif.) Lincoln
Miami Booker T. Washington
Yulee, Fla.
Beaverton (Ore.) Aloha
Dallas Justin F. Kimball
Camp Hill (Pa.) Cedar Cliff
Honolulu Punahou School
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
Wexford (Pa.) North Allegheny
Louisville (Ky.) Trinity
Concord (Calif.) De La Salle
Warren (Mich.) De La Salle
Bear (Del.) Red Lion Christian Academy
Rosenberg (Texas) B.F. Terry
Olney (Md.) Our Lady of Good Counsel
Rossville (Ga.) Ridgeland
Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos De Niza
Middletown, Ohio
Alliance (Ohio) Marlington
Prattville (Ala.) Autauga Academy
Louisville (Ky.) Trinity
Lawton, Okla.
Oakley (Calif.) Freedom
Avon, Ind.
Oakland Park (Fla.) Northeast
Celina, Texas
Fort Worth (Texas) Arlington Heights
Port Saint Lucie (Fla.) St. Lucie West Centennial
Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
Hope Mills (N.C.) South View
Santa Monica, Calif.
Killeen (Texas) Harker Heights
Wheaton (Ill.) St. Francis
Everett, Mass.
Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast
Dallas Lake Highlands
Dallas Jesuit College Prep School
Elysian Fields, Texas
Robert Nkemdiche
Reuben Foster
Robert Foster
Laremy Tunsil
Max Browne
Vernon Hargreaves III
Antonio Conner
Ricky Seals-Jones
Su’a Cravens
Tyrone Swoopes
Montravius Adams
Dee Liner
Ty Isaac
Keith Ford
Eddie Vanderdoes
Jaylon Smith
Justin Davis
Matthew Thomas
Derrick Henry
Thomas Tyner
Justin Manning
Adam Breneman
Isaac Savaiinaea
Joey Bosa
Patrick Kugler
James Quick
Michael Hutchings
Shane Morris
Kenny Bigelow
Derrick Griffin
Kendall Fuller
Vonn Bell
Priest Willis
Jalin Marshall
Dymonte Thomas
O.J. Howard
Jason Hatcher
D.J. Ward
Darrell Daniels
Elijah Daniel
Stacy Coley
Jake Raulerson
A’Shawn Robinson
Jaynard Bostwick
Nico Falah
Greg Gilmore
Sebastian LaRue
Darius James
Kyle Bosch
John Montelus
Daniel McMillan
Kent Perkins
Jake Oliver
Isaiah Golden
Kendell Beckwith
Cooper Bateman
Ethan Pocic
DeVeon Smith
Greg Bryant
Jayron Kearse
Derwin Gray
Max Redfield
Brice Ramsey
Ezekiel Elliott
Hunter Henry
Kailo Moore
Tahaan Goodman
Evan Lisle
Ahmad Fulwood
Dontre Wilson
Mackensie Alexander
Tyrone Crowder
Marquez North
Cameron Burrows
Kylie Fitts
Laquon Treadwell
Greg Webb
Deoundrei Davis
Standish Dobard
E.J. Levenberry
Steven Mitchell
Colin McGovern
Altee Tenpenny
Torrodney Prevot
Ardarius Stewart
Alquadin Muhammad
Johnny Johnson
Maquedius Bain
J.T. Barrett
Eli Woodard
Kelvin Taylor
Chris Hawkins
Peter Kalambayi
Joe Mathis
Jacorey Warrick
Leon McQuay
Isaac Rochell
Tyren Jones
Steven Elmer
Kameron Miles
6-4/268
6-1/240
6-2/190
6-6/282
6-5/196
5-11/181
6-1/205
6-5/215
6-1/205
6-5/220
6-3/285
6-4/268
6-2/220
5-11/195
6-4/285
6-3/225
6-1/195
6-4/210
6-3/241
6-0/200
6-2/275
6-5/220
6-3/230
6-5/262
6-4/270
6-1/175
6-1/210
6-3/190
6-3/280
6-6/214
6-0/185
6-1/190
6-2/190
6-1/190
6-1/180
6-5/225
6-3/230
6-4/235
6-3/210
6-3/230
6-1/175
6-5/250
6-4/305
6-4/270
6-5/270
6-4/270
5/11½/185
6-5/315
6-5/280
6-5/295
6-2/220
6-6/285
6-3/185
6-3/300
6-3/220
6-3/205
6-6/280
5-11/210
5-10/190
6-4/205
6-5/265
6-2/195
6-3/197
6-0/195
6-6/240
5-11/185
6-2/190
6-6/275
6-4/200
5-10/180
5-11/185
6-3/305
6-3/210
6-2/195
6-4/245
6-3/190
6-2½/290
6-2/200
6-5/230
6-3/220
5-10/180
6-6/280
6-0/203
6-4/205
6-1/185
6-3½/230
5-9/165
6-4/265
6-2/205
6-0½/180
5-10/205
6-0/170
6-2/235
6-4/250
5-9/161
6-1/175
6-5/257
5-9/197
6-6/297
6-2/212
Commitment
Uncommitted
Alabama
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Texas
Uncommitted
Texas
Uncommitted
Auburn
Uncommitted
Oklahoma
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Georgia
Oregon
Uncommitted
Penn State
Stanford
Uncommitted
Michigan
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Michigan
USC
Texas A&M
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Ohio State
Michigan
Alabama
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Texas
Texas
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Uncommitted
Texas
Michigan
Uncommitted
Florida
Texas
Texas
Texas A&M
Clinton (La.) East Feliciana Parish Enrichment Acad. Uncommitted
Salt Lake City Cottonwood
Uncommitted
Lemont (Ill.) Township
Uncommitted
Warren (Ohio) Howland
Michigan
Delray Beach (Fla.) American Heritage School
Uncommitted
Fort Myers (Fla.) South Fort Myers
Miami (Fla.)
Washington (D.C.) Pre-Engineering Swsc Dunbar Uncommitted
Mission Viejo, Calif.
Uncommitted
Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County
Georgia
St. Louis (Mo.) John Burroughs School
Uncommitted
Little Rock Pulaski Academy
Uncommitted
Rosedale (Miss.) West Bolivar
Uncommitted
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Uncommitted
Centerville, Ohio
Ohio State
Jacksonville (Fla.) Bishop Kenny
Uncommitted
DeSoto, Texas
Uncommitted
Immokalee, Fla.
Uncommitted
Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond
Uncommitted
Charlotte Mallard Creek
Trotwood (Ohio) Madison
Ohio State
Redlands (Calif.) East Valley
Uncommitted
Crete (Ill.) Crete-Monee
Uncommitted
Erial (N.J.) Timber Creek Regional
Uncommitted
Cypress (Texas) Woods
Texas
New Orleans Edna Karr
Uncommitted
Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton
Uncommitted
Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany
Uncommitted
New Lenox (Ill.) Lincoln-Way West
Uncommitted
North Little Rock, Ark.
Alabama
Houston Taylor
Uncommitted
Birmingham (Ala.) Fultondale
Alabama
Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep
Uncommitted
Fresno (Calif.) Central High East Campus
Uncommitted
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Univ. School of Nova Southeastern University
Florida State
Wichita Falls (Texas) Rider
Uncommitted
Voorhees (N.J.) Eastern
Ohio State
Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Day School
Florida
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Uncommitted
Matthews (N.C.) David W. Butler
Uncommitted
Upland, Calif.
Uncommitted
Houston Cypress Falls
Texas
Seffner (Fla.) Armwood
Uncommitted
McDonough (Ga.) Eagles Landing Christian Academy
Uncommitted
Marietta (Ga.) Walton
Alabama
Midland, Mich.
Notre Dame
Mesquite (Texas) West Mesquite
Uncommitted
Kettering Alter QB Selects Notre Dame
The first trip Pocic made was on March
24 to Florida. Sources close to BSB indicate
that he will be in Columbus on March 30,
but the rest of his visit dates have yet to be
planned.
OSU Makes Cut On Indy
D-Lineman’s Top Five
Indianapolis North Central defensive
tackle Darius Latham is a physically imposing prospect. At 6-5, 285 pounds, his size
could be one reason for his rapidly expanding offer list.
The way he plays the game probably has
more to do with it, however.
Latham, the No. 21 defensive tackle in
the 2013 class according to Scout, holds
offers from top programs across the country. With 15 in hand – including ones from
Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State,
Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin –
the four-star prospect felt he had more than
enough to start narrowing down where
he’d like to play his college football.
“Darius has trimmed his list to five
schools in no particular order,” North
Central assistant coach Taj Darby told
Scout’s Midwest recruiting analyst Allen
Trieu. “Notre Dame, Florida, Tennessee,
Wisconsin and Ohio State.”
Latham was on a visit to Notre Dame
on March 24 and Tennessee the following
day as he continues to gather information
on programs that made his top five. It is
unclear when he’ll make his final decision,
but narrowing the list was his first step in
getting closer to that point.
Zaire Visits Notre Dame,
Issues Commitment To Irish
The Ohio State coaching staff was hoping to land its second quarterback in three
years from the Dayton area, but Kettering
(Ohio) Alter dual threat Malik Zaire is
headed to Notre Dame.
Zaire, a four-star prospect rated by Scout
as the No. 13 quarterback in the 2013 class,
took a visit to South Bend the weekend of
March 24. After visiting with head coach
Kelly, Zaire didn’t hesitate to make his college decision.
“I definitely fell in love with Notre Dame
when I got up there and had a chance to
see everything – it was pretty cool,” the
6-1, 190-pound quarterback said. “(Coach
Kelly and I) just had a nice conversation
and he believes I can come in and start.
But he stressed I’ll have to compete for it as
always. He said I’ll have to learn the offense
well and explained Notre Dame is not only
about football but also for academics.”
Kelly made Zaire a recruiting priority,
visiting with the Ohio prospect just before
sitting down with other recruits in for the
weekend. Zaire was touched by the gesture
but was also moved by how familiar the
Notre Dame campus felt.
“When we toured campus, I could see
Notre Dame is a lot like my high school,”
Zaire said. “Only it is times two, or as
my mother said, ‘It’s Alter on steroids,’
because they share the same kind of values
and structure Alter has.
“Notre Dame has a Catholic base and is
the kind of school I currently go to. I came
away feeling like I really fit in there with
how beautiful the campus is and how organized everything is there. I got the feeling
of being at home from it.”
While Zaire was pleased that Kelly
A Look Back At Recruiting From The Pages Of BSB
Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education
defensive back Vincent Clark told BSB he and
friend and fellow signee Carlos Snow had big
plans for their arrival in the capital city in the
fall.
“We want to show all the people in
Columbus that we can play football down
here in Cincinnati,” Clark said.
CAPE head coach Steve Sheehan refuted
the notion Clark was a throw-in as a packaged
deal with the nationally acclaimed running
back Snow.
“A lot of the recruiters felt Vinnie was the
best all-around athlete” of the two, Sheehan
said.
Another signee, offensive lineman Paul
Long of Mayfield, won the Ohio Class AAA
state wrestling title in the heavyweight
division.
Signee Luke Fickell of Columbus DeSales
won his third state wrestling championship
by pinning Ray Edmonds of Akron Hoban 54
seconds into the heavyweight final in Division
II. One day earlier Edmonds, a Michigan
football signee, had told reporters Fickell was
“good, but he can be beat and it’s about
time.”
Stow (Ohio) Walsh Jesuit junior fullback
thought there was a good chance he could
come in early and start for the Irish, the
quarterback was also excited about the
education he’ll be earning.
“A degree from Notre Dame is a great
insurance policy for later in life,” he said.
“It really hit me that my decision was not a
four-year decision but a 40-year decision.”
Zaire told BSB that he has been compared to fellow Dayton-area native and current Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller
but wasn’t hindered by the idea that he’d
have to play behind Miller had he chosen
the Buckeyes. He said he understands he’ll
have to compete at Notre Dame as well.
“I know this is going to be a challenge
as I’ll be going into college and competing
against three or four guys,” Zaire said.
“However, at the same time, I didn’t look
at anything I feel I couldn’t beat. I know it’s
early but it didn’t look like anything that
was too special or something I would have
to wait a year for.
“I also believe Coach Kelly believes in
me a lot and I’ll be given a chance to come
in and show them what I have.”
East Coast Defensive Tackle
Hoping For Offer From OSU
Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers
defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. makes
his best plays when he’s beating up on the
opposing offensive line. However, Hurst
was quite successful in doing something
most defensive linemen only dream about
– carrying the football.
During his junior season, the four-star
prospect made countless plays disrupting
the opposing offense. His 18 carries for 220
yards and three touchdowns made for quite
the addition to the highlight tape. However,
it wasn’t his ball-carrying skills that have
him with 12 scholarship offers in hand.
With offers from such programs as
Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland,
Michigan State, Purdue and others, Hurst
is seeing his recruitment take a big turn.
The 6-2, 290-pounder has been in contact with Ohio State, too, and hopes the
Buckeyes follow suit with an offer.
Tom Lopienski’s mother told BSB her son
would attend Notre Dame.
“He grew up with Notre Dame football
and he just believed that was best for him,”
she said.
The Ken-Yon Rambo saga continued as
the Long Beach (Calif.) Poly wide receiver
continued to hold onto a national letter of
intent from Ohio State.
“There’s no holdup,” he told BSB of his
wait to sign the document he’d had in hand
for more than a month. “I just have some
things I need to discuss with Coach (John)
Cooper.”
Cleveland St. Ignatius two-way star
Anthony Gonzalez came away from OSU’s
junior day impressed with the personal
approach Jim Tressel and his staff took to
his recruitment and his refurbished potential
home.
“I was always under the impression the
Big House was the place, but I thought it was
kind of ugly in person,” Gonzalez said. “At
Ohio Stadium, they got rid of those bleachers.
Those were pretty nasty. It really looks brandnew.”
David Patterson, a defensive lineman
from Warrensville Heights, Ohio, told BSB
he was thinking about committing to the
Buckeyes.
“I like Ohio State,” Patterson said. “I’ve
“I haven’t made a lot of visits,” Hurst
said. “I really want to check out Michigan
even though they haven’t offered me yet
because they want to see me on campus.
I definitely want to visit Ohio State even
though they haven’t offered me, either.
“Ohio State, I’ve been talking to them a
lot. I think they have two offers (out) for my
class and they already have one commitment on the defensive line, so that leaves
one. I’m not really sure at this point, but I
definitely want to go down for a visit.”
Purdue and Michigan State are the
only programs from the Big Ten that have
offered Hurst to this point, but he’s working hard to make his case for offers from
Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.
Those three programs have all been
in contact with Hurst, and the defensive
tackle is very interested in what each program has to say.
“Michigan is a real traditional program,”
he said. “The coach said I was in their top
five of defensive tackles. They said there
weren’t many offers, but I could end up
getting an offer down the road because
they’re offering three guys from the defensive line and they already have 16 commitments. They’re definitely doing something
special.”
Hurst thinks Penn State is also a program that’s on the rise.
“I really like Penn State,” he said. “It’s
really one of my favorite schools. I grew
up liking Penn State a lot. They have a lot
of tradition in their program and it’s not
too far from home, and the academics are
really good. All around, it’s a really good
school.”
Though Hurst is still in the process of
accumulating offers, the defensive lineman
hopes his recruiting process doesn’t take
too long. Rated the No. 23 defensive tackle
in the 2013 class according to Scout, the
timetable depends on the scholarship offers
he earns and the visits he’s able to take.
“I really wanted to get it over with
before the start of football season,” Hurst
said. “But the fact I haven’t been able to
get out to some of these places, it would be
wanted to go there ever since Eddie George
won the Heisman Trophy. Nate Clements
attends my church and I’ve always looked up
to him.”
Five Years Ago – 2007
The Buckeyes picked up three in-state
commitments in the span of two weeks.
Receivers DeVier Posey of Cincinnati LaSalle
and Jake Stoneburner of Dublin Coffman,
as well as running back/linebacker Devoe
Torrence, all pledged to sign with Ohio State
in 2008.
Torrence said he would be happy to
join his older brother, Devon, a 2007 OSU
signee, in Columbus, and made other news
by withdrawing from Canton South and
reportedly planning to attend storied Ohio
high school power Massillon Washington.
One Year Ago – 2011
Highly regarded running back prospect and
Ohio State verbal commitment Bri’onte Dunn
revealed that new Michigan head coach Brady
Hoke had issued him a scholarship offer and
that he would be traveling to see the U-M
campus.
“I’ve still got my eyes open,” Dunn said.
“I’m going to go visit. I’m not sure when.”
However, Dunn continued to characterize
his commitment to Ohio State as solid.
“You never know,” he said. “Anything
could happen.”
great to take some official visits and decide
then, especially since I’m not going to be
signing anything until February.”
Recruiting Notes
• Notre Dame picked up a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Colin
McGovern of New Lenox (Ill.) Lincoln-Way
West on March 24. The 6-6, 292-pounder
was rated the nation’s No. 9 offensive tackle
by Scout and piled up 14 scholarship offers,
including one from Ohio State.
“He’s been a Notre Dame fan and it was
one of those things where he was looking
for a school that had a great academic
reputation as well as a football program,”
Lincoln-Way West head coach Dave Ernst
said. “You can’t go wrong when you pick
Notre Dame. It’s one of the most storied
college football programs and best academic institutions.”
• Matthews (N.C.) Butler outside linebacker Peter Kalambayi, a four-star prospect, has more than 25 scholarship offers.
Mississippi and Texas A&M are the latest
schools to offer Kalambayi (6-2, 235), but
Scout’s No. 4 middle linebacker has said
Stanford, Oregon, North Carolina, Ohio
State, Michigan, Virginia and Duke are the
programs most standing out to him.
• Ohio State has offered Missouri City
(Texas) Marshall outside linebacker Deon
Hollins. Rated the No. 16 outside linebacker
in the 2013 class by Scout, Hollis (6-2, 222)
has stacked up over 30 scholarship offers.
Joining OSU with offers are such programs
as Arizona, Nebraska, Michigan State,
Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Stanford.
• Warren (Ohio) Howland running
back DeVeon Smith committed to Michigan
on March 17. The four-star running back
had an offer from Ohio State and five other
schools. Scout rates the 5-11, 210-pound
prospect the nation’s No. 7 running back
and Ohio’s No. 3 overall prospect. Smith
said he felt comfortable in Ann Arbor and
was encouraged by how he would translate in the Michigan offense when the
Wolverines revert to an I-formation after
quarterback Denard Robinson graduates.
Ohio State Took Long Road In Getting Decker
By MARCUS HARTMAN
Ohio State and Taylor Decker seemed like
a perfect match from early in his recruitment,
but the elite offensive tackle prospect took a
circuitous route to Columbus, where he is set
to take part in spring practice in April.
