Purdue is not a good team right now, but the Boilermakers can be a pain. Purdue has now been competitive against the Big Ten's two best clubs, losing by just five at Wisconsin two weeks ago, and hanging close for most of the night against Ohio State before the Buckeyes pulled away to win 78-60.Still, seeing the way Ohio State played down the stretch, we're back to a familiar refrain: These guys are just ridiculously talented. If Mike Conley Jr. played for any team other than Ohio State (or maybe Texas), people would be talking about him as the best freshman in the country. But he's so overshadowed by teammate Greg Oden that he doesn't get the attention he deserves. Tonight Conley scored 17 and added five assists.
I still say Oden needs to be more selfish. His final line tonight was nine points and six rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting. It's time for Thad Matta to insist that Oden get himself more involved in the offense. Throw in Daequan Cook, who had 10 points and 10 boards, and Ohio State is oozing with talent. When Oden does get more involved, Ohio State is going to be scary good. That needs to happen soon.
