Jared Sullinger Projects 6th And 7th In NBA Draft

Ready for the NBA

The 2012 NBA lottery took place last night, as the New Orleans Hornets grabbed the #1 spot. Representing Ohio, the Cavaliers got the 4th selection in this years draft. The Cavs also get to pick 24th in the first round.

As of now, Draft Express has former Ohio State star Jared Sullinger going 6th overall to the Portland Trail Blazers, while Chad Ford at ESPN has Sully going 7th overall to the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, William Buford is projected by Draft Express to go 22nd in the second round (52nd overall) to the Golden State Warriors.

Here's Draft Express's scouting on Sullinger:

"Sullinger continues to see the majority of his offense with his back to the basket this season, where's he's one of the most dangerous players in college basketball. He works extremely hard to establish deep position inside with his strong lower body and low center of gravity, drawing plenty of fouls by simply forcing opponents to try and contain him in the paint.

Patient, mature and extremely polished in the post, Sullinger backs players down with brute force and has excellent footwork, being capable of finishing with a jump-hook or spinning into a smooth turnaround jumper. He rarely finishes plays above the rim, usually using his excellent touch to finish plays with his skill-level rather than sheer explosiveness. This is what differentiates him from other top-10 candidate big men such as Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond or Thomas Robinson.

His soft hands allow him to catch most anything that's thrown his way, making him an ideal (and very rare) target to build a half-court offense around. While not the most prolific passer at this stage, Sullinger shows good vision passing out of double teams, turns the ball over at an extremely low rate and rarely forces up bad shots, which only adds to his to his terrific scoring efficiency."

Now Draft Express on William Buford: 

"Measured at 6'5 with a 6'10 wingspan and a solid 209-pound frame, Buford definitely looks the part of a NBA wing player. Though he has improved his frame considerably since his junior season, he remains just an average athlete by NBA standards in terms of his first step, overall quickness and the explosiveness he displays around the basket.

While Buford's skill set remains largely the same as what we described in our previous report, his role in Ohio State's offense has changed. He's being asked to handle the ball in transition and act as more of a facilitator than he was in years past, which has increased his usage, but hurting his efficiency in the process.

Much of this drop in production has to do with his shooting woes outside of the arc –he's converting just 36.4% of his 3-point attempts as a senior as opposed to 44.2% as a junior—as in the absence of Jon Diebler and David Lighty he hasn't had as many open looks spotting up outside the arc. According to Synergy Sports Technology, he's taking more shots this year with a hand in his face than he did last season, and knocking them down at a much lower rate. He's also not making his open looks at quite the same rate, even if he still has plenty of time to revert to the mean as the season moves on.

His shooting mechanics, for the most part, are excellent, despite his lack of elevation and a somewhat slow release, but he has struggled mightily to convert them consistently. His worst shooting nights have come against teams with excellent perimeter defenders, as the likes of Victor Oladipo, Brandon Paul, Travis Releford and others have been able to key in on him far more than they were probably able to last season.

Buford's struggles creating efficient offense have validated the concerns about his average athletic ability and his likelihood of becoming a shooting specialist at best at the NBA level. With that said, it is wise to consider his body of work when evaluating his perimeter shooting ability, as other players have shown in the past that it's not uncommon for a player's efficiency to decrease with a more pronounced role."

Ohio State Basketball Will Face Marquette On Carrier Next Season

Matta will bring the intensity to the sea

Word started about two days ago that the Buckeye basketball team was looking to play against Marquette on an aircraft carrier (a la North Carolina-Michigan State) when the new season started. 

Now it seems that the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams plan to open their seasons on the same night at the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in Charleston, S.C as was rumored.

"A contract has been signed for the women’s team to play Notre Dame on Nov. 9 in the Carrier Classic, according to Mike Whalen, founder and managing partner of the nonprofit Morale Entertainment Foundation, the event promoter.

An agreement to match the Ohio State men the same night against Marquette, also on the deck of the USS Yorktown, is close to being completed, said Miechelle Willis, an executive associate athletic director at Ohio State who oversees both basketball programs.

The games will be televised by ESPN networks, Willis added. ESPN.com first reported yesterday that Ohio State and Marquette were negotiating to play the game."

The Carrier Classic made its debut last season when the Michigan State and North Carolina men squared off aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. This will be the first such women’s game promoted by Morale Entertainment, which conducts overseas tours for American armed forces.