Decker was a Buckeye fan growing up in
the Dayton suburb of Vandalia, and his development into a long, lean athletic offensive
lineman lent itself naturally to his being able
to don the scarlet and gray someday.
As is often the case in life, however, nothing was quite what it seemed when Decker’s
recruitment heated up following his junior
season at Vandalia-Butler, his second as a
starter on the Aviators’ offensive line.
Scholarship offers flowed in from many of
the Midwest’s top schools, but the coveted
invitation to become a Buckeye never materialized. Then-head coach Jim Tressel and
offensive line coach Jim Bollman evaluated
Decker but chose not to invite him to join
what was to be their 2012 recruiting class.
That opened the door to other elite programs to vie for his services, a battle from
which Notre Dame emerged the winner in
March 2011.
Decker went through the summer and
his senior season happy with his choice, but
things began to change in late November
when Ohio State hired Urban Meyer as its
new head coach.
Dissatisfied with the current crop of offensive tackles on his new roster or in his
recruiting class as it stood at the time, Meyer
quickly went to work identifying players to fill
the need. It did not take long for him to land
on the name of Decker, though the youngster
did take some convincing before he reopened
his recruitment.
“He called my son’s cell phone and he kept
calling him and calling him,” Decker’s mother, Sheila, told BSB. “The day after (Meyer)
took the job, he called him. I think he called
him like three times that day. Then we would
have Taylor tell us all about it, and we would
say, ‘Wow,’ but he would say, ‘I’m committed
to (Notre Dame).’ ”
Decker maintained a strong relationship
with Notre Dame offensive line coach Ed
Warinner and recruiting coordinator Tim
Hinton, and Decker initially maintained his
commitment to the Fighting Irish.
Then Meyer hired Warinner and Hinton to
his new Ohio State staff and things changed
anew.
Decker opted to take another look at being
a Buckeye.
“I just wanted to make sure I was going to
do it the right way, make the right decision,”
he said. “I wanted to get all the information
necessary because switching schools is a big
change. I wanted to make sure I was making
the right choice just based on the facts.”
With his family in tow, Decker took a visit
to campus in Columbus. They liked what
they saw and soon a new decision had to be
made.
Shortly thereafter, he announced his intention to sign with his home state’s flagship university instead of Notre Dame.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it at all,”
Decker said of receiving an Ohio State offer
from a two-time national championship head
coach. “I didn’t expect a famous and great
coach to offer me at all, but I guess I’ve been
blessed. I had that opportunity and it was
really humbling.”
On top of the chance to play for the school
he grew up cheering for, Decker cited being
able to major in sports medicine and training.
Such a program was not available at Notre
Dame.
“I’ve always played sports and been working out my whole life, and I just figured I love
it now so I would love it as a career,” he said.
“To pursue that, to be a strength and conditioning coach and maybe help out kids who
are in the position that I’m in now, I just think
it would be great to do that.”
Meyer was not only elated to land the
services of Decker for the coming season but
also excited to learn he will join the Buckeyes
for spring practice. Asked why that brought
a smile to his face, the coach cut right to the
chase.
“He’s a great kid from a great family,” Meyer said. “High-end academics. Does
everything the right way and he’s 6-8, 315.
He’s a tall, angular, athletic tackle.”
To that end, Butler head coach Greg Bush
heard all about what college recruiters liked
when they watched Decker perform for his
team the past three years.
“Usually a big kid who is 6-8, when he
gets down in his stance he looks awkward
and off balance, but (Decker) can get down in
his stance because he’s strong and flexible,”
Bush said. “He’s graceful when he gets down
in that stance and he can win the leverage
battle.”
By putting on close to 50 pounds between
the end of his junior year and National Signing
Day in February, Decker proved he has a significant work ethic.
“Besides doing our workouts, he had a personal trainer, too,” Bush said. “In the evening,
he went and worked out additionally. That’s
how committed he was. He did our workout
preparing for us and then he had a trainer from
Good Samaritan Hospital and he did more.”
Bush also praised Decker’s intellect both
in terms of football and the classroom.
“He’s a real good student and a really good
student of the game,” the coach said. “When
you try to teach him something, he wants you
to break it down and show him the how and
the why. You don’t have to show him how to
do something twice.”
Perhaps most encouraging to Buckeye
fans, Decker can be considered something of
Get To Know: Taylor Decker
High School – Vandalia (Ohio) Butler
Position – Offensive Tackle
Height, Weight – 6-8, 315 pounds
Rankings – According to Scout.com,
Decker is a four-star prospect rated the
nation’s No. 14 offensive tackle in the 2012
class.
Player Evaluation – “I really believe he
has a chance to be special. He’s a guy with
Taylor Decker
the tools to play beyond his years at Ohio
State. He has a great frame, which he has worked hard to fill
out. He was 240 pounds when we first saw him at 6-8, and
now he’s over 300.” – Scout.com Midwest recruiting analyst
Allen Trieu
Strengths – “Taylor’s strengths are pretty apparent. He’s
a nice kid that plays mean. He really finishes his blocks and
plays with the tenacity you like to see in offensive linemen.”
– Trieu
Weaknesses – “As far as improvement goes, his team
passed some, but I still think he has work to do in pass
protection. Mainly, just experience there and adjusting to
the size and speed he’ll see coming at him off the edge.
His main weakness before was that he was so thin, but he’s
taken care of that.” – Trieu
a late bloomer despite his status as a four-star
recruit. While his athleticism has never been
in question, strength was viewed as something Decker needed to add before being
ready for the rigors of the Big Ten. He might
not be there yet as a freshman, but he has
made significant progress already, and spring
practice figures to offer a crash course in the
game as well.
“He always was tall and now his strength
is coming along, but he was always a physical player so that helps,” Bush said. “I don’t
know if he’s Big Ten physical right now, but
I think he will be.”
With the OSU depth chart lacking true
tackles this spring and fall, some have specu-
lated Decker could work his way into a significant role as a true freshman. He preferred to
keep any conversations about potential playing time between himself and the coaches,
but Decker is excited to take his shot and
represent his hometown and family.
“My family is really excited because I live
an hour from Columbus (and) I’ve always
been an Ohio State fan,” he said. “They’re
definitely excited and happy to see me wearing scarlet and gray.
“I know especially everyone around my
community is very supportive of me and
happy for me and glad I have such great atmosphere around me to support me and want to
see me do well.”
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING FLASHBACK
Clarett Topped Tressel’s 2002 Recruiting Class
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a fivepart series looking back at Ohio State football
recruiting. In the series, BSB will take a look
at recruiting classes from 25, 20, 15, 10 and
five years ago. The following is a recap of the
Buckeyes’ class of 2002.
By MARK REA
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Managing Editor
Just one year after scrambling to get more
than a dozen names on national letters of intent,
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel reeled in
the consensus No. 2 recruiting class in the
country in 2002. Topping the names on the list
was USA Today offensive player of the year
Maurice Clarett of Warren (Ohio) Harding,
whose signature allowed the Buckeyes to
make a clean sweep of the top five players in
Ohio and land eight of the top 10.
“We knew this would be an important
year,” Tressel said. “A year ago, we came in so
late that we chose not to fill all of our numbers
we had available. We committed to the fact
that this was going to be an outstanding class.
We were going to make that decision of a year
ago – to save some scholarships – pay off. Our
staff went to work virtually the day after last
year’s recruiting ended.
“They worked hard to make sure we evaluated the people we thought could come here
and do the work academically and obviously
could play the game at the positions we needed. The staff worked day and night.”
Texas topped every national recruiting
expert’s rankings, but OSU was the overwhelming choice for second. The Buckeyes
were followed by Tennessee, Miami (Fla.),
UCLA, Florida State, Oklahoma, Virginia and
USC.
Longtime SuperPrep magazine publisher
Allen Wallace said the effort signaled an end to
other schools coming to Ohio to raid talent.
“Jim Tressel has set the tone for how they
expect to successfully corral the in-state talent,” Wallace said. “He has re-established contact between the school and the high school
coaches in the state, and you can see they are
ready to jump back on the bandwagon. Every
year, the state produces seven or eight great
prospects. If you can dominate a state as fertile
as Ohio is, you’ll do pretty well.”
National recruiting expert Tom Lemming
praised Tressel for two things – cleaning
house in Ohio and retaining recruiting coordinator Bill Conley when he took over the
program from John Cooper.
“It’s clear that (Tressel) has built his contacts in Ohio from his time at Youngstown
State,” Lemming said. “He knows the high
school coaches. Now that he’s at Ohio State
and he has more power, he’s calling in some
of those markers. The one constant (over the
years) has been Bill Conley. He doesn’t get a
lot of credit, but he’s the mastermind behind
these great classes.”
Tressel said it didn’t take a genius to look
at what Conley had accomplished in the past
and leave that part of the program alone.
“I think you have to pay special attention
to the tremendous recruiting organization
that has been in place for so many years here
at Ohio State and continues to be in place,
led by Bill Conley and (recruiting secretary)
Sherrie Kauffman,” the OSU head coach said.
“(Sherrie) does a fabulous job of putting out
front our recruiting process and making it
very accessible for young people to look at
Ohio State. And Bill just masterminds the
whole situation.”
Among the key players signed by the
Buckeyes were a future Big Ten Freshman of
the Year, four first-round NFL draft selections,
two Super Bowl champions, a Super Bowl
MVP and a Heisman Trophy winner.
As with every year, however, there were
disappointments. Wide receiver Richard
Washington of Fort Myers, Fla., switched his
OSU commitment on National Signing Day and
went with North Carolina State instead. Also,
Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland
linebacker Buster Davis failed
to sign with anyone on signing
day despite indicating he would
become a Buckeye. He eventually
signed with Florida State.
And while the Buckeyes made
an almost clean sweep of Ohio,
there were several in-state players
who decided to play their college
football elsewhere. They included linebacker Bryan Andrews
of Lima Senior (Wake Forest);
Maurice
offensive lineman Mark Bihl of
Washington Court House (Michigan); receiver Andre Chattams of Dayton ChaminadeJulienne (Purdue); tight end George Cooper
Jr. of Westerville North (Georgia Tech);
defensive lineman Eric Fritz of Dublin
Coffman (Pittsburgh); linebacker John Kerr
of Cleveland St. Ignatius (Indiana); running back Greg Pruitt Jr. of Shaker Heights
(Minnesota); offensive lineman Kyle Ralph
of Cincinnati St. Xavier (North Carolina); and
running back DeShawn Wynn of Cincinnati
Reading (Florida).
Among the top 10 players in Ohio, the
Buckeyes missed out on only Wynn at No. 6
and Andrews at No. 9.
Here is a complete rundown of the players
in the 2002 recruiting class along with career
highlights.
Bobby Carpenter (6-3, 240, 4.6)
LB, Lancaster, Ohio
• First-team Division I All-Ohio linebacker
• Rated No. 10 prospect in Ohio regardless of position
• As a senior, totaled 128 tackles, included
12 for loss
• Signed with Ohio State over Michigan
State, North Carolina and Northwestern
• Son of former Miami (Ohio) and NFL
running back Rob Carpenter, who was his
head coach in high school
• Four-year OSU letterman (2002-05)
• Two-year starter at outside linebacker/
Leo (2004-05)
• Career OSU totals: 50 games, 26 starts,
191 tackles, 23½ TFL, 14½ sacks, three INTs
• First-round selection of Dallas Cowboys
(18th pick overall) in 2006 NFL draft
• Has played with Cowboys, Dolphins and
Lions (2005-present)
• Career NFL totals: 89 games, 10 starts,
135 tackles, 3½ sacks, one INT
Maurice Clarett (6-0, 230, 4.5)
RB, Warren (Ohio) Harding
• USA Today national offensive player of
the year
• 2001 Ohio Mr. Football; Division I cooffensive player of year
• Rated No. 2 prospect in Ohio regardless
of position
• Rushed for 2,194 yards and 38 TDs during senior season, helping the Warriors to the
state semifinals
• Finished prep career with 4,675 yards
and 65 TDs
• Began high school career at Austintown
(Ohio) Fitch where he ran for 469 yards and
six TDs as a freshman
• Graduated from high school early with
3.50 grade-point average and 1220 on SAT;
joined Ohio State for 2002 spring practice
• Lettered one year for Buckeyes (2002)
• Started one season at tailback for OSU
(2002)
• Set school single-season freshman rushing record with 1,237 yards
• Big Ten Freshman of the
Year (2002)
• Suspended for 2003 season
for accepting improper benefits
• Career OSU totals: 11
games, nine starts, 222 carries,
1,237 yards, 16 TDs
• Challenged NFL rule for
early entry into draft; won case
but decision was later overruled
• Third-round selection of
Denver Broncos in 2005 NFL
draft
Clarett
• Sentenced in 2006 to 7½
years in prison for robbery and gun charges;
served 3½ years before being granted early
release in April 2010
• Current member of Omaha Nighthawks
of United Football League
R.J. Coleman (6-5, 265, 4.78)
TE, Clarksburg (W.Va.) Byrd
• Did not begin playing football until junior
high school season
• As tight end, averaged 28.8 yards per
reception for his career and scored five TDs
• Rated No. 1 prospect in West Virginia
regardless of position
• Also a state track and field champion in
shot put
• Signed with Ohio State over Penn State,
Michigan, West Virginia, Nebraska and LSU
• Switched from tight end to offensive
guard early in OSU career
• Missed entire 2003 season with pinched
nerve in neck and shoulder
• Lettered one season at Ohio State
(2004)
• Accepted medical waiver in 2005 because
of chronic shoulder injury
Mike D’Andrea (6-3, 240, 4.4)
LB, Avon Lake, Ohio
• USA Today first-team prep All-American
of position
• Ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 linebacker
in country by most recruiting services
• First-team Division II All-Ohio linebacker
• Totaled 140 tackles, including 14 for
loss and three sacks, three fumble recoveries
and three INTs during final prep season; also
played tight end and averaged 15 yards per
catch
• Outstanding track athlete, winning state
title in discus as a junior and both the discus
and shot put titles as a senior
• Signed with Ohio State over Michigan,
Nebraska and Notre Dame
• Four-year OSU letterman (2002-04, ’06)
• Injury-plagued career included reconstructive shoulder surgery (2003) and reconstructive knee surgery (2004)
• Career OSU totals: 30 games, three
starts, 44 tackles, 6½ TFL, one sack
Doug Datish (6-5, 290, 4.96)
OL, Warren (Ohio) Howland
• Division II co-defensive player of the
year; first-team All-Ohio defensive lineman
of position
Colorado, Tennessee and Notre Dame
• Three-year OSU letterman (2004-06)
• Three-year starter at three different positions for Buckeyes (left guard in 2004, left
tackle in 2005 and center in 2006)
• Appeared in 41 career games at OSU,
including 35 starts
• Sixth-round selection of Atlanta Falcons
in 2007 NFL draft
• Member of practice squads for Falcons,
Colts and Titans (2008-09)
T.J. Downing (6-5, 280, 4.9)
OL, Canton (Ohio) GlenOak
• First-team Division I All-Ohio offensive
lineman
• Son of former Michigan and San
Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Walt
Downing
• Two-year starter at right guard (200506)
• Appeared in 37 games at OSU, including
28 starts
Tyler Everett (6-1, 185, 4.38)
DB, Canton (Ohio) McKinley
• First-team Division I All-Ohio defensive
back
• Rated No. 14 prospect in Ohio overall
and No. 23 safety prospect in nation
• Totaled 70 tackles, 10 pass breakups,
five INTs and two forced fumbles as senior
• Also played running back in high
school
• Signed with Ohio State over Indiana,
Notre Dame and Northwestern
• Two-year starter for Buckeyes; strong
safety in 2004, cornerback in 2005
102 tackles, three INTs, 13 PBU
• Appeared in one NFL game with Chicago
Bears (2006)
Roy Hall (6-3, 210, 4.5)
WR, Lyndhurst (Ohio) Brush
• First-team Division I All-Ohio receiver
of position
• As a senior, caught 62 passes for 700
yards and six TDs
• Totaled 121 catches during prep career
• Signed with Ohio State over
Northwestern and Georgia Tech
• Career OSU totals: 47 games, seven
starts, 52 catches, 580 yards, three TDs
• Fifth-round selection of Detroit Lions in
2007 NFL draft
• Played two seasons with Indianapolis
Colts (2007-08)
• Career NFL totals: seven games, one
catch, 9 yards
• Current member of Omaha Nighthawks
of United Football League
A.J. Hawk (6-2, 230, 4.6)
LB, Centerville, Ohio
• Missed much of his senior high school
season due to a knee injury; still recorded 84
tackles and two sacks
• Rated No. 21 player in Ohio overall and
No. 30 among nation’s outside linebacker
prospects
• Totaled 585 career tackles during fouryear prep career
• Signed with Ohio State over Penn State
• Three-year starter at weakside OLB for
Buckeyes (2003-05)
• Two-time All-American (2004-05)
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING FLASHBACK
• Lombardi Award winner (2005)
394 tackles, 41 TFL, 15 sacks, seven INTs
• First-round selection of Green Bay
Packers (fifth pick overall) in 2006 NFL draft
• Starting linebacker for Packers (2006present)
• Member of Super Bowl XLV champions
593 tackles, 10½ sacks, eight INTs
Santonio Holmes (5-11, 170, 4.55)
WR, Belle Glade (Fla.)
Glade Central
• Rated No. 31 prospect in Florida regardless of position
• Grabbed 33 receptions for 970 yards and
10 TDs as prep senior
• Prep standout in two other sports; basketball team was state runner-up during senior
year while his track team won state title during his junior year; also was member of state
champion 4x400 meter relay team each of his
final two HS seasons
• Signed with Ohio State over North
Carolina State and Pittsburgh
• Two-year starter for Buckeyes at receiver (2004-05)
140 receptions, 2,295 yards, 25 TDs; 38 punt
returns, 375 yards, 9.9-yard average, one TD
• Left school with one season of eligibility
remaining
• First-round selection of Pittsburgh
Steelers (25th pick overall) in 2006 NFL draft
• Starting receiver for Steelers (2006-09)
and Jets (2010-present)
• Member of Super Bowl XLIII champions
with Steelers; named game MVP
338 receptions, 5,235 yards, 34 TDs
• Rated the No. 25 prospect in Georgia
regardless of position
• Totaled 65 tackles and nine INTs on
defense as senior; caught 34 passes and had
nine TDs on offense
• Selected to play in Florida-Georgia AllStar Game
• Signed with Ohio State over Georgia
Tech
• Starter at strong safety for Buckeyes in
2006
106 tackles, five TFL, five INTs, nine PBU
• Currently enrolled in Moritz College of
Law at Ohio State
• Currently serving second year of twoyear term as graduate/professional student
trustee on OSU Board of Trustees
Derek Morris (6-6, 350, 5.1)
OT, Huntersville (N.C.)
