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- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Louisville's Defense Will Need To Be Otherworldly Against Kentucky
When the Louisville Cardinals met the Kentucky Wildcats in December, the Cards played a spectacular defensive game. Kentucky shot just 30 percent from the floor and the only way that they could score points was by powering their way to the free throw line. The game was ugly, but Kentucky were able to grind out a win due to Louisville's offensive ineffectiveness and the Wildcats' ability to get to the free-throw line. Kentucky Wildcats blog A Sea Of Blue took a look at that game and the Louisville defense ahead of Saturday's rematch in the 2012 Final Four.
When the Cats and Cardinals got together 3 months ago it was an ugly game from an offensive perspective. Kentucky was held to its worst Offensive Efficiency of the season, their worst shooting game, and one of their worst games in terms of committing turnovers. In short, Louisville's defense was able to impose its strengths on Kentucky's offense and keep the game close despite the Cardinals having a pretty awful game themselves on the offensive end.
Obviously much has changed since then. In particular the Cats have become a much, much better ball handling team. Prior to the UL game Kentucky had turned the ball over on 20% or more its possessions in 5 out of 13 games. After the Louisville game that happened 4 times out of 24 games, and 2 of those were the very next two games against Arkansas Little Rock and South Carolina.
Louisville lost that game in December 69-62, even though they played stellar defense and Kentucky put in their worst offensive game of the season. To beat the Wildcats on Saturday, Louisville will need to match that defensive performance while making quite a few more shots of their own.
For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Defense Of Thomas Robinson And Jeff Withey Key To Kansas' Title Chances
The Kansas Jayhawks are underdogs in their rematch with Ohio State on Saturday night in New Orleans. KU beat the Buckeyes by double-digits in Lawrence in early December, but that game was glaringly missing one key player -- All-American Jared Sullinger. The Buckeyes rely heavily on their frontcourt duo of Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, and crashing the boards and controlling the paint is the clearest path forward for Thad Matta's club. But the Jayhawks, coming off a stifling defensive performance against one of the best frontcourts in the country at North Carolina, will be ready to slow down the Buckeyes' interior attack.
As Luke Winn writes, the key to their success is the frontcourt duo of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey and their significant impact on the defensive end. In a game that will likely be decided by one or two possessions, Winn analyzed the lineup combinations that give Kansas the best shot at clinching the 2012 title:
On the other 35 possessions, UNC averaged 1.17 PPP. To put this in context: Had Carolina's offense played the entire game at its Withey-Robinson rate, it would have scored just 52 points. Had Carolina's offense played the entire game at its other rate, it would have scored 82 points.
While it may not be surprising that having Withey and Robinson on the floor at the same time gives Kansas the best chance, the dramatic difference with any other lineup combo is certainly eye-opening. And as Winn notes, those few extra possessions could be all the difference:
The point is that if the Jayhawks can find a way to milk a few more possessions than average - even just 5-10 - out of the Robinson-Withey lineup, it would significantly increase their odds of knocking off Ohio State. And if they were to similarly lean on that lineup against (most likely) Kentucky in the title game, they might have a chance of pulling off that upset, too.
Bill Self, who many consider to have done the best coaching job in the tournament this March, is well-aware of the difference this duo makes on the defensive end. Winn already highlighted the advantage the Buckeyes have on the defensive end in the backcourt, so winning the paint is that much more important. Stopping Sullinger and Thomas will not be easy, but if Kansas can upset the favored Buckeyes, it will start on the inside.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Spotlighting Key Matchups And Advantages For Kentucky And Ohio State
After a week without games, the Final Four matchups have been sliced and diced in almost every way. In the first game between rivals Louisville and Kentucky, the Cardinals' stout defense hopes to disrupt a more talented Kentucky team with AP player of the year Anthony Davis. Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn has an excellent graphic analysis of each Final Four team, and he highlights the offensive versatility of Davis:
According to SI's charting, Davis has 47 offensive possessions in the NCAA tournament, and he's averaging 1.191 PPP, down from his season-long figure of 1.358. His ability to alter his offensive identity from game-to-game, though, has only gotten better.
