Right: The Big “O,” Othello Hunter, slams home two of his 16 points during OSU’s first round NIT match-up against UNC-Asheville.
AP Photo/Terry Gilliam

Ohio State, led by Jamar Butler’s 21 points and 10 assists, advanced to the second round of the 2008 MasterCard National Invitational Tournament by defeating the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs 84-66 in front of a paltry 7,117 fans at Value City Arena, Tuesday night.

The Buckeyes will play either California or New Mexico at St. John Arena, next Monday, due to a scheduling conflict at the Schottenstein Center.

Ah, nothing like trying to figure out where the basketball court is when the floor is setup for volleyball. And judging by Tuesday nights attendance, OSU could play at the Fairgrounds Coliseum, the Buckeyes’ former home from 1920-1956.

Granted, students are on spring break, but just a few miles to the south, 14,270 fans attended the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 3-0 win over the Calgary Flames.

I’m sure plenty of good seats are still available for Monday night’s game.

Ohio State was in control the entire game, and never trailed at any point. There were no lead changes, and UNC-Asheville tied the game only twice early in the first half.

With 12:42 left in the opening period and the game tied at 14-all, the Buckeyes went on a 13-2 run fueled by two, 3-pointers from Butler, and David Lighty contributed five points as his short jumper with 10:07 remaining put OSU ahead 27-16.

UNC-A fought back by going on scoring run of their own with 7-foot-7 junior center Kenny George capping off a 12-2 spurt on an eight-foot jumper in the lane, even though he clearly shuffled his feet before getting the ball airborne. George’s bucket trimmed OSU lead down to 29-28 with 6:43 to go in the first half.

But the Buckeyes closed out the first 20 minutes of action by outscoring the Bulldogs 16-7 and headed into the locker room at intermission leading 45-35.

The closest Asheville came in the second half was six points, trailing Ohio State 53-47 after a dunk by George with 14:36 left to play in the game.

A three-pointer by Butler with 12:03 remaining put the Buckeyes ahead 60-49, and from that point, Ohio State held a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.

The Buckeyes biggest lead of the game was at the 5:28 mark when Othello Hunter tipped-in Lighty’s miss to put OSU up 76-57.

Along with Butler’s 21, three other Buckeyes scored in double figures with Hunter chipping in 16, Kosta Koufos added 15, and Lighty scored 13 points.

Reid Augst led the Bulldogs with 20 points.

Ohio State shot a blistering 56.3 percent (36-for-64) from the field, and was 10 of 21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.

UNC-Asheville also shot very well from the floor, connecting on 27 of 52 shots (51.9%) and was 8-for-18 (44.4%) from three-point range.

The difference in the game was that the Buckeyes forced 21 turnovers and cashed them in for 26 points, while only committing nine.

Tags: Buckeye Basketball by Matt Barker
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Right: UNC-Asheville’s 7-foot-7, 360-pound center Kenny George gets into position for a rebound against North Carolina earlier this season.
InsideCarolina.com Photo

Thad Matta’s Ohio State men’s basketball squad was not one of the 65 teams to have their name called on CBS Sports “Selection Sunday” show, which meant  the Buckeyes had to wait until 9:00 p.m when the National Invitational Tournament announced their parings on ESPN2.

Turns out, Ohio State will face 7-foot-7, 360-pound junior center Kenny George and the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs in the first round of the NIT at Value City Arena, Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., and it will be televised on ESPN.

UNC-Asheville finished tied for first in the Big South Conference, but lost in the tournament final to the team they shared the regular season title with, Winthrop, 66-48.

The Bulldogs have an overall record of 23-9.

Ohio State and UNC-Asheville share two common opponents, Tennessee and North Carolina. Like the Buckeyes, the Bulldogs also lost both meetings, dropping a 86-73 decision against the Volunteers in Knoxville, and were handed a 93-81 defeat to the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs is 6-foot senior guard Bryan Smithson, who averages 16.4 points per game, while 6-foot-1 senior guard K.J. Garland is second on the UNC-Asheville roster in scoring (13.4 ppg).

