| 21 February 2012
We've decided to put together a roundtable topic each week for us staffers here at BHC to kick around for a while. Ultimately we would like to add a fan or two, or a guest blogger - this week we got both - and we're throwing out a topic that's starting to gain some real steam within Buckeye Nation, right or wrong - Ohio State basketball head coach Thad Matta. The premise is simple: we pass a few questions around the table and see where it goes.
This week's lineup:
Monty Fligner | J King | Carrie Janello
Will we be able to play the grind of the Big 10 Tournament followed by the NCAA’s when our starters are still playing 35-40 minutes a game?
Carrie: No. Between Matta's inability to utilize the talent on the bench and the obvious frustration of his starters, withstanding the riggers of March Madness is unlikely for the Buckeyes. This is the time when the great teams that go deep in the NCAA Tournament should be peaking, but the Buckeyes peaked in November or December. This has become a pattern for Matta's teams the past few years. Unfortunately, we don't have an Evan Turner, David Lighty or Jon Diebler to bail the team out. Too many people have put the weight of that responsibility on the shoulders of Buford, who is not comfortable being the center of attention and is more effective as the sidekick to the main event.
With Sully being the only Buckeye consistently putting up numbers, he is obviously discouraged with his teammates and coaches. He has become the crutch of the team, and every opponent knows it. The Buckeyes game plan: Give the ball to Sullinger. The opponents game plan: Go after Sullinger. Unless Matta starts benching Buford when he's not performing, giving other players on the bench the green light, and/or taking some pressure off Sully, the Buckeyes frustration will only grow and cause the team problems in the B1G and NCAA Tournaments.
Monty: The simple answer is "no". Matta has historically demonstrated a lack of bench utilization when games are close and important. Based on how he has made substitutions this season, I have no reason to think he is going to change come tournament time. It's unfortunate since he has a hungry, young and talented bench that has shown an ability to be explosive with the few opportunities they've been given. We will continue to see only spot substiutions for foul trouble and quick breathers. It's unfortunate since we could utilize the athleticism of this bench to create a different pace of play and potential foul problems for our opponents, which would slow down the "hack a Sully" we see every game. We are deeper than most teams in the B1G and definitely the teams we will see in rounds 1 and 2 of the NCAA's. The McDonald's All American talent we have sitting on the bench is being wasted.
J King: No way - this team looks tired when you compare them to the team we saw early in the year.Tired team with tired legs - I think that's a reason behind the poor shooting performances. Maybe the results of the past few weekends will change Matta's perspective - we will have to see.They have potential on the bench - and I can't help but think there might be a spark we can find or at least an interjection of energy and life in the team. William Buford needs to find his game - and I almost thinking a few nights off or some added rest would help him tremendously.
Why haven’t we seen Amir Williams at center and Jared Sullinger at power forward on the floor at the same time?
Carrie: I have been asking myself this question all season. Some have accused Matta of being stubborn. Others think Williams still has a lot of maturing to do before Matta will trust him. Honestly, both answers probably have merit. Obviously, having Sully and Williams together would be a two-pillar disaster for our opponents under the basket, but Matta loves speed on his defense. Neither Sully nor Williams would be able to keep up with some guards we play against. I believe Matta just will not risk having two tall center-capable players on the court at the same time. Last year, Sully and Lauderdale played the opening minutes together before Craft would replace Lauderdale at the first whistle. The speed of the game would drastically pick up when Craft entered the game. I believe Matta has been trying to avoid the sluggish play. Personally, the team chemistry has been lacking in the past few games so Matta needs to try something new. Playing both guys together may give a fresh, unpredictable court presence that may spark some much-needed momentum the fans have not seen this season.
Monty: Thad Matta must feel that Amir Williams is not ready. It's the only explanation that makes any sense. Jared Sullinger is currently utilized as a center on both sides of the court. He's obviously been extremely effective in this role. However, he could also be utilized as a pure power forward, a position he will no doubt play at the next level. At 6-11, 220 pounds, the addition of Williams to the rotation while leaving Sullinger in the game would create a defensive nightmare for our opposition. Currently teams have been defending Sullinger by double or triple teaming him and forcing a pass out to the perimeter leaving the Buckeyes an open jumper. This works well as long as we hit the open jumpers – something we have been unable to do on a consistent basis. This tactic was even more effective last year since teams were unwilling to commit on collapsing down on Sullinger since John Diebler would make them pay by being extremely accurate when given a wide open three. So defenses have it figured out, stop Sullinger and hope we miss the open jumper or try to stop Sullinger one on one. I think Matta likes to refer to this as his "system".
Bringing Williams into the game at center would create an immediate mis-match and wrinkle to the opposition. It would allow Sullinger to come way from the basket and use his athleticism to get more one on one defenders. It would also allow a second outlet in the even of a double team. Rather than always passing the ball out to the perimeter, we could find Williams in the paint for a higher percentage shot. It could also potentially create foul problems for the opposition, providing Sullinger with more opportunities late in the game to attack the basket without always getting hacked.
J King: I like having a true center in the game and letting Sully play power forward. This does little for the outside game - but does help with giving Sully another big body on the inside to take the pressure off of him defensively. One of the issues this team has struggled with is shot blocking - we are near the bottom of the NCAA field in that category. Williams is the leading shot blocker on the team even with limited minutes. Adding a shot blocker on the defensive end will help with Sully and others avoiding fouls and make the other teams rely on their outside game more.
Who would you like to see getting more run in the game, and why: Amir Williams, JD Weatherspoon, Sam Thompson or Shannon Scott?
