NCAA Bracket 2011: 25 Reasons Why Ohio State Will Win the Tournament
Sometimes, the giant wins.
Just askย the Ohio State Buckeyes. Or, better yet, askย George Mason, who found themselves on the receiving end of a giant-sized boot last Sunday, courtesy of the red, white and gray.
Coming into the tourney, you wouldn't think there was much of an Ohioย Stateย bandwagon leftย to jump on. They wereย the number-one seed in the entireย nationย (not to mention their bracket region)ย and the consensusย pick in Vegasย to win it all.
Somehow, though, after their first two tournament games, a few hundred thousand moreย found a way toย cram themselves aboard.ย In particular, their 32-point smearing ofย the Patriots seems to haveย left a psychological imprint.ย This was George Mason!ย The Hoosiers comeย to life!ย And Ohio Stateย crushed them like a bug.ย It almost hurtย my feelings.
I say "almost,"ย though, becauseย I picked the Buckeyes to win it all in my office pool.ย I would feel a lot better about that if half the office hadn't picked it with me, but hey, a correct pick is a correct pick.ย
Here areย 25 reasons why, in two weeks' time,ย I think that pick will indeed prove correct, and theย Buckeyesย will beย walking across the tarmac inย Houston with pieces ofย twine in their hats.
25. Battle Tested
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They finished second in the nation in RPI. They played in a conference that, overall, had the second-highest RPI in the nation.ย They played eight games against ranked opponents.ย
It's safe to say the tournament won't show them anything they haven't seen before.
24. Fort Lauderdale
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Whenever you're shooting 73 percent from the floor, you're doing something right.
Admittedly, senior Dallas Lauderdale is not a major scoring option for this team, but he gets just enough dunks and putbacks to be a factor. He also does the dirty work that frees up Jared Sullinger to do his thing underneath.ย At 6'8" and 255 lbs., Lauderdaleย ensures thatย Sullinger isn't the only heavy load down low for the Buckeyes.
23. Keeping Down the Turnovers
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As a group, the Buckeyes only committed 346 turnovers this year, or 10.18 per game. That's good for 6th in the nation.
Ohio State may not be overly flashy with its ball-handling, but sometimes that's a good thing.ย
22. They Seem to Like Each Other
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It may seem like an overly touchy-feely thing to say, but on a very human level, success always starts here.
Whether it's cavorting on the bench, providing the extra high five, or, uh "singing" together on YouTube,ย Ohio Stateย gives every indication that they are a group of buddies,ย not just players.ย
21. DeShaun Thomas Sparks the Bench
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It's critical that the level of play stay high when your starters take a breather. All season long, freshman DeShaun Thomas has provided that buoy for the Buckeyes.
In 14.3 minutes per game,ย this versatile forwardย averages 7.7 points per gameโthat's almost a bucket a minute. And he does it with efficiency, hitting onย 48.2 percent of his attempts.
20. Duke Is Beatable
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Duke can always pull something out. But even with Kyrie Irving, they're not exactly looking invulnerable.
If all goes according to chalk, OSU wouldย face the Blue Devils in the Final Four. I believe the Buckeyes can overpower Duke's bigs, and bother their vaunted shooters along the perimeter.
Anything is possible when Duke is involved, but on paper this would seem to be a favorable matchup for Ohio State.
19. ...So Is Kansas
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Make no mistake: Kansas is stacked. And they are a juggernaut in this tournament. Butย if these two planets collide in the national title game, Iย think Ohio State can get the better of it.
The Morris boys are a force to be reckoned with, but Sullinger and Lauderdaleย can neutralize them. Assuming the game will come down to guard play, then, I think OSU's backcourt (and more on them as the slideshow develops)ย is aย bit more balanced and productive than that of the Jayhawks.ย
18. ...and so Is Kentucky
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A great team, but with nowhere near the balance of Ohio State. The Wildcats lack a major and consistent post threat, and something tells me the Buckeyes may try to kind of sort of take advantage of that in their Sweet 16 matchup this Friday.ย
The Wildcats are no cake walk, but OSU could win this one by aย safe margin.
17. Recruiting
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You can't have a good stable without the horses. Good thing, then, thatย Thad Matta and his staffย have delivered the thoroughbreds in spades.
Remember Greg Oden? He was pretty good in college. Afterย Oden, came Evan Turner. After Turner came Sullinger. Next year, the Buckeyes will welcomeย one of theย nation's best recruiting classes, anchored by point guard Shannon Scott and center Amir Williams.
But that's another story for another day.ย As ofย now,ย OSU is seeing greatย payoff from their coaches'ย doggedย legworkย on the recruiting trail.ย
16. They Are Confident...
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OSU isn't afraid of a little trash talk, asย evidenced by this story.