George is third in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game, while leading the team in rebounds (6.9 rpg) and blocked shots (3.4 bpg). George’s size is due to an overactive pituitary gland, which makes him tire easily and he’s limited to short stretches.

In the Big South championship game, George played 27 minutes and scored 13 points with four rebounds and a blocked shot. Over the course of 27 games this season, George has only played more than 27 minutes twice, and averages 19.5 minutes per game.

Tags: Buckeye Basketball by Matt Barker
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No, I’m not psychic. I am not talking about Terrelle Pryor and what he might accomplish once he arrives in Columbus.

So if you read the headline and you were thinking that I was writing about the two-sport star from Jeannette, Pa., I guess you can call it my April Fools Day joke a few weeks early.

But the Pryor I am talking about is junior Jason Pryor, who claimed a 5-3 win in epee on Strip 4, Sunday afternoon at Ohio State’s French Field House, that clinched the Buckeyes’ third national fencing championship and the school’s 57th national title overall.

Now since I have no clue about fencing, I will let NCAASports.com do the rest:

With the entire Ohio State fencing team cheering on Pryor beside the strip knowing the Buckeyes needed one more win to clinch the title, he lunged for the fifth and final touch against Teddy Sherrill of Harvard. The green light flashed and Pryor repeatedly jumped in the air as the entire team and head coach Vladimir Nazlymov yelled and hugged.

Notre Dame, which entered the day trailing Ohio State by only two points, had a strong start and tied the competition after about 45 minutes of competition Sunday. But the OSU men’s competitors Pryor and Sean Harder in epee, Andras Horanyi and Ben Parkins in foil and Mikhail Momtselidze and Sergey Smirnov in sabre finished strong to build a seven-point lead late in the team competition.

The Buckeyes have gone on to win the national title by nine points - 185-176.”

WAY TO GO BUCKEYES!

Tags: From Matt by Matt Barker
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Right: University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl, in Ohio.
University of Toledo Photo

Well, well, well.

It seems that new Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez is in quite a conundrum.

According to the Ann Arbor News, Rodriguez wants to hold a final scrimmage on April 12 to conclude spring drills, but he needs a venue in which to do so.

Currently, Michigan Stadium is under renovations which will not allow the football team to use the facility. One other possibility could be Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, but that’s unavailable according to Rodriguez.

One reporter, who evidently graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in geography, inquired about Michigan playing at the Glass Bowl, home of the Toledo Rockets, in which Rodriguez replied:

No. What state’s that in?”

Know thy enemy

In other news and notes, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Ohio State cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson met with University of South Florida defensive coordinator Wally Burnham and secondary coach Troy Douglas, this past week.

South Florida has done quite well against Rodriguez’s spread-option offense the last two seasons, winning both contests against West Virginia as the Bulls held the Mountaineers to an average of 16 points, 160 yards rushing and 3.7 yards per carry, compared to 41.2 points, 311.5 yards rushing and 6.6 yards per carry against other WVU opponents.

Burnham said:

Johnson said it was because we’ve done such a good job against that offense. And we’ve had some success.”

Terrelle Pryor update

According to the Cleveland Plan Dealer, “the No. 1 high school quarterback in the country, whose recruitment has turned into a months-long saga, told reporters Saturday that he will announce his college choice this week.”

The two-sport star from Jeannette, Pa., Terrelle Pryor, said it has come down to two schools, assuming it’s Ohio State and Penn State, with Michigan and Oregon eliminated.

Next week, I’m going to say the school I’m going to, sign it and get it over with.”

Pryor was going to announce on Signing Day last month that he was going to become a Buckeye, but backed away from the commitment at the urging of his father, who had become enamored with Penn State’s coaching staff.