Carrie: I do believe Sam Thompson has a ton of talent we have yet to see truly on display, and I definitely think Matta needs to give him the green light on offense for shots other than alley-oops. But Thompson has been seeing more playing time than other guys on the bench. I want to see more Amir Williams. For starters, he is a real center while Sully is more of a power forward. Sully wants to play the forward position, and the fans want to see these guys play on the same court. No one, especially our opponents, would know what to expect. That seems like an exciting line-up!
Secondly, while he started his freshman season as a talent more raw than the other freshman, he has shown considerable growth. He has been showing composure, discipline, and maturity that he did not have in November. He has earned the right to play. I believe he is the most improved of all the freshman. Unfortunately, it seems Matta does not care to reward such growth with playing time. Then there is the shot blocking factor. He is a shot blocker and having a shot blocker on the court would force our opponents to take awkward, difficult, low-percentage shots. We are predictable. Everyone knows our game plan. Let's throw something at them that they are not expecting. Force them to adjust!
Monty: Sam Thompson. Not only should he be in the game more, he may be the best talent on the entire team. He has a better than average jump shot, extremely fast explosion off the dribble (for a someone who is 6-7) and a ridiculous ability to jump - sometime appearing as if he is flying through the air. He does not fit into the "half court, work it into Sullinger" system we have all come to know and love. Thompson needs to be in a running offense to see his full potential, something Matta could utilize by mixing up the personnel and offensive scheme.
J King: Can I go off the board with Jeremy Lin? OK - he seems busy right now..so let's go with Amir Williams for the reasons mentioned above. Thompson is an intriguing player - but doesn't seem to fit with the offense this year which is fully half court focused. Scott appears to be a defensive liability and has really not shown anything on the offensive end as of yet as well. Weatherspoon has played some quality minutes - but doesn't appear to be the 'answer' for any of the problem areas the team is facing.
Has Thad made a mistake giving LaQuinton Ross no role on this year's team whatsoever?
Carrie: I can understand Matta's hesitation with Ross. While I think Amir has made great improvement, I think Ross is further behind than any other freshman. Of course, his late arrival to campus has affected his development considerably, which is unfortunate for him and the team. When he has played, he has never been in position to play defense, which we all know is Matta's focus. With that said, Matta needs to understand that to win we need to score. If Buford is going 4 for 24, Thomas and Smith Jr. are either in foul trouble or cold, and Sully is the only offense, he needs to bench the starters and give some young bloods a chance to prove themselves. Ross will be a great shooter in years to come, but it would go a long ways for his confidence and development if Matta would put him in for more than two minutes a month.
Monty: I think most Buckeye fans, myself included, had a vision of LaQuinton Ross filling the void left behind by John Diebler. We are certainly missing a consistent three point shooter and it would open up more scoring opportunities for the entire team if we could find one. Ross has voiced his frustration with his lack of playing time and Matta was quick to respond by saying, "I want him hungry. He has a tremendous future here, there's no doubt about that. He's been awesome in practice." I sense Matta is looking for a little more intensity and passion from Ross and unfortunately, due to his late arrival and lack of playing time to date, it won't happen going into tournament play this year. He should be a great player in the years to come.
J King: It's time for Ross to see the court - and maybe he's that outside threat we have been looking for. The fact that he is not playing tells me his effort and/or attitude may be lacking a bit - otherwise I can't see a reason for his pine riding most of the year. Apparently, Matta wants to stick with Buford and hope his shooting woes work themselves out - and that's hard to argue with as he is one of the schools all time leading scorers. Nonetheless, if Ross is practicing well - why not see what he can do at this stage?
PREDICTIONS
How many wins will the Buckeyes get in their last four regular season games? (v IL, v WI, at NU, at MSU)
Carrie: The chances for Paul to have another 43-point game are quite low, and that is what Illinois needs to have happen if they want to beat twice this season. So we will beat Illinois. I think we will beat Wisconsin and Northwestern, but the point differential will not be as large as it should be. But I do not see us coming out of East Lansing victorious.
Monty: I think they will win all 4 but will struggle to get the win at Michigan State.
J King: I think we win 3 of the 4 - the trip to E. Lansing does not look promising though as Sparty is playing very well and that game may be for the B1G crown. I can't see us winning there - unless we get a hot 'shooter' in the mix.
How far does Ohio State go in the NCAA Tournament?
Carrie: Sweet Sixteen. No one on our team is playing with urgency. There is no intensity. Sully has lost faith in the team and coaches. He is riding out the season, ready for the NBA. There is no team right now. The frustrations will only get worse from here. At this point, whether Matta goes to his bench or not, we will be lucky to hang around in our Sweet Sixteen game.
Monty: I see us making it to the sweet sixteen with Matta's current rotation. If we utilize the bench with substantial playing time, I see us in the Final 4.
J King: If Buford finds his stroke or we develop a consistent outside threat - we have an Elite 8 or Final Four team. If neither happens - we will be looking to get out of the second round I believe. The team's weaknesses are fairly glaring - but I believe all we need is a 'hot hand' in either Buford or someone else to counteract the attention Sully gets on the inside. If we can crack open the inside/outside game - this team is still very dangerous. Stats wise - we play very good defense...and a consistent and balanced offense will get us over the hump towards going deep into March - if it develops.
Editor's Note: We want to thank Carrie Janello for jumping on board for a shot at Roundtable this week. We've asked her to hop on board full time, so you may be seeing more of her around BHC in the future. In the meantime she's about as Buckeye fan as it gets over on the pages of Facebook. We also want to thank J King for hopping over from his Brutus Rocks blog and adding his two cents to this week's Roundtable. He's welcome to join us in whatever capacity he wishes going forward. If you haven't yet, you should definitely go check out his work.
Follow Monty on Twitter > @BuckeyeFlig
Follow BHC on Twitter > @OSUHouseCall
Follow J King on Twitter > @BrutusRocks36