Ohio State Basketball Guard Jordan Sibert Joins Weatherspoon In Transferring

Good luck to the young man

Jordan Sibert, a 6-4, 180-pound guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been released from his Ohio State men's basketball scholarship and will seek a transfer to another institution, Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, announced Monday.

Sibert, a graduate of Cincinnati Princeton High School, appeared in 49 games during his Ohio State career. He contributed 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in just under 10 minutes a game.

"My two years as an Ohio State Buckeye were great," Sibert said. "Playing in the Final Four this year was a dream come true.

"I've decided to transfer after discussing my future goals with family and my coaches," Sibert said. "I would like to find a school where I can make an impact on the court. I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the fans. I will always be a Buckeye."

Matta understands Sibert's goal to make a significant contribution elsewhere.

"Jordan has worked to improve since he became a Buckeye two years ago," Matta said. "He has represented our program well and we wish him the best."

Ohio State has won two Big Ten regular-season championships, a Big Ten tournament title (2011), advanced to a pair of NCAA tournaments, including the 2012 Final Four, and won a combined 65 games with Sibert on the roster. The Buckeyes finished the 2012 season with a 31-8 record and were 34-3 in 2012.

While it's too bad to see Sibert and Weatherspoon go, I think this is the right decision on their part. If they wanted playing time and did not feel as if they were going to get that opportunity, then I don't see the need for them to stay. I wish both of them the best of luck wherever they end up at.

Sullinger, Buckeyes Power Through Syracuse On Way To Final Four

The Buckeyes truly earned their place in the Final Four.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta sized up his team in the middle of the season and had it figured for an early loss when the NCAA tournament came around.

The final weekend of March Madness is next, and the Buckeyes will be there.

Jared Sullinger recovered from first-half foul trouble to score 19 points and grab seven rebounds, helping Ohio State beat top-seeded Syracuse 77-70 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. The second-seeded Buckeyes will play the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional final between North Carolina and Kansas.

"We're not going down to New Orleans for a vacation. It's a business trip," said Sullinger, who picked up his second foul 6 minutes into the game and did not return the rest of the half. "These guys have played without me before, so they know what they have to do."

Deshaun Thomas scored 14 points with nine rebounds for Ohio State (31-7), which led by eight points with 59 seconds to play and held on after the Orange cut it to three. The Buckeyes made 13 of 14 free throws in the final 68 seconds and finished 31 of 42 from the line.

Ohio State is making its first trip to the Final Four since 2007, when it lost in the national championship game to Florida. They had lost in the regional semifinals in each of the past two seasons, and Matta wasn't even sure they would make it that far after a series of unimpressive practices.

When the Buckeyes, who spent five weeks as the No. 2 team in the nation, closed out February with three defeats in five games -- including a home loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 26 -- Matta had more reason to worry.

But he got the response he was hoping for.

"That loss opened their eyes and said, 'Hey, maybe we're not as good as we think we are,' " Matta said. "Maybe it got us pointed in the right direction."

Basketball Preview: #2 Ohio State vs. #7 Gonzaga

Matta has the Buckeyes prepared

Before VCU. Before Butler. Before George Mason, there was Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs have spent the last 14 seasons busting brackets. Their mix of steady guard play and just enough muscle have made the Jesuit school nestled in eastern Washington a perennial threat to play deep into March.

Yet all those upsets, all those higher seeds sent packing early have failed to help the `Zags shake the "underdog" label.

What some programs would consider a sign of disrespect, the Bulldogs see as a badge of honor. Even if the Bulldogs are "mid-major" in name only.

Since starting its run with a dash to the regional finals in 1999, Gonzaga has as many tournament victories (17) as Ohio State.

One of the schools will get No. 18 on Saturday when the seventh-seeded Bulldogs (26-6) face the second-seeded Buckeyes (28-7) in the third round.

Ohio State hardly feels like a favorite. The Buckeyes didn't exactly play like one while loping through a lackadaisical win over Loyola (Md.) on Thursday night, winning almost in spite of themselves.

They're well aware of what will happen if they come out with the same lack of intensity.

"We'll lose," senior guard William Buford said. "You can't treat (Gonzaga) like slouches. That's what they want you to do, but you can't."

B1G Tournament Basketball Preview: Ohio State vs. Michigan

Ohio State is facing Michigan for the 3rd time

Based on the way Ohio State looked in its first game of the event, the Wolverines will need to play much better against their archrival if they want to earn a spot in the league championship game.

