NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Ohio Loses Grip on Buckeye Title

Charles Rich — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:36:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Football, Big 10, Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Ohio State

Not a good omen for the upcoming year for Ohio State athletics. According to the American Forests, the largest Ohio Buckeye tree resides in Oak Brook, Illinois, not Ohio. If that wasn't bad enough, it is controlled by a clown.

And Ohio lost the title to its state tree -- the Ohio buckeye -- to Illinois, whose new national champ stands at McDonald's corporate headquarters, Hamburger U.

They apparently track and score these things. The Ohio entrant that held the title for 11 years and is actually taller by 4 feet. Girth matters, though, as the McDonald's/Illinois competitor is thicker and wider overall. It outscored the Ohio based tree 266-233.

Ohio Loses Grip on Buckeye Title originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Conley, Jr.'s Important NBA Milestone

Bethlehem Shoals — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:51:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Eastern, Western, NBA Draft, NBA Gossip, Ohio State

Mike Conley, Jr. should be the first point guard taken next week, and scouts are saying he could be the next Chris Paul. Very, very soon, his life be changed forever, and he'll start down a path most athletes only dream of.

On his Yardbarker blog, Conley tells us that one of those life-changing moments has happened already:

I was listening to this song called "Joke's on You" which is on the new cd by "Fabolous," when out of no where it sounded like he said my name. I sat there for a minute and thought to myself that i didn't just hear what I thought I heard. . . I never thought that my name would ever be used in a song, especially not one by Fabolous.

He then promptly called Oden to brag--since presumably, this is the one honor that hasn't already been handed to Big Greg. Henry at True Hoop was kind of enough to track down audio of "Joke's on You", which is definitely NSFW. Oh, and if anyone cares, that's Pusha T of Clipse with the putative Conley namedrop.

Correction: Conley needs to calm down a little. "Joke's on You" is a comedy-themed track, and so Conley's actually mis-hearing the name of BET Comic View's Michael Collier.

Mike Conley, Jr.'s Important NBA Milestone originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You'll Put Someone's Eye Out With That

Charles Rich — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Police Blotter, Ohio State

One of Ohio State's forgotten members of the Thad Five, David Lighty, finally plead guilty to 1st degree misdemeanor assault and incredible stupidity for shooting a jogger with a toy BB gun and rubber pellets a year ago.

Lighty fired the shot that pelted another high-school alumnus, 55-year-old James Nugent, in the lower back as Nugent ran laps on VA-SJ's track on July 7, 2006. Nugent yelped. Perched in bleachers scores of feet away, Lighty, McLeod and Rushton cracked up.

Nugent told [Judge] Callahan he felt a sting, then heard, "I hit him! I hit him!"

"They laughed - they just thought it was a joke," Nugent recalled.

Nugent called Cleveland police, who arrived two minutes later to capture the three youths and their arsenal of three colorful plastic guns and rubbery, spring-propelled ammo.

Nugent accepted the defendants' apologies as well as their punishment. Said Nugent afterward: "It was kind of a dumb thing to do. But 18-year-old boys do that."

Yes, this case was finally decided this week. The wheels of justice don't exactly move quickly in Ohio. It was dumb more than anything else. Stupid and ridiculous. Not to mention downright embarrassing to get picked up by the police and being held for possession of toy guns. Clearly, David Lighty would never make it in Florida where the student athletes have bigger toys.

Damn, Florida beats Ohio State, again.

You'll Put Someone's Eye Out With That originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Oden Wants to Be a Dentist

Michael David Smith — Sun, 20 May 2007 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

One of the refreshing things about Greg Oden, who will almost certainly be the first pick in the NBA draft no matter who wins the lottery, is that he doesn't seem particularly impressed with himself. He seems to view his basketball skills as just an accident of genetics, not a trait that makes him a superior human being.

