Congrats to OSU
They beat a very good Wisconsin team today. It’s too bad that Butch dislocated his elbow in the first half. I would have liked to have seen what kind of impact he could have had in the second half.
It was fitting that Kam Taylor missed the last shot as he missed the front end of the bonus that could have put the Badgers up by more than one with 20 seconds to go.
If things go to plan, these two teams will be playing again in the Big Ten tournament in a few weeks.
It’s hard to say this without sounding bitter, but having seen OSU play Wisconsin two times this year I have to say that they’re a very good team not a great one. Being as young as they are, they get rattled very easily and could have lost that game today if one player would have made two free throws in the last minute.
Badger fans just have to hope that the injury that Butch suffered isn’t going to keep him out for the NCAA tournament. If it does, this team’s potential this year is very limited.
February 25th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Glen, I will admit I am an ACC homer, but its brutal that neither team could break the 50 point “barrier.” It was almost as bad as when Indiana played at Illinois earlier in the year.
I realize that great defense and emotion plays a big part in these games. But I feel bad for the rims after watching that game.
February 25th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
You didn’t hear me say that it was a good game. Neither team could hit any shots in the game.
For a guy with all of the pub that he has, Oden just isn’t all that great. There are times where he just disappears in the game. I figured that it was his injury in the first game, but it seems to be part of his play.
February 25th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Oden isn’t all that great…OSU gets rattled easily? It was a battle of a game Glen, how did OSU gets rattled? So it’s “congrats” but with a few asterisks. Yeah, you’re bitter.
Oden on offense is still a work in progress as he continues to heal his wrist. The guy shoots FTs left-handed still for a reason and it’s not because he suddenly prefers to do it.
He is the #1 defensive force in college basketball. Wisconsin shoots 35% from the floor and Tucker goes 5-15. A LOT of that was Oden.
15 points, 10 boards and nearly 4 blocks a game for a guy who is stil playing at about 80% effenciency? I’m thrilled with Oden’s play this season. I have no idea what people expected out of this guy. His nunbers, as a freshman, are better than Ewing or Hakeem’s.
February 26th, 2007 at 7:23 am
For real college basketball, I hope you all watched the UNC/ Maryland game.
Big Ten basketball is just awful.
February 26th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Now I’ll admit I didn’t see Purdue, the 2 Penn State games & Minnesota - but when did the announcers switch from Musberger’ing Oden constantly to calling him a work in progress? I sincerely hope Glen’s convictions are deeper than what the broadcasters stated throughout the game.
But ya - all of a sudden “the next great one” is still compared to Kareem & Russell, only now its stating how they played in a combined 7 NCAA Championship games and were seniors when they left school - all while mentioning how unrefined and raw Oden is. A “talent” they say - you know, as if this guy wasn’t the 2-time player of the year in high school.
I dunno - if our 7′1 “talent” continues to be not all that great playing with 1.5 hands…I’ll be happy.
February 26th, 2007 at 10:47 am
How many games has OSU won against top 10 competition? 1.
They nearly blew two games against Penn State when they had huge leads. You see the young kids getting on each other all the time. I’m not saying that they’re not a good team, but I just haven’t seen them put away a good team when they have a chance. They should have whupped on the Badgers yesterday, but they couldn’t ever hit the buckets to make the game a no doubter.
I’m not really bitter about the game. To lose a game against the number 1 team on the road by 1 point on a shot with less than 5 seconds remaining is a good game. Also, to keep the game that close with your best big man on the bench due to injury is a huge statement about the quality of the team.
For people to keep talking about Oden like he’s the second coming when he’s averaged 9 points a game against Wisconsin and Florida (the best teams he has played against) just seems a bit odd to me.
I guess we’ll just have to see how well he plays in his last 5 to 10 games in an OSU uniform to see how good he really is.
February 26th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Well, I think you are still really, really, missing the point about Oden. If you can’t see the talent this kid has, I just dunno what to tell you. You talk as if you don’t average 20 a game then you’re some sort of bust, like points are the only viable stat in college basketball. Glen you didn’t work on March Madness 07 by chance did you?
Without Oden’s defense, OSU loses yesterday and loses seveal other games this year. It’s the reason why he goes #1 in the draft.
We’re going to see how good he really is based on his last ‘5 or 10′ games? Huh? What does that even mean?
As for OSU, I told you last week that they are not the #1 team in the country. We aren’t consistant enough and I still don’t think OSU is the best team in the nation, because we tend to play down to the competition way too often. I see OSU getting to the sweet 16 or Great Eight this year and with a lot of luck, a trip to the FF. I don’t expect that, though.
But I find it hard to call a team “easily rattled” who just won the big ten outright. This OSU team is young. Very young. Yet they already have accomplished something the Michigan Fab Five never did.
February 26th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I don’t think he’s a bust in any way at all.
I see the talent that he has. How could you miss it? But the fact of the matter is that he’s being made out to be some basketball Jesus who can do no wrong. I think he’s a great shot blocker and a very good rebounder, no doubts about that. What I do expect to see from a player with the hype that he’s received is to see him take over a game. He’s in there getting banged around by guys who are going to be running a clothing business in the next few years.
I’m sorry, Jason Chappell is a decent college player… but he was pushing Oden around when OSU was on offense for most of the game. I’d like to see a guy who has this much potential to make a difference on both ends of the court.
As far as the 5 to 10 games comment, lets see… how many games are left this year? If he’s healthier now than he was in the beginning of the year, I just want to see how he does without people saying ‘he’ll be better he’s all the way healthy.’
As far as him making the difference in the game on the defensive end yesterday… there is no doubt about that. When Butch got hurt, the Badgers didn’t have any big men that could force him outside and as a result he had a great game in the lane.