The No. 10 Wolverines look to prevent the seventh-ranked Buckeyes from reaching the Big Ten final for a fourth consecutive season when they meet in the semifinals for the second straight year Saturday in Indianapolis.

Co-Big Ten champions in the regular season along with Michigan State, second-seeded Michigan (24-8) and third-seeded Ohio State split their first two meetings in 2011-12. The Buckeyes (26-6) won 64-49 at home Jan. 29, but the Wolverines got their revenge and snapped a six-game skid in the series with a 56-51 win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 18.

William Buford had 16 points and Jared Sullinger added 14 with 13 rebounds as the two-time defending tournament champion Buckeyes beat Michigan 68-61 in last season's semifinals, improving to 5-0 against the Wolverines in Big Ten tournament play.

Considering the way Ohio State played during an 88-71 win over Purdue on Friday, Michigan has reason to be concerned after it needed a late rally and overtime to beat 10th-seeded Minnesota 73-69 earlier in the evening.

Buckeyes Fall At Home To Wisconsin

Buford's last home game was a loss

Jordan Taylor netted 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists, and No. 16 Wisconsin edged No. 8 Ohio State, 63-60, in a thriller on Sunday.

Jared Berggren scored 18 points and Ryan Evans had a double-double with 10 points to go with 10 boards for the Badgers (21-8, 10-6 Big Ten), who bounced back from a one-point loss at Iowa on Thursday.

Deshaun Thomas led all scorers with 23 points and William Buford contributed 15 points and nine rebounds for the Buckeyes (23-6, 11-5), who have lost two of three. Aaron Craft added 13 points in defeat. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State's leading scorer averaging 17.2 points per game, was held to eight points.

In a scintillating game that featured 22 lead changes, none was more important than Berrgen's three-pointer, giving the Badgers a 61-59 edge. It was a lead that they did not relinquish. Down 59-58, Berggren accepted a pass from Taylor just beyond the arc on the left wing and drained his decisive three.

Basketball Preview: #3 Ohio State vs. #12 Michigan State

Time for the stretch to March Madness

Seven games left before the B1G tourney. All of them big. But today's matchup at the Schott is perhaps the biggest home test left for these young Bucks. 

Eleventh-ranked Michigan State brings the two headed big man attack known as Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne to bear against Jared Sullinger.

Besides control over the Big Ten conference race, another thing is at stake: The Streak. 39 home wins in a row, to be precise, one of the longest such streaks currently active. The Buckeyes have the home crowd as a decisive sixth man. But Tom Izzo's teams know how to walk into hostile environments and come out victorious.

Even though the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2 Big Ten) will still have six conference tilts left after the game, coach Thad Matta knows a head-to-head matchup with the closest pursuer is important because of the balance throughout the league.

It was good to see William Buford with the hot hand Tuesday against Purdue. He's been getting some heat lately for his lack of clutch shooting. The Bucks will need more Buford today. He put up 23 in last year's only game against the Spartans. Both the Spartans (18-5, 7-3) and the Buckeyes can attest to the B1G being a tough league this year, as they had to overcome struggles against lower teams just this week leading to the showdown.

Basketball Recap: #3 Ohio State 85, Jackson State 41

Buckeye Basketball on a roll

AP - Jared Sullinger had 20 points and 11 rebounds in little more than a half and No. 3-ranked Ohio State used an 18-0 blitz to roll to an 85-41 victory over Jackson State on Friday night.

Deshaun Thomas, William Buford and Jordan Sibert each had 11 points for the Buckeyes (3-0), who were coming off an 81-74 victory over No. 7 Florida, also in the Global Sports Shootout.

All 12 players on the roster saw action, with 11 scoring and all 12 grabbing a rebound.

Kelsey Howard scored 17 points for Jackson State (0-4), which had 26 turnovers.

Down 11-10 in the first half, the Buckeyes scored the next 18 points and never looked back.

Basketball Recap: #3 Ohio State 73, Wright State 42

Sullinger back to work

Preseason All-American Jared Sullinger scored 19 points to go with nine rebounds in leading No. 3 Ohio State to a 73-42 win over Wright State on Friday night in the Global Sports Shootout. William Buford added 13 points for the Buckeyes. Point guard Aaron Craft had 10 points and just one turnover in 28 minutes in the opener for both teams.

A.J. Pacher had 13 points and Reggie Arcenaux 11 for Wright State, which was 19-14 a year ago, but doesn't have a player on the roster with more than a year of experience with the Raiders. It seemed as if OSU was bigger, and quicker, as they went 26 of 38 at the free-throw line compared to Wright State's 10 of 15.

