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Men's Basketball
Hoops Week in Review
By Tony GerdemanThis week’s edition of the Hoops Week in Review is dedicated to the wonderful story of Jerome Bettis. If you haven’t heard it, you're probably dead.
Recapping the Buckeyes’ Week
It was a two game week for the Buckeyes, though only one of them was against a conference opponent.
Game One
The Buckeyes blew out the Florida A&M Rattlers 95-53. J.J. Sullinger was the story of the game, scoring 24 points in 23 minutes. The Rattlers took their paycheck, said thank you, and didn’t steal any towels on their way out of town.
Game Two
The Buckeyes once again held an opponent to 53 points, this time it was the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Je’Kel Foster scored 25 of the Buckeyes’ 67 points and hit seven of their nine three-pointers. The win was the Buckeyes’ first conference win in two weeks.
Buckeye of the Week
Je’Kel Foster is BACK! In Ohio State’s two wins last week, Foster averaged 21.5 points per game. He was 15-20 from the field, including 10-13 from three. They were the first games that he has shot over 50% from the field since December 28 against Gardner Webb.
The Buckeyes’ Magic Number for the NCAA Tournament
Four wins.
Was the Buckeyes’ Week Better Than Duke’s?
Not quite. Duke won at BC by two points and beat Florida State at home by one point to remain undefeated in conference play
Things That Go Through My Head While Waiting for a Sullinger Three to Come Down
I bet Sullinger is terrible at Pop-A-Shot.
Nothing crunches like a grasshopper.
I need a foot-scratching pen.
It's okay to TiVo an episode of American Idol, but it's not okay to keep it.
Big Ten Week in Review
Iowa 2-0: wins over Purdue and Michigan (18-5; 7-2)
Illinois 1-1: win over Wisconsin and a loss to Penn State (20-3; 6-3)
Michigan 1-1: win over Penn State and a loss to Iowa (16-4; 6-3)
Ohio State 2-0: wins over Florida A&M and Minnesota (16-3; 5-3)
Michigan State 1-0: win over Northwestern (17-5; 5-3)
Indiana 1-1: win over Northwestern and a loss to Connecticut (13-6; 5-3)
Wisconsin 0-2: losses to Illinois and Purdue (15-7; 5-4)
Penn State 1-1: loss to Michigan and a win over Illinois (11-9; 3-6)
Northwestern 0-2: losses to Indiana and Michigan State (10-10; 3-6)
Minnesota 0-1: loss to Ohio State (10-9; 1-7)
Purdue 1-1: loss to Iowa and a win over Wisconsin (8-13; 2-8)Big Ten Notes
I believe I was watching the Badgers hosting the Illini last week when Brent Musburger’s color partner, Steve Lavin, said that Badger head coach Bo Ryan looked like a Badger. Now that’s the kind of insight that I look for out of former coaches. I wish more color commentators would stop trying to breakdown matchups and just start talking to us like they were middle-aged housewives watching the games with their husbands.
Illinois’ 33 game home-winning streak was snapped by Penn State on Saturday. Even more surprising was that the Nittany Lions did it without nary a Crispin. The ultra-fast and ultra-overrated Dee Brown was only 3-12 from the field for Illinois, including 3-11 from three. He did, however, dish out four assists. Those, however, were negated by his five turnovers and zero steals.
Don’t look now, but the Iowa Hawkeyes are all alone in first place in the Big Ten. Their 7-2 record has them a game up on Michigan and Illinois, both of whom have have already lost at Iowa. Fortunately for the Hawkeyes, they do not have to repay the visit to Ann Arbor. They also don't have to come to Columbus. Still, with games at Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois, plus a home game against Michigan State still on their schedule, 13-5 may be good enough to win the Big Ten--or at least a portion of it.
Wisconsin's freefall continued last week. In fact, the Badgers have lost five of six and will have to fight to make the tournament. They have home games against the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes in the next two weeks that they have to win, especially since they finish the season on the road against Michigan State and Iowa. I think they're going to have to win a game or two in the Big Ten Tournament to squeak into the NCAA Tournament.
