Ohio State's starting five played as good as I've seen them against a high caliber opponent.
Ohio State's starting five played as good as I've seen them against a high caliber opponent.
The biggest thing I noticed is the refs let both teams play. It was a very clean first half but they also didn't call any ticky tack fouls. IMO against top competition that is the only way Duke is going to win this season. They don't have the athletes to compete with other top teams.
As for OSU that is about as good as I have seen a starting 5 play in a long time. They made a high percentage of shots but there were very few bad shots thrown in. Their ball movement was top notch and they were shooting open shots all night long. Sullinger may not be the most athletic big man in the country but he knows how to play the post position.
As the season goes along I hope Scott as well as Williams get some more PT. I think that is Thad's biggest shortcoming is his use of short benches. Its nice to have Craft on the court for 40 minutes, but it also would be nice to see Scott make an impact his freshman year.
I don't mean to say I don't like Sullinger as a player. I think he's good. He just doesn't make my eyes pop out, that's all.
Probably a David West-type player. Not an explosive talent, but well-schooled, nice touch, great hands and feet, good court sense, good passer, very persistent, great character, great teammate. Excellent college player. It's just that the TV guys were going ga-ga over him like he's the second coming of Dr. J and I'm like "really?".
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
Well, if that's the standard, Dickie V. exaggerates any player. I don't think anyone realistically appreciates Sullinger as a flashy player, but just as you said, for his real basketball qualities, which make him a star. But then, what substance is there in the flash?
Dickie V's adjectives have to be taken for what they're worth. I barely even hear him as I listen to a game he's covering.
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
Totally agree with you on this. I love Jared Sullinger. But he's not even the most important player on this basketball team, IMO. That would be Aaron Craft, the best point guard in the country. We could survive without Sullinger, maybe even still win the Big 10. Take Craft away and I think we'd really struggle. The well run machine would develop many kinks.
Wow, that is some strong hyperbole that I don't think is intended as such. I would say Craft and Sullinger are the two most important ingredients that makes this an elite team and either of their absence makes them good, but no longer elite. They are, at least, 1A and 1B and it is a symbiotic relationship. Both are equally important to be anything more than a 20 win team and a middle of the pack Conference team getting a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA.
But, I guess you can test your theory next year, cuz I think this is Sullinger's farewell tour.
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
Sullinger is the most important cog on this years team. Craft would be a close second, but OSU has a highly rated freshman PG that could spell Craft if he went down. Its difficult to sell a double double machine.
It wouldn't surprise me one way or the other if Sullinger left of stayed for his Jr season. He has a strong support system in Columbus and his family doesn't "need" for him to turn pro. He also will have things to develop on over the next few years. I wonder if his decision will be swayed by the OSU big guys who left too early and are in the NBADL or riding the pine in the NBA.
Not a Buckeye fan, but WOW! What a great performance. I will say, I will cheer for tOSU to pound UK if they meet in March, and I think they can do it.
What if this is as good as it gets?
Like I said, I don't want to come across that I don't think Sullinger isn't any good or I don't like him. I love a good, intelligent, well-schooled basketball player who plays an smart and persistent game and elevates his team. He's a very good college player and I love seeing and appreciating that.
But right now he's a back-to-basket type guy and I think he needs to expand his game to get to my criteria of an elite PotY-type player (and I'm a harsh critic). And IMHO, his current play won't work "at the next level". I think he'd be smart to come back for his jr. year.
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
I'd like to believe that, but I think he was ready to go this year but for the lockout threat, which makes him look really smart at this point. I'm also of the opinion that he may not be an impact player in the NBA because of his style of game, seems like a sluggish power forward with O and no D skills, so it might be in his best interests to capitalize on any hype and get a big bonus to help compensate for lower NBA earning potential due to a short career, or bench career track.
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
Sullinger reminds me a lot of Kevin Love and he's done ok for himself. I think Love is a little bit taller, but I think Sullinger is a little bit better natural scorer.
I wish Duke would have put up a little bit more of a fight last night, but they looked tired and I'm sure they were after the travel. Deshaun Thomas was a beast and when he plays that way there isn't a team in college basketball that can beat OSU.
If Kentucky beats North Carolina, the rankings stay the same, period. I could see a case if Ohio State wins in Lawrence next week but UK-UNC before this week was a matchup of the top two teams in the nation. Not taking anything away from Duke-Ohio State, but if Kentucky wins (and does so convincingly, which is a lot to ask), I don't see the rankings changing for awhile.
That being said, as a UK fan, Ohio State is probably the one team in the NCAA field this year that scares me, even more than North Carolina. Craft is a more cerebral PG who would give Teague fits defensively, and he did a job on Knight last year. Davis is a completely different player from Harrellson, who held his own against Sullinger last year. With Davis being rail thin at the center position but playing like a guard, it would be the more intriguing matchup IMO.
I don't think it's hyperbole (although my brother does lol) and it's no knock on Sullinger. I think Craft is THAT important. What do the Billy Donovans of Coach Ks of the world say after they play OSU? They rave about Craft. Not just the way he runs the offense, but his defensive intensity. Whoever he's guarding, eliminate them from the game. Sullinger is a very good player, but defensively, he's not that great. Craft may be the best perimeter defender in the nation. Factor in the way he runs the offense, if I had to pick one of the guys tomorrow to start my team with, I take Craft.
Clearly that opinion is in the minority, but I feel strongly about it. Jared is a stud. But guys in the post with length are gonna give him all kinds of problems, as UK did last year.
You don't think 14-15 additional voters will put Ohio State No. 1 in their polls this week after a 22-point win against media darling Duke? I realize this is a silly debate, but I'll make a friendly wager just for the sake of bragging rights... unless UK outright blitzes Carolina this weekend, Ohio State will overtake them in the poll
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
If we're talking as an NBA player, sure. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a better college post player anywhere. He's the perfect college post guy, short of having a 7-6 winspan that also blocks five shots per game.
As an NBA prospect, you're right that he's not really that great. But when speaking specifically about college, he's every bit as good as advertised. That he can basically average 18/10 a game despite constant double and triple teams just goes to show how good he really is at this level.
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
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