2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions: Ohio State Buckeyes
November 16, 2010
The Ohio State Buckeyes ended the 2009-10 campaign 29-8, wining both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Tennessee 76-73. The Buckeyes were led by the consensus player of the year Evan Turner, who put up 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists a night, but Turner has left for the NBA and the Buckeyes enter the 2010-11 season counting on what many consider to be the nation’s top recruiting class to lead them back to the NCAA Tournament.
Even with the loss of Turner, Ohio State still has four starters back from last season, giving Ohio State plenty of experience to go along with a very exciting group of newcomers. Ohio State already has one game down, taking care of North Carolina AT&T 102-61 and it was freshmen Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas who made the news. Here is a closer look at what the Buckeyes will send to floor this season, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the Big Ten.
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Frontcourt: Seniors David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale return in the frontcourt, while freshman Jared Sullinger will also see time. Sullinger debuted with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Lauderdale chipped in 12 points and 13 rebounds. These two should make for quite the pair down low, and Ohio State should have one of its best rebounding teams in years. Lighty will spend a lot of the time playing the small forward, but has the versatility to move down and man the power forward position and can also handle the ball and play the point. Thomas came off the bench for Ohio State in the opener and scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed eight boards in just 20 minutes. If Thomas continues to put up numbers like this, head coach Thad Matta might not have a choice but to find a spot for him in the starting lineup. Freshman J.D. Weatherspoon adds depth, but might not see a lot of time on the floor.
Backcourt: Junior William Buford and senior Jon Diebler are both back in the starting lineup. Buford put up 14 points and about 6 boards a contest as a sophomore, and while he was the fifth leading scorer in the opener, this kid is a pure scorer and will be relied on a lot with the departure of Turner. Diebler is a sharpshooter, and one of the best in the country from the outside, and when he is heating up, this team is very tough to beat. Freshman Aaron Craft came off the bench to score eight point with nine dimes, and figures to be one of the best options off the bench this season. Also seeing some playing time will be freshmen Jordan Sibert and Lenzelle Smith.
Prediction – 2nd in the Big Ten: I think Michigan State is the only team better than the Buckeyes in the Big Ten, but if the freshmen continue to play like they did in the opener, Ohio State could once again be the best in the Big Ten. I look for Ohio State to only improve as the season goes along, and I wouldn’t be shocked in the least to see the Buckeyes make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, regardless if they win the Big Ten or not.
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