North Mecklenburg
• USA Today first-team prep All-American
• Rated No. 4 offensive tackle prospect
and No. 24 player overall in nation
• Last player to join class of ’02,
announcing his commitment just before
signing a letter of intent on National
Signing Day
• Signed with Ohio State over Georgia,
North Carolina State, Florida and Tennessee
• NCAA clearinghouse would not grant
academic eligibility as a freshman
• Never played for Buckeyes
• Enrolled at North Carolina State in
January 2003
• Appeared in 25 games for Wolfpack,
including 22 starts at right tackle
• Left school with one year of eligibility
remaining but was not selected in 2006 NFL
draft
Mike Kudla (6-3, 235, 4.5)
DE, Medina (Ohio) Highland
Joel Penton (6-5, 255, 4.8)
DE, Van Wert, Ohio
• Ohio Division III co-defensive player of
the year
• Starred at linebacker in high school;
totaled 210 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, six
sacks and one INT as senior
• Totaled 495 tackles during prep career
for Hornets
• Signed with Ohio State over Florida,
Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and
Northwestern
• Two-year starter at defensive end (2004-05)
90 tackles, 20 TFL, 14½ sacks
• Ohio Division III co-defensive player of
the year
• Earned 2001 Art Treynor Award, presented by Ohio High School Coaches Association
to its player of the year
• Two-time first-team All-Ohio selection
• Totaled 257 tackles over his last two
prep seasons
• Also standout wrestler; took third in
state championships as a junior
• Career OSU totals: 43 games, four starts,
45 tackles, seven TFL, two sacks
Nick Mangold (6-4, 270, 5.15)
OL, Kettering (Ohio) Alter
• First-team Division III All-Ohio offensive
lineman
• Selected to play in U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl
• Signed with Ohio State over Notre Dame
• Three-year starter for the Buckeyes at
center (2003-05)
• Appeared in 45 games for OSU, including 33 starts
• First-round selection of New York Jets
(29th pick overall) in 2006 NFL draft
• Starting center for Jets (2006-present)
• Two-time All-Pro (2009-10)
• Four-time Pro Bowl selection (2008-11)
Brandon Mitchell (6-3, 190, 4.51)
DB, Atlanta Benjamin E. Mays
• Played receiver and defensive back in
high school
Quinn Pitcock (6-4, 285, 4.9)
DL, Piqua, Ohio
• USA Today second-team prep AllAmerican
• First-team Division II All-Ohio defensive
lineman
• Nation’s fifth-best defensive tackle prospect and No. 73 player overall
• Recorded 69 tackles and 15 sacks as a
senior for state playoff team
• Signed with Ohio State over Penn State
and Notre Dame
• Three-year starter for Buckeyes at defensive tackle (2004-06)
133 tackles, 27½ for loss, 14 sacks, one INT
• Third-round selection of Indianapolis
Colts in 2007 NFL draft
• Appeared in nine games (one start) at
defensive tackle with Colts in 2007, registering
18 tackles and 1½ sacks
• Retired from NFL after one season due
to bouts of depression and video game addiction
• Member of practice squads for Seattle
Seahawks (2010) and Detroit Lions (2011)
• Current member of Orlando Predators
of Arena Football League
Jay Richardson (6-5, 245, 4.8)
DE, Dublin (Ohio) Scioto
Notre Dame, Northwestern and Georgia
Tech
• Moved from defensive end to defensive
tackle during first season at OSU, then to
offensive tackle the following year
• Appeared in 38 games during OSU
career, including eight starts
lineman
• Amassed 148 tackles, including 60 for
loss, during final two years of high school
career
• Helped the Irish to a 10-2 record and the
state playoffs his senior season
State, Clemson, Boston College, Pittsburgh,
Kentucky and South Carolina among others
• Started at defensive end for Buckeyes in
2006
52 tackles, 12½ TFL, seven sacks, nine PBU
• Fifth-round selection of Oakland Raiders
in 2007 NFL draft
• Played four NFL seasons with Raiders
and Seattle Seahawks (2007-10)
117 tackles, seven sacks
Rob Sims (6-4, 290, 5.2)
OL, Macedonia (Ohio) Nordonia
Michael Roberts (5-11, 175, 4.32)
DB, Toronto Central Tech
Troy Smith (6-1, 205, 4.6)
ATH, Cleveland Glenville
• Did not play high school football as a
senior because of a teachers strike
• Played primarily club football for Toronto
Thunder and grabbed seven INTs
• Originally from Guyana; moved to
Canada at age 5
• Graduated from high school early and
joined Buckeyes for 2002 spring practice
• Appeared in six games for OSU (200405)
• Never lettered at Ohio State
Nate Salley (6-3, 180, 4.5)
DB, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.)
Aquinas
• Nation’s No. 8 safety prospect
• Rated No. 83 prospect in Florida regardless of position
• As a senior, totaled 76 tackles, including
four for loss, plus one INT and blocked eight
kicks for team that went 14-1 and earned a spot
in the Class 5A state championship game
• Also starred on prep basketball team;
averaged 18 points per game
• Signed with Ohio State over North
Carolina, Michigan State and North Carolina
State
• Three-year starter at free safety for
Buckeyes (2003-05)
181 tackles, three INTs, 15 passes defended
• Also played in 10 games for OSU basketball team during 2002-03 season
• Fourth-round selection of Carolina
Panthers in 2006 NFL draft
• Appeared in 24 games for Panthers in
2006 and ’08
• Current member of Florida Tuskers of
United Football League
Tim Schafer (6-5, 255, 4.9)
DL, Upper Arlington, Ohio
• Two-year starter on defensive line; also
started as senior on offensive line for Golden
Bears
of position
• Totaled 105 tackles and 19 sacks during
last two seasons in high school
• First-team Division II All-Ohio offensive
lineman
• Started three years on offensive line
for Knights, two at guard before switching to
tackle as a senior
• Also starred for high school basketball
and track teams; finished fourth at state meet
in shot put as a senior
State and Wisconsin
• Three-year starter for Buckeyes at left
tackle (2003-04) and left guard (2005)
• Appeared in 35 games during OSU
career, including 28 starts
• Fourth-round selection of Seattle
Seahawks in 2006 NFL draft
• Starting guard for Seahawks (2007-09)
and Lions (2010-present)
• As a senior, passed and ran for 1,298
yards and 16 TDs, helping Tarblooders to
Division I state playoffs
• Began prep career at Lakewood (Ohio)
St. Edward before transferring to Glenville for
his senior year
• Also standout basketball player; averaged 17 points, nine assists and four rebounds
per game as a senior
• Signed with Ohio State over Iowa, West
Virginia, Michigan State and Toledo
• Three-year starter for Buckeyes at quarterback (2004-06)
• Suspended two games by NCAA – final
game of ’04 season and ’05 opener – for accepting improper benefits from booster
• Established several OSU single-season
records in 2006, including TD passes (30) and
best completion percentage (65.3)
• Won 2006 Heisman Trophy
• Career OSU passing totals: 42 games,
28 starts, 420 completions, 670 attempts, 5,720
yards, 54 TDs, 13 INTs
• Career OSU rushing totals: 293 carries,
1,168 yards, 14 TDs
• Fifth-round selection of Baltimore
Ravens in 2007 NFL draft
• Played four NFL seasons with Ravens
and San Francisco 49ers
• Career NFL totals: 20 games, eight
starts, 121 completions, 234 attempts, 1,734
yards, eight TDs, five INTs
• Signed free-agent contract with
Pittsburgh Steelers in January
E.J. Underwood (6-1, 175, 4.5)
DB, Hamilton, Ohio
back
• As a senior, recorded 63 tackles and two
INTs for Big Blue; totaled 11 career INTs
• Also regarded as excellent kickoff and
punt return specialist
• Signed with Ohio State over Penn State,
Iowa, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Virginia
2002 CHAMPIONSHIP ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Quarterback Search Highlights OSU’s Spring Drills
Editor’s Note: Buckeye Sports Bulletin is
celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ohio State’s
2002 national championship team by reprinting
stories that appeared in BSB throughout that
special season. This story was originally published in the March 30, 2002, issue of BSB.
By STEVE HELWAGEN
Buckeye Sports Bulletin Editor
OSU football coach Jim Tressel isn’t sure
how much time his team lost last year while
everybody was getting acquainted, but he
hopes all of those bumps in the road will pay
dividends this season.
“The good news is we are not teaching
a new language,” said Tressel, who will
open his second spring with the Buckeyes
on April 3. “We are not sitting in a room
together for the first time. We’re not forced
to spend quite as much time on some of the
things that lead up to the execution.
“That’s why, in my mind, the spring is
so exciting and an extended season is exciting.”
Tressel outlined some of his plans for
spring football recently, noting his concern
for all facets of his football team.
“There is no biggest question,” he said.
“It’s all a question. Everything’s a concern.
There are a lot of things we’d like to have
better. That’s what we’re working on.
“I think it was in the preseason and
we had a function at the Buckeye Hall of
Fame Cafe. The line of questioning led me
to believe that no one will get a first down
against us and we’ll never get one, and I was
like, ‘Man, neither of those things is true.
We’re not that bad (on offense) and we’re not
that good (on defense).’
“Everything is going to be so important.
That’s why you work on everything. You
would love to see guys mature and emerge
and play as well as they’re capable of playing. I root for all of our guys, not just certain
ones.”
The Buckeyes ended Tressel’s first season 7-5 overall. But the coaching staff was
credited for delivering a win over Michigan
then locking up one of the nation’s top
recruiting classes. Dealing with success can
be a challenge, Tressel said.
“You take the euphoria of beating
Michigan and the euphoria of recruiting and
make sure you get back to reality as to simply where are we?” he said. “How good are
we? Where do we need to get better?
“We’ve been studying ourselves extremely hard since the end of recruiting, both on
the video and just from interaction, getting
people’s views on where they think they are
and what we need to do to get better. You
have to immerse yourself in the task at hand
and not allow yourself to take part in any of
that euphoria.”
Tressel and his assistants have been on
the go since his appointment in January
2001. That’s why — in preparation for spring
football — he urged his aides to recharge
their batteries.
“After recruiting ended and they had
been here 13 months, I knew they needed to
take some time off and a chance to get on a
little bit more normal schedule,” he said.
“I was pleased with the approach the
players took. They tried extremely hard to
understand what we expected. They were
willing to talk about what they didn’t understand. I’m not sure we’re all the way there
yet. But I do think we’ve progressed.”
The Long Year Ahead
For the first time ever, Ohio State will
FILE PHOTO
IN FRONT AT FIRST – Junior quarterback Craig Krenzel (16) was the top choice
to replace Steve Bellisari as spring practice began in 2002.
play a 13-game regular season. NCAA teams
were permitted to schedule 12 games, then
OSU added an extra preseason game, the
Pigskin Classic against Texas Tech.
“With the 12-game season already, we
are adding that 13th game,” Tressel said.
“I would like to look at it that it will give
the younger kids more opportunities to get
better.”
By adding the extra game, OSU will get
an additional two weeks of practice. In a
year where he will be breaking in a new
quarterback, Tressel is glad to have the
extra time.
“I think we’re going to have a young
team,” he said. “But the more times a young
team can play, the better. The early game
decision was not simply a ‘what kind of team
are we going to have?’ decision.
“I think that was an athletic department
decision. Any chance we have to get a game
in our stadium and help the whole, we’re
going to do that.
“When people talk about the 12- and 13game season, I’m sure if you’re sitting there
at 2-10 a 13-game season would seem long.
But I’m looking forward to every opportunity
we can have to get better.”
The early game has caused Tressel and
his staff to change the team’s off-season conditioning regimen.
“We have looked at it a little bit differently,” he said. “We did not run quite as much
in January than we normally would have
because we’re going to be running a little
more in May than we have traditionally.
“Not only do we have a front end of the
season that is kicked this way, but the back
end of our (spring) quarter is kicked that
way. We only have six weeks from the end
of school and the beginning of camp. That’s
a pretty short summer.
“But I didn’t want them to roll all the way
from January straight through. We worked
hard in the weight room in January then
picked up our running in February. We’re
going to need to use a couple of weeks in
May where we normally don’t prescribe a lot
of running.”
be the battle at quarterback. Juniors Craig
Krenzel and Scott McMullen will be competing this spring, attempting to replace threeyear starter Steve Bellisari.
As spring begins, Krenzel has the upper
hand. He replaced McMullen in the Illinois
game and started the Michigan game and
the Outback Bowl against South Carolina
after Bellisari was suspended for a drunken
driving arrest.
“Craig would be number one right now,
going into the first practice,” Tressel said.
The coach said he has not sensed any
residual effect on his late-season decisions
— first to pull McMullen in favor of Krenzel
then to replace Krenzel with Bellisari, who
was reinstated for the bowl game.
“I have talked about the Outback Bowl
(with Krenzel), but that wasn’t the sole topic
of why we were getting together,” Tressel
said. “We were getting together to talk about
the big picture and talking about what he
needs to do and we need to do to get better.
“I didn’t sense a problem. Craig’s not that
way. Would he have rather been the guy in
there? Absolutely, but you like that about
him.”
Tressel wants his two upperclassmen to
take the next step.
“I think it will be interesting to watch
both of them this spring,” he said. “I’ve said
to both of them one of the disappointments I
had last year was I’m not sure we competed
within in the best fashion to get all of us
better.
“My question at times has been did Craig
and Scott acquiesce and say, ‘Steve’s the
senior, he’s the guy,’ and then play that way.
I don’t know the answer to that. I’m going
to be interested to see if there is a surge of
confidence and take-charge that maybe we
haven’t seen.
“Maybe, in fairness to Craig and Scott,
the transition slowed down that competitiveness.”
Krenzel showed the competitiveness as
he led the Buckeyes against Michigan, but
he seemed tentative in the bowl game, leading to his quick hook.
“I’m looking for command of the situation, which I thought Craig had when we
played Michigan,” Tressel said. “He knew
exactly what we needed done and what we
didn’t need done. He also knew Steve wasn’t
there virtually — Steve was there but he
wasn’t going to play. Maybe in that scenario,
guys rise up a little bit.
“I hope there comes a day where guys
say, ‘I don’t care who’s here. They’re not
going to beat me out.’”
Last year, Bellisari, Krenzel and McMullen
were joined in camp by Rick McFadden. It
was hard to get four players enough reps.
But with Bellisari out of the picture and
McFadden transferring to Akron, the two
returnees figure to get all the work they can
handle.
“The biggest change will be the number
of reps each of them get,” Tressel said. “I
think that will be helpful. They’re going to
get a whole bunch of reps.
“Probably the one dynamic that will
change is we’ll have to put a (colored) shirt
on them and do our best to keep them
healthy. When you only have two, you do
what the team needs. All of us need live reps
but not at the expense of the team. In this
particular case with only two, we’re going to
have to be a little more careful.”
Inside The Offense
Finding A Quarterback
One of the storylines this spring will
Tressel confirmed that he will use the
spring to assess his personnel on offense
2002 CHAMPIONSHIP ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
and make decisions on how to formulate his
attack.
“That’s where you start — it’s who you
have,” he said. “Too often you get into a
thing where you say, ‘This is what I want
to run.’ Then you start trying to fit who
into it.”
One area of concern is at fullback, where
departed starter Jamar Martin had been a
mainstay for much of the last three years.
“The guy who makes the largest change
in who we don’t have is Jamar,” Tressel said.
“There isn’t anyone in the country like Jamar
at his position. That’s the one thing you’re
missing.
“He was unusual. He was extraordinary
with the pounding he could take and the
pounding he could give. You could pass
protect a little bit differently and do different
things because he was a veteran.
“We have some youth there. We need
to find out what Branden Joe and Brandon
Schnittker are all about. Those are two big,
strong guys. Can they be a Jamar? We’ll
see.”
With longtime starters LeCharles Bentley
and Tyson Walter out of the picture, the
offensive line also is an area to watch.
“We need good quarterback play,” Tressel
said. “I think we’ll get good tailback play. I
think we have to take the right pace. We are
going to want to run the ball and feature the
talents of those guys outside. But we need
to go at the pace those guys up front can
handle.
“We’re going to move Alex (Stepanovich)
over to center. I think he’ll be real solid. He’s
played there.
“We are going to have 14 or 15 guys working up front this spring with the walk-ons
that came in and (Andree) Tyree, who we
moved over there. Plus we’re going to add
some talented guys in the preseason. Their
ability to adjust to the system will determine
how quickly they can play because all of
them have the physical capabilities. That’s a
big jump, especially in the trenches.”
Tressel made it sound like OSU fans
should not expect the Buckeyes to settle
on the five line positions until well into the
season.
“You can always look at a spring roster or
a preseason roster then look at a bowl game
roster or a Michigan game roster and notice
some differences,” he noted.
OSU seems to be in decent shape at
tight end, where Ben Hartsock figures to
step in for early NFL draft departee Darnell
Sanders. Plus the competition at tailback,
where sophomores Lydell Ross and Maurice
Hall and freshmen Maurice Clarett and JaJa
Riley will battle this spring, should yield a
solid contributor.
Tressel is even more sold on the rotation
at wide receiver, where battle-tested senior
Chris Vance and junior Michael Jenkins top
the list.
“At the receiver position, a year ago we
were sitting here saying there was nobody
who had any significant playing time,” he
said. “Now we’re saying we have all the guys
returning, plus Drew Carter hopefully. We’re
looking for some leadership and maturity
out there.
“We expect those receivers to come along
and play.”
Speaking For The Defense
On paper, the OSU defense has seven
starters returning. But with a number of passhappy teams on the docket, the Buckeyes
need to find a pair of viable cornerbacks.
“The challenges the defense has out in
front of them this season, it should be easy
to focus,” Tressel said.
“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think
we can be very good up front. I don’t think
any of us a year ago thought Tim Anderson
was going to be as good as he ended up
being. My goodness, by the end of the year
I don’t know if anybody made as many plays
as he did.
“Darrion Scott will not be practicing
because he had that shoulder injury. He
got injured in the Michigan game, then he
hung in there through the bowl game and
they found out it needed to be repaired. He’s
going to need to take the spring and put
together a plan on what he needs to get better. He can’t hit, but he’ll have to do things in
the video room and do his running.
“Will Smith is coming along and so is
Simon Fraser. Kenny Peterson moved inside
and looked good. I’m excited about how
good we can be up there. Plus we should
have some depth. We think we have six or
seven guys.”
Senior Cie Grant will begin the spring at
the wideside linebacker spot after starting
most of last season at cornerback.
