Wisconsin/Pitt, Greg Oden, A Tale of Two Contenders
1. Whenever I think I have this game figured out, I see something that makes me scratch my head. Today, it was a pair of coaching moves made in Wisconsin's win over Pittsburgh.
With just under 17 minutes to play and nursing a ten-or-so-point lead, Badger coach Bo Ryan substituted for his two studs in the post, Alando Tucker and Brian Butch. Tucker and Butch had shredded Pitt in the first half with 20 points each, and Butch had continued his strong play with five early points in the second half. Butch did look tired, but it seemed like an odd time to put your big guns on the bench. A six-point run either way at that juncture could really change the texture of the game.
Pitt should have been in position to make such a run, with Tucker and Butch on the pine. The very next possession, however, Panther coach Jamie Dixon countered by ordering a 2-3 zone. Right idea, wrong time. Pitt didn't have anyone who could contain Tucker or Butch, and were in foul trouble, so a zone makes sense, but to switch to it as soon as those two went to the bench was curious. Wisconsin was playing a more perimeter-oriented lineup, and it seemed like Dixon played right into their hands.
Wisco's Kammron Taylor -- who had missed all five of his shots in the first half -- responded quickly with a three-point play and then a three-point shot. Butch and Tucker came back in, but Taylor was rolling, scoring another and-one against the man-to-man and then draining another triple against the zone.
2. As good as Greg Oden has been -- and make no mistake, he's been very, very good -- his full impact hasn't been felt. Not by Valparaiso, against who Oden scored 14 points, grabbed 10 boards, and blocked five shots in 22 minutes in his debut. Not by Cleveland State, against whom Oden hit all eight of his shots. And not by the Cincinnati Bearcats, who were on the business end of a workman-like 14-point, 10-rebound, five-block performance.
Ohio State played its first seven games without Oden, winning the first six comfortably and then surprising me, at least, by hanging with North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Buckeyes have a number of perimeter-oriented stars, and those players are still getting used to playing with the big fella. He's underused on the offensive end. Once he gets more involved, we'll see an even more dangerous Ohio State team.
Suffice it to say, I'm looking forward to next Saturday's showdown with Florida.
3. Back on November 29, before Greg Oden came back from a wrist injury, Ohio State and North Carolina met in as offensive-minded a basketball game that you're going to see at the major college level. The final score was 98-89, Tar Heels, and I'm not sure I've ever seen that much talent on the floor at the same time at the college level.
Both teams played on Saturday, and both again put up impressive point totals. Carolina beat UNC-Asheville 93-62, while Ohio State crushed Cincinnati 72-50 in a game that wasn't anywhere near that close (Cincy trailed by 34 points before going on a 20-8 run over the final six minutes).
I didn't see the Carolina game, but the wire story I read said that Heels coach Roy Williams was unhappy with his team's offensive performance. Yes, after a performance in which his team scored 93 points -- including 56 in the first half -- Williams was concerned about offense. I fully recognize that you can put up 93 points without executing particularly well, but if I were Coach Williams, I might concern myself with the 39 first-half points they conceded to Asheville.
It's not that UNC's defense was necessarily that bad, but contrast it with Ohio State's (whose game I did see). The Buckeyes held the Bearcats -- who beat top-25 Xavier earlier in the week and are clearly a tougher opponent than Asheville -- without a field goal for almost ten minutes to close the first half. They conceded just 14 points in the first 20 minutes, holding Cincy to 19 percent shooting. For the game, the Bearcats shot just 26 percent.
The point is that a high-octane offense doesn't have to come at the expense of defense, despite what Williams seems to think. Ohio State played tough on both ends of the court and still found plenty of possessions to score points. UNC's Williams is preoccupied by offense -- I don't remember a single one of his teams at Kansas or Carolina who were outstanding defensively. Two years ago, the Heels were talented enough offensively to beat all comers and win the national title. However, they didn't have to face anyone who was capable of keeping up with them in the scoring column. Ohio State has already shown they can do that this year. Should the two teams meet again, I'd have to give the Buckeyes the edge -- because of their defense.
