Basketball Buckeyes Look For Their Chance Tonight In Draft

Can they transition into the NBA?

David Lighty and Jon Diebler were huge contributors in the NCAA tournament run the last 2 years. While they did not reach their goals, they certainly made Buckeye Nation proud by always giving it their best and never giving up. The leadership of these two were remarkable. Lighty will most likely be drafted in the second round, and there are many possibilities as to where he could end up.


"Lighty should now play the role typically held by seniors in the NBA Draft -- the picks teams need to fill out rosters. During the four drafts of Lighty's college career, there were only 22 seniors taken in the first round, but 57 selected in the second round. The second round Thursday should include well-known seniors such as Cleveland State's Norris Cole, Duke's Nolan Smith, Wisconsin's Jon Leuer, Purdue's JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Illinois' Demetri McCamey and Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough."


While that may be, Buckeye fans certainly know that teams pick up Lighty and Diebler will have some serious steals. Diebler was a machine from the 3 point line, but couldn't do much else, so he might be a small role player in certain situations. 


When I think of David Lighty, I think of superb defensive ability, with a knack for hitting the shot that the team needs. He reminds me of Ron Artest when he plays, both physical and smart, and can really be good player in the NBA.

Class of 2011: Thanks For The Memories

Days, Lauderdale, Lighty and Diebler

After the loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, I was absolutely heartbroken for this group of seniors.  If there was ever a class that deserved a national championship, it was this group. 

Eddie Days, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, David Lighty. The class of 2011.

For four (or five) years, these kids’ blood, sweat and tears went into making Buckeye basketball the rising power that it is today. 



For Lighty and Days, their journey began in the 2006-07 season that ended in a loss to Florida in the national championship game.  Despite making the team as a walk-on, a concern about Days’ heart kept him out of that season.  He finally made it back on the team as a walk-on before last season. 

David Lighty was a role player on that national runner-up squad, but was a starter for the remainder of his career.  Lighty suffered a foot injury in December 2008 that caused him to miss the remainder of that season.  Lighty holds the NCAA record for most appearances with 157.

Dallas Lauderdale. The ultimate team player. If the Buckeyes needed to go small for a game, he didn’t complain about his lack of playing team.  If they needed him to play 25-30 minutes, he would play like it was his last time on the court.  Despite free throw form that might make you cringe, Swatterdale came to play on a nightly basis.  And he has a mean falsetto.

Jon Diebler. Sharpshooter extraordinaire.  Diebler is the all-time 3-point shooting leader for Ohio State and the Big Ten with 374 made.  It’s scary to think how many more he would have had if he had shot better that 29 percent during his first season on campus.  If the Buckeyes needed a big 3-pointer, there was no one you’d rather have with the ball in his hands than Threebler himself (something he proved in the loss to Kentucky with an ice-cold 3-pointer to tie late in the game.)

David Lighty Represents OSU On SI Cover

Just like last year, with Evan Turner, Ohio State once again graces the cover for the March Madness issue of Sports Illustrated. David Lighty is a good choice, because he can change a game when it comes down to it, plus this is his dream, to be on another possible championship team. He knows what it's like to get there, and now he wants a piece of the glory. We congratulate him on a great year, and for representing our school.

Thomas, Buckeyes Blow Up Hooisers

We've said on here that to win a championship this year, DeShaun Thomas would have to step up and be a key player. Yesterday, he did just that.


Deshaun Thomas, last year's Indiana Mr. Basketball, came out of a slump with 22 points to lead Ohio State (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) past Indiana 82-61 on Sunday. Thomas scored all the points during a 14-3 first-half run that spanned 3:36 and turned the game into a rout. He had managed just 13 points in his last seven games. Thomas, who Indiana coach Tom Crean had tried to recruit after he had verbally committed to Ohio State, was the story for the Buckeyes in the first half. He gave them a lift after starters Jared Sullinger, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale got in early foul trouble.


