Buckeyes Can't Beat Spartans, Seeking NIT Tickets

Having beaten two ranked teams in a row to close the season, the Buckeyes needed a third win to secure a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. They faced Michigan State for a second time in six days, and this the time the Spartans came out on top, 67-60. The quarterfinal loss probably dooms Ohio State to the NIT. Some are still holding out hope for a miracle during tonight's selection show. But the Buckeyes are the guy who got the "we need to talk" call from their girlfriend. The bad news is coming, and it's a matter of when not if.

I could dissect the loss, but there's really no point. Jamar Butler got into early foul trouble and played less minutes than usual. Kosta Koufos came out with passion and energy we haven't seen all year - more on that later - but faded in the second half. Evan Turner flashes some silky smooth moves, but still has trouble finishing. Jon Diebler, legend of Ohio prep basketball, badly missed some long-range shots and was barely in the game. David Lighty was solid as usual, but he's not a dominating player than can win games single-handedly. Matt Terwilliger and Othello Hunter played the same kind of games they played their entire careers, and I don't mean that in a pejorative way. They contributed, but just didn't have enough firepower. This Buckeyes team was simply too young, too inexperienced and lacking firepower in a few keys places. They fought hard, but could not overcome a nightmare stretch in the second half that culminated with a pretty lame technical foul on Othello Hunter.

I could lament the losses of Mike Conley and Daequan Cook, first round picks that certainly would have made a huge difference on this year's team. No one could have anticipated that Conley's star would shine so brightly that he would be a top 5 pick, and OSU missed his ability to penetrate all year. Rumor has it that Cook left more out of frustration for his supporting role last year, which is too bad. He wasn't consistent enough to play over seniors like Ron Lewis or Ivan Harris, but would have been a scoring machine on this team. He's had a pretty decent season for the Heat, all things considered. But could have moved his stock up to the top 15 - maybe even the lottery - with a big sophomore season? Perhaps, but not relevant now.

So what for Thad Matta? The Bucks lose Butler, Hunter and Terwilliger - two starters and a valued reserve frontcourt player. Assuming Koufos leaves, which seems like a pretty safe bet if he's around the lottery area, the Buckeyes would be left with the following returning players and freshmen:

PG - P.J. Hill (JR), Anthony Crater (FR)
SG - Jon Diebler (SO), William Buford (FR), Walter Offutt (FR)
SF - Evan Turner (SO), David Lighty (JR), Eric Wallace (SO)
PF - Dallas Lauderdale (SO)
C - B.J. Mullens (FR), Kyle Madsen (SR)

Mullens and Buford are both 5-star McDonald's All-Americans, so they will see the court. Offutt is recovering from a knee injury, so there's no expectation for him to play next season. Crater, a former elite prospects whose star faded a bit, will have an chance to compete at PG.

Overall, the gaping at point guard will be more pronounced in '08. Could one of the talented wings players shift over? Speaking of that - the Buckeyes now have a impressive logjam of shooting guards and small forwards. Lighty and Turner will certainly both be starters, and it will be interesting to see if Diebler can get out of his season-long funk. Buford is talented and could relegate him to the second team if he doesn't turn things around.

The frontcourt is highlighted for the third straight season by a possible one-and-done lottery pick. Mullens is 7'1" and plays with a lot more force that Koufos. Lauderdale had some nice stretches this season, and his development is going to be very important. Even under the best possible scenario, the Buckeyes will play small and fast next year, as Turner, Lighty and Wallace will probably all share time at the small forward spot. The future is incredibly bright, but there will be some more growing pains next season.

(photo by The-OZone.net)