Pryor had been planning to announce his decision at the conclusion of basketball season, which ended Saturday night when Jennette defeated Strawberry Mansion, 76-72 in overtime, to capture the PIAA Class AA state championship at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.

Pryor scored 23 points with eight rebounds, five blocks, four steals and four assists.

Hopefully he will continue to play both sports if he does choose Ohio State.

Tags: Big Ten Football, Buckeye Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Ohio State’s Kosta Koufos rejects the shot of Michigan State’s Marquise Gray in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, Friday afternoon.
AP Photo/Michael Conroy

There were two things that affected the outcome of Ohio State’s quarterfinal match-up against Michigan State, Friday afternoon. One was Spartans’ guard Drew Neitzel, who scored a game-high 28 points, and the other was poor officiating.

With 13:21 remaining in the second half and the game tied at 34-all, Ohio State was whistled for four personal fouls plus a technical foul on Othello Hunter in a span of 50 seconds. Of those four personals, three were called on Kosta Koufos.

Michigan State scored five unanswered points, all from the foul line, and with 12:39 left the Spartans took a 39-34 lead.

Ohio State never recovered.

The closest the Buckeyes could get was when Jamar Butler drained a trey with 7:43 remaining that trimmed the Spartans lead down to 47-45.

But Michigan State’s Durrell Summers single-handedly scored the game’s next five points by himself on a three-pointer from the baseline and on a driving layup after a turnover by Ohio State’s Evan Turner.

The Buckeyes made it a one-possession game once again with 2:19 left when P.J. Hill drove and dished to Hunter that made the score 56-53.

The final nail in Ohio State’s coffin, though, came when Neitzel drilled a triple for the right wing, putting the Spartans up 61-55 with 1:21 to go.

The only lead Ohio State ever held came eight seconds into the second half when David Lighty scored on a layup. The Spartans reclaimed the advantage for good 86 seconds later when Neitzel connected from downtown with one of his six, three-pointers on the afternoon.

While no other Spartan scored in double figures outside of Neitzel, four Buckeyes did with Koufos scoring a team-high 19 points. Lighty added 12, Butler had 11, and Hunter chipped in 10.

Defensively, Ohio State held Michigan State to 36.7 percent shooting (22-for-60) from the field, while going 23 of 55 from the floor (41.8%).

If the Buckeyes could of only stopped Neitzel, the game would of been a totally different story. Of course, giving up 18 offensive rebounds didn’t help, either.

Surprisingly, Hill played more than twice as many minutes as Jon Diebler (nine to four).

Ohio State now plays “The Waiting Game” to find out if they are in the NCAA or NIT tournaments, with an announcement to be made Sunday evening.

I am leaning more towards the NIT.

Tags: Buckeye Basketball by Matt Barker
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Right: Terrelle Pryor going up for a shot in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinal basketball game against North Catholic, last Saturday. Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette Photo

As we check in on every one’s favorite high school football/basketball star from Jeannette, Pa., Terrelle Pryor, it has been reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he and his teammates will have to undergo anger management classes, among other penalties, due to their actions following Saturday night’s Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AA quarterfinal basketball game against North Catholic at Hempfield High School in Landisville, Pa.

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) conducted a two-hour hearing and the Board of Control assessed penalties for both schools which included two years’ probation plus the anger management classes that by the end of the school year, among others, Monday night.

There were 14 Jennette players in attendance at the hearing, but Pryor was not one of them.

According to the Post-Gazette, Pryor said this in a text message on why he didn’t attend:

Because I’m not talking to the media. Everyone blames me.”

In another Post-Gazette article, it was stated that an altercation took place in a hallway near North Catholic’s locker room following Jeannette’s 86-60 win, in which Pryor was involved.

Jeannette star Terrelle Pryor was one of many players involved in the fight, although Hempfield assistant coach Rob Stauffer, who was escorting North Catholic to the locker room, told state police he held Pryor back during the altercation. Numerous players from both teams also were involved and police were on the scene after the game investigating the incident. Police said last night (Saturday) the incident, so far, is being treated as a disturbance and no criminal charges have been filed.