Why anyone would talk "ish" to Jared Sullinger is beyond me, but for the five or so asylum escapees who thought that was a good idea, this cautionary taleย offers proofย to the contrary.
Bottom line: The Buckeyes know they can play. And they want to crush youโjust ask George Mason.
15. ...But Not Cocky
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I don't know the Buckeyes personally, butย they seem about as grounded asย they can be, given how good they are. Post game quotes always talk quietly of getting better, of staying hungry, of keeping one's eye on the prize.
Thad Matta is a wizard at always finding things to improve on.ย After the halftime whistle againstย George Masonย -- at which point Ohio State had the Patriots doubled up, 52-26 -- Matta lamented his team's "slow start" in the courtside interview.ย
This group seems determined not to letย all the accolades from the outside seep into their routine or dull their edge.
14. Rebounding Margin
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They are 26th in the nation in this category, grabbingย 5 more rebounds per game than their opponents. Considering their opponents, that'sย not too shabby.
Sullinger leads the bunch with 10 boards a contest, butย seven Buckeyes pull inย at least threeย in everyย 40 minutes.ย
13. Honing Their Craft
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The Buckeyes' freshman point guard isn't going to wow you with his athleticism or shooting stroke, but he's the straw that stirs this drink, and a key part of Ohio State's identity asย a scrappy and hard-working team, rather than justย a talentedย collection of players.
Craft leads OSU with 5 assists per game, and is anย efficient offensiveย performer who knowsย how to help the team. He shoots 47 percentย from the floor, and hisย 2.24 assist-to-turnover ratio is a big reason the Buckeyes ranked fourth nationally in that category this year.ย
Even so, Craft's best work comes on the defensiveย end, where he led the Big 10 with 69 steals this season. If theyย kept stats onย floor burns and number of hindered plays, he would probably lead in those categories, too.
This defensive gadfly will be tested Friday when he matches up with Brandon Knight, Kentucky's latest one-and-done point guard phenomenon. But if Craft can continue to just be himself--and it seems there's a good chance that he canโhe should beย up forย the challenge.
12. Lighty the Way
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Sullinger gets most of the ink, but Lighty and the seniors are the team'sย heart and soul. The bread on which the overstuffedย sandwich of greatness can be built. Or something like that.
Lighty is a Swiss Army knife for the Buckeyes. He is fourth on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg), third in rebounding (4.1), second in assists (3.3), second in steals (1.5), andย third in three-point shooting (43.5).ย ย
Onceย the postseasonย started, Lightyย kicked it to another level. In two games thus far, he is 12-15 from the floor, including an insaneย 9-10 from deep. He dropped 25 on George Mason, and didn't seem to be working overly hard to do it.
Beyond the stats, Lightyย is the player-coach for the Buckeyes. Heย knows when to call timeout, when to prod his teammates and when to just plain old hit a shot. Plus, I don't think he's going to crack a smile until the team wins the championship. And no one wants to see Lighty go smile-less for the rest ofย his life.ย
11. from the Land of Deep
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They are third in the nation in three-point percentage, hitting 41.3 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. Though Jon Diebler undoubtedly leads the way, they have four guys who light it up at 37.5 percent or more.
10. Scoring
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Sometimes, it's just that simple.
Ohio State shoots 49.4 percent as a team, which is tied for second in the nation. They're 77.1 scoring average per game is in the top 20, and that's only because a lot of frankly inferior mid-majors are ahead of them. Unless you think OSU would lose to Lamar, there really aren't that many schools who do it better than the Buckeyes.
9. Scoring Margin
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Similar to, but a little different than,ย the previous statistic.ย
Not only does it mean scoring per se, it alsoย means doing it consistently and doing it alongย with defense. It also shows a desire to, you know, suck out your opponent's soul, Dementor-style.
In any case, OSU leads the nation in this category, with an 18-point average margin of victory.
8. William Buford: The Not-so-Secret Weapon
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He may not grab a lot of nationalย headlines, but you can be sure that opposing players and coaches know who he is. This steady junior is a critical cog in the Buckeye machine.
Withย 32 minutes a game this season,ย only Jon Dieblerย has logged more PT for OSUย than Buford.ย The scoring guardย ranks second on the team with 14.6 pointsย a game, third on the team in rebounds with four, third on the team in assists with three and third on the team inย three-pointย shooting with a 44.4ย percentย clip. Perhaps most notably, though, isย his team-best 83.3 percent free-throw shooting.ย
Lastย season, Bufordย toiled in the shadow ofย superstar guard Evan Turner, but this year,ย Buford has developed into a rock-solid option onย his own, helping toย bolster the outside part of the Buckeyes inside-outside attack while bringing a slashingย component to the offense. He scored in double figures in all but seven ofย OSU's games this year, so he has blossomed into a consistent contributor that opposingย defenses must respect.ย ย
7. Thad Matta Is a Good Coach
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The Buckeyes' never-satisfied disposition flows directly from their general.