And that is most evident when he talks about his NBA future, as he did in an ESPN interview this morning. Without fail, when he's asked whether being a professional basketball player is a lifelong dream, Oden explains that his actual dream is to become a dentist. That's what he wanted to be as a child, and his physical size is actually a hindrance toward that dream: His hands are so big that he'd have a hard time getting them in a patient's mouth.

Oden's devotion to fighting tooth decay has been on display for as long as he's been a public figure. "I like dentistry," Oden said at the Final Four. "I just went to the dentist. It was nice." "I wanted to be a dentist back in the day," he told Men's Fitness. "I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he said a dentist," his agent Mike Conley Sr. says.

I hope Oden plays 15 years or so in the NBA, until he's 60 35. And then I hope he goes back to school, gets the undergrad degree, and moves on to dental school. Yeah, his hands are bigger than most, but a man as devoted to teeth as Oden is shouldn't miss his true calling in life.

Greg Oden Wants to Be a Dentist originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 20 May 2007 11:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Mike Conley Jr. Ready for the NBA?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

I thought during the last college basketball season that Mike Conley Jr. was the third-best freshman in the country, behind only teammate Greg Oden and Texas's Kevin Durant. But I never thought he was the third-best player in the country, or really even close to that.

But as we get closer to the NBA draft, we're hearing more and more that Oden and Durant are the only prospects who are clearly ahead of Conley. Here's what one scout had to say:

"When it's all said and done -- after the workouts are finished -- I think Conley could go as high as number 4 or 5. He's the real deal."

That sounds awfully high to me, but I do think Conley will be a better pro than the other top point guard prospect, Texas A&M's Acie Law. Still, Conley strikes me as the type of player who's going to need some time to adjust to the NBA. He might be a great player some day, but not as soon as Oden or Durant.

Is Mike Conley Jr. Ready for the NBA? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Apr 2007 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dad Says Ohio State's Greg Oden Entering NBA Draft

Michael David Smith — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

In news that will come as a shock to exactly no one, Greg Oden's dad says he's going to leave Ohio State and enter the NBA draft, where just about everyone agrees he'll be the first overall pick.

"Why not, as long as he finishes school in the offseason?" the elder Oden said. "He's the kind of kid that, even though he'll have a lot of money, he needs to do more than just basketball. "They had an exciting season, but why take the chance on him getting hurt?"

That last part is the key, but as for the first part, I really see no reason that Oden needs to finish school in the offseason. Why not spend his NBA offseasons working out and enjoying his millions?

Oden's dad also confirmed that Mike Conley Sr., Oden's AAU coach and a former Olympic track and field star who was recently certified as an agent, will represent Oden. And he said that two other Ohio State players, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook, intend to enter the draft but not hire an agent to leave open the possibility of returning to school. Of course, when your dad's an agent, it kind of gives you a loophole through the whole "not hiring an agent" thing.

Dad Says Ohio State's Greg Oden Entering NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 07:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Walton Rips Thad Matta Over Use of Greg Oden

Michael David Smith — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:41:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

On ESPN Radio this morning, ESPN basketball analyst Bill Walton bashed Ohio State coach Thad Matta, saying Matta had access to one of the most talented big men the game has ever seen -- Greg Oden -- and that he let that talent go to waste.

"I'm seeing Oden out there sort of standing around," Walton said. "You win in basketball when you attack."

Walton added that he was "wholly disappointed" that Matta often ran a slow-down offense and a zone defense, which Walton said did not adequately use Oden's skills. Walton called Oden "the most under-utilized talent that I have ever seen in the college ranks."

Walton knows far more than I do about how to use a talented big man, but I have to disagree with him here. Oden was great in the tournament except when he got into foul trouble. If Matta had told Oden to play a more aggressive game, wouldn't he have been more likely to foul out?

On the other hand, I like the fact that Walton isn't shy about expressing his opinions. I think too many analysts are timid when it comes to questioning coaches' strategic decisions. No one can say that about Walton.