“We’ll move Cie back to linebacker,
which is really where he should be,” Tressel
said. “Last year, for the good of the cause,
he moved to corner. Linebacker is where he
played last spring and he looked good, but
we had a guy there. So then at corner, we
looked for who was our next best guy and he
had to play there.
“We play all those spread teams — Texas
Tech, Washington State, Cincinnati, San Jose
State, Northwestern, Purdue and Minnesota
all spread it out. Penn State will be a little
more wide open and Illinois throws it all
over.
“With a linebacker who has played in the
secondary, that makes your nickel and dime
stuff even better. It’s going to be exciting to
see him there.”
Returning middle linebacker Matt
Wilhelm, a senior, will miss time in the
spring as he recovers from ankle surgery.
“Matt won’t play in at least the first two
weeks of spring,” Tressel said. “I haven’t
heard definitively whether it will be the
whole spring.”
At the boundary linebacker spot, junior
Robert Reynolds will get the first call.
“Robert Reynolds is really a good player,
too,” Tressel said. “The competition at line-
backer should be good. Marco Cooper had a
darn good winter. The test of time will be the
key for Marco.”
OSU could have as good a pair of
safeties as anybody in the country. AllAmerican strong safety Mike Doss spurned
a chance to leave early for the NFL, while
fellow senior Donnie Nickey returns at free
safety.
“It was exciting for Mike to say he
wanted to be with this group,” Tressel
said. “He enjoys being a part of Ohio State.
Plus he knows he wants to work on some
things and become even better than he
already is.
“I think we’ve got two great safeties.
Dustin Fox and Will Allen can also be safeties. Dustin is going to start out the spring at
corner. I think Dustin had our fastest 40 time
this winter. He can go.”
If Fox, a sophomore who was a surprise
starter at corner in the Outback Bowl, has
one spot, Tressel said junior Richard McNutt
likely would open at the other.
“With McNutt, we’ve got to keep him
as healthy as he can be,” he said. “It’s a big
spring for Harlen Jacobs, Bobby Britton and
Michael Roberts, who comes in early. I think
we will be improved there.”
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Vol. 31, No. 12
“For The Buckeye Fan Who Needs To Know More”
Ohio State Gets Its
Man; Meyer Returns
To Native State
Nov. 30, 2011
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By JEFF SVOBODA
‘This Is The Right Time
For Urban Meyer’
SONNY BROCKWAY
WELCOME HOME – Urban Meyer flashes a smile Nov. 28 during a press conference to introduce him as the new head
coach of the Ohio State football team.
By JEFF SVOBODA
Urban Meyer is many things.
He’s as intense as any football coach in the profession having idolized Woody Hayes and learned from
two noted disciplinarians in his father, Bud, and former
Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce.
He’s an offensive innovator, having developed
a spread-option attack that led to great success at
Bowling Green and Utah before tweaking it on the way
to two national titles at Florida.
He’s certainly a winner, having compiled a 104-23
record over 10 seasons despite taking over a trio of
programs in various stages of disrepair.
But most of all, Urban Meyer is a Buckeye.
That part has always been true – born in Toledo,
raised in Ashtabula and educated at Cincinnati, he
was forged in all corners of the state – but it became
even more official Nov. 28 when he was announced
as the 24th head coach of the Ohio State football
program.
“It’s great to be back home,” Meyer said.
He proved that in multiple ways.
Meyer addressed the media – many of whom he
remembers from working as a graduate assistant at
OSU in the 1980s – while wearing a scarlet tie dotted
with Buckeye leaves, and he described with reverence
the time he visited Hayes’ office.
He also poignantly talked about how he used to
sneak out of the locker room to see the Ohio State
University marching band take the field before home
games.
“I would look at the clock, shoot down the stairs and
just watch the band come out, play ‘Across the Field,’
and march across the field,” he said.
Upon seeing the sight again this September while
working as an ESPN broadcaster for the game against
Akron, Meyer admitted, “I was wiping tears out of my
eyes and all the memories came back.”
Now he’ll have the chance to make even more.
While stopping short of guaranteeing success –
when asked about how quickly he could win the
national championship, he quipped with a smile,
“I’m just trying to get to tomorrow” – he pledged a
relentless work ethic that became his trademark at
earlier stops.
The first step in that will be assembling a coaching staff, which will include predecessor Luke Fickell.
While Meyer said he wasn’t sure what Fickell’s title
will be, he assured reporters that it would be substantial, and Fickell will continue to coach the team in the
upcoming bowl game.
In the meantime, Meyer will focus on filling out
the rest of his staff while also hitting the recruiting
trail – beginning the night of his hiring – in an effort
to keep Ohio State one of the top programs in the
country.
In the span of a year, the Ohio State football
program had seen its tectonic plates shift like
never before. The proud Buckeyes had lost
their legendary head coach and their potential
Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback as well
as five games in the regular season for the
first time in more than a decade.
The one thing left going into the Nov.
26 showdown with No. 17 Michigan in Ann
Arbor, it seemed, was the team’s unprecedented seven-game winning streak against
its most hated rival.
But in the end, the lost season for the
2011 Ohio State football team had to end in
a loss.
Even with the benefit of one of its best
offensive showings of the year, the Buckeyes
dropped a 40-34 decision to the Wolverines,
capping one of the most tumultuous 12month spans in the history of the program.
“It’s been a very, very trying 12 months,”
senior center Mike Brewster admitted.
With the loss, Ohio State fell to 6-6 to post
its first non-winning regular season since
the 1999 team posted the same record. The
team’s 3-5 mark in Big Ten play was its first
losing conference record since that same
campaign.
The loss was, in many ways, a prism
through which to view the entirety of the
12-game playing schedule. The Buckeyes
made their fair share of good things happen,
just as they had all year, and true freshman
quarterback Braxton Miller overcame some
youthful errors to make a number of impressive plays.
On the other hand, too many mistakes
– both in strategy and execution – made the
team fall shy of the victory, its fifth loss of
the year by seven points or fewer. Injuries
and ineffectiveness combined with inexperience – problems all season long – to conspire
to keep the team on the losing side of the
ledger.
But perhaps most importantly, this edition of the Scarlet and Gray went down
swinging, just as it had in so many of the
previous losses.
“You saw the fight,” head coach Luke
Fickell said. “That’s what this game is always
about. It’s not about talent, it’s about heart.
It’s about will. Obviously we didn’t get the
job done today, but you can’t walk away from
those seniors and those guys and not say
they gave it everything they had.”
Continued On Page 8
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OHIO STATE MEN’S SWIMMING
Phillips Hoping To Earn Trip To Olympics
By JEFF SVOBODA
As Tim Phillips came down the stretch of
an early March race in Ohio State’s McCorkle
Aquatic Pavilion, he could hear the OSU
swimming team and see them cheering him
on out of the corner of his eye.
The Buckeyes were even in their usual
spot for home meets, congregating on the
west side of the pool near the finish line.
But this was no normal Ohio State race,
and Phillips is no normal OSU swimmer. The
Vienna, W.Va., native has taken the year off
from collegiate competition in an effort to
make the United States Olympic team for the
2012 Summer Games in London.
As for the race, it was one of the mileposts on the way to possible qualification.
Phillips was competing in the 100-meter
butterfly at the Columbus Grand Prix, a USA
Swimming-sanctioned event used by some
of the best swimmers in the country and the
world – including superstar Michael Phelps
– to prep for the summer ahead.
And for Phillips, who has been training in
North Carolina since last summer, the race
was a chance to relive his college days amid
the stress of the grueling training cycle.
“It does feel like college all over again,”
Phillips said. “It’s definitely a really good
feeling when you come back and you have
40 or 50 guys that are cheering for you.
Hearing the OSU chant and the ‘Go Bucks’
chant always gets me going even if I’m not
representing Ohio State now. They have my
back and I love that about it.”
In fact, Phillips – who won that March
8 race at McCorkle – said he had a twinge
of regret that he wasn’t with the team in
February when it took part in the Big Ten
championships.
But it’s fair to say Phillips has bigger
things on his mind. As tough as it was to
take a year off from college swimming, the
potential to chase his chance to be among
the best swimmers in the world in London
was too much to turn down.
So while many athletes associated with
Ohio State have chosen to stay in Columbus
to train – even those out of eligibility such
as Canadian women’s swimmer Samantha
Cheverton – Phillips decided to make the
move to the SwimMAC club in Charlotte.
“I decided to take the year off to get away
from college atmosphere and also the college swimming schedule,” he said. “On my
club team, it’s all professionals and it’s all just
focused on one goal, which is going to trials
and then the Olympics.
“Here, it’s a dual meet every weekend and
school every day, so to remove myself from that
position I thought was a better thing to do.”
Ohio State head coach Bill Wadley, who
continues to train a number of Olympic
hopefuls on his team in Columbus, was fine
with that decision even if it set the Buckeyes
back a little bit as a team this season.
“Obviously, the Olympics are a once-ina-lifetime moment, and he felt like the right
thing to do was to sit out this year and just
train because he didn’t want to have any
regrets,” Wadley said. “Who wants to have
regrets when you have a chance to be an
Olympian?
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JEFF SVOBODA
TAKING A SHOT – Swimmer Tim Phillips has taken the year off from collegiate competition at Ohio State in order to attempt to qualify for the 2012
Summer Olympics in London.
“The truth is he did what was right for
him to try to make the Olympic team, and I
totally support all of that.”
Phillips said his best chance to qualify will
be in the 100 butterfly, and when he touched
the wall ahead of the pack in Columbus in
52.86 seconds, he was posting the seventhfastest American swim of the year.
While Phillips said that time was good
considering he’s in the meat of his training cycle and hasn’t begun to taper down
in advance of June’s Olympic trials, he has
shown the ability to go even faster in the
past.
Last summer, he took gold in the 100 butterfly at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming
National Championships with a time of 51.69
seconds. That time is the sixth best in
American history.
Only the top two swimmers in the event
at the trials will qualify for the Olympics, and
Phelps – who has the best time in U.S. history at 49.82 – is likely a shoo-in. However,
Phillips said he’s not worried about going
up against the most decorated swimmer of
all time.
“I’ve never really been a person that gets
intimidated by that,” he said. “I’m confident
in what I can do. I’ve always loved to race. I
love to get out there and push the envelope
and hopefully have people push me back.
When it comes down to the end, I’m going
to be right there.”
Wadley agrees that Phillips has the
right mind-set when it comes to being the
hunter.
“Tim is an unbelievably confident, aggressive young man,” the coach said. “He attacks
every race like it’s me against you.”
While Phelps is the name everyone
knows and the odds-on favorite to capture
the race at the trials in Omaha, Neb.,
Phillips’ major competition to make it to
London is likely Tyler McGill, whose top
time of 50.90, posted in 2009, places him
third in the U.S. annals.
“I was ranked third year last year in the
U.S.,” Phillips said. “I have to go out there
to Omaha and just do work. I have to rely on
my training and rely on what I’ve invested
most of my life and hope for the best. I’m
pretty confident and my swimming has been
pretty decent lately so I’m excited.”
When it’s all over, he said he’d like to
return to Ohio State, which has played an
important part in Phillips’ life. His father,
Tom, was a swimmer at OSU, and Phillips
called the McCorkle pool the venue he grew
up in.
Ohio State was happy to add Phillips
to the roster as well. Before even arriving
in Columbus, he was making waves, as he
captured bronze in the 100 butterfly at the
2008 FINA World Youth Championships and
again placed third at the 2009 Junior Pan
Pacific Championships.
Upon arrival at OSU, Phillips continued
to shine. As a freshman in 2010, he helped
the Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship,
anchoring the first-place 200 free relay team
before going on to earn four All-America
honors at the NCAA meet. A year later, he
took second in the Big Ten in the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle and finished fifth in
the NCAA in the 100 fly.
Having that success makes him want
to return to Ohio State no matter how the
Olympic journey ends, and he promised
his parents he would return as one of the
stipulations of his decision to move to North
Carolina for the year.
“I plan to return – 100 percent,” he said.
“I still have two years of eligibility left and
two more years to finish my degree, so I’ll
definitely be back.”
Wadley is happy to hear it.
“What we love about Tim is he’s a true
blue Buckeye,” the OSU coach said. “He’s
pretty excited to get back. He knows we’re
going to be really good next year, and adding him back to our team makes it even that
much better.
“We have lots to look forward to with
his arrival. He’s going to come back an
Olympian or close to it so it’s going to be
pretty sweet.”
OHIO STATE BASEBALL
McKinney Has Become OSU’s Best Starter
By JEFF SVOBODA
No baseball coach worth his salt would
turn down a pitcher who can reach the mid90s with his fastball.
The same holds true for a bulldog on
the mound, a pitcher who bears down in
trouble situations and uses his mental
toughness to beat the other team.
When both are in the same package, it’s
an ideal situation.
That’s what Ohio State baseball coach
Greg Beals hopes to have by the end of this
season in Brett McKinney, though the head
man has to be happy with the efforts the
junior righthander has turned in so far.
Despite undergoing major knee surgery during the offseason that still has
sapped a few ticks off the radar gun when
it comes to his fastball, McKinney has put
together a string of dominating starts for
the Buckeyes.
In his last four outings through March
25, McKinney has gone 3-0 and Ohio State
has been undefeated. The Hamilton (Ohio)
Badin product has posted a 1.50 ERA in
that span, giving up only 26 hits and seven
walks in 30⅓ innings while striking out 19.
“He’s pitching downhill,” Beals said.
“He’s worked his fastball down in the
zone. Brett gets on top of the baseball and
pitches downhill, and when he’s doing that,
he’s going to be effective. He’s also had the
ability to hit with his breaking ball.
“If he’s able to do that and he’s pitching
in the bottom of the strike zone and throwing strikes with his offspeed stuff, like most
pitchers, he’s going to be tough.”
The recent hot streak has been a relief
for McKinney, who struggled to start the
campaign.
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” he said.
“After the first two starts, we kind of broke
everything down and got back to work and
really focused on the little things. We got
back to the basics of what we did last year
and really worked hard every day for the
past three weeks to get better.”
The up-and-down start to the year has
mimicked his first two seasons at Ohio
KEVIN DYE
COMING ALONG – Ohio State junior pitcher Brett McKinney (28) is starting to
live up to the potential he showed when he was the Ohio Division III Player
of the Year in 2010 at Hamilton Badin.
State. McKinney arrived at OSU in 2010 as
the Ohio Division III Player of the Year, but
he was in and out of the rotation as a freshman, going 3-4 with a 6.67 ERA.
Last year he moved into a weekend role,
When it’s time to rest,
make it Columbus’ best.
becoming the Buckeyes’ No. 2 starter by
the end of the year. Though he finished just
3-3 with a 4.48 ERA, he showed true signs
of blossoming at the end of the campaign.
Mixing his mid-90s fastball into a four-pitch
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repertoire that includes a curve, slider
and changeup, McKinney allowed only one
earned run in each of his last two starts.
But then came the knee surgery, which
kept McKinney on the shelf for the summer and out of the team’s fall ball sessions.
Even though he was ready to take the ball
as Ohio State’s opening day starter, he was
still rusty, giving up three earned runs and
not getting out of the fourth inning against
South Florida. A week later, he gave up
seven runs in three innings to No. 10
Georgia Tech.
That was followed by his recent hot
streak, though McKinney notes the knee is
still not 100 percent.
“It’s getting there,” he said. “It’s not
quite there yet, not where I’d want it to be,
but I had major knee surgery. You can’t
expect it to come right now. Like I said, I
keep working hard and hope it comes back
sooner than later.”
Though McKinney’s velocity hasn’t
returned to where it was a season ago,
his ability to continue to draw outs out of
opposing lineups shows his maturation as
a pitcher.
“It just shows how it doesn’t really
matter how hard you’re throwing if you’re
locating,” he said after going 7⅓ strong
innings in a March 18 win vs. Austin Peay.
“Today felt like I threw four pitches well. If
you can do that, you’re going to get a lot of
people out.”
McKinney’s nature as a bulldog on the
mound – that ability to excel even when not
at his best – is clearly respected by Beals.
That’s the main reason the head coach was
comfortable giving McKinney the opening
day assignment. Of late, McKinney has
pitched as OSU’s No. 3 starter, which in
many ways is just as important as a role.
“I like having a guy on Sunday that I
have a lot of confidence in,” Beals said.
“Sunday is going to decide if we win the
series or sweep the series, and that’s always
a big game.”
The junior has already shown how
important he can be. First, he kept Austin
Peay in check to allow the Buckeyes to
capture that nonconference series, and one
week later he limited Purdue’s bats as the
Buckeyes got a key win to avoid a sweep to
open Big Ten play.
“I was happy to have the ball in that situation,” he said after the Austin Peay win. “I
wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I
like having the ball in situations like that in
big series and big games.”
Purdue Wins Series
Ohio State (12-10) didn’t have the Big
Ten start it wanted against No. 24 Purdue
on March 24-25, but the Buckeyes were
able to use a strong McKinney start to
salvage the third game of the three-game
set after dropping the first two at Bill Davis
Stadium.
The series was supposed to start March
23, but rain and lightning forced the postponement of the opening night’s game.
That meant the teams played a doubleheader a day later, with the Boilermakers
– predicted to finish second in the league
at the start of the season – capturing both
games. Ohio State never led in either of the
contests.
Purdue opened the Big Ten slate for
the two teams with an 8-5 victory. Barrett
Serrato gave the Boilermakers a 2-0 lead
in the first inning with a two-run double
off starter Jaron Long before the Buckeyes
OHIO STATE BASEBALL
tied the game in the third. An RBI single
by first baseman Josh Dezse and a sacrifice
fly by third baseman Brad Hallberg scored
shortstop Kirby Pellant and center fielder
Tim Wetzel, respectively.
The Boilermakers came back, though,
taking the lead on an OSU error in the
fourth and making it 4-2 with a Cameron
Perkins RBI double in the fifth.
The Buckeyes got as close as they
would get in the sixth when catcher Greg
Solomon scored outfielder Mike Carroll
with a sacrifice fly, but Purdue posted four
runs in the seventh to pull away.
Long (0-1) gave up all eight runs,
six earned, in seven innings, while the
Buckeyes got two hits each from Hallberg,
Carroll, outfielder Joey Ciamacco and second baseman Ryan Cypret.
Ohio State again fell into an early hole
in the second game, with starter Brian
King (2-2) allowing three runs in the first
on the way to an 8-1 loss. King allowed
six runs in 6⅔ innings, with Purdue first
baseman Angelo Cianfrocco driving home
three runs.
The Buckeyes’ only run came when
Hallberg singled in Cypret in the ninth
inning. Hallberg and Wetzel each had
two hits, but Boilermakers starter Lance
Breedlove went the distance, striking out
10 while allowing nine hits (all singles).
