Men's Basketball
The Buckeye Watch
By Tony GerdemanThis season, any win on the road in the Big Ten is a huge win, and the Buckeyes may have gotten more than just a win in Ann Arbor tonight.
I think they also got a bit of confidence.
You could see it everywhere.
Jeremie Simmons was driving the ball more effectively than he has all season. In times of need, William Buford was more than willing to take the big shot, and convert.
Evan Turner closed out the game at the free throw line, not allowing a late Michigan comeback.
And B.J. Mullens had nobody of comparable size to body him and he controlled the game when the ball went his way.
It was a great team effort and one that could be signaling in a good near future for these Buckeyes.
Or it could just be that Michigan couldn’t hit enough meaningful shots when they needed to.
After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Michigan failed miserably at something, so we shouldn’t heap all of the credit on the Buckeyes just yet.
It was, however, a nice effort by the Scarlet and Gray, and not even the taint of maize and blue can sully this win.
But you can still kind of smell it. It smells like musky-scented inadequacy.
Eau d’ Wolverine, if you will.
8:01 The Penn State - Indiana game is still on right now and there’s under a minute to play with the Hoosiers down six points, so we’re going to see a lot of timeouts and fouls. There’s at least six minutes left in this game. Well, at least Tom Izzo’s not involved, or else we’d miss the entire first half of the Buckeye game.
8:06 Per the radio, this is just the second sellout for the Wolverines this year. Good for them.
8:07 Well, there’s the tip and we still have 21.4 seconds to play in the Indiana game.
8:08 So far Dallas Lauderdale and William Buford have scored. Isn’t this exciting!?
8:09 Indiana just fouled with 4.1 seconds remaining, and they’re down by nine points. Tom Crean’s walk-ons apparently don’t know that there’s no ten-point shot in non-MTV-based basketball. Is the BTN contractually obligated to stick with this terrible game until it’s actually over?
8:10 Yes! Game over. Now let’s switch it over to the real game because I have trouble paying attention to radio broadcasts.
8:10:41 Hey, we’re up 7-0! And Michigan is in retro jerseys.
8:11 Pick and roll with Jeremie Simmons and Lauderdale and it ends up in a beautiful alley oop dunk for Lauderdale. I love to see Simmons looking more and more like a point guard and less and less like a manager.
8:13 First television timeout and the Buckeyes are leading 9-4. Michigan has gone on a 4-2 run since the game came on…maybe we should go back to a radio broadcast only.
8:17 Manny Harris just got called for traveling! An actual traveling call on an actual guard. Amazing.
8:17:21 And Evan Turner just got called for traveling. Terrible time to try and prove a point, refs.
8:18 Two Michigan missed threes leads to two offensive rebounds and then a twelve-footer for Manny Harris. There is just no combating the offensive rebounds off of the three-pointers apparently.
8:19 Evan Turner drops it to B.J. Mullens for the monster dunk. Illinois destroyed Michigan in the post earlier in the week. We need to remember that tonight.
8:20 Turner just got called for palming the ball. Okay, I apologize for my little jab at the refs. Yeesh. Get a sense of humor, you laughless slogs.
8:21 The Michigan fans are chanting “Whoopi Goldberg” whenever P.J. Hill has the ball. They’ll do anything to keep bringing up Whoopi. They are…Whoopi U.
8:22 Turner throws an alley oop to Mullens and he slams it down. Michigan has nobody to match up with us down there. We just have to look for it.
8:23 Stu Douglass nails a three-pointer…whoever that is.
8:24 Simmons throws an alley oop to Mullens and that’s the tenth point for the Buckeyes in the paint. Buckeyes lead 17-11 with 11:30 to play in the first half.
8:28 Well, the Buckeyes are attempting to penetrate on the drive in order to get the ball in the paint, but I wish they’d at least look into the post. I know it’s tough to do against this zone, but you have to at least try.
8:29 Jeremie Simmons gets into the lane and drops in the Mike Conley floater…which Conley could never make. So how did he get it named after him then?
8:30 Simmons drives to the left and drops in the baseline runner. Who is this guy? Buckeyes lead 21-14 with 8:25 to play.
8:31 Turner throws a nice post pass down into Madsen and he lays it in. They can’t handle anybody down low. Pound them like we’re Shaq and they’re Shawn Bradley. Repeatedly. Buckeyes lead 23-14.
8:35 We just went down low to Madsen again, but he got knocked down. Why didn’t we go down low to Mullens at all? He would kill these guys.
8:36 Michigan is hitting the back rim constantly tonight. Eventually, the adrenaline will fade and those will start falling.
8:37 DeShawn Sims takes it at Lauderdale and gets nothing from it. Sims is having a rough day matched up against two bigger players.
8:39 Whoa! Michigan just got out on the fastbreak and P.J. Hill blocked a Kelvin Grady lay up and they called it a goaltend. What a terrible call. Do these guys understand what a defender is allowed to do? I remember when I was a kid and I thought the pass interference rule in football meant that you couldn’t tackle a receiver until he caught the ball, so when we’d be playing football in the yard, I’d bobble the football all the way into the endzone because if somebody tried to tackle me, they’d get called for pass interference. Maybe the refs are as ignorant as I once was.
