2009-10 Result: 29-8 (14-4 in the Big Ten) lost to Tennessee 76-73 in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Coach: Thad Matta 258-84 in 11 seasons with three different schools. 156-53 in five years with Ohio State.
Forty Buckeyes have made their way to the N.B.A. including currently Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, Othello Hunter, Kosto Koufos, Byron Mullens, Greg Oden and Michael Redd. Hall-of-Famers John Havlicek, Neil Johnston, Jerry Lucas and Arnie Risen played for O.S.U.
O.S.U. has punched 26 dance tickets with one national championship in 1960 and four appearances in the championship game. The Buckeyes reached the Final Four on five occasions, Elite Eight three times and four Sweet Sixteen showings.
Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/16 at Florida, 11/30 at Florida State, 11/18 vs. South Carolina
Stat of Identity: 49.2 field goal percentage 6th in the nation.
Key Returners:
William Buford 34.4 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg
Jon Diebler 37.2 mpg, 13.0 ppg, 42.0 3Pt.%
David Lighty 36.3 mpg, 12.6 ppg, 49.2 FG%
Dallas Lauderdale 25.1 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg
By Paul Casey Gotham
And so life after Evan Turner begins for Thad Matta and his Buckeyes. Actually, life after E.T. started a few months ago. It’s just that now it becomes a reality.
With Turner sidelined because of injury, the Buckeyes dropped their first two in Big Ten play last year. Matta will make that well-known to his players if he hasn’t already. OSU also fell to an NIT-bound North Carolina team with Turner on the floor.
If the Buckeyes are to be successful, they will need to continue what they started last year.
OSU ranked sixth in the nation in field goal percentage, yet their scoring offense (74 ppg) was 64th in the land. The Buckeyes do not take foolish shots.
Where will they need to improve? Believe it or not, defense. The Buckeyes allowed 41 percent from the field last year, but a stunning 33 percent from long range. That was good for 151st in the country. That is hard to believe coming from a school in the rough and tumble Big Ten.
Without Turner, the Buckeyes can ill afford to allow opponents to pad leads from long-range.
The Buckeyes return seven players who averaged double-digit minutes per game last year. They have plenty of experience, but experience at what. Too often, the ’09-’10 Buckeyes went as E.T. went. Their offensive flow relied upon Turner with the remainder of the players getting what was left over.
Diebler hit almost as many 3s as the rest of the team combined. He might be the first priority in the half court as the Scarlet and Grey build an identity.
Six freshmen will vie for time on the floor.
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