Bill Walton Rips Thad Matta Over Use of Greg Oden originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Bilas on Greg Oden: 'He Might Come Back'

Michael David Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State

I think everyone just assumes we just watched the last game of the amateur portion of Greg Oden's basketball career. At least, I thought that until I heard ESPN commentator Jay Bilas after the game. Bilas said he thinks Oden is seriously considering a return to Columbus for his sophomore season and added, "He really loves college."

I really loved college, too. I wouldn't have turned down a multimillion-dollar job offer to stay in college, though.

Assuming this was Oden's last game, it was a great one -- perhaps his best in a Buckeyes uniform. He had 25 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks against that outstanding Florida front line. Thanks to his teammates' horrendous three-point shooting, Oden didn't go out a winner. But he went out on top.

Jay Bilas on Greg Oden: 'He Might Come Back' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beating Greg Oden Can Cement Florida's Legacy

Michael David Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:26:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, SEC Basketball, March Madness, NBA Prospects, Florida, Ohio State

America is finally getting to see what Greg Oden is like when he's not in foul trouble, and he's great. At halftime, Oden has 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting, with seven rebounds. He's the best player on the floor.

And yet Florida leads by 11, and that's what makes this Florida team so special. No matter how they do it, a win over Ohio State would make this Gators team one of the all-time great college basketball teams, but if they had done it with Oden spending most of his time on the bench in foul trouble, that might have put a bit of an asterisk next to their victory. There's no chance of that now.

As good a front line as Florida has, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Chris Richard are clearly not in the same class as Oden. But Florida is such a complete team that it's 20 minutes away from winning anyway.

Beating Greg Oden Can Cement Florida's Legacy originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memo to Thad Matta: Don't Bench Greg Oden

Michael David Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NBA Prospects, Florida, Ohio State, Columbus

I mentioned earlier that the biggest question facing tonight's Ohio State-Florida national championship game is how many minutes Greg Oden will play. In part that's a question of what kind of game the referees call.

But it's also, in part, a question of what kind of strategy Ohio State coach Thad Matta uses. When Oden picked up his second foul just a couple minutes into Saturday's Ohio State-Georgetown game, I was shocked when CBS commentator Billy Packer suggested that Oden would sit out the rest of the half. But I was even more shocked when Matta proved him right, keeping him on the bench until after halftime.

Although it worked out OK for Ohio State, I strongly disagree with that strategy. King Kaufman gets it exactly right today:

Matta [sat] Oden on the bench for nearly half the game -- nearly half the game! -- to try to keep him from fouling out. What happens if he fouls out? He has to sit on the bench. It's kind of like never driving your car so you don't get a flat tire, because if you get a flat tire, you can't drive your car.

I really hope Matta isn't so cautious tonight. Ohio State needs Oden on the floor, not the bench, and if Matta puts him on the bench to keep him from fouling out, he's outsmarting himself.

Previously at FanHouse:
How Many Minutes Will Greg Oden Play?
Dick Vitale Wants Basketball to Eliminate Fouling Out
Foul Trouble Ruins Greg Oden-Roy Hibbert Battle

Memo to Thad Matta: Don't Bench Greg Oden originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Four, Tournament Ratings Up for CBS

Michael David Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:19:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Georgetown Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, UCLA Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Florida, Ohio State

Say what you will about the lack of upsets this year, but the American public doesn't seem to mind. TV ratings have increased from last year for the NCAA Tournament as a whole, and especially for Saturday night's Florida-UCLA game.

That's an extraordinary piece of good news for both the NCAA and CBS. Although the ratings increase sounds small (3 percent for Saturday night's games and 2 percent for the tournament overall), network television is seeing its ratings decline in almost everything. Any increase is a big deal.

The lack of upsets might, in fact, be the reason for the higher ratings: George Mason was a good story last year, but when fans tune in to the Final Four, they want to think they're actually watching the best teams. That wasn't the case last year. With two schools that have big alumni bases and well-known players taking the floor tonight, CBS must be very optimistic.

