NCAA TOURNY Kentucky vs Ohio ST

[Burg_Grad_77]

Its always the officials fault

Never said it was the officials fault. The officials let them play physical and UK took advantage of it. The Bucks played physical as well, at times, but the reason they lost was missed FT's and and Buford having his worst game of the season.

Like I said in an earlier post, I have been a big UK fan for years. Since I was in my early teens and I'm 52 now, so that they won isn't that big of a disappointment to me. The only problem I have is I don't think UK is strong enough to go on and win it all where OSU was. It's just like last year when UK was by far the best team in the tourney, but one bad shooting night and they lose to WVU when they never should have and then WVU get's their rearends handed to them by Duke. I have a feeling UK may suffer the same fate. I hope I'm wrong and they go on and win it all, but UK's win over OSU wasn't so much about UK playing all that great as it was OSU playing horribly and not hitting wide open shots and FT's they have hit all season.

[Bubblegumhuffy]

Kentucky will be preseason number 1 with an amazing recruiting class coming in next year. Knight jones lamb miller liggins. Then add gilchrist Teague wiljter and I forget the other guys name. Watch out for uk again next year

While i doubt Jones will be back, and i find it more less likely by the day that Knight will, next year will be good. UK fans have been looking forward to next year since the start of this season. I honestly feel that this year is a bonus in between two separate very good seasons.

The player you forgot is Anthony Davis, arguably the top player in the country coming in, and the answer to UK's inside problems. He will have a Sullinger'esque effect on UK next year. If they do not win the title next year, people will be very disappointed in Kentucky.

[FSUfly#13]

Buford couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat and if I were to give the ball to anyone for a last second desperation 3 it would have been Diebler.

Like I said, I knew UK could beat Ohio State because they were far more athletic than Ohio State. I also said not to double Sully and guard Diebler tight; Calipari made sure his team did both of those. Diebler had a hot hand but couldn't get a shot off hardly the entire night. Also, are we seriously going to blame the refs right now for the loss? Get real people. It was awful both ways. If I'm watching a game and a ref makes a call, and they show the replay and it looks like a legit call then I don't complain, even if the call went against UK. I usually just say to myself "Crap, he got it right" or "Wow, what a missed call" but I rarely blame a loss on a ref.

I also mentioned that UK was the best defensive team they will have faced all year next to Florida State. 30 % shooting wasn't caused by an off-night. It was because UK shut them down.

UK > OSU

Lastly, that was the best college basketball game this year IMO. 19 lead changes. The game never extended over a 3 point lead in the final 12 minutes or something of that nature. Incredible to watch! However, I never thought they would beat OSU and then UNC back to back like that. I'm proud of UK! And my Seminoles that I support in football, I had to pull for against VCU but unfortunately VCU is just getting hot at the right time. Hats off to them for playing such a tough schedule in the tournament.

[ItownHosscat]

2 teams?
C'mon super-fly,everyone that knows you knows of your hatred of OSU.
OSU had an off nite shooting,thats all and they only lost by 2 on a last second shot.

[Burg_Grad_77]

I know the officials didn't cost the Buckeyes the game, but check out this photo. This was called a "held ball" and gave UK possession.

REALLY?????


http://espn.go.com/ncb/photos?gameId=31 ... Id=1218453

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Refs had nothing to do with Ohio State getting out played, out coached and being beaten by a team from the S.E.C.

[CLane]

I'm looking for Buford (and his mid-range NBA game)to be the difference maker going for 20+.

hmmmm...should have been "I'm looking for Buford (and his propensity for blindly driving the lane and getting his shot blocked)to be the difference maker going 2-20 from the field."....ugh.

I 100% agree with Bob Knight's comment this morning on Mike & Mike...."I don't think there's any team in the country that could have beaten Ohio State in a best of 3 or best of 5 series....but that's the beauty of the NCAA tournament."

The refs, obviously, didn't cost the Buckeyes the game, but WOW, they were turrrrrible!

Refs had nothing to do with Ohio State getting out played, out coached and being beaten by a team from the S.E.C.

Yeah, keep riding the bandwagon, CLOWN!

Jones getting into foul trouble was huge, it kind of took him out of his game and he never got back into a rhythm. Craft absolutely owned Knight for (almost) the entire game forcing turnovers that kept the Bucks in the game....he was just too strong for the wiry Wildcat. Knight's last shot was pretty amazing though....the crossover was sick, craft recovered and got a hand in his face, but Knight is CLUTCH. He has hit 3-4 HUGE shots this tourny.

I'm not a Kentucky hater....it's pretty hard to be one growing up in southeastern Ohio watching them play when I was younger. I could care less about Cal's past transgressions. But, the better team didn't win Friday night...."that's the beauty of the NCAA Tournament"...I guess.

[Trivium5]

But look on the bright side, Buckeye fans. Sullinger is back for one more year!

[Bleeding Red]

I know the officials didn't cost the Buckeyes the game, but check out this photo. This was called a "held ball" and gave UK possession.

REALLY?????


http://espn.go.com/ncb/photos?gameId=31 ... Id=1218453

Harrellson should have fouled out the first half. That guy is out of control.

I think overall, Craft got away with a couple fouls (reach in), but Sullinger got mauled down low and the refs wouldnt blow the whistle.

Bufford kept throwing up poor shots all game. OSU stood around on offense and missed 40+ screens. Worst game they played all year, by far....and the worst possible time. When you shoot 30% from the field and miss countless free throws, you are not going to beat very many teams in the NCAA tournament.

I think with Sully, Bufford, Thomas, Craft and the others next year we will be better. Sullinger needs to get more physical under the rim. But I STILL think he was treated even worse by the refs after Thad Matta complained about it after the win over Penn State.

[JChipwood]

Well I couldn't have been more wrong about Buford. He has been so silky smooth but absolutely tried too hard to force the issue Friday night. I do think he was playing Knight really well early and taking the jumper away from him. Of course Craft came in played great d too.

I will miss the seniors, especially Lighty, but will NOT miss seeing everyone, including granny Smith and her apples drive past Diebler at will. He gave up the back breaker to give UK the 3 point lead just before he hit the three to tie it up late but should have never given up the lane on a dribble drive in that situation, force to the baseline and into the help.

Kentucky definitely played the best defensive team they will face this year. Watching them and UNC was like watching an NBA game in early December, turrible defense.

[KingJames]

Harrelson shouldn't have fouled out. He was straight up everytime. Sullinger just took slot of bad, unopen shots

[seofan_via_dublin]

Harlleson was not straight up every time, he would hate been charged with a hate crime if it were in a rec center!

[Space Cowboy]

Im still tryin to figure out why Matta didnt have Sullenger and Lauderdale hoggin the paint, Diebler and Lighty out on the corners, and Craft driving hard in for the last play. the least that would have happned would have been OT.......Cause Buford sure wasnt hot.

[JChipwood]

Being "straight up" is oveerrated kinda like "over the back"...lol More parts to it than being straight up. You have to be in good position without movement in the body first then have hands straight up. At so many levels you see people say "he was straight up" but it is a three part process. Sully has got to learn how to stay in control and at least go up strong with intent to make a shot rather than intent to draw a foul and too many times he is drawing the foul rather than giving himself a realistic shot at making a basket. I would guess he will work on his "ups" for next season and should be a much bigger force.

Like I said before the game, either Craft will be in foul trouble or Sully won't get the calls, we can't have it both ways. We played our worst at a bad time and still had a chance to win in the end. Buford stunk it up and that was the difference in the game.....I knew he would be the difference maker just figured it would be in a different way.

Diebs was hot but he can't get off against athletic guys and can't defend the rack. Should have subbed offense-defense with him late in the game and never been in that situation.

[KingJames]

You can't try to shoot the ball through someone and expect to get a foul call

[JChipwood]

The refs allowed him to get hammered at times this year and a lot of times bailed him out when he was obviously expecting to get the foul call rather than attempting to make a shot. Makes me wonder how much he went head to head in practice against Big D this year, not comparing the 2 players but Dallas would have forced him to learn to get shots over a longer player and create good looks. I trust in Matta and Jared is just a frosh with lots of talent and a great bball IQ so he will only get better.

At some point tOSU has to get 2 big guys (4 & 5) on the court together. All of our one and dones have spoiled that thought recently and created a lack of depth with our bigs. I thought we played our best defense this year with D and Sully on the court together but understand the variables and reasoning behind those situations being limited. Matta had a tough job this year deciding who to sit out to best help the team. Craft was too good to sit, D was a force on defense, Diebler rarely made mistakes, Buford was silky smooth all year (except one game), and Lighty has been in the system and the do everything guy since Jimmy Jackson graduated. Add Sully to that and someone was going to lose pt. Jordan Sibert is a solid player who will help next year and D Thomas would have started for almost every Buckeye team in their history.

We will be good next year, again. Unfortunately we have to wait until then to see another game. I don't think the better team won on Friday but the team that played the best did win the game and UK is a solid team.