Pryor also said the fight started after a North Catholic player ’said some things to us’ while Jeannette’s team was walking to its locker room in the bottom level of Hempfield’s gymnasium. Pryor said other Jeannette players claimed a North Catholic player used a racial slur.”

What wasn’t handed down were any suspensions, thus Pryor and his teammates will be able to play when Jeannette takes on North East at Sharon (Pa.) High School, tonight.

Last month, Pryor was taunted unmercifully during a basketball game against South Fayette, in which one student donned a red sweater vest and said the following while Pryor was shooting free throws, “Hey, Pryor, look, it’s Jim Tressel. Here’s your daddy for the next four years.”

After the game, Pryor went towards the South Fayette student section and had a prolonged exchange of taunts. It lasted several minutes before his teammates dragged him away.

Shortly thereafter, a police officer told a Jeannette assistant: “You’re lucky we didn’t take your kid (Pryor) in. He threatened to go into the crowd.”

Ugh!

Last October, Pryor was cited for creating a disturbance at Kennywood Park, which is an amusement park located near Pittsburgh.

According to a report by WTAE-TV 4 in Pittsburgh:

Police said Pryor was escorted out of Kennywood after getting into an argument with another customer at the park and he continued to be physically offensive with security and created a large disturbance, and that’s why he is being cited.”

While I would look forward in seeing Pryor wearing scarlet & gray, I’m not so sure if all of the extra baggage he brings with him from Pennsylvania is worth it.

Is he worth the headache? Is he a head case? Could he become a bust? It’s obvious that his maturity and decision-making are very questionable.

Tags: Buckeye Football by Matt Barker
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My pick for National Player of the Year, Tyler Hansbrough (left).

It’s that time of year again as my snail mail inbox here at the worldwide headquarters of BuckeyeBanter.com in downtown Columbus is overflowing with large envelopes from sports information directors across the country touting their team’s best players.

So, as member of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), I submitted my ballot just in time for today’s noon deadline.

Voting twice in one week? Now that’s democracy!

Please note that I had to select 10 of the best players in the country, then the 10 best players in District V, which constitutes schools that are located in the following states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. I also had to select a National Player of the Year, a National Freshman of the Year, National Coach of the Year, District Player of the Year, and District Coach of the Year.

So without further ado, where is how I voted:

Oscar Robertson Trophy, USBWA Player of the Year
C - Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (6-9, 250, Jr.)
Hansbrough is currently leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in both points and rebounds, averaging a double-double (23.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg) for the top-ranked Tar Heels, which just won the ACC regular season title after defeating Duke 76-68, Saturday night.

In that game, Hansbrough surpassed the 2,000-point mark for his career as he chipped in 16 against the Blue Devils. He also added 15 rebounds.

National Freshman of the Year
F - Michael Beasley, Kansas State (6-10, 235, Fr.)
In my mind, it came down to two candidates for the Player of the Year award, Hansbrough and Beasley. Even though I decided to go with Hansbrough, Beasley easily wins this award.

Obviously, Beasley is a much better pro prospect than Hansbrough is, and should be the No. 1-pick in June’s NBA Draft, but it all comes down to the fact that North Carolina plays in a tougher conference and is currently ranked No. 1, while Kansas State is 20-10 and is on the bubble in terms of an NCAA tournament bid.

Earlier today, Beasley was named both the Big XII Player and Freshman of the Year. He was a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team choice and leads the nation in rebounding (12.6 rpg). Also, Beasley is in the top five nationally in scoring (26.5 ppg). He leads the conference in both categories.