In last week's Review, I mentioned that in Michigan's two home games, they shot 61 free throws to their opponents' 26. Well, the Wolverines played two road games this past week, they shot 38 free throws to their opponent's 37. Apparently they don't get fouled as much on the road.
Game of the Week
Once again, Notre Dame makes an appearance in this slot. And once again, they do it in defeat. The Irish traveled to Louisville in the midst of a four-game losing streak. They left Louisville in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The game was close throughout, though Louisville had the lead for most of it. Notre Dame grabbed their first second-half lead with 9:21 to go at 60-59. From then on, the lead changed hands repeatedly. With Notre Dame up by one point with 15 seconds to go, Louisville's Taquan Dean missed a three. The Irish's Torin Francis grabbed the rebound, got the ball to Chris Quinn and Quinn was fouled. Quinn made both free throws, making the score 80-77 with 11 seconds to go. Now if you've seen Notre Dame at all this season, you had to know that Louisville was somehow going to hit a three to tie it. And that's exactly what Taquan Dean did at the buzzer. Notre Dame could never get the lead back in overtime and Louisville ended up winning 89-86.
Team of the Week
Ed Corbett, Mike Eades, and Ray Natili. They were the officiating crew that fought tooth and nail against Florida State on Saturday to ensure that Duke would go away a winner. It was an amazing performance by the crew, especially considering Florida State's 46-35 rebounding margin and their 42-29 margin in field goals made. But somehow, someway, Corbett, Eades and Natili persevered and found a way to put Duke on the free throw line 43 times, compared to the Seminoles 11. It was a performance that will not soon be forgotten, nor should be. It is, truly, what champions are made of.
Player of the Week
Connecticut forward Rudy Gay. In two very big games last week (at home against Pitt and on the road at Indiana), Gay stepped up and averaged 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Because of UConn's depth, it's hardly ever necessary for Gay to take over a game. Don't let that fool you into thinking that he won't, however. Expect him to start asserting himself offensively as the stretch run comes.
J.J. Redick Free Throw Update
18-20 (90%) for the second straight week.
A Few Other Things
Just missing out on Team of the Week was the crew of Duke Edsall, Gary Maxwell and Reggie Greenwood. They were the refs assigned to the Duke at Boston College game. Duke (the team, not the ref) enjoyed a 37-13 free-throw advantage in that game. They won 83-81.
If you watch more than twenty minutes of a Cincinnati Bearcats basketball game this season, at some point you will mistake them for a women's team because of the number of players that have their braids in a nice, little pony tail. The jumpstop layups don't help any, either.
LSU suffered their first conference loss of the season this past week. Alabama beat them 67-62 in Tuscaloosa to drop LSU to 7-1 in the SEC West. The five point loss was the largest margin of defeat for the Tigers this season. In their five other losses, they have lost by one, four, three, two and one points. They currently have a two game lead on second place Alabama.
Georgetown was 2-0 last week, including a 61-58 win over #9 Pittsburgh on Sunday. They are now 7-2 in conference play and are 1.5 games behind first place West Virginia. They have six players that average between 9.2 points and 11.8 points per game. The Hoyas have the depth and the versatility to make an impact in March, however, their three-point shooting may let them down in the Tourney.
Do yourself a favor and watch a Notre Dame game at some point this season. It's guaranteed to go down to the wire and Notre Dame is guaranteed to lose a heartbreaker.
In Summation...
Super Bowl pregame shows are to Super Bowls what Kool-Aid is to a steak dinner...The Buckeyes were 2-0 last week...Je'Kel is better than you...Yes he is...Four wins and we're in...Duke and their refs had a better week than the Buckeyes...The Buckeyes need better refs...I guarantee I would take J.J. Sullinger in Pop-A-Shot...Probably putt-putt too, but that's just a guess...Flippin' Iowa is in first place...Bo Ryan burrowed his own home and if you get too close to his babies, he will attack you...Illinois lost at home to Penn State...Ha ha ha ha...Ha ha ha ha...To Penn State!!...At home!...I'm also 75% sure that I would take Sullinger in Skee-Ball...Keep up the entertaining work, Notre Dame...Imagine the uproar if there was a Big Ten ref named Buckeye Jones...
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