Crazy with March Madness? How’s Your Bracket?

I look forward to March Madness every year, and drink in the games and study the stats afterward. If you are like me, you had your March Madness bracket filled out as soon as the teams were finalized.  My bracket is always the subject of much frustration, though. Of the millions of Americans who fill out their own picks, no one to this point has gotten a perfect bracket. (That’s not surprising, considering the odds are one in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808).

By AJ Wilcox

I always go through the same process of weighing my own favorite team against what will likely actually happen. Then I go through and pick 5 upsets (just my process, and I know that some predict as high as 10). Finally, I watch the games on my Dish TV package and track the stats as much as I can – sick days anyone? – and finally watch my bracket fail completely in the 2^nd round.  Sound familiar?

I hope that someone fares far better than me this year. At the time of writing, it looks like a 17 year old has a perfect bracket all the way through the second round. All I know is that I feel like I am constantly losing with my bracket, but for some reason I still can’t get enough.

My brother throws the best game day parties. We all pitch in a few bucks and eat, cheer, and the best bracket gets a prize. I can tell you that it’s a blast for everyone involved. So invite your friends over, order pizzas and drinks, and watch your favorite team. Compare brackets and pool together a prize for the best bracket. There is never a better time to get excited than the present.

If you have Dish network, you can catch all the action on the CBS Sports Channel if you have the “America’s Top 200” package.

Evan Turner - First Team All American

Evan Turner of the Ohio State University has been named the first All-American of the team and was a key player in leading the team to their Big Ten title. Turner plays as the small forward, shooting guard, and point guard for the team, and he was named the first team All-American and the National Player of the Year in 2010.

By Mark Ramos

Most recently, he was one of the five out of the Big Ten players who was in the top 10 in assists, rebounds, and points scored within the same season. Even better, he was named on the watch list of nominees for the 2010 Wooden Award, as well as on the watch list for the Naismith College Player of the Year award.

In short, it is easy to expect the best from Turner, who is a 6’7” point guard with an excellent record. Many experts anticipate that he will rank as high as number two in the NBA draft for the summer, and he has successfully led his team in high point scores, assists, and rebounds. From the field, he has been reported to shoot at 53.8%, and he is also recovered successfully from his hiatus to the game after breaking six bones in his back.

2 Ohio State defeats 10 Georgia Tech 75-66 in the NCAA 2nd Round

Sunday in Milwaukee Wisconsin in the 2nd round of the Mid-West NCAA Region Ohio State defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 75-66 with a great second half shooting effort and a defensive strategy that limited Georgia Techs big front court. Ohio State now moves on to the Sweet 16 and is matched up against the 27-8 Tennessee Volunteers.

By Steve Patterson

Going into the match-up, Ohio State feared the play of the big front court from GT. Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors had proved that they could dominate the boards and make enough points to upset any team this season. The Buckeyes came out in a 1-3-1 zone on defense to not allow the ball to be moved into the low post. This limited the touches for the big men, who only scored 21 points with 8 rebounds combined. And Ohio State didn't have to double-team when playing the zone which allowed them break-away points at the other end of the court.

On the offensive side of the ball, OSU penetrated the gaps in the GT defense to put pressure on the big guys down low. The GT players had foul trouble in the first half that continued during of the game. Ohio State led by 2 points at half-time and they shot 65% in the second half, opening up a decent lead that Georgia Tech could not overcome. Jon Diebler played well for a second straight tournament game, finishing with 4 shots from behind the arc and 20 points total.

Georgia Tech
Gani Lawal 11 points, 4 rebounds
Derrick Favors 10  points, 4 rebounds
Glen Rice Jr 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Ohio State
Evan Turner, 24 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists
Jon Diebler 20 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
David Lighty 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Sweet 16

The Mid-West Sweet 16 currently features both Ohio State and the Michigan State Spartans which makes the outcome of this weeks first games intriguing. The Elite 8 could feature another matchup of the two Big Ten schools. The Spartans need to defeat Northern Iowa to take the next step in the Big Dance. In related news, Evan Turner was named today as a finalist for the Player of the Year award.