Indiana, which hasn't beaten a Top 25 team on the road in more than nine years, led 8-7 after Derek Elston scissored through the lane for a layup at the 16:35 mark, but didn't score again for almost 8 minutes until Elston scored again on a short jumper.


William Buford added 15 points and Jon Diebler had 11 for the Buckeyes, who could ascend to No. 1 next week after top-ranked Duke lost at Virginia Tech on Saturday night. The defeat was Indiana's sixth in a row to Ohio State.


The victory helped Ohio State maintain a one-game lead in the Big Ten with two games remaining -- at Penn State on Tuesday night and home against Wisconsin on Sunday. It was Wisconsin that hung the first loss on the Buckeyes on Feb. 12 in Madison.

Bracketology Update: Bucks Still On Pace For #1 Seed

Despite falling to Purdue in Mackey Arena Sunday afternoon, ESPN.com’s resident bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has Ohio State as a number one seed.  Joining the Buckeyes as 1 seeds in Lunardi’s latest post is Texas, Pittsburgh and Duke, with the Blue Devils rising from a 2 seed and taking Kansas’ spot at the top.



Sullinger and Buford will be keys to the Buckeyes' run in March

Winning out the remaining regular season games against Indiana, Penn State and Wisconsin would likely land the Buckeyes as a 1 seed no matter what they do in the Big Ten Tournament, although a first-game loss might drop them to a 2 seed depending on what their rivals do.

Lighty Brings Buckeyes Back

Jared & Buckeyes were able to rely on Lighty

David Lighty scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half and William Buford had all 17 of his in the first to lead Ohio State (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) past Illinois 89-70 on Tuesday night, an impressive bounce-back game after two recent losses for the Buckeyes.


The Buckeyes never trailed after tying it 2-2, building a 15-point lead at halftime and then trading runs with the Illini, but eventually pulling off the win 89-70.

Ohio State shot 53 percent from the field to end Illinois' string of 37 consecutive games holding an opponent under 50 percent. The last team to reach 50 percent was also Ohio State, which shot 53.1 against the Illini on Feb. 14, 2010.


Buford, though, was the chief reason the Buckeyes pulled away. He had 17 points to go with two assists, feeding Diebler for a 3 from the right corner at the buzzer to send the large crowd into intermission with a sustained roar. 

Does Ohio State "Need To Lose"?

Can a loss make this team better?

Ed. Note: This post was written by Danny.

The majority of people I have spoken to and heard on various sports shows seem to agree that losing at least one game during the regular season helps a team in the long run.  They don't have to deal with any questions about an undefeated season and can just focus on the game at hand.  I do not buy into this philosophy, for several reasons.  Ask any of the players on the team that question, if they think they need to lose a game in order to win the championship.  

I would expect every single one of them to confidently respond "No".  David Lighty, William Buford, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale; they all know what it is like to lose regular season and  tournament games.  Jared Sullinger's Columbus Northland team lost in the State Championship last season after winning it the year before.  Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas each lost games throughout their high school careers.  My point is it's not like none of the players know what it is like to lose.  All of the guys on this team know what it is like to win championships (be it state high school titles or Big Ten or high school conference championships) and know what it is like to lose in tournament games.  

Buckeyes Able To Edge Out Illinois In Tough Win

Sullinger willed the Buckeyes to victory

A frequent theme during this game was don't panic. When Ohio State was down 8 early in the second half, most assumed the Buckeye's train wheels had fallen off. Jared Sullinger led an inspired comeback by scoring 27 points and added 16 rebounds, his second game this season with at least 25 points and 15 rebounds. Late in the game, the rest of the Buckeye squad couldn't hit the broad side of the barn, resulting in feeding Sullinger the ball for the rest of the game.


Jereme Richmond had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Illinois (14-6, 4-3), and Mike Tisdale added 15 points. Demetri McCamey, who leads the Illini with 16.2 points a game, scored just five on 2-of-11 shooting, much thanks to the efforts of Aaron Craft. The Illini defense was on fire containing just about every Buckeye but Sullinger. It ended up not being enough for a win, but surely OSU fans can wait until February 22nd, when they meet again.