He's the first one toย point outย deficiencies, and doesn't mind doing so publicly as a way of tempering the glow from all those headlines.ย It can't be easy to keep young kids this talented trained on the here and now, but day in and day out, Matta gets it done.
6. the Threebler Elf
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You don't have inside-out games without the out. That's whereย Jonย Dieblerย comes in.
Must be kinda nice to have the nation'sย best three-point shooter on your team.
Diebler finished tied for 4thย in theย countryย with aย 50 percent shooting mark from deep, but had far more attempts (204) than anyone else in his vicinity. He also led in the nation in true shooting percentage with 73.1, which speaks to his high level of overall efficiency.
No way this team gets where it is withoutย Diebler's lethal perimeter threat.
5. Jared Sullinger
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Back before video games got "smart," there were little glitches you could use to fool them. A favorite of mine was RBI Baseballโwhenever the computer guys got a hit, they would keep running the bases until your guy actually picked up the ball.ย So you could throw the ball against the backstop andย position your catcher twoย pixels away from the ball,ย then watch as Computer Wade Boggs blithely rounded second, then third and then you could easily pick them off at home.
I feel like Jared Sullinger is that glitch for Ohio State.ย You have toย double him.ย ย And other teams know that, to be sure. When you're averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds for theย best team in the country, and you're aย player-of-the-year candidate, that kind of happens.ย ย
To have hands and feet like Sullinger's onย a body that wide, andย a determination andย a will to win to match,ย well, it's downright Barkley-esque. And if you don't believe me, just ask the rest of the entire world.
4. Offensive Efficiency
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If every team is a machine, the Buckeyes must have a few Toyota gradsย in its ranks.
In fact, that model of corporate efficiency could take a page or two from OSU. This group always seems to make the right play. Or, perhaps more accurately, they never seem to make the wrong play.
Take a look at where Ohio State ranks nationally in a few of the stats thatย help reveal a team'sย efficiency:
- Tied forย 2ndย inย FG percentage (49.4)
- 3rdย in three-point percentage (41.3)
- Tied forย 4th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.53)
- 5th in true shooting percentage (0.59)
- 3rd in efficient field goal percentage (0.57)
You get the idea. The Buckeye Machine is decidedly well-lubricated. The Six Sigma crowd would be proud.
3. Defensive Efficiency
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The streamlined nature of the Buckeye game is alsoย apparent on the less-glamorous end of the court.
It's a point of pride for Coach Matta andย his entire program. After winning the Big 10 tournament, Matta told The Columbus Dispatch that "you're probably going to have some nights where you don't shoot the ball as well as you'd like...but as we've talked all year long, we have to continue to play the defense we're capable of."
Here are a few more statistics; again,ย theseย are allย nationally:
Defensive successย can be difficultย to gauge with numbers alone. So if you don't believe the data,ย believe the Buckeyes themselves.ย The next time you take in a game, notice how readily they communicate, how quickly theyย break through screens, how quickly their handsย flash into the path of the ball. It's possible they work even harder on defense than they do when the ball is in their hands.
2. Their Patented Move
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It's the Stockton-to-Malone. The Abdul-Jabbar sky hook.ย You know it's coming, and you still can't stop it, no matter how many timesย they go to the well.
As with mostย can't-miss maneuvers,ย Ohio State'sย patentedย formula is very simple. First, dump it down to Sullinger. If they choose to stay on him man-to-man, he will likely score or get fouled. If they choose to double-team him, Sullinger kicks it out either to the open man, or to the man who can get it to the open man. The open man then hits an open shot.
Bang. Money in the bank.
Whenever you can run a playโat willโthat is more likely than not to get you some points, you have a leg up on the competition.
1. Balance
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Fourย Buckeyes score at least 12 points per game. No regular player shoots under 45 percent.ย
This is an unselfish bunch, and they can play unselfishly because they have so many weapons. They pass it freelyย to the open man because they know that manย canย get the job done. If Diebler couldn't hit threes, for example,ย Sullinger wouldn't kick it out to him as much, and vice versa.ย
Each member of this team has earned the trust of the other. Any of them can kill you, and they know that.ย Just pick your poison.
That balance is what makes this team so hard to pin down, and to beat. It's not just one guy. It's all of them.
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