Ox

[MarquetteDano]

When he went down I kind of had the feeling he was just staying down to get a breather.  He wasn't holding anything like it hurt him.  Could have had the wind knocked out, but my first thought was that he just figured that as long as he was down there may as well milk it.

Whether or not he did it on that play I don't know but there is no doubt in my mind he has done this in the past.  You see that huge chest going in and out... he is catching a breather until a ref/coach makes him get up.

[Nukem2]

Well, Ernest Eugene was applying salve or something on his back before he returned to the game.  More than just getting wind knocked out of him...?

[MU82]

It seemed to me that Cincy was getting every call. The Jwilson foul on the box out? What was that? Vander getting fouled on the 3's? There were botched calls by the refs, but in the end, scoring 13 points in the first half was our fault. But the refs left their fingerprints all over the game, that you cannot deny.

Fouls: Cincy 27, MU 24

Free throws: MU 31, Cincy 29

Players fouled out: Cincy 3, MU 1

Imagine if we were the home team how much bitching we'd be doing if we faced a disadvantage in all three of those categories.

I can think of several brutal calls that went against Cincy, too -- including one on which Jamil blatantly shoved one of their players into Derrick resulting in the Cincy player (Jackson) getting charged with a moving screen, Jackson's third foul of the first half (he eventually fouled out).

Refs didn't have their best game or their worst game. Stats seem to point at them distributing their calls fairly evenly. They were the least of our problems. Kilpatrick and our own mistakes killed us far more.

[slingkong]

The students were just taking out their frustration at being stuck in Nati, which has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

[MUEng92]

The call on Wilson was absoultely awful. I was clapping when I heard the whistle because I was sure it was going the other way.

Vander falls on pretty much every three he takes so I don't expect him to get many calls.

I spent most of that timeout "explaining" to my daughter that the announcer screwed up and the foul had to be against the Cincinnati player.

[bilsu]

This makes what Wes accomplished seem really amazing. I was wondering after the last game how Gardner's rate of free throws made this year was compared to the record set by Matthews in his senior year. I believe Gardner has made 92 free throws this year in 17 games. That is 5.41 makes per game. Matthews made 245 free throws in 35 games, which is an average of 7 per game.

[NavinRJohnson]

Can I ask, does anyone actually call Gardner, Ox? Outside of a few he, I must say I haven't heard it. Not a good nickname.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

He had a terrible first half, but in the second he fouled out two Cincy bigmen, made two game tying free throws in regulation and then another tying one in OT.  All on the road in a hostile environment, where the fans were really on his case.  

all those fouls on Cincy's big men occurred in the 2nd half?

[mu03eng]

Sultan

I disagree. He definitely could dedicate himself to a stricter off season program. The kid has more upside in him and would hate to see him not take full advantage of it. Know I am minority here on DG but think at times his liabilities outweigh the positives.

Right now I think of him as a poverty stricken man's Zack Randolph.  DG has the ability to hit outside shots to stretch the D and could drive if needed from the high post.  Just cause he is drenched with sweat doesn't mean he doesn't have anything left in the tank.  If he was spent and out of shape, no way he hits those clutch FTs in OT.  I think there is the potential for a disconnect between what he looks like and what reality is.  Besides, being a twinkle toes with all that bulk is one of his best weapons

[Goose]

mu03eng

Not so much the out of gas that bothers me. I think if he could control his weight it would help his jumping, both in getting off the ground and doing so quicker. He would ne awfully tough to stop if he could go up quicker and stronger. Could be difference of where he gets paid to play in a few years.

[mu03eng]

mu03eng

Not so much the out of gas that bothers me. I think if he could control his weight it would help his jumping, both in getting off the ground and doing so quicker. He would ne awfully tough to stop if he could go up quicker and stronger. Could be difference of where he gets paid to play in a few years.

May be an agree to disagree, but he is just a below the rim player, even if he took off another 40 pounds he's not going be jumping that much higher and that much faster, he'll just be average plus he'll lose his size leverage with the much skinner guys he is going up against.

[Goose]

mu03eng

I think worth a try for the kid. I do think regaining the weight would be a chore for him if you are correct. Plenty of guys have slimmed down and improved his game. I mentioned yesterday that he gets the benefit of the doubt more than ayone on here. Personally I would love to see himself continue to improve. He needs to make free throws now because he starts with ball so low and cannot power off the shot.

[LloydMooresLegs]

Can I ask, does anyone actually call Gardner, Ox? Outside of a few he, I must say I haven't heard it. Not a good nickname.

Origin is prior to his MU days:  Google search yielded this result from 2010 on the USF board; my favorite part is the photo of one of my childhood idols, Ox Baker.

http://thebullspen.com/index.php?/topic/69342-6-9-280lbs-center-davante-ox-gardner/



There are many other references to the nickname--some calling him "Big Ox"

[Milkshakes]

Of course I agree that the fitter he gets the better he will be.  I also agree that he is never going to have a lot of jumping ability regardless of his size. 

As far as how fast he is, I think that there is a big difference between being fast and being quick.  Gardner may get faster if he gets fitter.  However, he is already quick.  Under the hoop he gets around guys with shocking quickness.  That first step is what allows him to pick up those fouls.  I don't know if that changes a lot in his case if he looses 10-15 more pounds.  Maybe it does but I am not too sure it will get much better than it already is.  To me that quickness is what makes him so solid in the post.

[MU82]

Can I ask, does anyone actually call Gardner, Ox? Outside of a few he, I must say I haven't heard it. Not a good nickname.

Oh ... is OX his nickname? I always thought folks here were sending him hugs and kisses!!!

[bilsu]

Can I ask, does anyone actually call Gardner, Ox? Outside of a few he, I must say I haven't heard it. Not a good nickname.

In high school his knickname was big ox. This board dropped it to ox. As far as I know, the team does not use ox or big ox when referring to him.

[jaybilaswho?]

Somewhere along the lines my buddies and I gave him the nickname, Beef. I don't remember where it came from but that's what we call him.

[MU82]

I call him The Big Shrug because that's what he does before shooting foul shots and it just describes his generally laid-back nature. I like it when he occasionally screams after a big play because it reminds me that he cares a lot!

[warriorchick]

jsglow and I were in the Courtside Club before the Seton Hall game, and I was looking at my menu when the door to the locker room opened up. I could tell out of the corner of my eye that a few of the players were coming out.  I was trying to act at least a little bit cool as they walked by our table, and I didn't look up.  A couple of them passed silently, and then I heard the sound of someone dragging his feet with every step.

"That's got to be Davante, "  I thought.  I looked up, and sure enough....

He cracks me up.

[GGGG]

In high school his knickname was big ox. This board dropped it to ox. As far as I know, the team does not use ox or big ox when referring to him.

His Facebook name was "Davante 'Ox Gardner" when he was in high school.  He dropped the "'Ox" just after he got to campus.