Still down, DeShaun Thomas started off his second half with 2 straight 3's, and then was able to score a couple more, adding a spark to the offense.

Preview: #1 Ohio State vs. Penn State

Sullinger has led the Buckeyes to 17-0

The Buckeyes are coming off a close win over Michigan, in which Brady Hoke was introduced, on their way to a 17-0 start, the third best start in school history. They will be looking to keep this train going, whether or not it means much to them for being #1 in the country:

"It doesn't mean anything at all, really," Lighty said. "I've been No.1. I'll be happy. If I'm No. 1 at the end, I'll be excited."

Today, Ohio State faces an interesting challenge in Penn State. They have beaten consecutive ranked opponents for the first time in more than half a century by knocking off two of the Big Ten's premier programs in the past week, and Ohio State (17-0, 4-0) hasn't quite looked like a juggernaut during its three January wins. The Buckeyes have been tested, but rallied to win 73-68 at Iowa on Jan. 4, defeated Minnesota 67-64 on Sunday and knocked off Michigan 68-64 on Wednesday.


Penn State had lost four of five heading into a visit from then-No. 18 Michigan State last Saturday, but beat the Spartans 66-62 despite conference scoring leader Talor Battle finishing with 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting. There is no doubt that Battle is the leader of this team, but he is also a dangerous threat to this OSU defense, and should provide Penn State with a chance.

Ohio State - Florida Analysis : How Good Is This Team?

Sullinger proved to be the key to this team's success.

I am sure by now you have read multiple game recaps and seen all the box scores, so I want to do a little more than just regurgitate the same old facts. Last night, the #5 team in the country dismantled the #10 team in the country, making them look foolish in the process. As the commentators mentioned a couple times last night, it is a rare occurrence for two top ten, non-conference teams to meet in the regular season, so there is a lot to learn from last night's game, about both teams.

In my game preview, I wrote that rebounding would be the key to the game. And in the first half, it was. Florida had significant edge on the glass, and pulled down offensive rebound after offensive rebound. They also had a lead at the half. After the break, the Buckeyes kept the Gators from getting as many boards, and were able to pull away. Florida still held a 26-17 overall rebounding advantage, plus an 8-7 edge on offensive rebounds, but much of that edge came in the first 20 minutes.

Hangover.

We feel the same way right now.

With the hangover of the Game 5 loss looming over me, I couldn't bring myself to do a Spring Finals, so expect the WR's tommorow. The Cavs played so terrible, I didn't think it was possible they were a 1 seed. I think LeBrowns' Town said it best when one of their writers stated that the Cavs think they can turn it on at any point in the game, no matter how much they are down by, and win. Well, we see where that cockiness has gotten them. This venting is feeling pretty good, but I feel like a hypocrite since earlier I thought it was bad that all the Cavs writers were destroying Lebron and the Cavs, and I mean absolutely ripping them. I can understand where they are coming from, and I did just do it, but still. I shouldn't have.

David Lighty broke his left foot. Again. My heart goes out to him, and I hope he will be able to play come this fall/winter. If he can, that would be good news for our championship hopes. How ironic that we are all sitting here pouting over a championship season going down the drains (almost, it's not over till the fat lady sings!) and yet were looking ahead to 2 sports where we could win a Championship. Buckeye basketball and football. How about that?

The Reds are doing pretty well, winning against the Pirates last night in which Johnny Cueto had a 1 hitter. Oh so close. Some writers are saying that they might be able to finish above .500 this year, and try and compete for that NL!