Ohio State got in the win column in
the series finale, dropping Purdue to 17-4
on the year with a 5-4 comeback win. The
Buckeyes plated three in the eighth inning
to post the victory.
“We talked before the game about what
it means to compete like a Buckeye,” Beals
said. “This game was not about offense or
defense, it was about going out there and
competing. It wasn’t the prettiest game but
I was glad we were able to go out there and
get the win.”
McKinney gave up only one run in six
innings, getting out of a bases-loaded jam
in the fifth, and left with a 2-1 lead thanks
to an RBI single by Carroll scoring Pellant
in the second and a sacrifice fly by Hallberg
scoring Wetzel in the fifth.
Purdue took a 3-2 lead in the eighth
off John Kuchno, however, before the
Buckeyes took control with three in the
bottom half of the frame. Solomon and
Pellant drove in Hallberg and Dezse,
respectively, with singles off Purdue closer
Nick Wittgren before Carroll hustled to
beat out a double-play ball to score outfielder David Corna.
That insurance run proved to be important when Purdue got one back off Kuchno
(4-1) in the ninth, but the righthander
struck out backup first baseman Ryan
Bridges with the tying run on second to
end the game.
only two runs in seven innings to improve
to 1-2, and by the time the sophomore righthander left, OSU was up 11-2.
Solomon homered and doubled while
Carroll had a pair of RBI two-baggers and
Wetzel had three hits. Dezse drove in three
runs with a sacrifice fly, an RBI single and
a run-scoring ground-out while Cypret also
had two RBI.
Solid Home Start
Ohio State staged its home opener March
16, an event that was a little more exciting
than normal thanks to the fact it was the
first played on the new synthetic turf at Nick
Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
The Buckeyes used the pomp of the
event – which included a ceremonial first
pitch by Mark Swisher, the brother of
former OSU star and current New York
Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher – to their
advantage, too, grinding out a 4-3 win in 13
innings against Austin Peay.
“We were not going to lose the first
game here at Nick Swisher Field at Bill
Davis Stadium,” Beals said.
Dezse’s walkoff single provided the winning run and set OSU on the right track in
the three-game set, as the Buckeyes captured
two of the contests. Wetzel walked to begin
the 13th inning and eventually came home on
Dezse’s line drive to the gap in left center.
Long gave up three runs – just two
earned – in seven innings. Kuchno came
on to throw five shutout innings of relief,
striking out six. He improved to 3-0 while
lowering his ERA to 1.42.
Ohio State dropped the middle game of
the three-game set a day later when Austin
Peay posted five runs in the 10th inning to
take a 7-2 victory.
Hallberg had two hits and batted in a
run while first baseman Brad Hutton hit his
first homer of the year to account for the
team’s runs. However, the Governors put
up five runs in the 10th off Greve (0-2) and
Trace Dempsey to post the win.
The Buckeyes captured the series finale, 7-3, on March 18 behind a strong start
by McKinney and a big day at the plate for
senior David Corna.
McKinney went 7⅓ innings, limiting the
Governors (9-8) to three unearned runs,
while Corna went 3 for 4 with four RBI. In
addition to an RBI double, the right fielder
hit a three-run homer to give OSU (10-7) a
4-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Hallberg and Ciamacco each posted
sacrifice flies in the game while freshman
catcher Aaron Gretz had an RBI single.
“We did play pretty well,” Beals said.
“Brett threw a great ballgame, gave us a
very good quality start. I thought besides
a couple of plays, we played a pretty good
game all around.”
Midweek Split
Haven’t Been A Hit
With Ohio State on spring break during March’s third full week, the Buckeyes
hit the road for a pair of midweek games
March 20 at No. 22 Louisville and March
21 at Dayton.
The Cardinals jumped on OSU early and
often, taking a 16-0 lead in the third inning
on the way to a 20-0 victory. Kuchno was
victimized by some bad breaks and spotty
fielding early, giving up 10 runs while retiring only five batters. Louisville (15-6) was
led by five hits from second baseman Nick
Ratajczak and four RBI by left fielder Jeff
Gardner.
Ohio State had only five hits, two by
Pellant.
The Buckeyes rebounded with a solid
11-7 win against the Flyers (7-13). It wasn’t
that close, as starter Greg Greve gave up
Ohio State’s uneven results of late in
many ways can be traced to the team’s performance at the plate.
The Buckeyes check in seventh in the Big
Ten with a .264 batting average through the
Purdue series, while the team’s 172 strikeouts are third most in the league. Though
Ohio State is fourth in the league with 6.1
runs per game, the team has struggled to
plate runs when facing top-tier opposition,
and the number drops to 4.4 per game in the
last eight contests.
“We’re not where we should be offensively,” Beals said. “Our hitters are allowing way too much to enter their system
when they’re in the batter’s box. They
need to keep it simple. They need to keep
it between them and the pitcher and the
baseball. That’s it.
“There’s a lot of confidence involved
in hitting. When you start letting all
those exterior thoughts into the equation, it’s just going to slow you down and
not give you the ability to read and react
efficiently.”
When asked if it was accurate to say his
team was pressing, Beals went the other
direction.
“To me, when you press, you go harder,”
he said. “We’re not going harder. We’re
like getting frozen. Some of our guys are
getting stuck thinking too much. We need
to simplify the process.”
To that end, Beals had a discussion
with his team before the third game of the
Austin Peay series about their approach at
the plate.
“Coach Beals told us everyone has been
letting too many thoughts get into their
head,” Corna said. “Just simplify it – what
offering do you like to hit and just hit it.”
The head coach said that was his message because the Buckeyes were letting too
many good pitches go and then swinging at
balls that weren’t strikes.
“What I challenged them on was, ‘You
know what your game plan is. You know
what pitches you like to hit, what counts
you like to hit in, what locations you like
to hit. Make sure you’re ready for those
pitches so when you get them, you capitalize on them,’ ” Beals said. “The success of
an at bat is usually not determined by the
last pitch. It’s determined by something in
the middle where they missed a pitch that
they should have hit.”
Cypret added that some of the numbers
have been skewed, too, because of the
excellent pitching the Buckeyes have faced
in the early part of the season.
“We have faced some really good pitch-
ing,” he said. “I think that’s going to help us
in the long run.”
Stat Attack
• The story of OSU’s performance at
the plate has been about highs and lows
among individuals. Ciamacco leads the
squad with a .367 average while Hallberg is
hitting .329 with only six strikeouts. Dezse
has a .325 mark and leads the team with
five homers and 17 RBI, while Cypret has a
.301 average, 16 RBI and 21 walks. Wetzel
is hitting .260 but has 18 walks to boost his
on-base percentage to .424.
On the other hand, Solomon is hitting
only .230, Corna is at .224 and Gretz has
batted .167 in 12 starts. Pellant, expected to
be the team’s leadoff hitter, has struggled
out of the gate after transferring in from the
JUCO ranks, hitting .226 with 10 walks and
15 strikeouts. The shortstop had posted
five straight games with a hit through the
Purdue series, though.
• After starting out the season well
defensively, Ohio State hit a rut upon coming
north. The Buckeyes committed nine errors
in the Austin Peay series and then eight
more in the next four games before playing
a clean game in the series finale vs. Purdue.
• The three players to start all 22
games in the same position on the diamond
are up the middle – Cypret at second base,
Pellant at shortstop and Wetzel in center.
The only batter to begin each game at the
same place in the batting order is Dezse,
who has hit cleanup in all 22 contests.
• Long has walked only three batters
in 36⅓ innings over six appearances, but
relievers Andrew Armstrong and Dezse
have combined for 21 in 16⅔ frames over
16 appearances. Dezse, the closer, is 1-1
but has yet to post a save.
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BUCKEYE BRIEFS
All season long, it looked like things were
lining up for the Ohio State fencing team to
capture the national title.
That feeling was proven true March 25 when
the Buckeyes clinched their fourth national title
thanks to a touch by Max Stearns, which won
him a bout and gave OSU the points necessary
for the team win. The victory capped four days
of excellent fencing for the Buckeyes, who
hosted the event at French Field House and St.
John Arena.
OSU also had two individual national champions for the first time since 2006.
Boosted by a strong performance by the
men’s squad, the Buckeyes finished with 182
points as a team, more than enough to best the
second-place total of 161 achieved by Princeton.
Ohio State last won the national crown in 2008,
also capturing that title on the OSU campus.
Five men’s fencers reached the semifinals
of their respective weapons, with Zain Shaito
winning the national title in foil. Shaito won 19
bouts in the qualifying round to earn the top
seed and defeated Stanford’s Turner Caldwell
by a 15-11 count in the final.
Stearns and Rhys Douglas each lost in the
semifinals of sabre while Marco Canevari and
Kristian Boyadzhiev suffered the same fate in
épée.
On the women’s side, Katarzyna Dobrawa
won 18 bouts to take the third seed in épée
before downing Penn State’s Margherita Guzzi
Vincenti, 15-14, to take first place. Mona Shaito,
Zain’s sister, also tied for third in foil.
After being upset in his opening match, the
10th-seeded Tessari won six in a row before
falling in the third-place match to Binghamton’s
Donald Vinson. His biggest win was a 5-4
triumph against third-seeded Cole VonOhlen
of Air Force that helped clinch All-America
status.
Heflin, the No. 9 seed, earned his first AllAmerica finish by taking fifth. Along the way,
the sophomore posted three wins against seeded wrestlers – including a 3-2 victory against
No. 4 Logan Storley of Minnesota in the fifthplace final – and lost only to the Nos. 1 and 2
wrestlers in his bracket.
Hunter Stieber won his opening three
matches – including a 6-5 upset of No. 4
Michael Mangrum of Oregon State in the
quarterfinals – to reach the national semifinals
at 141 and secure All-America honors. The
fifth seed’s luck ran out, though, as he fell to
eventual national champion Kellen Russell of
Michigan before losing two more matches
against top-six foes to take sixth.
Another Ohio State freshman, 197-pounder
Andrew Campolattano, fell one win short of the
podium but still posted upsets of Big Ten rivals
Morgan McIntosh of Penn State and eighthseeded Matt Powless of Indiana.
Freshman Josh Demas went 2-2 at 157
pounds, sophomore heavyweight Pete Capone
was 1-2 at the tournament and true freshman
125-pounder Johnni Dijulius lost his only two
matches.
A complete rundown of the NCAA championships appeared in BSB’s March 20 electronic
issue. For sign-up instructions, see page 5.
Stieber Nets Championship,
Grapplers Finish Fifth
Synchronized Swimmers
Capture 28th National Title
Logan Stieber made Ohio State wrestling
history March 15-17 in St. Louis, becoming the
first Buckeye to capture the NCAA championship as a freshman while leading OSU to a fifthplace finish at the national meet.
Stieber, a 133-pounder who missed most of
last year with a hand injury and took a medical
redshirt, downed top-seeded Jordan Oliver of
Oklahoma State, 4-3, in the final match to finish
the year with a 33-2 record.
“I’ve wrestled in so many events – a million
events – but nothing compares to that,” Stieber
said. “Nothing compares. It’s the best thing I’ve
ever had in my life.”
He was joined on the podium by brother Hunter – a true freshman at 141 pounds,
who placed sixth – along with fourth-place
149-pounder Cam Tessari and fifth-place 174pounder Nick Heflin.
Ohio State finished with 68½ points at the
meet, while Penn State won its second consecutive national title with a team score of 143.
Logan Stieber’s win was Ohio State’s 15th
overall individual title but first since J Jaggers
– now an OSU assistant – won at 141 pounds
in 2009.
“Incredible performance for a great human
being,” head coach Tom Ryan said. “I couldn’t
be happier.”
The second-seeded Stieber beat seeded Big
Ten rivals Chris Dardanes of Minnesota and
Tony Ramos of Iowa to reach a finals rematch
with Oliver, who had beaten him by a 7-3 score
Feb. 12.
Oliver earned an early takedown this time,
but Stieber posted a pair of escapes to tie the
score in the second. Near the midway point
of the period, he was able to snag Oliver’s left
leg and then completed the takedown to earn
a 4-2 lead.
In the third, Oliver chose the bottom position and got out quickly, making the score 4-3
and setting up a tense finale that went to the
final whistle, but Oliver just missed a late shot.
It’s fair to say the Ohio State synchronized
swimming dynasty is back in full swing. After
going winless at the U.S. Collegiate National
Championships from 2005-08, the Buckeyes
captured their fourth straight title and 28th
overall March 17 in Gainesville, Fla.
Ohio State finished with 93 points, beating
Incarnate Word’s score of 88.
Sophomore Yuliya Maryanko was the top
individual point scorer and also was named to
the all-collegiate team, where she was joined by
Alex Beckett and Paige Ramsey. Joining them
as Buckeye All-Americans were Java Nikbakht,
Lauren Robinson and Khadija Zanotto, while
Linda Lichter-Witter was named coach of the
year.
Maryanko won gold in solo and trio, capturing the individual event with a score of 89.133,
and joining Ramsey and Beckett in the trio
event with a score of 87.4167.
Maryanko and Ramsey took second in duet
with a score of 87.933, just behind the duo of
Saki Fujise and Inga Gillyer of Incarnate Word
(88.533).
OSU was second to Incarnate Word in the
team routine.
In the technical events contested March 16,
Maryanko earned the title in the A Technical,
receiving a mark of 81.575.
Fencers Win National
Crown At Home
Schnur Leads Men’s Swim,
Dive Contingent At NCAAs
Jason Schnur posted a pair of top-10 finishes
to cap the season as the Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team placed 12th at the NCAA
championships held March 22-24 in Federal
Way, Wash.
Ohio State, which entered ranked ninth in
the country, finished with 106 points and 22
All-America (top 16) nods. California won its
second consecutive NCAA meet with 535½
points.
Schnur was the OSU star of the opening
night, finishing third in the 50-yard freestyle
swim with a time of 19.46. His time of 19.30
in the prelims set a school record. Two nights
later, the junior capped the season with another
good swim, taking 10th in the 100 freestyle,
touching the wall in a school-record time of
42.70.
Two relay squads paced the Buckeyes on
the middle night of action. The 200 medley relay of Andrew Elliott, Lincoln Fahrbach,
Schnur and Keanu Stevenson placed ninth in
1:25.80, while the 800 free relay of Fahrbach,
Zach Holmes, Alex Miller and Brent Hitchcock
was 10th in 6:27.49.
Elliott capped his senior year the last night
by finishing 10th in the 200 backstroke with a
time of 1:42.23.
Diver Shane Miszkiel placed eighth in the
three-meter event.
Women’s Swimming, Diving
Finishes 20th At NCAAs
The Buckeyes started the gantlet that day
with a 6-1 triumph at No. 27 LSU. After capturing the doubles point, OSU got singles wins
from the five ranked players in its singles lineup
– No. 6 Blaz Rola, No. 12 Chase Buchanan, No.
46 Peter Kobelt, No. 107 Ille Van Engelen and
No. 79 Devin McCarthy.
OSU’s SEC trip included a pothole, though,
as fourth-ranked Georgia won a hard-fought
March 21 match by a 4-3 final in Athens. Ohio
State won doubles and got singles wins from
Rola and McCarthy, but the Bulldogs won a
pair of three-set matches to emerge with the
win.
The Buckeyes took their frustrations out on
Indiana on March 25, extending their Big Ten
winning streak to 82 with a 6-1 road victory.
Ohio State swept doubles and got singles wins
from Buchanan (promoted to the top spot),
Rola, Kobelt, McCarthy and Connor Smith.
Senior diver Bianca Alvarez led the charge
of the 14th-ranked Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team at the NCAA championships March 15-17, earning a pair of All-America
honors to pace the Buckeyes’ 20th-place finish.
Ohio State finished with 34 points at the
meet, which was hosted by Auburn. California
won the national title with 412½.
The Big Ten champion in both springboard
events and the league diver of the year, Alvarez
completed her OSU career with a solid NCAA
meet, taking second in the three-meter competition with a score of 386.30 to earn her eighth
career All-America bid. Earlier at the meet, she
scored 340.50, third best in OSU history, to take
ninth on the one-meter board.
In the pool, Ohio State’s best swim was
posted by Emily Creran, who placed 13th with
a time of 1:54.89 in the 200 backstroke. The
200-yard medley relay of Kelsey Moran, Angela
Severn, Shannon Draves and Megan Detro
finished in 1:38.53, good for 15th.
Rowers Go Undefeated
Against Notre Dame
Women’s Gymnastics
Takes Second In League
With successful indoor seasons in the books,
the Ohio State men’s and women’s track teams
opened the 2012 outdoor campaigns over the
March 23 weekend.
The No. 25 men’s team competed in the second annual SEC/Big Ten Challenge, teaming
with No. 8 Indiana, No. 22 Wisconsin, Purdue
and Illinois to down No. 14 Mississippi State,
No. 21 Mississippi and Tennessee by a final
score of 400½-314½.
All-American Matt DeChant won the shot
put competition with a toss of 18.37 meters and
also placed third in the discus at 50.48 meters.
Derek Blevins finished third in the long jump
with a leap of 7.14 meters.
The Buckeye women competed at the UCF
Invitational in Orlando on March 23-24. Alexis
Thomas picked up OSU’s lone championship,
winning the hammer throw on the first day
with a toss of 57.46 meters.
Nyjah Cousar was second in the 400-meter
hurdles in 59.93 while the 4x100-meter relay
team of Madison McNary, Christina Manning,
Chesna Sykes and Christienne Linton took
third in 43.88, the second-best time in school
history.
Posting its best Big Ten finish since 1989,
the No. 13 Ohio State women’s gymnastics
team finished second at the conference meet
held March 24 at Iowa. OSU’s score of 196.225
was behind only No. 6 Nebraska’s tally of
197.100.
The Buckeyes tied for second on floor exercise and uneven bars. First-team All-Big Ten
member Sarah Miller had the best individual
finish, tying for third on balance beam with a
9.850. Miller and Melanie Shaffer scored 9.875
to tie for fourth on floor, a finish matched on
bars by senior Casey Williamson with a careerbest-tying 9.875.
Colleen Dean finished ninth in the allaround at 9.825.
Afterward, OSU moved up to 12th in the
national rankings and was given a No. 2 seed at
the NCAA’s Raleigh Region competition, to be
hosted April 7 by North Carolina State. The top
two teams will advance with OSU facing No. 1
Florida, No. 13 Penn State, No. 20 N.C. State,
No. 26 Kent State and No. 31 North Carolina.
OSU has beaten Penn State twice this year
and downed both Kent State and UNC.
