OSU Game Thoughts

[Markusquette]

1. We don't have a true go-to guy for scoring this year
2. The point guard battle was completed lop-sided.  Craft is a heady player with tons of experience.  Wilson played pretty much the whole game and doesn't facilitate or pose any threat on offense.
3. Shooting was dismal.  Forced a ton of shots and missed almost every open look.
4. Played tough D most of the game, esp in the first half.
5. Would have liked to see Dawson a bit.  He's shown he can get the ball in the right spot at times.
6. Todd was trying to do way too much and some of the other guys too little on offense (namely STJ)
7.  Would have liked to see Johnson and/or Burton get more of Jake's minutes.  Freshmen or not, they could shake things up and maybe make a few plays.  Jake was pretty brutal out there.
8. We were exposed for what we are.  A team with size and talent up front, but inexperience and lack of talent at the guard spot, so it's hard to move the ball around well and get good looks against a top opponent.
9. We can't play this poorly again....can we?  I really wish Duane didn't get hurt.

[Atticus]

This was the first game I have been able to watch.

Mayo was a black hole on offense. Poor performance. Taking step-back three pointers is no way to get your jumpshot going. I was also surprised to see how poorly he finished at the rim. He certainly is no DJO or Vander in that regard. He doesnt create for anyone and doesnt work the defense or the shot clock. He catches and either shoots or drives...or takes a few meaningless dribbles and passes the ball away. Not good.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Meh, I was fine with Todd. At least someone was doing something to try to jump start the offense. Jamil was passive again. Was wondering why Steve Taylor didnt get more playing time and also wondered why Jake was still in the game after missing his first 3 wide open 3s. Let alone two more.

[thehammock]

While Todd had a rough go, he's the only guy MU played today that can create his own shot. A far cry from the DJ, Jerel, Wes days.

Needed The 16 n 7 jamil but instead...

Defenses can just sag with no perimeter threat.

[GGGG]

Meh, I was fine with Todd. At least someone was doing something to try to jump start the offense. Jamil was passive again. Was wondering why Steve Taylor didnt get more playing time and also wondered why Jake was still in the game after missing his first 3 wide open 3s. Let alone two more.

Todd is who he is.  A limited, inconsistent 2 guard.

[Atticus]

While Todd had a rough go, he's the only guy MU played today that can create his own shot. A far cry from the DJ, Jerel, Wes days.

Needed The 16 n 7 jamil but instead...

Defenses can just sag with no perimeter threat.

Todd is a junior who turnes 23 in the Spring, correct? His bball IQ is....lacking. He isnt a smart player. Step-back three pointers? Ok, Jordan....

[thehammock]

I'm not saying his shot selection is the best; just commenting that he was the only guy out there that can create off the dribble.

[statnik]

Meh, I was fine with Todd. At least someone was doing something to try to jump start the offense. Jamil was passive again. Was wondering why Steve Taylor didnt get more playing time and also wondered why Jake was still in the game after missing his first 3 wide open 3s. Let alone two more.

I'm not down on his driving game, as it shined early in his freshman season, but then for some reason he lost it.  What is disappointing is, just like the other perimeter players, he is insistent on going one on one instead of taking jump shots in rhythm off the pass.  He will dribble and create space to take a long step back or straight up jump shot, and those are not smart shots.  Jamil is guilty of that a lot as well.

[GGGG]

I'm not down on his driving game, as it shined early in his freshman season, but then for some reason he lost it.

Shooters that could spread the floor when he was a freshman. 

[tower912]

1.  Looking for a leader.   Todd couldn't make anything, but at least he kept trying.    JWilson, Gardner, Otule.....were elsewhere.
2.  DWilson was a man today.   A very tired man.
3.  Rebounding was good.
4.  If you had told me going in MU would hold the Buckeyes to the low 50's, I would have predicted a win
5.  We've lost bad before.   The season continued anyway.   This one will, too.
6.  OSU sure plays defense the way they did prior to the 'rule change'.    
7.   Maybe not Dawson, but at some point JJJ should have come in and started jacking up bricks, too.   Why not?   Everyone else did.
8.  STjr and Juan....now would be a good time to step up.   It appears you have regressed.
9.   Defense looked good in the first half.   Time to install the offense.  Too much standing around.   

[thehammock]

Buzz needs to find a way to get some consistency from Jamil. Need to get him closer to the hoop when he catches. He's not a perimeter player.

[GGGG]

Buzz needs to find a way to get some consistency from Jamil. Need to get him closer to the hoop when he catches. He's not a perimeter player.

Not much of a banger either. 

[dgies9156]

Jamil Wilson is the single biggest disappointment today. I knew this would be a tough game, but Jamil is not tough. Period. The kid as a senior needs to learn to drive the basket and play underneath. Otherwise, give his minutes to Steve Taylor Jr., or Juan.

Find someone who can man up underneath and drive the basket.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Also have no issues with Todd today.  He was trying to go to the hoop when the rest of the offense was stalling.  The biggest issue, with everything else being a far, far, far second, was getting 5 points from your starting backcourt.   Not going to fly in college basketball.  When the defense can just play the passing lanes and not the shooter, you have no shot.
You can't have a point guard who dribbles to the corner and picks up his dribble. Wilson is an excellent defender, but it's just not enough.
The far second, but which was still kind of embarrassing was the baseline in bounding.  Putting our shortest player inbounding the ball to four guys trying to post their defenders up just makes you scratch your head.
Tough, tough game to watch, but it's not the first time, and Buzz always seems to find a way, so I'm not going to doubt him until he gives me a long term reason to.