Final Four, Tournament Ratings Up for CBS originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Many Minutes Will Greg Oden Play?

Michael David Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, SEC Basketball, March Madness, Florida, Ohio State

I don't want to say the referees are going to determine the outcome of tonight's game by how they call fouls, but I can't remember the last time the question of whether or not one player would get into early foul trouble seemed so important heading into a big game.

Yes, Ohio State managed to beat Georgetown even though Greg Oden spent 17 minutes on the bench in the first half. But there's no way the Buckeyes can beat Florida if Oden isn't on the floor. As Ken Pomeroy writes today, Oden's inside presence defensively will be huge:

If there's one stat I'll be watching closely tonight, it's Florida's 2-point percentage. They have owned the paint all season, did so in the first meeting, and lead the nation in 2-point accuracy at 59.1%. Clearly a lot of that has to do with the quality of shots by Noah and Horford, but not a single player in Florida's top seven shoots below 50% inside the arc. However, Ohio State has been dominant inside defensively, with Georgetown being the first team to shoot better than 50% on 2's in the Buckeyes' last 17 games.

Florida just has too many big guys -- Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Chris Richard -- for Ohio State to stop all of them without Oden on the floor. If the referees are calling every ticky-tack foul, Florida can withstand having a couple of their top players on the bench. Ohio State can't survive without Oden.

How Many Minutes Will Greg Oden Play? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 08:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dick Vitale Wants Basketball to Eliminate Fouling Out

Michael David Smith — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 06:30:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, UCLA Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Ohio State

After foul trouble ruined the Greg Oden-Roy Hibbert battle last night and also cut Arron Afflalo's night short, Dick Vitale proposed something interesting on ESPN: Vitale suggested that college basketball should completely eliminate the age-old rule of disqualifying players after they accumulate a certain number of fouls.

Vitale first suggested that the NCAA should change its rule of fouling out after five fouls and match the NBA's rule of six. But then he went a step beyond that, saying that players should be allowed to stay in the game even after their sixth foul, but that a player's seventh foul and beyond should result in the opposing team getting two shots and the ball. That would allow a team to keep its best player on the floor, but would prevent players from being put out there solely to foul all night.

It is a little odd, I guess, that basketball disqualifies players for racking up a certain number of fouls -- you don't see football players kicked out of the game for too many holding penalties. I guess it's possible that the NCAA could change to the six-foul rule, although with 40-minute games compared to 48 in the NBA, I'm not sure that's necessary. But I like the fact that Vitale is thinking outside the box here.

Dick Vitale Wants Basketball to Eliminate Fouling Out originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Apr 2007 06:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Florida-Ohio State: National Championship Preview

Michael David Smith — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:24:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, SEC Basketball, March Madness, Florida, Ohio State

It's a Florida-Ohio State national championship preview. Where have we heard this before?

Vitals:
Ohio State (35-3) vs. Florida (34-5)
Monday, 9 p.m. Eastern, CBS

How Ohio State Got Here:
Playing the first seven games of the season without their best player, freshman center Greg Oden, made the Buckeyes a better team. Oden is such a phenomenal talent that it would have been easy for the guys around him to turn into nothing more than a supporting cast full of role players, but they're much more than that.

Point guard Mike Conley Jr. is the third-best freshman in the country, behind Oden and Kevin Durant. Juniors Jamar Butler and Othello Hunter don't have the pure talent of their freshman teammates, but they're smart players and vital cogs in Thad Matta's well-oiled machine. This is a complete team that has improved all year, and the Buckeyes have now won 22 straight games.

How Florida Got Here:
The Gators have known they're the best team in the country all year -- that's what happens when you win the national championship and everyone comes back. And knowing they were better than everyone else might explain why they looked like they were starting to get bored in February, losing three of four in the regular season.