With just under 17 minutes to play and nursing a ten-or-so-point lead, Badger coach Bo Ryan substituted for his two studs in the post, Alando Tucker and Brian Butch. Tucker and Butch had shredded Pitt in the first half with 20 points each, and Butch had continued his strong play with five early points in the second half. Butch did look tired, but it seemed like an odd time to put your big guns on the bench. A six-point run either way at that juncture could really change the texture of the game.
Pitt should have been in position to make such a run, with Tucker and Butch on the pine. The very next possession, however, Panther coach Jamie Dixon countered by ordering a 2-3 zone. Right idea, wrong time. Pitt didn't have anyone who could contain Tucker or Butch, and were in foul trouble, so a zone makes sense, but to switch to it as soon as those two went to the bench was curious. Wisconsin was playing a more perimeter-oriented lineup, and it seemed like Dixon played right into their hands.
Wisco's Kammron Taylor -- who had missed all five of his shots in the first half -- responded quickly with a three-point play and then a three-point shot. Butch and Tucker came back in, but Taylor was rolling, scoring another and-one against the man-to-man and then draining another triple against the zone.
2. As good as Greg Oden has been -- and make no mistake, he's been very, very good -- his full impact hasn't been felt. Not by Valparaiso, against who Oden scored 14 points, grabbed 10 boards, and blocked five shots in 22 minutes in his debut. Not by Cleveland State, against whom Oden hit all eight of his shots. And not by the Cincinnati Bearcats, who were on the business end of a workman-like 14-point, 10-rebound, five-block performance.
Ohio State played its first seven games without Oden, winning the first six comfortably and then surprising me, at least, by hanging with North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Buckeyes have a number of perimeter-oriented stars, and those players are still getting used to playing with the big fella. He's underused on the offensive end. Once he gets more involved, we'll see an even more dangerous Ohio State team.
Suffice it to say, I'm looking forward to next Saturday's showdown with Florida.
3. Back on November 29, before Greg Oden came back from a wrist injury, Ohio State and North Carolina met in as offensive-minded a basketball game that you're going to see at the major college level. The final score was 98-89, Tar Heels, and I'm not sure I've ever seen that much talent on the floor at the same time at the college level.
Both teams played on Saturday, and both again put up impressive point totals. Carolina beat UNC-Asheville 93-62, while Ohio State crushed Cincinnati 72-50 in a game that wasn't anywhere near that close (Cincy trailed by 34 points before going on a 20-8 run over the final six minutes).
I didn't see the Carolina game, but the wire story I read said that Heels coach Roy Williams was unhappy with his team's offensive performance. Yes, after a performance in which his team scored 93 points -- including 56 in the first half -- Williams was concerned about offense. I fully recognize that you can put up 93 points without executing particularly well, but if I were Coach Williams, I might concern myself with the 39 first-half points they conceded to Asheville.
It's not that UNC's defense was necessarily that bad, but contrast it with Ohio State's (whose game I did see). The Buckeyes held the Bearcats -- who beat top-25 Xavier earlier in the week and are clearly a tougher opponent than Asheville -- without a field goal for almost ten minutes to close the first half. They conceded just 14 points in the first 20 minutes, holding Cincy to 19 percent shooting. For the game, the Bearcats shot just 26 percent.
The point is that a high-octane offense doesn't have to come at the expense of defense, despite what Williams seems to think. Ohio State played tough on both ends of the court and still found plenty of possessions to score points. UNC's Williams is preoccupied by offense -- I don't remember a single one of his teams at Kansas or Carolina who were outstanding defensively. Two years ago, the Heels were talented enough offensively to beat all comers and win the national title. However, they didn't have to face anyone who was capable of keeping up with them in the scoring column. Ohio State has already shown they can do that this year. Should the two teams meet again, I'd have to give the Buckeyes the edge -- because of their defense.
posted by H.S. Slam, Ph.D at 9:30 PM
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