[statnik]

Shooters that could spread the floor when he was a freshman. 

That helped, but now his finishing, in traffic or not, is below average.  He also goes to that part of his game less.  Why did he struggle last year then?  We still had some shooters, albeit inconsistent ones.

[Markusquette]

1.  Looking for a leader.   Todd couldn't make anything, but at least he kept trying.    JWilson, Gardner, Otule.....were elsewhere.
2.  DWilson was a man today.   A very tired man.
3.  Rebounding was good.
4.  If you had told me going in MU would hold the Buckeyes to the low 50's, I would have predicted a win
5.  We've lost bad before.   The season continued anyway.   This one will, too.
6.  OSU sure plays defense the way they did prior to the 'rule change'.    
7.   Maybe not Dawson, but at some point JJJ should have come in and started jacking up bricks, too.   Why not?   Everyone else did.
8.  STjr and Juan....now would be a good time to step up.   It appears you have regressed.
9.   Defense looked good in the first half.   Time to install the offense.  Too much standing around.   

Nice notes as well.  You inspired my topic.   

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

That helped, but now his finishing, in traffic or not, is below average.  He also goes to that part of his game less.  Why did he struggle last year then?  We still had some shooters, albeit inconsistent ones.

We had shooters last year?

[Markusquette]

We had shooters last year?

We had Vander, who improved his shot just enough.  He possessed the X-Factor that we desperately need Jamil to have this year.  But no, we didn't really have shooters.

[wadesworld]

Didn't get to watch the game. Sounds like some people are finally starting to figure Todd out here. All about himself and getting his shots. 3/15 shooting? Ouch. Can Todd's apologists admit they were wrong now, just like I'll now admit I was wrong about Derrick? Please get healthy soon Duane!

Heard Todd walked right off the court without shaking hands or anything. Also heard the classroom performance hasn't improved much. Sounds like all the maturing he has done may not have been done.

[Atticus]

Heard Todd walked right off the court without shaking hands or anything. Also heard the classroom performance hasn't improved much. Sounds like all the maturing he has done may not have been done.

Can anyone confirm that Todd walked off? The classroom stuff is probably just a typical rumor that rears its ugly head after a loss in which Todd plays poorly...

[willie warrior]

1. We do have a go to guy for scoring--his name is Ox.
2. Buzz needs to send a big time strong message and shake that line up big time. Bench the two Wilsons, and Thomas. Start Dawson, Burton/JJJ, Otule, Ox andTaylor. Maybe some of those veterans that are getting a stint on the bench will learn and step up. And please, we are better off playing the frosh and letting them develop. What has Thomas and the two Wilsons done this year? And J. Wilson is playing much like a Frosh and not like a 5th yr. Sr. Thomas needs to stay mostly on the bench. If Buzz cannot see that, then something is very wrong
3. Mayo will always be the same--good one game and abysmal the next. He is a bench relief/spot starter.
4. Get Du. Wilson in there as soon as possible. He is the future and De. Wilson is a back up.
5. There are no excuses for what we saw today on national TV on our own floor. Other than the wrong guys are getting the big minutes.

[willie warrior]

Not much of a banger either. 

He is a soft player.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

2. Buzz needs to send a big time strong message and shake that line up big time. Bench the two Wilsons, and Thomas. Start Dawson, Burton/JJJ, Otule, Ox andTaylor. Maybe some of those veterans that are getting a stint on the bench will learn and step up. And please, we are better off playing the frosh and letting them develop. What has Thomas and the two Wilsons done this year? And J. Wilson is playing much like a Frosh and not like a 5th yr. Sr. Thomas needs to stay mostly on the bench. If Buzz cannot see that, then something is very wrong

That is a big boy lineup right there

[Markusquette]

1. We do have a go to guy for scoring--his name is Ox.

Touché.  I'm thinking more in terms of a dynamic guard or wing player we have been so used to over the last 5 years.

[ATL MU Warrior]

I think the "Gardner should take 3's crowd" now have their answer.  Takes a 3, Otule up off the bench in about a half a second.

Gardner has uncanny ability to score near the basket, but his defense is still just abysmal.  The big run/layup drill for OSU came with him in the game, and doing nothing to contest anything at the rim.

The offense was atrocious.  Given the very poor shooting performance of the entire team, I'm not sure how that can be laid so neatly and cleanly at the feet of Derrick as so many want to do, but I guess he didn't do much to dispel the concerns regarding his game.  Team ball movement was lousy.  Movement without the ball was lousy.  Shooting was lousy.  Nobody looked like they knew what to do or that they particularly wanted to be doing it anyway.

The bigger issue to me is having Gardner up at the top of the key so much.  What the heck is he doing up there?  Somebody else can screen for the ballhandler.  He needs to be on the block, and the offense needs to run through the post for better or for worse.  If our guys were cutting and moving without the ball (not much of that happening today) that could be an effective set. 

At least we can all cool it on the Buzz to Texas talk.  If anybody associated with Texas was watching that stinker their interest level just dropped considerably.