But make no mistake: The real Florida team is the one you saw against UCLA Saturday night. That also, of course, is the one you saw against Ohio State in December -- a game that was close in the first half but turned into an 86-60 blowout. It's been a long, long time since college basketball saw a better starting five than Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah. It's also been a long time since college basketball saw a better coach than Billy Donovan, which is why the biggest story of Final Four weekend is whether Kentucky or an NBA team can convince Donovan to leave Florida.

What We Said Before the Tournament About Ohio State:
NCAA Previews: Recognize the Ohio State Buckeyes

What We Said Before the Tournament About Florida:
NCAA Previews: Recognize the Florida Gators

Prediction:
Ohio State is a better team now than it was in December, and we won't see a repeat of that 26-point whupping the Gators gave the Buckeyes. But we will see a repeat national championship for the first time since the Christian Laettner-Bobby Hurley days.
Florida 75, Ohio State 71

Florida-Ohio State: National Championship Preview originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Foul Trouble Ruins Greg Oden-Roy Hibbert Battle

Michael David Smith — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

The individual match-up that was hyped as the best battle of big men in college basketball since Patrick Ewing took on Akeem Olajuwon turned out to be a huge disappointment. Early foul trouble plagued both Ohio State center Greg Oden and Georgetown center Roy Hibbert, and they spent more time on the bench than they did taking on each other.

Oden finished with 13 points and eight rebounds in a winning effort, but he got his first two fouls so quickly that at halftime he had zero points and zero shots. Hibbert had 19 and six, but that sounds better than he looked. Both players finished with four fouls, and because of that foul trouble, Hibbert played just 24 minutes and Oden played just 19.

CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Billy Packer discussed how so many people have compared the centers, especially Oden, to some of the all-time greats (Bill Walton, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabar were mentioned), and Packer pronounced them, "Not even close yet." Nantz then asked, "Do you see that potential?" Packer answered, "No." Oddly, Packer was very complimentary of Oden during the post-game interview and even gave Oden a pat on the back as he walked off the floor.

Previously at FanHouse:
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Hype
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Breakdown, Part I
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Breakdown, Part II
Big Man Battle: OSU's Greg Oden vs. Georgetown's Roy Hibbert

Foul Trouble Ruins Greg Oden-Roy Hibbert Battle originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Four LiveBlog: Georgetown-Ohio State, 2nd Half

Charles Rich — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, Ohio State

Final Four Live Blog: Georgetown-Ohio State | 1st Half | 2nd Half

Welcome back. Ohio State leads 27-23 thanks to Mike Conley, Jr. shooting 5-6 with 11 points. He has penetrated almost at will against Georgetown. Jeff Green has been a non-factor as he just hasn't gotten the ball too often.

A cynic might think that CBS placed a very angry call to the NCAA about the refs in the first half. The conspiracy theory might have legs Oden and Hibbert really start to bang without calls in the second half. At least, that's what I'm hoping to see.

The halftime was uncomfortable with the Chevrolet Player and Coach of the Year Awards. Lesley Visser and some very disturbing hair was stuck in the awkward sponsor shill hostess duties.

Now, Ohio State is standing around and Georgetown is moving without the ball.

Georgetown takes the lead 34-33 at 15:56, but Hibbert just whistled for his third foul.

Hibbert out of the game, and now Oden gets to slam one home. It would be nice for more then two minute spells to see them go at each other a bit more.

Hibbert went right at Oden and drew the foul. Now 3 fouls for each. Guess the refs didn't get the memo. 42-38 Ohio State with 11:50 remaining.

Strictly by the numbers, Hibbert is looking better then Oden. 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks with 11 minutes left. Oden has only 8 points and 3 rebounds. Oden looks a lot better when he can stay on the court. Of course, Oden has barely stayed on the court. More importantly for his team is that Ohio State continues to lead.

There's Hibbert for his fourth foul when he stupidly held his guy at 8:50 left.

Ohio State just went on a 6-0 run in a 1:26 stretch after Hibbert left. 50-44 Ohio State.