“We’re excited that we bumped up to the
12th spot nationally for the No. 2 seed,” head
coach Carey Fagan said. “It’s an advantage
for our team because we’ve seen and beaten
three of those teams in our region already this
season.”
Men’s Tennis Bounces
Back From Road Loss
Despite suffering a rare loss, the No. 2 Ohio
State men’s tennis team still went 2-1 against a
trio of top-30 teams the week of March 19.
Starts to a season don’t get much better
than the one the No. 13 Ohio State rowing team
had March 24 as the Buckeyes captured all six
races against Notre Dame at Griggs Reservoir.
The First Varsity Eight of Ellen Heister,
Claudia Herpertz, Ulrike Denker, Allison Elber,
Kate Sweeney, Emily Walsh, Ilse Paulis, ClaireLouise Bode and coxswain Amanda Poll finished in 6:28.09, winning by a boat length
against the Irish crew.
Ohio State’s 2V8 of Brittney Wex, Samantha
Fowle, Ashley Bauer, Emily Ralph, Claudia
Schiwy, Kara Shropshire, Corinne Meinert,
Nadine Seehaus and coxswain Victoria Lazur
won its race with a time of 6:37.70.
The First Varsity Four won in 7:25.60 while
the 2V4 timed in at 7:30.40. Ohio State captured
both novice races.
Track Teams Begin
Outdoor Seasons
Big Ten Opens With
Series Win For Softball
One year after winning just three Big Ten
games, the softball team opened the league
slate March 24-25 by taking two of three from
Indiana at Buckeye Field.
“Our goal is to win every series, and I
thought Indiana played us really hard this
weekend,” head coach Linda Kalafatis said. “I
thought some of our kids stepped up.”
OSU needed eight innings but captured
the opener, 4-3, thanks to a walkoff RBI double
BUCKEYE BRIEFS
by Evelyn Carrillo that plated Alicia Herron.
Herron also had a two-run homer in the third
to increase her hitting streak to its 15th and
final game.
Indiana won the second game of the doubleheader by a 4-1 score, but OSU captured the
series with a 7-3 win thanks to a four-run sixth
inning. Caitlin Conrad broke a tie with a solo
homer and Carrillo added a two-run single later
in the frame. Taylor Watkins also had two RBI
in the game.
Ohio State also lost a pair at No. 13 Louisville
by scores of 7-0 and 7-2 on March 20, but
won the TSU Tiger Classic from March 16-18
in Nashville with wins over Tennessee State,
Belmont and St. Bonaventure.
Men’s Spikers Rebound
With Road Victory
The No. 9 Ohio State men’s volleyball team
snapped a three-game losing streak March 24
with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-22) win at Quincy.
Shawn Sangrey had 16 kills and an ace
among his match-high 17½ points while hitting
.407. Shawn Herron was also efficient, posting
11 kills and only one error among 14 attempts.
Quincy hit only .208 as a team.
The Hawks drew first blood in the twomatch set, downing OSU by a 3-1 (25-21, 14-25,
25-23, 25-21) score March 23. John Tholen
led the Buckeyes with 14 kills and added five
blocks, but Sangrey was held to only 10 kills.
The Buckeyes previously lost March 18 at
Ball State and March 3 at ranked Penn State.
Consistency Key For
Men’s Gymnastics
When asked what he was looking for out of
his team late in the season, Ohio State men’s
gymnastics coach Rustam Sharipov had a quick
answer.
“I would say consistency, consistency and
consistency,” the first-year coach said.
He’s starting to see that down the stretch.
Though his No. 6 Buckeyes lost a tri-meet
against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Minnesota
on March 24 in Minneapolis, OSU scored
344.500, its fourth straight meet above the 340point mark.
“We hit 88 percent and I’m very pleased
with the hit percentage from our guys tonight,”
Sharipov said. “We finished the regular season
on a strong note, and we now know where we
stand heading into the postseason.”
Co-captain Ty Echard, a finalist for the
Nissen-Emery Award given to the nation’s
top senior, won his 12th career pommel horse
event with a 15.00 while classmate Mike Behles
tied for second on rings with a 15.10 and Danny
Stiener was runner-up on floor with a 15.40.
Oklahoma scored 353.100 and Minnesota
had 350.600.
Women’s Lacrosse
Nearly Posts Upset
The No. 12 Ohio State women’s lacrosse
team lost its conference opener and missed a
chance at a big upset victory when it fell by a
10-8 score to No. 5 Florida on March 24 at Jesse
Owens Memorial Stadium.
The Buckeyes trailed only 5-4 early in the
second half and cut the Gators’ lead to two
goals with 4:44 left but couldn’t score again.
Kirsten Donahue had four goals – three in
the second half – while Jackie Cifarelli had two
tallies and one assist. The Gators kept OSU
all-time leading scorer Alayna Markwordt to a
single assist.
After two weeks off for finals – which included a scare when six team members were
admitted to the hospital while battling the
effects of the kidney ailment rhabdomyolysis
– the Buckeyes returned to action to win a
pair of road wins. OSU took a 14-11 victory at
Canisius on March 18 and a 15-8 decision at St.
Bonaventure a day later.
25 Buckeyes Earn Ohio State Degrees
March 18 was a special day for 25 current
and former Buckeyes as they received their
Ohio State diplomas at the university’s winter quarter commencement exercises at the
Schottenstein Center.
Twelve sports were represented with former football player Jason Winrow highlighting the list of grads. Winrow, who was a
four-year letterman from 1990-93 and an AllBig Ten pick in 1993, became the 137th former athlete to graduate from OSU’s Degree
Completion Program.
Women’s soccer player Liz Sullivan, also
president of the Student-Athlete Board, was
among the graduates, as well. She started in
all but one match in her last two seasons and
helped Ohio State to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Round of 16, including an appearance in the College Cup as
a junior in 2010. Sullivan was a Big Ten
Sportsmanship Award winner, Capital One/
CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic
All-Big Ten honoree.
Wrestling team captain Colt Sponseller
also received his degree. The All-American
was a three-time NCAA championships qualifier (2009-11) and a two-time Big Ten runner-up at 165 pounds. He was a 2008 NWCA
Freshman All-Academic Team pick, 2010 and
2011 NWCA All-Academic Team member,
two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and
three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete.
Two-time hockey captain Sean Duddy
earned his degree shortly after embarking
on a professional career. Duddy joined
the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators after finishing his OSU career during which he
was a top-10 finalist for the Lowe’s Senior
CLASS Award and a Big Ten Distinguished
Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten selec-
Men’s Lacrosse
Snaps Losing Streak
A rough homestand for the Ohio State
men’s lacrosse team came to a close as the
Buckeyes dispatched ECAC rival Bellarmine,
13-2, on March 24 at Jesse Owens Memorial
Stadium. It was the Buckeyes’ only win of a sixgame home set.
OSU led 6-1 after the first quarter and 8-2
at the half. Logan Schuss had five goals and
seven points, Turner Evans and Nick Liddil
each scored twice and goaltender Greg Dutton
made 13 saves.
The Buckeyes dropped a tough 8-7 final
March 21 at Owens Stadium to No. 6 Notre
Dame as a late rally fell short. Jesse King scored
twice but Schuss was kept to just one tally and
John Kemp made 17 saves for the Irish.
That was OSU’s second close loss in a row.
The Buckeyes dropped an 11-9 decision to No.
1 Virginia on March 17 in Ohio Stadium.
Men’s Golf Takes Second
Place At FAU Tourney
After more than a month away from intercollegiate competition, the Ohio State men’s golf
team placed second March 23-25 at the 15-team
Florida Atlantic Spring Break Championship.
OSU finished with a 4-under total of 848 in
the event staged at the par-71 North Course at
the Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth,
Fla. Florida State, the only ranked team in the
field at 25th, won with a score of 829.
Five Buckeyes finished in the top 20, led by
Alex Redfield and Grant Weaver, who tied for
fourth with a score of 3-under 210. Both shot 69
in one round, as did Dan Charen, who finished
tied for 16th at even-par 213. Boo Timko and
Jamie Sindelar shot 216 to tie for 20th.
Women’s Golf Finishes
Hot To Place Third
With a last-day team score of 4-under
tion. He was Ohio State’s recipient of the
CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor
and is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar,
first-team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic
All-District selection and Academic All-Big
Ten selection.
Here is a complete list of the Ohio State
student-athletes who received diplomas during winter quarter commencement.
Women’s basketball: Alison Jackson,
family resource management.
Football: Daniel Bain, English; Derek
Erwin, civil engineering; Nathaniel Oliver,
sport and leisure studies; DeVier Posey, communication; Solomon Thomas, sociology;
Jason Winrow, economics.
Men’s gymnastics: Matthew Rayl, operations management; Steven Spencer, psychology.
Men’s ice hockey: Sean Duddy, finance;
Cory Schneider, marketing.
Women’s ice hockey: Jennifer Kilpatrick,
finance; Shannon Reilly, communication.
Men’s lacrosse: Zachary Boyt, family
resource management; Tyler Dolphin, biology; Thomas Powell, communication.
Pistol: Amanda Watters, human development and family science.
Women’s soccer: Elizabeth Sullivan,
psychology.
Men’s swimming and diving: Robert
Jenrow, biology; Philip Seleskie, hospitality
management; Bo Wullings, psychology.
Men’s tennis: Shuhei Uzawa, international business.
Men’s track and field: Maxwell Mays,
sociology.
Wrestling: Sean Nemec, political science;
Colton Sponseller, marketing.
– Matthew Hager
284, which tied for the best round of the
tournament, the No. 23 Ohio State women’s
golf team moved up to a third-place finish at
the Mountain View Collegiate, held March
23-24.
The Buckeyes were beaten by a pair of
ranked teams, No. 32 Texas Tech and No.
39 Iowa State, at the 15-team meet. OSU
carded a team score of 7-over 871 while
Texas Tech won with a total of 858 at the
par-72 Mountain View Country Club in
Tucson, Ariz.
Kendall Prince had Ohio State’s best individual finish, tying for fourth with a score of
211, which included a final-round 69. Amy
Meier shot 219 to tie for 23rd and Rachel
Rohanna was two shots back to tie for 29th.
Claudia Lim competed as an individual and
shot 219 to tie for 18th.
Pair Of Big Ten Teams
Beat Women’s Tennis
The No. 66 Ohio State women’s tennis team
opened Big Ten play with a pair of 4-3 losses
to Purdue and Indiana on March 23 and 25,
respectively.
The match against the No. 27 Boilermakers
was the first intercollegiate play at OSU’s new
Varsity Outdoor Tennis Center courts before
inclement weather forced the teams indoors.
Ohio State got singles wins by Kelsey Haviland,
Fidan Manashirova and Kelsey Dieters, but
Kara Cecil lost the deciding match in three sets
at the No. 1 spot.
Manashirova and junior classmate Gabby
Steele won in singles and paired together in
doubles to win their match, but OSU lost by
one to the 57th-ranked Hoosiers. Dieters also
captured a singles win.
The Buckeyes’ losing streak reached six in
a row with the IU match, including a 5-2 loss
March 18 at No. 52 Tulane and a 4-2 final two
days later at No. 49 LSU.
Zwick Was Part
Of 2002 Class
• Three-year OSU letterman (200204)
• Career OSU totals: 28 games, nine
starts, 54 tackles, four PBU
• Suspended from team following
2004 season and finished college career at
NAIA Pikeville (Ky.)
• Signed as undrafted free agent by
New York Giants in 2006 and spent next
two seasons on injured reserve
• Member of practice squads for New
York Jets and Buffalo Bills (2007-08)
• Played for Cleveland Gladiators of
Arena Football League in 2008
• Played for Cincinnati Commandos
of Continental Indoor Football League
in 2010 and earned all-league honors at
cornerback
Stan White Jr. (6-3, 230, 4.7)
LB, Baltimore Gilman School
• Rated nation’s No. 18 outside linebacker prospect
• Selected to play in U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl
• Totaled 153 tackles, including 17 for
loss, 14 pass breakups, five fumble recoveries, four caused fumbles and three INTs
during senior year
• Also played tight end and caught
33 passes for 578 yards and three TDs as
senior
• Son of former Ohio State standout
Stan White (1969-71)
• Originally recruited as linebacker
but switched to offense where he played
tight end and fullback
• OSU career totals: 47 games, eight
starts, 11 receptions, 78 yards; also had
six tackles on defense
Justin Zwick (6-4, 205, 4.7)
QB, Massillon (Ohio)
Washington
• First-team Division I All-Ohio quarterback
• Finished
prep
career
with then staterecord 10,500
passing yards
• Connected
on 737 of 1,368
throws during
prep
career
that included
112 TDs and 52
INTs
Justin Zwick
• Led Tigers
to Division I semifinal berth as a senior,
throwing for 3,821 yards and 40 TDs
• Originally prepped at Orrville, Ohio,
where he led the Red Riders to a state
championship as a freshman
• Signed with Ohio State over
Michigan
• Started seven games in ’04 at quarterback for OSU, including first six before suffering a separation of his throwing shoulder
• Returned to starting lineup for
Alamo Bowl and led team to 33-7 victory
over Oklahoma State
• Career OSU totals: 24 games, nine
starts, 158 completions, 276 attempts,
1,779 yards, seven TDs, seven INTs
2012 FOOTBALL
Sept. 1 MIAMI (OHIO); 8 CENTRAL
FLORIDA; 15 CALIFORNIA; 22 UAB; 29 at
Michigan State.
Oct. 6 NEBRASKA; 13 at Indiana; 20
PURDUE; 27 at Penn State.
Nov. 3 ILLINOIS; 17 at Wisconsin; 24
MICHIGAN.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
(31-7, 13-5 Big Ten)
Nov. 6 WALSH (EXHIBITION), W 95-49;
11 WRIGHT STATE, W 73-42; 15 (7) FLORIDA,
W 81-74; 18 JACKSON STATE, W 85-41; 21
NORTH FLORIDA, W 85-50; 23 VMI, W 10774; 25 VALPARAISO, W 80-47; 29 (3) DUKE,
85-63.
Dec. 3 TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN, W 6435; 10 at (13) Kansas, L 78-67; 14 SOUTH
CAROLINA-UPSTATE, W 82-58; 17 at South
Carolina, W 74-66; 20 LAMAR, W 70-50; 22
MIAMI (OHIO) (at Nationwide Arena), W 6940; 28 NORTHWESTERN, W 87-54; 31 at (13)
Indiana, L 74-70.
Jan. 3 NEBRASKA, W 71-40; 7 at Iowa, W
76-47; 10 at Illinois, L 79-74; 15 (7) INDIANA,
W 80-63; 21 at Nebraska, W 79-45; 25 PENN
STATE, W 78-54; 29 (20) MICHIGAN, W 6449.
Feb. 4 at (19) Wisconsin, W 58-52; 7
PURDUE, W 87-84; 11 (11) MICHIGAN
STATE, L 58-48; 14 at Minnesota, W 78-68;
18 at (17) Michigan, L 56-51; 21 ILLINOIS, W
83-67; 26 (16) WISCONSIN, L 63-60; 29 at
Northwestern, W 75-73.
March 4 at (5) Michigan State, W 7270; 9 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal at
Indianapolis vs. (6) Purdue, W 88-71; 10 Big
Ten Tournament Semifinal at Indianapolis vs.
(2) Michigan, W 77-55; 11 Big Ten Tournament
Championship Game at Indianapolis vs. (1)
Michigan State, L 68-64; 15 NCAA Second
Round at Pittsburgh vs. (15) Loyola (Md.), W
78-59; 17 NCAA Third Round at Pittsburgh
vs. (7) Gonzaga, W 73-66; 22 NCAA
East Regional Semifinal at Boston vs. (6)
Cincinnati, W 81-66; 24 NCAA East Regional
Final at Boston, vs. (1) Syracuse, W 77-70; 31
NCAA National Semifinal at New Orleans vs.
(2) Kansas, 8:49 p.m.
April 2 NCAA National Championship
Game at New Orleans vs. TBA.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(25-7, 11-5 Big Ten)
Nov. 13 TENNESSEE STATE, W 78-51; 18
TEMPLE, W 70-66; 22 HOWARD, W 73-50;
25 STONY BROOK, W 84-37; 27 (20) LSU, W
77-68; 30 FLORIDA STATE, W 78-75 (OT).
Dec. 4 at (18) Oklahoma, W 69-63; 10
CANISIUS, W 84-41; 13 SOUTHERN, W 83-49;
17 at California, W 77-75; 19 CHARLOTTE,
W 88-58; 20 SOUTHERN UTAH, W 88-50;
22 WASHINGTON STATE, W 79-57; 30 at
Wisconsin, W 77-61.
Jan. 2 IOWA, W 84-71; 7 at Michigan,
L 73-62; 12 NORTHWESTERN, W 82-72;
15 at Michigan State, W 64-56; 19 (20)
NEBRASKA, W 82-68; 22 ILLINOIS, W 96-84;
26 at Indiana, W 73-55; 29 at Minnesota, L
76-65.
Feb. 6 WISCONSIN, W 72-58; 9 at
Illinois, L 66-65; 12 (16) PURDUE, W 80-71;
16 INDIANA, W 75-54; 20 at (11) Penn State,
L 84-66; 23 MINNESOTA, W 81-56; 26 at
(23) Nebraska, L 71-57.
March 2 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal
at Indianapolis vs. (7) Michigan, W 57-48; 3
Big Ten Tournament Semifinal at Indianapolis
vs. (6) Nebraska, L 77-62; 18 NCAA First
Round at Bowling Green, Ohio, vs. (9) Florida,
L 70-65.
BASEBALL
(12-10, 1-2 Big Ten)
Feb. 17 Big East/Big Ten Challenge at St.
Petersburg, Fla., vs. South Florida, L 5-3; 18
Big East/Big Ten Challenge at Clearwater, Fla.,
vs. Seton Hall, W 14-7; 19 Big East/Big Ten
Challenge at Clearwater, Fla., vs. Connecticut,
W 9-5 (6 innings); 24 at (10) Georgia Tech, L
12-4; 25 at (10) Georgia Tech, W 7-3; 26 at
(10) Georgia Tech, L 13-4.
March 2 Snowbird Classic at Port
Charlotte, Fla., vs. Michigan, W 9-4; 3
Snowbird Classic at Port Charlotte, Fla.,
vs. Western Michigan (DH), L 15-8, W 52; 4 Snowbird Classic at Port Charlotte,
Fla., vs. Villanova, W 4-3 (10 innings); 9
Chanticleer Classic at Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
vs. Marist, W 17-2; 10 Chanticleer Classic
at Myrtle Beach, S.C., vs. Coastal Carolina,
L 4-1; vs. Toledo, W 13-1; 11 Chanticleer
Classic at Myrtle Beach, S.C., vs. Coastal
Carolina, L 3-2 (12 innings); 16 AUSTIN
PEAY, W 4-3 (13 innings); 17 AUSTIN PEAY,
L 7-2 (10 innings); 18 AUSTIN PEAY, W 7-3;
20 at (22) Louisville, L 20-0; 21 at Dayton,
W 11-7; 23 (24) PURDUE, postponed; 24
(24) PURDUE (DH), L 8-5, L 8-1; 25 (24)
PURDUE, W 5-4; 27 EASTERN MICHIGAN,
6:35 p.m.; 30 at Michigan State; 31 at
Michigan State.