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Ohio State Wins the Big Ten Tournament and Enters the NCAA as a Two Seed

Ohio State had no problem in the 2nd half of the Big Ten Championship game against Minnesota on Sunday after struggling with Michigan and Illinois. Yet the Buckeyes completed the tournament on top securing their second goal of the year which includes winning the Big Ten, wining the Big Ten Tournament, and winning the National Title. They begin work on their final goal this Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

By Steve Patterson

Minnesota and Tubby Smith had a chance to secure a spot in the NCAA by winning the Big Ten title but fell short. Luckily for them the selection committee felt they deserved entrance in the field of 65 and awarded them an 11 seed Sunday night. Illinois, also a Big Ten bubble team, was as fortunate and was left out of the Big Dance.

Minnesota played competitively against Ohio State Sunday remaining within 3 points throughout the first half. But David Lighty caught fire and had a great 2nd half, driving the lane, playing defense and getting rebounds. He finished the game with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Leading OSU was Evan Turner who scored 31 points, had 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jon Diebler was also instrumental scoring 19 points. The Buckeyes made the game ugly for Minnesota with a final score of 90-61.

Final Stats for the Game:

Lawrence Westbrook 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists
Devoe Joseph 14 points
Damian Johnson 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Evan Turner 31 points*, 11 rebounds, 6 assists
David Lighty 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Jon Diebler 19 points

* Championship Game Record

NCAA Tournament

Five Big Ten teams were selected after the tournament completion to enter the NCAA tournament. Minnesota received an at-large 11 seed, Ohio State is a 2 seed, Purdue and Wisconsin are 4 seeds, and Michigan State is a 5 seed. Ohio State will face UC Santa Barbara in the first round on Friday in Milwaukee. The Gauchos have a 20-9 record out of the Big West. They play strong defense and shoot well from behind the arc. If Ohio State can defend the long range shots and rebound most of the misses, they should prevail.

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Ohio State Men’s Basketball Win a Share of the Big Ten Title

Ohio State defeated Illinois last night to win a share of the Big Ten title this year in addition to getting the number one seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Evan Turner and Jon Diebler led the way for the Buckeyes as foul trouble limited Demetri McCamey and Mike Tisdale for the Fighting Illini.

By Steve Patterson

Ohio State entered Tuesday nights Columbus game ranked 6th in the country in the AP poll and looking to secure a share of the Big Ten Title. It was senior night for the Buckeyes who will lose PJ Hill, Kyle Madsen, Danny Peters, Jeremie Simmons, and Mark Titus when the season ends. They defeated the Illini 73-57 in a tight match and will begin the 2010 Big Ten Tournament March 11th as the #1 seed.

Illinois guard Demetri McCamey grew up playing against Ohio State’s Evan Turner and they greeted each other pre-game as they often do. This could be the last game the 2 play against each other on the college level as Turner is likely to enter the NBA this spring. Illinois went up by 6 points early, half way through the first period. But a 15-2 run by Ohio State sparked by McCamey’s foul trouble, resulted in a Buckeye 4 point lead at half-time.

Jon Diebler was hot from behind the ark all game long with 7 triples total on 50% shooting from distance. Turner had good night as usual leading OSU in rebounds and putting up 16 points. The game continued to be tight half way through the 2nd half with OSU leading by 3 to 5. Illinois center Mike Tisdale fouled out with 7 minutes to go which gave the Buckeyes breathing room. And Ohio State pulled away to win 73-57.