8:40 Buford misses the three short, but Turner was right there for the rebound and putback to give the Buckeyes the 27-16 lead with 3:33 to play. Jon Beilein calls a timeout and will probably tell the team to go on a 9-0 run to close out the half.
8:42 Wow, DeShawn Sims walks almost as much as Tyler Hansbrough. In fact, I think he has a little pedometer on his shoe.
8:45 Finally got it down to Mullens but he traveled because he was actually too deep. I guess that’s sort of good…in a “I’m just glad we didn’t get blown out in the Fiesta Bowl” kind of way.
8:47 Manny Harris just hit a deep three, but it’s a shot that you have to let him take. He’s a 30% shooter from out there. And it probably gets even worse the further back he gets from the line.
8:48 Jeremie Simmons just picked up his second foul with the score 29-21 with just over a minute left in the half. Let’s see where the lead is when the half is over.
8:49 Another offensive rebound and a putback for DeShawn Sims to make it a 9-2 run, which cuts the score to 29-25 with 22 seconds remaining. Thad Matta calls a timeout to draw up the three-point shot at the buzzer.
8:51 The ball gets knocked out of bounds with 3.7 seconds remaining. Here we go…Mullens can’t handle the lob and that’s the end of the half. The Buckeyes lead 29-25.
8:53 The defense is looking good for the Buckeyes, but eventually Michigan is going to go on a 9-0 run where they hit three three-pointers in successive trips and the crowd will go crazy. How the Buckeyes react to that mini-run will determine whether or not they’ll be in it at the end.
8:54 And yes, I realize the Buckeyes are leading by four and I’m talking about whether or not they’ll be able to hang around at the end of the game.
8:55 Michigan is shooting 27% compared to the Buckeyes 54% and they’re only down by four. That’s not a good omen for the Buckeyes. And half of Michigan’s rebounds are offensive.
9:02 Michigan has two personal fouls compared to eight for the Buckeyes. That seems fair.
9:09 Game on. Missed the first ten seconds. William Buford missed a three. Maybe he was surprised that the game wasn’t being aired?
9:10 Diebler for three from the baseline! Perfect play drawn for him. It would be great to have him in the second half because we will need to score more points in the second half than we did in the first.
9:11 Manny Harris for another deep three. Sure, he’s a great three-point shooter. Everybody knows that.
9:12 Now the refs are calling off-the-ball fouls, and this one is on Simmons for something. I think I just heard the ref say, “Icy glare on number two.” This is ridiculous.
9:13 Harris just hit a fade away 19-footer from the baseline. He is the best shooter ever in the world. Ever. In the world. I may even have to include alternative dimensions.
9:14 There’s the first television timeout of the second half. The Buckeyes are holding on 32-30 with 15:56 to play.
9:17 Hey! A foul on Michigan! DeShawn Sims was trying to defend Mullens down low and the refs decided to bail Sims out rather than get him embarrassed.
9:19 P.J. Hill throws a hot pass to Mullens and he can’t handle it, which leads to a Manny Harris dunk on the fastbreak. Tie ball game. Thad calls a 30-second timeout. He knows that he has to keep this game on a short leash.
9:21 Well, we’re on about a minute of commercials now, so I hope we’re not missing anything.
9:22 Turner misses a short turnaround jumper in the lane. He can be quiet at times, but usually it seems like it’s by his choice. We can’t afford him to be quiet when he’s actually trying to score, however.
9:23 Sims scores on a short little bunny giving Michigan their first lead of the game, 34-32.
9:24 Buford drives to the basket and gets fouled. And that should’ve been goaltending because the shot was blocked after it hit the glass! Another terrible call by these “refs”. Buford hits one of two.
9:24:33 Buford is on the run out, gets it over to Jeremie Simmons and he nails a huge three to give the Buckeyes the lead again! 36-34.
9:25 Manny Harris hurt his ankle. But not bad enough for it to be good news for the Buckeyes. And Evan Turner just got called for traveling again.
9:26 Zack Novak just knocked Dallas Lauderdale to the floor on the rebound attempt. Just good hustle, I guess. Any time a guard can put Dallas Lauderdale on the floor, you know he had to be hustling.
9:30 Zack Novak misses the three but the Wolverines get the rebound and DeShawn Sims gets the ball and lays it in while getting fouled. He misses the free throw. Michigan leads 38-36 with 10:40 to play.
9:31 Evan Turner takes it to the baseline and makes the reverse left-handed lay up. Just keep getting into the paint!
9:32 Stu Douglass sinks a three. He angers me.
9:35 Simmons drives again…and they call him for the charge! That’s his fourth foul. The refs hate Simmons. And that’s going to be a huge call in this game.
9:36 Stu Douglass nails the clinching three. Michigan leads 44-40 with 8:00 to play.
9:40 William Buford steps out of bounds. I hate that players still do that.