April 1 at Michigan State; 4 at Miami (Ohio);
6 MINNESOTA, 6:35 p.m.; 7 MINNESOTA, 3:05
p.m.; 8 MINNESOTA, Noon; 10 OHIO, 6:35
p.m.; 11 AKRON, 6:35 p.m.; 13 NEBRASKA,
6:35 p.m.; 14 NEBRASKA, 3:05 p.m.; 15
NEBRASKA, 1:05 p.m.; 17 XAVIER, 6:35 p.m.;
18 CINCINNATI, 7 p.m.; 20 at Illinois; 21 at
Illinois; 22 at Illinois; 25 BOWLING GREEN,
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GOT CHOCOLATE? Crave chocolate?
Rich, dark Belgian chocolate? Chocolate
that also contains a super ingredient,
Natural Cellular Defense, that detoxes the
body. Shown in clinical trials to remove
all heavy metals, VOCs, and helps the
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toxins. If you eat, breathe, or drink, you
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Informative and fun. Call (614) 4862202 for details.
6:35 p.m.; 27 at Penn State; 28 at Penn State;
29 at Penn State.
May 1 YOUNGSTOWN STATE, 6:35 p.m.; 4
NORTHWESTERN, 7 p.m.; 5 NORTHWESTERN,
3:05 p.m.; 6 NORTHWESTERN, 1:05 p.m.; 8
at Oklahoma State; 9 at Oklahoma State; 11
SEATTLE, 6:35 p.m.; 12 SEATTLE, 3:05 p.m.;
13 SEATTLE, 1:05 p.m.; 15 TOLEDO, 12:05
p.m.; 17 at Indiana; 18 at Indiana; 19 at
Indiana; 23-26 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT (AT
HUNTINGTON PARK).
MEN’S GOLF
(2-1)
Feb. 10 Big Ten Match Play at Bradenton,
Fla., vs. Wisconsin, W 4-2-0; vs. Indiana, W
3-2-1; 11 Big Ten Match Play at Bradenton,
Fla., vs. Northwestern, L 5-1-0; 19-21
Puerto Rico Classic at Rio Grande, Puerto
Rico, 11th/15.
March 23-25 FAU Spring Break
Championships at Lake Worth, Fla., 2nd/15.
April 2-3 Villanova Wildcat Invitational
at Malvern, Pa.; 14-15 ROBERT KEPLER
INTERCOLLEGIATE;
27-29
Big
Ten
Championships at French Lick, Ind.
May 17-19 NCAA Regional at TBD; 29June 3 NCAA Championships at Pacific
Palisades, Calif.
WOMEN’S GOLF
(1-0)
Feb. 13-15 Northrop Grumman Regional
Challenge at Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.,
6th/15; 20-21 Central District Invitational at
Parrish, Fla., 6th/15.
March 5-6 Hurricane Invitational at
Miami, Fla., 1st/16; 21 vs. Northwestern at
Tucson, Ariz., W 11-7; 23-24 Mountain View
Invitational at Tucson, Ariz., 3rd/15.
April 6-8 Bryan National Collegiate at
Greensboro, N.C.; 21-22 LADY BUCKEYE
INVITATIONAL; 27-29 Big Ten Championships
at French Lick, Ind.
May 10-12 NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL;
22-25 NCAA Championships at Nashville,
Tenn.
MEN’S GYMNASTICS
(6-7, 0-4 Big Ten)
Jan. 14 Windy City Invitational at Chicago,
1st/6; 21 (3) OKLAHOMA, L 353.150347.750.
Feb. 2-4 USA Gymnastics Winter Cup at
Las Vegas, NTS; 18 at Ann Arbor, Mich., vs.
SUNY Brockport, W 334.200-275.700; at (7)
Michigan, L 345.700-334.200; 25 (2) PENN
STATE, L 355.500-347.200.
March 2 at (3) Illinois, L 355.100-341.300;
9 (4) STANFORD, L 355.800-347.400; 24 at
St. Paul, Minn., vs. (1) Oklahoma, L 353.100344.500; at (5) Minnesota, L 350.600344.500.
April 6-7 Big Ten Championships at Iowa
City, Iowa; 19-21 NCAA Championships at
Norman, Okla.
WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS
(11-3, 3-2 Big Ten)
Jan. 7 at Minnesota, W 195.375-195.075;
13 at (10) Michigan, L 195.500-195.175; 21
GEORGE WASHINGTON, W 195.900-188.900;
27 at Pittsburgh, W 195.625-193.500.
Feb. 4 at (19) Illinois, L 195.700-195.575;
10 (23) IOWA, W 196.125-194.425; 12
at Morgantown, W.Va., vs. Ball State, W
195.450-191.775; vs. Auburn, W 195.450193.650; vs. (24) West Virginia, W 195.450195-175; 18 (20) DENVER, W 197.625195.450; 25 (10) PENN STATE, W 196.025195.000.
March 2 KENT STATE, W 196.925195.775; 10 at North Carolina, W 195.750194.475; 17 (2) OKLAHOMA, L 196.825196.700; 24 Big Ten Championships at Iowa
City, Iowa, 2nd/8.
April 7 NCAA Regionals at Raleigh, N.C.;
20 NCAA Championships at Gwinnett, Ga.
MEN’S LACROSSE
(4-5, 2-0 ECAC)
Feb. 9 DETROIT, W 11-6; 11 at Mercer,
W 15-8; 19 Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic at
Jacksonville, Fla., vs. (5) Denver, W 10-9; 25
(8) UMASS, L 9-3.
March 3 (13) PENN STATE, L 5-2; 9 ROBERT
MORRIS, L 9-7; 17 (1) VIRGINIA, L 11-9; 21
(6) NOTRE DAME, L 8-7; 24 BELLARMINE, W
13-2; 31 at Loyola (Md.).
April 7 at Hobart; 14 at Michigan; 21 AIR
FORCE, 11 a.m.; 28 at Fairfield.
May 4 ECAC Tournament Semifinal at
Denver; 6 ECAC Tournament Championship
at Denver.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
(7-2, 0-1 ALC)
Feb. 11 vs. San Diego State at Palo Alto,
Calif., W 19-4; 12 at (6) Stanford, W 14-10;
17 ROBERT MORRIS, W 16-2; 19 LOUISVILLE,
W 21-7; 25 BROWN, W 16-3.
March 4 (14) NOTRE DAME, L 16-7; 18 at
Canisius, W 14-11; 19 at St. Bonaventure, W
15-8; 24 (5) FLORIDA, L 10-8; 29 at Hofstra;
31 vs. Northwestern at Foxborough, Mass.
April 8 at Vanderbilt; 15 PENN STATE,
Noon; 21 AMERICAN, 1 p.m.; 28 at Johns
Hopkins.
May 3-5 ALC Tournament at Gainesville,
Fla.
SOFTBALL
(16-11, 2-1 Big Ten)
Feb. 10 Dot Richardson National
Collegiate Softball Invitational at Clermont,
Fla., vs. Central Florida, L 2-1; vs. Florida
Atlantic, W 9-6; 11 Dot Richardson National
Fla., vs. North Carolina, L 3-1; vs. North
Florida, L 10-5; 12 Dot Richardson National
Fla., vs. Florida A&M, W 7-1; 17 Louisville
Slugger Desert Classic at Las Vegas vs.
Texas Tech, L 7-4; vs. San Jose State, W 63; 18 Louisville Slugger Desert Classic at
Las Vegas vs. UNLV, W 4-3; vs. Long Beach
State, W 10-5; 19 Louisville Slugger Desert
Classic at Las Vegas vs. Idaho State, W 6-2;
24 Cathedral City Classic at Cathedral City,
Calif., vs. Fresno State, W 3-0; vs. Oregon
State, L 4-3; 25 Cathedral City Classic at
Cathedral City, Calif., vs. Cal State Fullerton,
W 9-0 (5 innings); 26 Cathedral City Classic
at Cathedral City, Calif., vs. Colorado State,
W 9-8 (6 innings).
March 2 Citrus Classic at Orlando, Fla., vs.
vs. Georgetown, W 5-0; Longwood, W 12-3
(5 innings); 3 Citrus Classic at Orlando, Fla.,
vs. Notre Dame, L 3-1 (8 innings); vs. Hofstra,
L 1-0; 4 Citrus Classic at Orlando, Fla., vs.
Pittsburgh, L 4-0; 16 TSU Tiger Tournament
at Nashville, Tenn., vs. Tennessee State, W
6-0; 17 TSU Tiger Tournament at Nashville,
Tenn., vs. Belmont, W 15-3 (6 innings); vs.
Mercer, canceled; 18 TSU Tiger Tournament
at Nashville, Tenn., vs. St. Bonaventure, W 82; 20 at (13) Louisville (DH), L 7-0, L 7-2; 24
INDIANA (DH), W 4-3 (8 innings), L 4-1; 25
INDIANA, W 7-3; 28 WRIGHT STATE (DH), 5
p.m., 7 p.m.; 31 at Michigan State (DH).
April 1 at Michigan State; 4 BUFFALO
(DH), 3 p.m., 5 p.m.; 6 MICHIGAN, 5:30
p.m.; 7 MICHIGAN (DH), 2 p.m., 4 p.m.;
11 DAYTON, 6 p.m.; 14 at Purdue (DH); 15
at Purdue; 18 OHIO (DH), 5 p.m.; 7 p.m.;
21 NEBRASKA (DH), 5 p.m., 7 p.m.; 22
NEBRASKA, 2 p.m.; 28 at Northwestern
(DH); 29 at Northwestern.
May 5 IOWA (DH), 6 p.m.; 8 p.m.; 6
IOWA, 2 p.m.; 11 at Penn State; 12 at Penn
State (DH).
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
(9-1, 3-1 Big Ten)
Oct. 28 KENYON, W 174-84.
Nov. 4 CLEVELAND STATE, W 211-90;
DENISON, W 234-64; VIRGINIA TECH, W
177-124; 11 at Miami (Ohio), W 149-122; 18
vs. Purdue at Iowa City, Iowa, W 170-130; at
Iowa, W 163-137.
Dec. 2-4 OHIO STATE INVITATIONAL,
1st/4.
Jan. 21 HARVARD, W 181-118; 27-28
PENN STATE, W 243-91; (4) MICHIGAN, L
194-140.
Feb. 11-12 OHIO STATE WINTER
INVITATIONAL, NTS; 22-25 Big Ten
Championships at Iowa City, Iowa, 2nd/10.
BUCKEYE SCOREBOARD
March 4 LAST DITCH QUALIFIER, NTS;
9-11 USA SWIMMING GRAND PRIX, NTS;
22-24 NCAA Championships at Seattle,
12th/39.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
(10-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Oct. 28 KENYON, W 176.5-83.5.
Nov. 4 CLEVELAND STATE, W 232-66;
DENISON, W 234-64; VIRGINIA TECH, W
198-100; 12 OHIO, W 203-97; 18-20 Pitt
Invitational at Pittsburgh, 1st/6.
Dec. 2-4 OHIO STATE INVITATIONAL,
1st/5.
Jan. 7 at Toledo, W 201-99; 20 at Michigan
State, W 144-98; 21 (22) MICHIGAN, W
164.5-132.5; 27-28 Shamrock Invitational at
South Bend, Ind., vs. Iowa, W 217-146; vs.
Notre Dame, W 214-147.
Feb. 11-12 OHIO STATE WINTER
INVITATIONAL, NTS; 15-18 Big Ten
Championships at Iowa City, Iowa, 3rd/12;
26 LAST DITCH QUALIFIER, NTS.
March 9-11 USA SWIMMING GRAND
PRIX, NTS; 15-17 NCAA Championships at
Auburn, Ala., 20th/50.
MEN’S TENNIS
(20-2, 3-0 Big Ten)
Jan. 18 BUTLER, W 7-0; XAVIER, W 70; 22 (16) MISSISSIPPI STATE, W 6-1; 28 ITA
KICKOFF VS. (44) CORNELL, W 5-1; 29 ITA
KICKOFF VS. (29) INDIANA, W 4-0; TOLEDO,
W 4-0.
Feb. 3 (12) PEPPERDINE, W 4-1; 9 at (36)
Louisville, L 6-1; 12 at (55) Michigan State,
W 7-0; 17 ITA National Team Indoors at
Charlottesville, Va., vs. (14) Texas, W 4-0; 18
ITA National Team Indoors at Charlottesville,
Va., vs. (6) Kentucky, W 4-3; 19 ITA National
Team Indoors at Charlottesville, Va., vs. (2)
Virginia, W 4-1; 20 ITA National Team Indoors
at Charlottesville, Va., vs. (1) USC, L 4-3;
25 (7) KENTUCKY, W 4-0; 26 (17) NORTH
CAROLINA, W 6-1.
March 3 at (26) Notre Dame, W 5-2; 9
(17) TEXAS A&M, W 6-1; 11 PENN STATE, W
7-0; NORTHWEST OHIO, W 4-0; 19 at (27)
LSU, W 6-1; 21 at (4) Georgia, L 4-3; 25 at
(21) Indiana, W 6-1; 30 NEBRASKA, 6 p.m.
April 1 IOWA, Noon; YOUNGSTOWN
STATE, 5 p.m.; 6 at Wisconsin; 8 at Minnesota;
13 ILLINOIS, 6 p.m.; 15 NORTHWESTERN,
Noon; 18 at Purdue; 22 MICHIGAN, Noon;
26-29 Big Ten Tournament at Evanston, Ill.
May 11-13 NCAA First & Second Rounds
at TBA; 17-22 NCAA Team Championships
at Athens, Ga.; 23-28 NCAA Singles/Doubles
Championships at Athens, Ga.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
(5-11, 0-3 Big Ten)
Jan. 15 at (42) South Florida, L 6-1; 21
WEST VIRGINIA, W 7-0; DAYTON, W 7-0;
28 ITA Kickoff Weekend at Tallahassee, Fla.,
vs. (18) Florida State, L 5-2; 29 ITA Kickoff
Weekend at Tallahassee, Fla., vs. (29) Texas
A&M, L 5-2.
Feb. 4 SYRACUSE, W 5-2; 7 at Penn
State, L 4-3; 19 (10) TENNESSEE, L 4-3; 22 at
Louisville, W 4-3; 24 (71) DEPAUL, W 5-2; 26
(31) ARKANSAS, L 4-3.
March 4 at Oregon, L 4-3; 18 at (52)
Tulane, L 5-2; 20 at (49) LSU, L 4-2; 23 (27)
PURDUE, L 4-3; 25 (57) INDIANA, L 4-3; 30
at Nebraska.
April 1 at Iowa; 6 WISCONSIN, 3 p.m.;
8 MINNESOTA, 11 a.m.; 13 at Illinois; 15
at Northwestern; 20 MICHIGAN STATE,
2 p.m.; 22 at Michigan; 26-29 BIG TEN
TOURNAMENT.
May 11-13 NCAA Regionals at TBA;
17-22 NCAA Team Championships at
Athens, Ga.; 23-28 NCAA Singles/Doubles
Championships at Athens, Ga.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
March 23 Big Ten/SEC Challenge at
Starkville, Miss., Big Ten wins 400.5-314.5;
28-31 Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Austin,
Texas; 31 Jim Click Shootout at Tucson, Ariz.
April 13-14 JESSE OWENS TRACK
CLASSIC; 19-21 Mt. SAC Relays at Walnut,
Calif.; 20-21 All-Ohio Championships at
Oxford, Ohio; 26-28 Drake Relays at Des
Moines, Iowa; 29 Payton Jordan Invitational
at Palo Alto, Calif.
May 5 Campbell/Wright Invitational at
Akron, Ohio; 5 Oregon Twilight at Eugene,
Ore.; 11-13 Big Ten Championships at
Madison, Wis.; 24-26 NCAA East Prelims at
Jacksonville, Fla.
June 6-9 NCAA Championships at
Des Moines, Iowa; 14-16 USATF Junior
Championships at Bloomington, Ind.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
March 24 UCF Invitational at Orlando,
Fla., NTS; 31 Jim Click Shootout at Tucson,
Ariz.
April 13-14 JESSE OWENS TRACK
CLASSIC; 20-21 Tom Jones Memorial Classic
at Gainesville, Fla.; 26-28 Penn Relays at
Philadelphia.
May 11-13 Big Ten Championships at
Madison, Wis.; 24-26 NCAA East Prelims at
Jacksonville, Fla.
June 6-9 NCAA Championships at Des
Moines, Iowa.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
(14-8, 4-3 MIVA)
Jan. 6 UC Santa Barbara Invitational
at Santa Barbara, Calif., vs. (14) UC Santa
Barbara, W 3-2 (19-25, 18-25, 25-19, 28-26,
15-9); vs. (3) UCLA, L 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 2516); 7 UC Santa Barbara Invitational at Santa
Barbara, Calif., vs. (6) Long Beach State, L
3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 15-10);
13 LEES-MCRAE, W 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 2518); 14 (7) PENN STATE, L 3-0 (25-22, 25-23,
25-17); 17 SACRED HEART, W 3-0 (25-18,
25-19, 25-12); 19 GEORGE MASON, W 32 (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11); 22
SAINT FRANCIS (PA.), W 3-1 (25-20, 22-25,
25-18, 29-27); 27 KEN AND DAVE DUNLAP
INVITATIONAL VS. (12) PACIFIC, W 3-1 (1925, 25-20, 25-18, 25-21); 28 KEN AND DAVE
DUNLAP INVITATIONAL VS. (4) STANFORD, L
3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-12).
Feb. 3 Penn State Invitational at State
College, Pa., vs. Cal-Baptist, W 3-1 (2325, 27-25, 25-20, 25-21); 4 Penn State
Invitational at State College, Pa., vs. Mount
Olive, W 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 26-24); 10 at
IPFW, W 3-1 (27-29, 25-11, 25-21, 25-20);
17 BALL STATE, W 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 2517); 19 CARTHAGE, W 3-1 (18-25, 25-21,
25-18, 25-16); 23 at (7) Lewis, L 3-1 (15-25,
25-21, 25-18, 25-18); 25 at (14) Loyola (Ill.),
W 3-0 (25-18, 25-9, 25-19).