The Rest of My First-Team:
F - D.J. White, Indiana (6-9, 250, Sr.)
White is third in the Big Ten in scoring (17.1 ppg), and is the conference’s best rebounder (10.3 rpg). He’s is also the only one who seems to care following the dismissal of head coach Kelvin Sampson, while the rest of the 18th-ranked Hoosiers have packed it in.

G - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis (6-7, 200, Jr.)
Douglas-Roberts is sixth in Conference USA in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game.

G - D.J. Augustin, Texas (6-0, 180, So.)
Augustin is second in the Big XII in scoring (19.8), while leading the conference in assists (5.7 apg) for the ninth-ranked Longhorns.

My Second-Team:
C - Kevin Love, UCLA (6-10, 270, Fr.)
Love is currently seventh in the Pac-10 in scoring (17.4 ppg), and second in rebounding (10.9 rpg).

F - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (6-8, 250, So.)
Harangody is one of 20 players currently averaging a double-double, leading the Big East Conference is scoring (21.0 ppg), and is second in rebounding (10.3 rpg).

F - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt (6-6, 205, Sr.)
Foster leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring (20.6 ppg), and is one of the league’s top three-point shooters at 47.2 percent.

G - O.J. Mayo, USC (6-5, 200, Fr.)
Mayo is second in the Pac-10 in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game for the Trojans.

G - Sean Singletary, Virginia
Singletary is third in the ACC in scoring (19.9 ppg), and second in assists (5.9 apg).

National Coach of the Year
Sean Miller, Xavier
Xavier, which nearly advanced to the Sweet Sixteen last year before getting knocked off by Ohio State in the second round, is currently 26-6 on the season, and the Musketeers are ranked eighth by the Associated Press.

Five members of Xavier’s roster average in double figures, and starting guard Stanley Burrell almost makes it six, averaging 9.9 points per game. The Musketeers leading scoring is forward Josh Duncan (11.6 ppg). Talk about a balanced offense!

Hypothetically, let just say that Indiana offers their head coaching job to current Ohio State head coach Thad Matta, and he accepts, then Miller would be my first choice to take over for the Buckeyes. Sean’s younger brother, Archie, is already on OSU’s staff as an assistant under Matta.

But then again, maybe the Hoosiers will go after Miller.

Another possible candidate for the Indiana job is Scott Drew, the current head coach at Baylor. He would of been my second choice for Coach of the Year.

District V Player of the Year
F - D.J. White, Indiana (6-9, 250, Sr.)
See above.

The Rest of My District V First-Team:
F - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (6-8, 250, So.)
See above.

G - Eric Gordon, Indiana (6-4, 215, Fr.)
Gordon currently leads the Big Ten in scoring (21.5 ppg).

G - Jamar Butler, Ohio State (6-1, 185, Sr.)
Butler is seventh in the Big Ten in scoring (14.6 ppg), while leading the conference in assists (6.0 apg).

G - Brian Roberts, Dayton (6-2, 175, Sr.)
Roberts is third in the Atlantic-10 in scoring, averaging 19.0 points per game, and ninth in assists (3.7 apg).

My District V Second-Team:
F/C Brian Butch, Wisconsin (6-11, 235, Sr.)
Butch is averaging 12.7 points per game, and is sixth in the conference in rebounding (6.0 rpg).

F - Raymar Morgan, Michigan State (6-7, 225, So.)
Morgan is sixth in the Big Ten in scoring (15.0 ppg), ninth in rebounding (6.3 rpg).

G - Manny Harris, Michigan (6-5, 180, Fr.)
Harris is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring averaging 16.4 points per game.

G - Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame (6-0, 195, Jr.)
McAlarney averages 15.0 points per game for the Fighting Irish.

G - Mike Green, Butler (6-1, 185, Sr.)
Green is eighth in the Horizon League in scoring (14.5 ppg). ninth in rebounding (6.4 rpg), and second in assists (5.1 apg).

District V Coach of the Year
Sean Miller, Xavier
See above.

Tags: NCAA Basketball by Matt Barker
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