Georgetown is shooting nearly 50% but has taken 10 less shots than Ohio State because of turnovers and rebounds. If you are a Hoya fan, now's about the time when Jeff Green is expected to take over the game for Georgetown.

What a late and bad call! Green stood waiting for the charge and Oden nailed him -- missing a jam. As the ball careened to near mid-court the official finally blew the whistle for a blocking foul?

Oden just is not a good flopper trying to draw Hibbert's fifth foul. Watch some more Vlade Divac tapes.

A few minutes later, Oden gets called for his 4th trying to stop Jeff Green from driving. Now 56-52 Ohio State with 2:36 left.

61-52 Ohio State with 1:14 left. Jeff Green has not shown any aggressiveness in this game. Stunning since the game was calling for him to take over early. Never tried to penetrate early. Never tried to take over the game when Hibbert and Oden were both out of the game with foul troubles early.

Coming into the game, after getting past the now non-existent "Battle of the Big Men," the edge in the back court was to Ohio State. The other edge went to Georgetown with Jeff Green. He's been negated by Lighty. Ohio State's backcourt advantage was really the difference.

DaJuan Summers had a horrible game for Georgetown. He shot 1-10 and turned the ball over 3 times. Still, the bigger issue for Georgetown was that Jeff Green didn't play an aggressive game on offense. He refused to drive and just take the ball at Ohio State. That was surprising, considering the way he had played in the last two months.

Ohio State was very well balanced.Butler, Conley and Oden all had double-digit scoring and the other two starters -- Harris and Lewis -- had 9 points each. Not to mention some contribution from their bench. Something Georgetown did not have.

Ohio State is heading to the championship with a 67-60 win.

Final Four LiveBlog: Georgetown-Ohio State, 2nd Half originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago CBS Affiliate Interrupts Game for Weather Report

Michael David Smith — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:13:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Chicago, Ohio State

The Final Four is worth tens (hundreds?) of millions of dollars to CBS and is the biggest event of the year to millions of viewers. And yet some producers at the network's local affiliates think their own weather reports are more important than Greg Oden and Billy Packer.

The latest example: Early in the game, While live action was ongoing, the affiliate in Chicago reduced the game to a small box in the upper-right hand corner while devoting the rest of the screen to a weather advisory. I understand that a tornado watch is serious, but please, WBBM, that's what the crawl is for.

It's particularly galling that the weather advisory didn't even apply to Cook County, meaning the majority of the people who watch the Chicago CBS affiliate weren't affected. I know I'm far from the only viewer in Chicago who was annoyed.

Chicago CBS Affiliate Interrupts Game for Weather Report originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Four LiveBlog: Georgetown-Ohio State, 1st Half

Charles Rich — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, Ohio State

Final Four Live Blog: Georgetown-Ohio State | 1st Half | 2nd Half

Finally, it's game time. I don't know about the rest of you, but I nearly started my taxes today because I was so bored waiting for the games.

Just before player introductions, Sam Ryan said that Ohio State Football Coach Jim Tressel sent Thad Matta a text message of support. Just a hunch, but if Ohio State faces Florida on Monday, I don't think Matta will be taking any words of wisdom on playing the Gators.

Oden beats Hibbert for the tip, and then Hibbert fouls Oden 18 seconds into the game. Hibbert just fell two spots in the latest mock drafts.

Oden misses free throws, Hibbert gets a deep hook over Oden and then Oden called for an illegal screen at the other end. Hibbert moves back up one spot.

Oden called for a charge at 17:19. It was obvious of what would happen right away when he got the ball deep but the Georgetown player was standing and waiting.

So much for the Big Man Battle. At least in the first half. Early it's been some 3-point shooting.

Ohio State's smaller line-up has Georgetown off-balance. The Buckeyes are quicker to the ball on both ends. Forced Hibbert to come out, as he couldn't hold onto the ball on passes.