March 2 at St. Francis (Pa.), W 3-2 (2325, 25-21, 21-25, 25-14, 15-11); 3 at (6)
Penn State, L 3-2 (25-17, 25-19, 27-29, 2225, 15-13); 18 at Ball State, L 3-2 (21-25, 2523, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12); 23 at Quincy, L 3-1
(25-21, 14-25, 25-23, 25-21); 24 at Quincy,
W 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-22); 30 LOYOLA
(ILL.), 7 p.m.; 31 LEWIS, 7 p.m.
April 5 GRAND CANYON, 7 p.m.; 6
GRAND CANYON, 7 p.m.; 13 IPFW, 7 p.m.;
15 at George Mason; 21 MIVA Tournament
Quarterfinal at TBA; 25 MIVA Tournament
Semifinal at TBA; 28 MIVA Tournament
Championship at TBA.
May 3 NCAA Semifinal at Los Angeles; 5
NCAA Championship at Los Angeles.
WRESTLING
(13-4, 5-3 Big Ten)
Nov. 5 Eastern Michigan Open at
Ypsilanti, Mich., NTS; 12 vs. North Carolina at
Harrisburg, Pa., W 36-6; vs. Utah Valley State
at Harrisburg, Pa., W 36-0; vs. Old Dominion
at Harrisburg, Pa., W 30-3; 20 (15) VIRGINIA
TECH, W 21-12.
Dec. 2-3 Cliff Keen Invitational at Las
Vegas, 1st/34; 9 at (9) Pittsburgh, W 22-9;
11 at (20) Kent State, W 22-15; 18 INDIANA,
W 31-9.
Jan. 6 at (14) Nebraska, L 18-16; 8 at (3)
Minnesota, L 24-13; 12 PURDUE, W 27-10;
20 (2) IOWA, W 21-9; 29 at (2) Penn State,
L 34-9.
Feb. 3 (12) MICHIGAN, W 24-13; 5 at
Michigan State, W 24-13; 12 NWCA/Cliff
Keen National Duals (Regionals) at Stillwater,
Okla., vs. Boise State, W 26-9; vs. (8)
Nebraska, W 21-18; vs. (1) Oklahoma State,
L 25-6.
March 3-4 Big Ten Championships at
West Lafayette, Ind., 5th/12; 15-17 NCAA
Championships at St. Louis, Mo., 5th/70.
OPINION
Post Players At Disadvantage In NCAA Tournament
College basketball is no place for a physical
big man.
Shaquille O’Neal, as dominating as he was,
fouled out of nine games during his freshman
season at LSU in 1989-90.
The biggest suspense during Ohio State’s
run to the national title game in 2007 was
whether Greg Oden could stay out of foul trouble and on the floor to anchor the Buckeyes’
defense.
THE EXNER POINT
Rich Exner
And a phantom foul – his second – landed
Jared Sullinger on the bench for most of the
first half of this year’s regional final against
Syracuse. Like too many times this season, a
marginal call put Sullinger on the sideline to
watch.
How college basketball’s best physical big
men retain their composure enough to still
enjoy the game while watching from the bench
is a statement of their character. Too often,
they are treated unfairly in the college game,
particularly games such as the East Regional
final when both teams reached the doublebonus early in each half. There were too many
“touch” fouls.
One of two things must happen or the
college game will remain a place that favors
guards.
No. 1 – The officials need to treat big
men like any other player on the court. They
get banged around and banged around and
banged around. Then when they touch another player, they’re whistled for a foul.
Or No. 2 – The rules should be changed
to increase the maximum number of personal
fouls to six before disqualification. Making
that change to the same number the NBA
uses would limit the impact of a couple of early
fouls.
Basketball is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be fun to watch. It’s supposed to be
fun to play. But no one is having fun when the
stars – Sullinger in this case – spend most of
the first half on the bench.
It’s not a problem in the NBA, and that’s no
doubt one consideration for the college game’s
best physical big men when they decide whether to leave college early for the pros.
NBA Bound?
Did Sullinger give a clue as to his 2012-13
plans while answering a postgame question
about the solid play of 6-11 Amir Williams
after the freshman had logged some solid and
important first-half minutes against Syracuse?
“Amir always had talent,” Sullinger said.
“Unfortunately he’s playing behind me and
Evan (Ravenel). Watch out for him next year.”
Next year? Sullinger is scheduled to be a
junior and Ravenel will be a senior. Is someone
on the way out?
Speaking of his future at the next level,
Sullinger is dominating inside, but it’s more
because of his 280 pounds than his 6-8 height.
Therefore, one has to wonder if he would be
even better as a power forward. That’s his
likely position in the NBA.
If Sullinger does return to Ohio State for his
junior season, consider this potential front line
– 6-7 Deshaun Thomas at small forward, 6-8
Sullinger at power forward and 6-11 Williams
at center with 6-8 Ravenel in reserve.
That would be an imposing front line.
They’re all tall and they all play a power game.
Important Addition
Ravenel has proved to be a valuable asset to
the Buckeyes, improving tremendously during
the course of the season.
It’s well-documented that Ravenel began
his career at Boston College before transferring to Ohio State, but the why is often left
out of that story as it’s recounted by television
announcers.
His coach at Boston College, Al Skinner,
was fired in March of 2010. Less than two
months later, Ravenel became the third BC
player to announce his plans to transfer. But he
didn’t have a stellar résumé to shop his skills.
Ravenel played in only 39 games over two
seasons at Boston College. In 10 minutes a
game when he did play, he averaged 2.0 points
and 1.4 rebounds as a freshman, and 3.3 points
and 2.4 rebounds as a sophomore. His per
game averages have been just slightly better
this year, but he has proved to be a valuable
part of a Final Four team, not one with a losing
record like his last season at Boston College.
Ravenel, whose top statewide high school
honor in Florida was honorable mention, is fitting in nicely on an Ohio State team filled with
high school All-Americans and state players of
the year.
Missing Sullinger
Ohio State’s offensive game plan – or at
least execution of it – seemed to change dramatically when Sullinger went to the bench.
Early on, the Buckeyes found success against
the Syracuse zone by passing often to Sullinger
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and Thomas within 10 feet or so of the rim.
From there, they would shoot or pass to set up
better scoring opportunities.
When Sullinger went to the bench, the
Buckeyes became more of a perimeter team,
not forcing the action as much inside.
As a result, OSU lost an opportunity to break
open a wide first-half lead when Sullinger went
to the bench. But the Buckeyes hung tough
to set up the win with Sullinger’s return in the
second half.
Dominating Defense
At times, especially from mid-February
on, the Buckeyes were a frustrating team to
watch. Starting with the 58-48 loss at home to
Michigan State, their offense seemed to be a
mess. Against MSU, they made just 14 of 53
shots from the floor (26.4 percent). Scoring
that night, and in other games, often was tough
and ugly.
What was easy to overlook, however, was
how dominating Ohio State was developing
as a defensive team. Even during that Feb. 11
loss to Michigan State, OSU held the Spartans
to 40.4-percent shooting. The defense was
also tenacious in the regular-season finale at
Michigan State during which the Buckeyes
secured a share of another Big Ten title.
And it has gotten better during the NCAA
Tournament.
Defense keyed the 73-66 victory over
Gonzaga, shutting down and frustrating the
Bulldogs repeatedly. Defense was the dominating force in the 81-66 victory over Cincinnati.
And defense was a key reason that top-seeded Syracuse was sent home early by the
Buckeyes.
In the march to the Final Four, Ohio State
limited Loyola (Md.) to 35.2 percent, Gonzaga
to 39.3 percent, Cincinnati to 46.4 percent and
Syracuse to 41.5 percent shooting.
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OPINION
Much Has Happened During OSU Basketball Season
Back when the Ohio State basketball season
started in November, many fans thought this
year’s team had what it took to make it to the
Final Four. By the time February rolled around,
however, many of those same fans wondered if
those same Buckeyes could even make it as far
as the Sweet 16, the level the team had reached
the previous two seasons.
Even head coach Thad Matta seemed to
have his doubts.
But here we are at season’s end and the
Buckeyes are headed to the Final Four for the
first time since 2007, just as so many had predicted what seems like so long ago.
What happened between the February
doldrums and NCAA Tournament victories
over Loyola (Md.), Gonzaga, Cincinnati and
Syracuse?
For one thing, I think Jared Sullinger reestablished himself as one of the best players
in the nation. As the sophomore big man
struggled through the physical battles of the
Big Ten, I think many fans either forgot or
questioned how good he really is.
Once Sullinger stopped worrying about all
the foul calls and non-calls – or as one observer
put it to me, once he stopped making faces
after every call or non-call – and went back to
playing his game, he was outstanding down
the stretch and in the tournament. Sullinger is
a load on both ends of the floor for any team
to handle.
The other change I think occurred is that
Deshaun Thomas became the Buckeyes’ second option after Sullinger, taking that distinction away from struggling senior William
Buford.
Following Ohio State’s 58-48 loss to Michigan
State on Feb. 11, arguably the low point of the
season, Buford was averaging 15.0 points and
4.7 rebounds a game and shooting 42.4 percent
from the field. Meanwhile, Thomas was averaging 14.3 points and 4.4 rebounds and was shooting 52.2 percent from the floor.
In the 13 games since then, Thomas has
averaged 19.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while
shooting 54.1 percent, while Buford has averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 39.7 percent
from the field.
Thomas has been all but demanding the
ball – and rightfully so – while Buford seems
content to pass the ball right now. The emergence of the 6-7, 225-pound Thomas has eased
some of the blanket coverage that hounded
Sullinger.
The other factor I believe has lifted the
Buckeyes to Final Four caliber play is the way
sophomore guard Aaron Craft has stepped it up
a notch – if that is possible over the way he has
always played. His teammates were clamoring
for him to become more involved in the offense
earlier in the season, and he seems more willing to do so now, a fact proven by his 17-point,
10-assist performance in the tourney win over
Gonzaga.
Craft has also been even more suffocating
on defense during the tournament than he was
in the regular season when he was named the
Big Ten’s defensive player of the year.
With Lenzelle Smith Jr. showing that he
can produce at crunch time in big games, such
as he did in the regional final against Syracuse
when he scored 16 points in the second half to
help the Buckeyes advance to New Orleans, if
Buford does what he has proved so many times
he is capable of doing, the Buckeyes may really
have what it takes to win it all.
Heck, with the solid performance turned
in by seldom-used center Amir Williams in
relief of the foul-strapped Sullinger against the
Orange, Matta might even be more willing to
try some of his options off the bench in New
THE VIEW FROM 15TH & HIGH
Frank Moskowitz, Publisher
Orleans, although I guess I wouldn’t count on
that.
“We’re a scary team right now,” Thomas
said after the team punched its ticket to the Big
Easy. “Every single person on this team can be
the best player on the team on any given night.
It’s hard to game-plan for us when we’re feeling
like this. We’re playing great basketball right
now and you have to honor every single player
on this team as a weapon.”
Bring on Kansas and let March Madness
continue.
Interesting Grid Grads
Because of all the news that has emanated
from the OSU athletic department in recent
months, I haven’t had a chance to look at the
various graduating classes in this space as I
have traditionally done through the years.
There were a couple of notable names on
the list of graduates following the recent winter
quarter, which can be found on page 35 of this
issue, so I wanted to get back in the practice of
noting graduates.
First of all, I always like to mention football
players who come back and earn their diplomas
while taking advantage of Ohio State’s Degree
Completion Program. I know how difficult it is
to go back to school and earn that degree.
So, kudos to Jason Winrow, who played
football for the Buckeyes from 1990-93, for
graduating.
But I also wanted to note that DeVier Posey
and Solomon Thomas graduated. The two
were in the news frequently in recent months,
both participants in the tattoo and memorabilia
scandal that ultimately led to the demise of Jim
Tressel as head coach and NCAA sanctions
placed on the football program.
By graduating, the two have cast themselves and the program in a much better light
than they had in the past year, and they should
be commended for that.
Now That Was A Class
I tend to not put a lot of stock in the rankings
of various recruiting classes at the time they
are signed. You just never know how players
are going to turn out once they make the jump
from the prep level to the college game, and
you never know who is going to get injured, get
homesick or not make grades.
I must say, however, that Ohio State’s No.
2-ranked recruiting class of 2002, recalled by
managing editor Mark Rea in this issue of BSB,
lived up to its ranking.
What can you say about a class that contained future Heisman Trophy winner Troy
Smith as a late throw-in, a player who it was
thought might even be switched from the quarterback position? It also had linebacker A.J.
Hawk, who would go on to win the Lombardi
Award, as one of the more lightly regarded
members of the group.
Offensive tackle Derek Morris, one of the
most highly rated recruits that year, never
played a down for the Buckeyes. Yet ample
firepower remained.
Among the big names in that recruiting class
of 2002 in addition to Smith and Hawk were
Bobby Carpenter, Maurice Clarett, Santonio
Holmes and Nick Mangold. But there were
plenty of other major contributors on the list.
Tressel was able to corral the top five prep
players from the state of Ohio that year and
eight of the top 10 from the Buckeye State. But
the thing that struck me as I reviewed the class
was how deep the Florida high school talent
must have been that recruiting season.
Holmes, who starred with the Buckeyes
and would go on to win a Super Bowl MVP
award with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was ranked
just No. 31 in the Sunshine State in 2002. The
Buckeyes’ other recruit from Florida, safety
Nate Salley, was ranked 83rd in the state. Yet
Salley was good enough to start three years for
the Buckeyes and was a fourth-round pick by
the NFL’s Carolina Panthers after his collegiate
career was over.
There were 14 players from Florida in the
2002 national top 100, including four of the
top 10. Not that Ohio wasn’t represented on
the national list. Six players from the Buckeye
State were listed and five of those – linebacker
Mike D’Andrea (29th), Clarett (37th), quarterback Justin Zwick (40th), offensive lineman Doug Datish (68th) and defensive tackle
Quinn Pitcock (72nd) – chose Ohio State. Only
Cincinnati Reading running back DeShawn
Wynn (48th) chose to go elsewhere, oddly
enough picking Florida.
Interestingly, despite all that talent available, Florida did not make the top 10 in BSB’s
consensus recruiting poll that year. The Gators
had to overcome the departure of the highly
successful Steve Spurrier on Jan. 2, 2002, to
the NFL’s Washington Redskins, leaving newly
hired Ron Zook to try to pick up the recruiting
pieces. Miami (Fla.) was fourth and Florida
State finished sixth in the poll of recruiting
experts.
A Solid Throw-In
In another historic recruiting note in this
issue, “A Look Back at Recruiting From the
Pages of BSB” on page 24 notes that defensive
back Vinnie Clark was considered by many to
be a throw-in as part of a package deal with
highly rated running back Carlos Snow in
1987.
You have to remember that this was back
in the days before the proliferation of recruiting services and not much was known about
players beyond the obvious superstars such as
Snow. While Cincinnati Academy of Physical
Education head coach Steve Sheehan might
have tried to downplay the notion of Clark
being a throw-in with Snow, I remember quite
clearly that was the perception. It certainly was
my perception at the time.
By the time their playing days were over,
it was quite easy to make the case that Clark
had the better overall career. He was a threeyear starter for the Buckeyes and wound up
good enough to become a first-round draft
choice of the Green Bay Packers. Clark later
enjoyed a six-year NFL career with four different teams.
Not that Snow, who had a star-crossed
career with the Buckeyes, was shabby as a collegian. When he was not battling knee injuries
or a benign hip tumor, Snow racked up 2,974
yards rushing, still good for seventh on Ohio
State’s all-time list.
He also turned in one of the most exciting
plays in one of the most storied games in the
OSU-Michigan rivalry. As a freshman in 1987,
Snow took a short pass and turned it into a
70-yard touchdown, capping the play with a dazzling move on Wolverine safety Doug Mallory
during the Buckeyes’ 23-20 win in Earle Bruce’s
final game as head coach.
About the only other time I remember an
Ohio State player being considered part of a
package deal and having a career to match that
of the targeted recruit was when little-known
Ron Stokes was considered a throw-in out of
Canton (Ohio) McKinley along with moreheralded teammate Troy Taylor when the two
arrived in Columbus for the 1981-82 basketball
season.
Taylor had a fine career as a Buckeye, but
Stokes, who is now a popular color analyst for
Ohio State basketball radio broadcasts, had a
career nearly as good as his high school teammate.
Taylor is currently 18th on OSU’s all-time
scoring list with 1,497 points and fifth with 421
assists, while Stokes is 30th in scoring with
1,240 points and sixth with 419 assists.
Mr. Travel Passes
I lost a dear friend March 18 with the passing of Richard Lewis, affectionately known as
“Mr. Travel.” He was 86.
Many of you probably knew Richard since
he literally sent thousands of Buckeye fans
on Rose Bowl trips back in that bowl game’s
heyday through his Richard Lewis Travel in
the old Lazarus department store in downtown
Columbus.
I guess that was one of the things that he
and I shared – our longing for those pre-BCS
days when the Rose Bowl really meant something to Buckeye fans and our sadness over the
fact that younger fans would never truly understand why that game was “The Granddaddy of
Them All.”
We also shared the fact that we were both
in industries – travel and newspapers – that
have been radically changed by the Internet in
recent years.
Richard, who loved to travel himself, hated
the fact that many now consider a trip to an allinclusive resort the ultimate vacation, eschewing the more time-honored trips to Europe and
beyond.
In addition to travel, Richard enjoyed playing golf. He recorded nine holes in one, including one as recently as last summer. He and his
lovely wife, Elaine, also enjoyed entertaining
and were extremely gracious hosts.
He was a decorated war hero who served
in both World War II and the Korean War
and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. At
the height of his travel career, he had offices
in Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Louisville,
Houston, San Francisco and London, England.
I will miss bumping into Richard walking
briskly up nearby Grandview Avenue between
the post office and The Quickprint Centre,
chance encounters where we would stop and
chat for a minute or two – or usually longer.
Mostly, I’ll just miss Richard Lewis, Mr.
Travel.
Final Four, Spring Coverage
The next print issue of BSB is scheduled to
be mailed April 10, eight days after the national
championship basketball game and 13 days
after the start of spring football practice.
There is no reason to wait that long to read
about the basketball or football teams or any of
the other Ohio State sports action, as we will
have a complete electronic issue posted April
3. Other electronic issues will be posted April
17 and 20 as well as May 1, 8, 15 and 22. The
last spring print issue is scheduled to be mailed
April 24.
If you haven’t already signed up to enjoy our
additional electronic issues, free to all BSB print
subscribers, see the instructions on page 5.

Ohio State Wins East Regional, Punches Its Ticket To Final Four

Transcription

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