9:41 Douglass misses a three off the side of the backboard! Maybe we still have a chance after all.
9:42 Evan Turner makes a ten-footer! Michigan leads 44-42. Yes we can! Yes we can!
9:43 William Buford gets the offensive rebound off of a P.J. Hill miss, puts it back and gets fouled! And he gives the Buckeyes the 45-44 lead after the free throw with 6:15 to play!
9:45 Steal by William Buford on the inbounds! It leads to a flailing Turner drive and shot, which is airballed and then slammed home by B.J. Mullens! Turner has been a bit out of control, but Mullens was right there waiting.
9:46 Freaking Stu Douglass with another three.
9:46:28 And another dunk for Mullens. They can’t handle him down there. Buckeyes lead 49-47 with 4:37 to play.
9:47 Douglass misses a three! Love that guy!
9:52 Mullens misses the turnaround…but the Buckeyes steal the ball back! And then turn it over. I’m just going to stop talking now.
9:52:55 Wow! The Buckeyes just got an out of bounds call that relied on referees asking each other what happened! Simmons has come back in and much credit has to be given to P.J. Hill for keeping his team straight.
9:53 Evan Turner gets the ball down low and he gets fouled on the shot. These are two big shots. Misses the first. Hill comes back in for defense. Turner gets the second one. 52-47 with 2:20 to play.
9:54 The refs call Mullens for a foul on Laval Lucas-Perry as LLP was driving past. Here’s the one-and-one…he missed it! Sims got the rebound and lost it! Under two minutes to play and the Buckeyes have the lead and the ball.
9:55 Turner drives the lane and gets fouled again. It’s time to start sealing this game, Evan. The first one is good. The second is good as well! The Buckeyes lead 54-47 with 1:40 to play.
9:56 Steal for the Buckeyes! Evan Turner on the breakout…gets fouled! It’s an intentional foul, and Turner made the basket! They’re waving off the basket, but Turner will get two shots and the ball. He misses the first. And the second. Buckeyes still lead 54-47 with 1:34 to play and now they have the ball.
9:58 Turner drives and drops it off to Mullens who gets fouled and lays it in! A beautiful drive and an even better pass. The Buckeyes lead 57-47 after the free throw with just a minute to play. Amazing fortitude tonight by the Buckeyes.
9:59 Sims gets a little four-footer to fall and Michigan calls a timeout. The Buckeyes lead by eight with 54 seconds to play. Get ready for the fouls. But the Buckeyes have got to make their shots.
10:00 The Buckeyes break Michigan’s pitiful press and Jon Diebler skips it over to Mullens for the dunk.
10:00:44 Somebody named C.J. Lee makes a three-pointer in the corner to cut it to a seven-point lead with 36.2 remaining. From here on out, I think it would be wise for Michigan to foul, rather than giving up dunks. I’m no coach, but I know the percentages.
10:02 Traveling on Turner on the throw in. It was a good call. Hopefully all it does is get Michigan’s stupid hopes up.
10:02:23 Novak nails a baseline three to cut it to 59-55 with 29.0 to play. Novak…hate him too.
10:03 Evan Turner gets fouled. He’ll be shooting two. The first is good. The second is as well! Buckeyes lead 61-55 with 27.6 remaining. Thad Matta calls a timeout.
10:04 Douglass misses a deep three, which serves him right for being such a jerk. Turner gets fouled on the rebound.
10:05 He makes the first. And the second. Buckeyes lead 63-55 with 18 seconds to play.
10:05:38 Harris banks in a ridiculous double-clutch three pointer. He’s such an amazing shooter. I can’t believe he’s only a 30% shooter from deep. Although after tonight, he’s probably up to 33%.
10:06 Turner makes a couple more free throws. Yawn. There’s a steal by P.J. Hill and Michigan calls off the dogs. Ballgame! Buckeyes win 65-58. What a huge win for the Buckeyes. I was not expecting this one. Maybe the team is finally finding out what they’re made of when David Lighty’s not part of the mix?
10:08 I’ll admit it, when Jeremie Simmons picked up his fourth foul and Michigan immediately hit a three-pointer, I thought it was over. The Buckeyes could only withstand the inevitable for so long. But they never quit and they never stopped fighting. At a time when you wondered who would keep the fight alive for the Buckeyes, there were several answers. P.J. Hill, Evan Turner and William Buford all kept battling, and when they couldn’t get it done, B.J. Mullens was there to finish things off. It was a complete team effort tonight, and one that will continue to pay dividends well into March.
10:09 Unless, of course, Michigan collapses. Which would be a tragedy.
10:10 I wasn’t sure where a road win would come from this season, but it sure doesn’t suck when it comes in Ann Arbor. Beating Indiana and Michigan in the same week is always a good week, even if they’re not the best of opponents. But then, we’ve grown accustomed to that over the years.
10:11 Just like football.
Click here to email this the-Ozone feature to a friend...or even a foe.
Return to the-OZone Front Page
(c) 2008 The O-Zone, O-Zone
Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, rebroadcast,rewritten, or redistributed.