Ohio State leads 14-7, 9:48 until the half. Georgetown had to use a timeout as nothing going down for them right now. Too many off-balance shots and standing around, which is not how the Hoya offense works. Ohio State has them standing around too much.

The weather way outside of Chicago should not be interrupting this game.

Someone must have said something to Hibbert about taking it right at the rim.Two straight dunks to pull Georgetown to within 1, under 7 minutes left.

Of course, as soon as I type that, Hibbert gets called for his second foul. It's like the refs wanted to make this game about something other than the big men. Four of the five fouls in this game have been called on Hibbert and Oden.

Ohio State is just reading the passes from Georgetown before the Hoya players. The turnovers are killing Georgetown. Neither team is shooting particularly well overall. Ohio State is just moving faster.

23-17 Ohio State under 4 minutes until the half.

Hey, Hoyas getting the ball to Jeff Green. What a good idea. Give it to the best player on the team.

Mike Conley, Jr. looks like the best player out there. He is just blowing past Georgetown players.

Well, no question that Greg Oden will be well-rested for the second half.

Ohio State has done a good job of keeping the ball out of Jeff Green's hand.

Ohio State leads 27-23 at the half.

The score is the kind that both teams are comfortable playing. Kind of a "blah" half of basketball. Some very good defense, which explains why neither team looks comfortable on the offensive end. Only Mike Conley, Jr. seems to be handling the defense well. For either team.

Back for the second half in a bit.

Final Four LiveBlog: Georgetown-Ohio State, 1st Half originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Greg Oden Really Fly Commercial and Sit in Coach?

Michael David Smith — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:29:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, NBA Prospects, Ohio State, Columbus

I started reading this column by Gene Wojciechowski and thought I didn't buy its premise, stated in the opening sentence:

Greg Oden isn't ready for the NBA.

But then I kept reading and found something I really didn't buy. Wojciechowski runs down the list of reasons Oden has for leaving college, and one of them is this:

No more ... folding his 7-foot, 270-pound body into a coach seat when flying commercial.

I absolutely refuse to believe that Greg Oden flies commercial and sits in coach. Oden has a foot and 100 pounds on me, and I can barely tolerate the cramped quarters in coach. Are we to believe that Ohio State flies commercial to its road games? In high school Gatorade flew Oden first class. Has he really been downgraded since he went to Ohio State?

The rest of the column is an interesting comparison between Oden and Tim Duncan, but the basketball world has changed so much since Duncan's senior season that the comparison doesn't strike me as particularly apt. No matter how he flies now, Oden will be flying to NBA games next year.

Does Greg Oden Really Fly Commercial and Sit in Coach? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Oden: Most Dominant Player in College Basketball

Michael David Smith — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:49:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

A month ago, I was wondering if Greg Oden should be labeled a disappointment. Well, March is a long month in college basketball, and no one would make that argument anymore.

In fact, today Ken Pomeroy writes, "If you don't think Greg Oden is the most dominant player in the college game, you're just not thinking." And then with a simple chart, Pomeroy shows how, with the exception of that Xavier game when they dominated overtime after Oden fouled out, the Buckeyes are a much, much worse team when Oden leaves the floor. Check out Ohio State's scores with Oden on and off the court:

Opponent	Oden on	Oden off
Memphis	64-38	28-38
Tennessee	40-26	45-58
Xavier	55-52	23-19
CCSU	60-39	18-18

We've previously discussed how much the "overrated" Oden dominated Memphis big man Joey Dorsey, but those numbers really say it all. Georgetown's only hope is getting Oden in early foul trouble.

Previously at FanHouse:
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Hype
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Breakdown, Part I
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Breakdown, Part II
Big Man Battle: OSU's Greg Oden vs. Georgetown's Roy Hibbert
Joey Dorsey Might Want to Re-Think Greg Oden Comments
Memphis-Ohio State: Joey Dorsey Calls Greg Oden 'Overrated'

Greg Oden: Most Dominant Player in College Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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