OSU Survives Sparty But Falls To 5th Seed For B1G Tournament
March 9, 2014 10:00 PM

The basketball Bucks held on to defeat the Spartans 69-67 in the season finale. The win was a nice way to end a disappointing conference schedule, but they still fell just short of a first round bye in the B1G tournament this coming weekend.   That fate was sealed as Nebraska ended their season with a win over Wisconsin to earn the 4th seed and the bye.

LaQuinton Ross led OSU with 22 points, and it was Aaron Craft who had 12 points but 7 assists and 4 steals to add to his OSU record totals in those categories. Also with four steals today, Aaron Craft broke a tie with Bruce Douglas for the most in Big Ten history.

Ohio State (23-8, 10-8) will play 12th seed Purdue to open the Big Ten tournament. Fortunately for the Buckeyes that was one of two teams they were able to beat twice in the regular season.

 

Buckeyes Can’t Hold Early Lead, Taste Defeat From the Wolverines
February 12, 2014 11:00 PM

It is very difficult to figure this year’s Buckeyes out and it has to be frustrating for Coach Matta.  With 5:36 left in the 1st half, OSU had a comfortable 26-16 lead and was in control.  All there points were coming in the paint.  After that it was all Michigan, as Ohio State could not make a three point shot to save their life, or their season for that matter.  The Wolverines pull away and earn a 70-60 victory in Columbus.

The loss is the third Big Ten defeat at home for the Buckeyes and drops them to 6-6 in conference play.

 

Ohio State Blows 9 Point Lead, Drops Contest With Iowa
January 12, 2014 5:00 PM

Aaron leads his team with 19 points to earn the Big Ten victory.  Unfortunately this was Aaron White not Aaron Craft, and Ohio State takes their second straight conference loss.

Roy Devin Marble scored 22 points to go along with White’s 19 and the 20th-ranked Hawkeyes ended the game on a 22-9 run to hand the Buckeyes and 84-74 loss. The Hawkeyes had not beaten Ohio State since Thad Matta came aboard a decade ago — since 2008. They hadn’t beaten the Buckeyes in Columbus since 2004.

Iowa may be a team to watch this season in the conference in spite only being ranked 20th.  Their three losses have come against teams with a combined 45-2 record (Villanova, Iowa State and Wisconsin) — with each loss coming by five or fewer points.

 

Spartans Over OSU Once Again Ending An Unbeaten Streak
January 7, 2014 11:30 PM

The Rose Bowl victory of MSU over Stanford started to take out some of the sting of the loss in the B1G championship game in football.  The defeat ended a 24 game win streak for the Buckeyes and knocked them out of the National title game.  Tonight the basketball team had a chance for a small level of revenge.  Unfortunately Sparty wins again.

The Buckeyes used a 20-3 run in the last seven minutes to put the game into overtime, but it was not enough as Michigan State knocked OSU from the unbeaten ranks with a 72-68 win in overtime.  The Buckeyes(15-1, 2-1) got a lot of help from the bench as Sam Thompson scored 12 and Marc Loving added 10, but no starter was in double figures and LaQuinton Ross and Denzelle Smith Jr combined for 4-18 shooting and you have to do better than that to defeat Coach Izzo on his home court.

It looked like OSU might win in regulation to cap off the improbable comeback when Shannon Scott stole the ball with less than 10 seconds remaining but his breakaway lay-up was blocked from behind by Keith Appling. For the game, Michigan State(14-1, 3-0) scored 20 points against Ohio State in transition, but Ohio State couldn’t convert the one basket that would have won the game.

 

Winfield Continues To Fail To Look In the Mirror Of His Own Life
August 4, 2013 6:00 AM

They say that when you point your finger at someone, you are pointing four back at yourself.  I caught yet another example of this as I picked up my morning paper. In today’s ‘Columbus Dispatch’, they posted a quote from Dave Winfield.

“They got their money, they won their awards and they lost their reputations.

Obviously this was in response the recent baseball players that have been suspended for the use of performance enhancing drugs. But for those of you in my age group and Buckeye hoops fans, you cannot think about the name Dave Winfield and not be taken back to February 7, 1972.  To this day the ending to the Ohio State-Minnesota basketball game that night is the worse thing I have ever seen in college sports.

For those not aware, Dave Winfield was a gifted two sport athlete that played basketball as well as baseball. If you are not familiar with the situation, the Buckeyes and the Gophers were playing for the lead in the Big Ten standings. Based on the schedule, the only game that season between the two programs was going to be in Minneapolis. The tensions for that game were raised well beyond the spirited competition of the two programs on the court. As the game was winding down and it was clear that OSU had the game at hand, fighting broke out that actually cleared more than just the benches. Fans were on the court in the action as well.

You can check out the Sports Illustrated recount of the events by clicking here.

All I can say is I have heard many Winfield interviews during and after his career, and I have never heard him provide remorse or apology for his involvement our the actions of his teammates that night in 1972.  I am sure with the level of stories and criminal actions of athletes today, many have long forgotten that OSU-Minnesota basketball game. This fan will not soon forget – Gregg

 

Thomas Turns His Sights To NBA
April 5, 2013 6:30 PM

It is not a big surprise, but at least it is official now.

DeShaun Thomas announced his decision to declare for the NBA draft, a week after the loss to Wichita State which kept the Buckeyes from advancing to the Final Four a second straight year.

Thomas has an impressive résumé, including a Final Four appearance, a pair of trips to the Elite Eight, the ninth-highest point total in school history and a Big Ten scoring title.

“My three years at Ohio State have been the best years of my life,” Thomas said in a school release. “I have grown tremendously as a basketball player. I intend to return to finish my degree, but I believe now is the best opportunity to pursue my dream and begin my career as a professional basketball player.”

Ohio State still has the talent around to make another deep run in the tournament next year even without Thomas, with point guard Aaron Craft and a talented class of sophomores returning as well.

 

Buckeye50 Basketball Coverage – Year 8 
April 5, 2013 7:00 AM

I am not sure what was worse, losing to runner-up Kansas in last season’s NCAA tournament, or this year’s loss to Wichita State. I guess we will never know how the Buckeye’s would have faired against Louisville in the Final Four. As we begin our 8th year of basketball coverage on Buckeye50.com, we will again commit to bringing you the best of OSU men’s hoops. We were a bit disappointed with only 635 visitors to our Bball home page during the 2012-13 campaign but will effort to bring you more reasons to visit us during the 2013-14 year.