So that's all I've got for you today. Sorry I didn't put a Spring Finals up. I need another writer with me, so if any one's interested drop a comment. Or email us @ insidetheshoe2009@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Recap: Ohio State vs. UCSB March Madness Tournament

 If you were expecting a huge performance by Evan Turner, to maybe seal up the Player of the Year trophy, you would have been wrong, along with just about everyone else in the College Basketball world. The Gauchos came out with a plan, and that was to stop and shut down Evan Turner. It worked, but it also back fired, because Ohio State's Jon Diebler, William Buford, and David Lighty, with a little bit of Lauderdale sprinkled in, totally dominated the Santa Barbara squad. With this performance, the Buckeyes were totally fine without their star on the court. Evan Turner was frustrated, there's no doubt about that. He was happy with the win, but he only finished with nine points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field. He did have 10 rebounds, though, that helped his teammates out in the long run.

Despite being called out sick with the flu, Diebler had the most impressive performance thus far this year, adding 23 points. He was so hot from the three area, that the Buckeyes went straight to him for three straight shots, all resulting in a total of a 9 point stretch. Speaking of domination, Dallas Lauderdale came out to prove he was still the go-to big man for the Buckeyes, and he had eight rebounds and 12 blocks, becoming the third player since 1997 to reach those levels in a tournament game (Cole Aldrich 2009, Kelvin Cato in 1997). Along with that, William Buford became hot in certain times in the game, which ended with 16 points. In all, if the Buckeyes continue to play like this throughout the tournament, with the addition of good play by Turner, (don't worry, he will) Then they are a legitimate title contender. Of course, it was UCSB, but we will really get to see how good these Buckeyes are when they face Georgia Tech on Sunday at 2:20 PM EST.

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  The Buckeyes jumped out to a 17-point halftime lead and cruised to a 17-point win, despite Evan Turner going 2 for 14 from the floor. Turner finished with nine points.

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   Jon Diebler tied a season-high with seven 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 23 points.

Evan Turner, happy with his first ever NCAA win.

Recap: Ohio State vs. Minnesota Big Ten Championship

That is how you play Big Ten basketball. With the Selection show coming up here soon, people will be glued to their TV sets as everyone wants to see who goes where, and with what seed. The Golden Gophers started out well, as in the first half they stayed with the Buckeyes, always within 2 or 3. The Buckeyes were led by Evan Turner, but also David Lighty stepped up and had 3 or 4 straight three's. Minnesota will still be looking for the NCAA tourny, but Ohio State is looking for a 1 seed, but Duke and Syracuse are favored for it. This was a big win for the Buckeyes, as the Football, Basketball, and Women's basketball teams won the Big Ten Championship. It's a great time to be a Buckeye, and now we will wait to hear where everyone is going. Jon Diebler and William Buford both topped double digits with 19 and 13 respectively.

Buford throws the hammer down.

The Buckeyes as a team shot 58.6% (34-58) from the floor and 57.1% (12-21) from three in route to the massacre. The Bucks also out-rebounded the Gophers 18-7 in the second half, completely shutting down the 2nd chance buckets for Minnesota through the end of the game. Evan Turner also had a double double, and played outstanding. The Buckeyes managed to play Kecman, PJ Hill, Jeremie Simmons and Zisis Sarikopoulos for the last minute and a half to give them some floor time during the championship. The Buckeyes next find themselves in the NCAA Tournament with what will very likely be a 2 seed. Those games start on Thursday, March 18th at Noon on CBS. Go Bucks!


Finally, this is your last chance to sign up for the Bracket Challenge on ESPN. The link is http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/group?groupID=10767&entryID=153062

Go there, sign up, and the password is insidetheshoe. If you win, you get a free item of your choice from the ITS shop. Finally, congrats to everyone on the wins in the Big Ten Tourny for the GPC. Here are the standings as of now.

Writer - Ian: 10-3 - 1st



Writer - Chris: 2-0 - 5th


Reader - Ken: 9-3 - 2nd


Reader - Doug: 1-0 - 6th - tied


Reader - Sebastian: 8-2 - 3rd


Reader - Eric: 5-4 - 4th


Reader - Todd: 1-0 - 6th - tied


Reader - T. Reigle: 0-0 - 7th

The Bracket challenge will shoot these records wayyy up, and we wish everyone luck.