The Buckeyes must replace three starters from last year's Big Ten regular-season and tournament champion (34-3) that won its first 24 games and was ranked No. 1 before losing 62-60 in the NCAA regional semifinal to Kentucky. This year's roster includes only one senior (Buford), one junior, and 10 sophomores and freshmen.

Up by 14 at the break, the Buckeyes pulled away on field goals by Buford, Deshaun Thomas and Sullinger to push the lead to 40-20. Buford, the Buckeyes' second leading scorer a year ago, added two more baskets in the 10-0 spurt. The lead hovered around 30 for most of the second half as both teams emptied their benches and the Buckeyes led 34-20 at the half, with Sullinger picking up nine of his 13 points at the line.

Basketball Buckeyes Ranked #3 In Preseason Poll

No soup votes for you

On Wednesday, the Coaches Poll came out, releasing it's Preseason rankings. The Buckeyes (who return Wooden Top 50 players Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft, and William Buford to the team) were ranked #3, but received no first place votes. That honor was held for North Carolina who received all but 1 first place votes, and looks to compete for the national title behind sophomore Harrison Barnes.

Going now to look at the schedule, I see a pretty tough road for Ohio State, but if they do win these big games, I'm sure voters will place them on top if UNC fails to impress against lower schools. Ohio State faces #10 Florida, #6 Duke, at #13 Kansas, and then a couple of ranked Big Ten conference games.

Coaches Poll Preseason Top Ten
1. North Carolina
2. Kentucky
3. Ohio State
4. Connecticut
5. Syracuse
6. Duke
7. Vanderbilt
8. Louisville
9. Memphis
10. Florida

Your thoughts on where the Buckeyes were placed?

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.)

Time To Dance Buckeyes

The Ohio State mens basketball team has 1 more challenge left, and it's for all the glory. For now, though, they can relish in the fact that they are regular season and Big Ten tournament champions again.

Jared Sullinger's shot was off throughout the Big Ten tournament -- and he still dominated.

The freshman forward had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 1 Ohio State defeated Penn State 71-60 in the Big Ten tournament final on Sunday.

Sullinger made just 12 of 36 field goals in the tournament, but he still was named most outstanding player. He averaged 16.3 points and 14 rebounds to help the top-seeded Buckeyes (32-2) repeat as champions.


Shortly after the win, the Buckeyes learned they had received the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Ohio State will play either Texas-San Antonio or Alabama State in the second round Friday in Cleveland.

Ohio State headlines seven selections from the Big Ten. Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan were awarded at-large bids.

2011 Big Ten Tournament Preview

With the first round of the Big Ten Tournament finished in Indianapolis, eight teams are left vying for the championship and automatic berth into the Big Dance.  Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin are locks to make the tournament, while Illinois is almost certainly in.  Joe Lunardi has Michigan in as an 11 seed, but they may need to beat the Illini to give them a chance to dance.  Michigan State scraped by Iowa in their first round game to enhance their bubble chances, while Penn State defeated Indiana in the nightcap to earn their place in the quarterfinals.  Despite defeating Minnesota in their first round matchup, Northwestern will likely need to win the championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament.



Jared Sullinger leads the Buckeyes into March



Ohio State is a lock for the NCAA Tournament and possibly a lock for a 1 seed going in to the Big Ten Tournament.  The Buckeyes will look to continue their hot shooting from the record-setting performance against Wisconsin into the postseason. 

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.

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.

Ohio State vs. Florida State - Game Notes

- First things first, great victory for the Buckeyes. Florida State is not ranked, but they are a very tough team to play against. They remind me a lot of Cavs teams from 2-3 years ago, under former head coach Mike Brown. Very, very tough defense, but incompetent at times on the offensive end. They have a lot of big men, and a lot of tall wing players, but the lack of a true point guard hurts them, and can stall movement.

He did very well last night

- When he plays aggressively, Chris Singleton is one of the better players in the ACC. He is already a game changer on defense. He had plenty of blocks, and even had a steal against Aaron Craft. Fran Fraschilla made a point during the broadcast of how the Ohio State big men play into contact, while the FSU big men avoid it. If Singleton can learn to embrace the contact on offense, you will see this guy in the NBA (lockouts pending).

- I would like to single out a player or two after every game that really impressed me, but I have a feeling that will be very difficult this season. I am impressed by every player on this team almost every time they play. I will try to be brief for each guy, so join me after the break: