NCAA TOURNY Kentucky vs Ohio ST

[OZZIEOHIO]

Kentucky is 10 and 8 over all against the Bucks We will be 1 away after friday.

[Space Cowboy]

UK has more problems than just how to guard Sullinger, and I dont know what you watch when you see Diebler on D. Athleticism is one of the strengths of this Buckeye team and I doubt that they will be out athleticized (is that a word?) by UK or anyone else in the field.

Again, IMO injury, illness or foul trouble are their biggest problems the rest of the way. And one of those can upset the balance that is Ohio State.

No disrespect to Kentucky, but I see an 8-15 point Buckeye win (like I have a crystal ball or have been talking to Miss Cleo) and if they are hitting like last game it will be lights out. I like what one of the talking heads said about the strength of the Buckeyes. He said in the games he has watched, he has been most impressed because they are so unselfish as a unit that they pass up good shots for better shots. Averaging over 20 assists a game would seem to validate that view.

Thier unselfishness, IMO, is the single most important strength of the Buckeyes.

[bucksfan76]

My bracket says Ohio State. My heart says Kentucky.
Ohio State played really well against GM. UK had the same result last yr shooting really well in the first few games of the tournament and were cold against WVU's 1-3-1. Honestly, I think Diebler will be lucky to get a shot up. He's been money lately and coach Cal will put Liggins on him. Other than Florida State; UK is the best defensive team Ohio State will have faced if UK plays defense like they are capable of. I don't want to say they have great defense and them give up 80 points, but they have played great D all year. The only problem is how UK is going to guard Sullinger. Harrelson is a good player and he plays hard, but can he really keep up with Sully? UK is FAR more athletic than Ohio State. Diebler won't guard a soul, and Craft can't keep up with Knight. If our veteran players don't play well, then we're screwed because they are the spark to this team (Harrelson, Liggins, Miller). I'm not sure how this game will go, but I look for it to be a good one.

Really if Knight goes into the game with this mindset he is in for a rude awakening.Yes Knight has the height advantage but craft is very good on D and will make Knight work hard for everything he gets. Depends on how physical the refs let them play.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Craft will have to send Knight's jock back to him via Fedex.

[footballfanatic1]

Craft is way to physical for knight.....

[ManitouDan]

OSU very well may win this game but craft isn't in the same league as Knight. Cmon you guys are not serious right ? Knight will be playing THE league for years and years. Craft will lead the church league in scoring. Knights a future pro easily, Craft might make a pro in Europe. maybe. MD

[Space Cowboy]

UK can easily win this game.
We know Matta already has the team looking forward to the final 4.
Knight will shut down Craft.......except for the fact that this is the one position where Crafts shorter height will be an advantage since his primary roll is PG, so forget Knight totally shutting down Craft....not unless UK thinks they can afford the foul trouble.
Harrelson can try to shut down Sullenger but will need some help on the inside...this will open up Diebler and Lightey. So much for that tactic. So lets try getting Sullenger into foul trouble. In steps Lauderdale.
I like UKs chances

[Burg_Grad_77]

buckeyes are unstopable. Tat parlors should be getting new influx of tradable memoriabia come April. MD

Since you brought up the tattoo's I'd like to ask you and anyone else if they can explain this to me.

I have watched a lot of college basketbal and football this year and it is just unbelievable the amount of college players that are completely covered in tattoo's. So my question is, just how in the Hell does a college kid afford to get thousands of dollars of tats? Especially when most of them are probably from poorer families and are only in college because of their scholarships for playing sports. Tats aren't cheap. There is a guy here at work that has close to $1000 in just one arm which is a complete sleeve. So how do these kids afford to have both arms, their chests, their legs, and their backs covered in tats?

You can't tell me that NCAA is stupid enough to not know that what went on at tOSU is also going on at campuses across the USA. No way in Hell these kids can afford all the tats they have. So how are they getting them?

[Rebels on 3]

OSU by 15

[seofan_via_dublin]

The NCAA doesn't care about being proactive. They only care about punishing those who get caught.

[CLane]

One thing I noticed when the brackets were published was the tough matchup Ohio State would have with Kentucky. On paper, the two teams are very similar. Kentucky keeps teams to below 40% shooting on average...which is very hard to do and shows that they are a top notch defensive team. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, tend to allow teams to shoot "lights-out" on occasion (evident in their two losses).

People keep talking about Knight. He's an amazing talent, but unless he hits a bunch of threes (which he can do), I believe he'll be a non-factor. Craft has played well against guards with similar quickness. I think he'll be able to "out-muscle" Knight keeping him out of the lane (which is THE major part of Kentucky's offense). Other Kentucky guards and small forwards will have to take up the slack...which they could pull off and then might force tOSU into some zone D.

Jones is the real deal. Our Bigs can't guard him outside and Lighty will be a little to under-sized to effectively stop him inside. If Terrence goes for 30 and 15....look out!

Realistically though, Ohio State is hands down the favorite. Their unselfish versatility will make them a favorite against anyone in the country this year. Basketball is a crazy sport, but it becomes a little less fickle when you have such a balanced team. I'm looking for Buford (and his mid-range NBA game)to be the difference maker going for 20+. Sullinger may put on a Naismith-worthy show as well.

Go Bucks!....UNC?/Duke?/Kansas? here we come!

[GoBuckeyes2786]

Being from southern Ohio I've always been a Kentucky basketball fan. BUT I'll never root against the buckeyes! Kentucky has a talented team capable of beating the big dogs but if Ohio State plays their best game and UK plays their best game I'd puck the buckeyes by double digits. In order for UK to win they would have to play their very best game and hope for a sloppy OSU performance. This game could be a good one and close victory for either team or a all out Buckeye blow out if the perform like they have been.

For those who say Craft isn't capable or can't guard Knight is crazy. Knight is very talented and can score points, but craft is very athletic, smart, strong and hustles like crazy. Craft will give Knight all he wants all night and probably be one of if not the best defenders he's faced this season

If the inside out game is working for Ohio state I think sullinger will eat harrelson alive and diebler, bufford and lighty will make it rain.

If UK pulls the upset I'll be behind them the rest of the way, but I don't think I'll have to worry about that. Buckeye Nation moves on!!

[Yossarian]

My bracket says Ohio State. My heart says Kentucky.
Ohio State played really well against GM. UK had the same result last yr shooting really well in the first few games of the tournament and were cold against WVU's 1-3-1. Honestly, I think Diebler will be lucky to get a shot up. He's been money lately and coach Cal will put Liggins on him. Other than Florida State; UK is the best defensive team Ohio State will have faced if UK plays defense like they are capable of. I don't want to say they have great defense and them give up 80 points, but they have played great D all year. The only problem is how UK is going to guard Sullinger. Harrelson is a good player and he plays hard, but can he really keep up with Sully? UK is FAR more athletic than Ohio State. Diebler won't guard a soul, and Craft can't keep up with Knight. If our veteran players don't play well, then we're screwed because they are the spark to this team (Harrelson, Liggins, Miller). I'm not sure how this game will go, but I look for it to be a good one.

Really if Knight goes into the game with this mindset he is in for a rude awakening.Yes Knight has the height advantage but craft is very good on D and will make Knight work hard for everything he gets. Depends on how physical the refs let them play.

Craft is VERY good on defense. He is the best defender on the team. He plays smart and anticipates screens very well.

[FANOSPORTS]

The Bucks should win. A mostly senior laden team with a lot of experience and team chemistry. Kentucky has the "McDonald's" All-Americans but they never stay together for more than 1 or 2 years down there before they go pro and that most generally doesn't get it at the NCAA Level. There are always exceptions but they are few and far between and even then, the few teams that have won it all with inexperience have been just so athletically superior and talented that it couldn't be overcome by other teams that particular year. I don't think this year that there is any team that stands out like that.

[JChipwood]

I agree totally clane!!! Kentucky is a very good team that plays excellent d and has a lot of talent. They are a jump shooting team but also have an underrated inside game and have good slashers.

I too think Buford is going to be the difference maker and said before the season started that I thought he would be in the running for BigTen POY. I still think he is the best "pro" on the team and has been the Bucks best player this year. With the way they share the ball on the outside it is hard to be the guy every night so his stats have suffered somewhat. He plays good d, rebounds well, finishes better than anyone on the team, and shoots the ball better than anyone on the team especially considering he shoots a lot of shots off the bounce and creates against defensive pressure as well as the spot up stuff. Sully is in position to make plays on every trip up and down the floor and has been very impressive and consistant but is THE guy inside so he doesn't have to share as much and has had the fortune of guys being forced to help due to penetration.

My big concern, as I stated in December, is that Craft gets in foul trouble. Perception is that he is fouling a lot even though he is really just playing smothering hard-nosed defense. Combine that with Sully getting bailed out a lot by the refs on plays that he is just wiser than the defenders, those same refs will be seeing Craft body up and will try to be consistant and fair and call fouls on perception rather than by the rules and cause tOSU problems. People have said we couldn't shoot that well again several times this year and many times this season we have shot the ball better than most teams' career best shooting night so I think we will be okay in that area. We shoot 40% from 3 on a bad night. Diebler may struggle to get his shots though, he usually struggles against long athletic guys and I am sure Coach C has seen that.

I am sick of hearing that NO team is dominant this year though. The past several years that has been the case but this year one team has been better than the rest from day one and they are still on top right now.

[BBallin fool]

OSU by 10+

[ManitouDan]

ky is hard to predict--sometimes Jones looks interested in being a NBA player, sometimes he looks bored and dogs it . (hate this type of player) If Jones is off and Harrelson doesn't have an above par game Ky goes down. IF Jones plays well, Harrelson avoids foul trouble and they hit 40 % of their 3's I say it goes down to the last 2-3 possesion's . Both Ky and OSU got the screw job in this draw , No way OSU as the # 1 overall seed should get Ky as the lowest ranked 4 seed . Ky finishes the year in top ten in both RPI and Coach's poll but gets seeded like a 14-16th overall . bad deal for both. MD

[seofan_via_dublin]

Like I said before, if you put the name Duke, UNC, or Kentucky across the jerseys of this Buckeyes team, you would have every talking head in the country proclaiming them as one of the best teams of the past 10 years!

[ManitouDan]

Like I said before, if you put the name Duke, UNC, or Kentucky across the jerseys of this Buckeyes team, you would have every talking head in the country proclaiming them as one of the best teams of the past 10 years!

I don't agree with that one dubs.

[ManitouDan]

#1 overall seed doesn't equal respect ? What did they do to earn such praise ? They beat 1 raNKED OUT OF CONFERENCE THE ENTIRE YEAR AND IT WAS IN NOVEMBER (SORRY caps off ) They beat Florida in November nearly 5 months ago and since then have played no one outside the big ten since , and it's just not that great , it's not the big east or big 12. or no one to match duke or NC in the ACC. They might beat UK , but they will not will it all. MD