Turner 16 points, 12 rebs and 5 assists
Diebler 21 points, 50% from 3 Point land
Buford 17 points, 7 rebs, 6 assists, and 4 steals

McCamey 18 points, 4 rebs, 7 assists
Paul 11 points, 2 rebs, 2 assists
Tisdale 10 points, 3 rebs, 3 assists

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Ohio State 2010 Basketball Recruiting Finished

Thad Matta and the Ohio State Buckeyes have put together one of the best 2010 recruiting classes in the country. What started with the #1 recruit in the country committing, finished this week with his teammate JD Weatherspoon completing a class of 6 that should rival the Oden, Cook, and Conley class.

By Steve Patterson

At the top of the class are two five star recruits in Jared Sullinger and power forward DeShaun Thomas. Two shooting guards rated the 13th and the 17th best in the country at their position in Jordan Sibert and Lenzelle Smith. Aaron Craft out of Finlay Ohio plays AAU ball with Sullinger, Sibert, and Weatherspoon on All-Ohio Red and will be the next great point guard for the Buckeyes. Weatherspoon is a 6’7” power forward from Columbus who was once committed to Xavier but will now play along side his AAU teammates.

For more coverage on the members of the class take a look at these eScoutRoom articles:

Buckeye Basketball 2010 Recruiting Class Updates

Film: 2010 Guard Josh Selby at the Hoophall Classic

Summer Full of Events for #1 Center in the Country, Jared Sullinger

Northland’s J.D. Weatherspoon Commits to Coach Matta and Ohio State

Film:JD Weatherspoon 2009 Highlight Film

Will Greg Oden ever realize his potential?

For years in Cleveland, the Cavs fans believed the name Ilgauskas in Greek must mean “man with bad feet.” Now the fans in Portland are wondering if Oden will ever realize his potential or will he be a first choice bust due to injury.

By Bill Smith

There is no question that big men are at a premium in both college basketball and the NBA. Look at this year's draft. There were only 2 7 foot players in the top 50 as ranked by most experts. One of those, our own BJ Mullens was rated the 16^th best prospect and he was not a regular starter for the Bucks in 08-09. He got picked 24^th overall in the first round.

But Oden was not just 7 feet. He has more talent on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor than all but a couple starting C in the league. He also has an NBA body. He has spent the hours in the weight room necessary to build up his body to withstand the banging of the NBA lane. Even so, in 2 seasons, he has yet to be able to stay even close to 100 percent healthy.

The human body was not designed by a structural engineer. When a body is as large, muscular and heavy as Oden, the hips down to the feet are subject to stresses well beyond those of the average body type. Yau Ming was hurt in what seemed like an insignificant injury will keep the Rocket C out of the game next year and may end up being a career threatening problem.

Oden worked out for more than 3 hours in Columbus for the Trail Blazer staff this week. According to most reports, he looked good. More importantly, he looked healthy. The question is will his health carry him through an entire season and playoffs?

Portland hopes so. If he is healthy, Portland will be very dangerous. He can be a difference maker and has a young and very talented team around him. But history is not in Oden's favor.

Having watched the NBA game for 5 decades, I have seen many more players that suffered injuries in college and early in their pro career never reach their potential. That is Oden's history as well and that is too bad. He is so talented and dedicated to his game that should his body let him down it would be a loss to the game.

That's what I think. Tell me what you think.

B.J. Mullens Couldn't Have Gone to a Better Situation

B.J. Mullens looked like he was a little disappointed when he fell to the 24^th pick. But he is in a perfect situation to develop and start in the near future. Oklahoma City (the team formerly known as the Sonics) has a hole in the middle of their lineup the size of the Grand Canyon. Mullens will get minutes right off the bat and may well be starting in a year or two. Not bad for a guy that couldn't start for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten.

By Bill Smith

There are three primary contenders for the C spot including Mullens. Johan Petro (DV) was the starter in Seattle/Oklahoma City in 05 but didn't get the job done. He has been moved to Denver. They have tried Nick Collison there but he is better at PF and that isn't saying much. Nenad Krstic started 29 games last season but scored 9.7 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds in an average of 25 minutes a game. Not good.

At the very least, B.J. should get some minutes early on rotating with Krstic. Mullens may not be ready to go up against the big guys of the NBA but neither are either of the others.

That's what I think. Tell me what you think.

Ex Buckeye B.J. Mullens is the 2nd rated C in the 2009 NBA Draft?

By Bill Smith

A few months ago, I wrote “Where have all the Big men gone” in my own site. College basketball has become totally bereft of quality NBA size centers. The league is desperate for anyone that can dribble a basketball and is 7 feet or more tall.

This year, B.J. Mullens is ranked as the 2^nd best C in the draft and 16^th overall. This for a guy that wasn't even a starter for the Buckeyes much of the year. He averaged 18 minutes a game for the Bucks and scored 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Even at 275 he is not that physical but moves fairly well. At this point in his development, he really has not become strong at any aspect of the game. He is a nearly blank chalk board upon which a lot or a little could be written depending on his willingness to work on his game.

One thing that does speak well of him is that he only averages 2.1 fouls per game in that 18 minutes. He has a very long way to go to develop into a potential starter. He will likely be a rotational player that eats up minutes but both his offensive and defensive games leave a lot of room for improvement.

This draft has been said to be a weak draft. That is not totally true. It lacks the “can't miss” depth at the top. But even a lot of the so called can't miss guys miss terribly. I can't remember a draft in the NBA that had as many players with as many questions about their game as we have this year. This is the kind of draft that will make some GMs look very smart and make others unemployed.

That's what I think. Tell me what you think.

Lady Buckeyes Find it Sweat Late Against Stanford

After losing early in the past two NCAA tournaments, Coach Jim Foster's Lady Buckeyes are ready for a Sweet 16 match against Stanford late Saturday night in Berkeley California. The 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes hope to upset the 2 seed Stanford Cardinals in the late night game for East Coast Fans.

Film: Ohio State Women's Basketball Team Make the Sweet 16

Three Ohio State Basketball Players Leaving?

After an early first round NCAA loss to Siena on Friday night, questions turn to who will stay and who will be leaving the basketball program for the NBA this summer. The three players that are within reach of an NBA contract are freshman center BJ Mullens, freshman guard William Buford and sophomore small forward Evan Turner. And with a revolving door of great talent coming through Ohio State will Coach Matta be able to return to the highest pinnacle of college coaching?

Ohio State upsets Top Seeded Michigan State in Big Ten Tournament

Ohio State moved on to the Big Ten Tournament final today against Purdue by beating the #1 seeded Michigan State in Indianapolis 82-70. The Buckeyes got help from every person on the team with great performances by Evan Turner, Jon Diebler, William Buford, and BJ Mullens. After the game Evan Turner discussed how they made adjustments after losing two regular season games to the Spartans and how he came back from not scoring in the first half to scoring 18 points in the second.

Ohio State Basketball, Ugly Wins Count

Ohio State won an ugly match-up against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday night with a great performance by Evan Turner and decent shooting from William Buford and Jon Diebler. Add in a late minute block by Dallas Lauderdale and a miss at the last second by the Hawkeyes and you have an ugly Buckeye win.

Ohio State Close But Unable to Pull Even, Illinois 68-70

Ohio State had near 6 opportunities to pull even with Illinois in Columbus, Ohio today after falling behind early and each time they got within 2 points, the Fighting Illini would increase the gap. Evan Turner played well down the stretch with Jon Diebler getting a good start following his inspired play against Northwestern on Wednesday. But the Buckeyes could not get ahead as they fought to the end and took one last shot with 0.6 seconds remaining.

Evan Turner Unable to Do It All

Another road game and another good game for Evan Turner but he was unable to get the help he needed from his Ohio State teammates to beat Wisconsin Saturday night in Madison. Turner had 23 points on the night and played the entire game but 15 offensive rebounds by the Badgers and 19 turnovers by the Buckeyes allowed Wisconsin to finish in the win column.