The ways Davis tries to score in the tourney have varied widely. Against Baylor in the Elite Eight, Davis had 13 possessions and was heavy on spot-up jumpers (four) and lobs (four). He posted up just once.
Kentucky coach John Calipari insists that Davis will be a three at the next level, and much of Winn's analysis bolsters that notion and reiterates his outside skills on the offensive end of the floor.
The second game will feature a strength-on-weakness matchup when it comes to turnovers, as Ohio State guard Aaron Craft is one of the best in the country at forcing them and Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor has been one of the most turnover-prone guards in the tournament so far. Winn has two telling graphs that highlight these strengths and weaknesses, and he also drops this stat on Craft's defensive prowess:
This is my current favorite CraftFact: In the NCAA tournament, he's accounted for 40.20 percent of Ohio State's total turnover production. That includes 13 credited steals, 5.5 uncredited turnovers, one charge taken and one moving-screen foul drawn.
While the main focus will be on the inside clash between the All-Americans, Jared Sullinger of OSU and Thomas Robinson of KU, the second game will likely be won or lost in the backcourt.
For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Kansas Building Off 2 Straight Disappointing NCAA Tournaments
The Kansas Jayhawks have made it to the Final Four in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, rebounding from two straight disappointing appearances in the two previous seasons. In 2010 the Jayhawks were knocked out early by ninth-seeded Northern Iowa, and in 2011 they fell victim to 11th-seeded VCU. Both were shocking early defeats by highly-seeded Kansas teams. Those loses brought the team close together though, according to senior guard Jordan Juenemann.
Juenemann told Brian Burnsed of NCAA.com:
"We had fire, and we wanted to be at the Final Four this year so bad. Those losses really did that to us."
Those losses sparked a fire, Juenemann says, which led the Jayhawks to a No. 2 seed and all the way to the Final Four. There are still seven players on the Kansas roster who experienced the consecutive early knock outs in the previous two tournaments.
Junior guard Travis Releford told Burnsed:
"I think we're more together than the teams from the past couple of years. It's a different team now. To be a great team we had to come together and be one."
The sting of that defeat has helped the Jayhawks power through Purdue and N.C. State, and to a blow-out win against North Carolina. Kansas will look to continue to ride that wave against Ohio State on Saturday.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Ohio State And Kansas Likely To Provide Best Game Of Night
While the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry may get all the hype and attention, the Ohio State-Kansas rematch is considered to be the better basketball matchup. The game lacks the outsized coaching personalities of the Commonwealth clash, but it does pit two evenly-matched teams led by two of the best power forwards in the country. While many in the media may focus on the 'Cats and Cards, Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated writes that there's a reason CBS chose to schedule this game second in primetime. He provides some of the best reasons for why this game should have a spotlight of its own:
We get to see the Sullinger-Robinson showdown, even if Jeff Withey and Deshaun Thomas get involved more than you'd like to see as a neutral. We also get to see how many turnovers Tyshawn Taylor can commit being guarded by Aaron Craft (while still somehow having a 20-point game). Each of the coaches has a big mark in play. Thad Matta can trump Cal and win his first crown, capping off an impressive last six seasons at the helm in Columbus, while Bill Self can take another step toward the Pantheon with a second title. That's a big differentiator. When you join a list that includes Dean Smith, Roy Williams (who you just vanquished in a KU pride match) and Mister Iba, you're in elite company. We may also get to see the fewest subs ever in a Final Four game and all 10 starters play about 37 minutes.
This is just one answer to "10 burning questions" Glockner has heading into Saturday night's Final Four. Of course, more than a few of those questions focus on Kentucky-Louisville. But with the Buckeyes favored by less than three points, the second game of the night may have all the on-court drama which hoops fans will be talking about on Sunday.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012 Predictions: How Does Kansas Match Up Against Ohio State?
The Final Four in the 2012 NCAA Tournament takes place Saturday in New Orleans featuring two pairs of evenly matched teams squaring off for the right to compete in the national championship game. In a battle of No. 2 seeds, the Ohio St. Buckeyes will face the Kansas Jayhawks in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the two teams.
Rob Dauster at SI.com offers a full position-by-position breakdown of how well the two teams stack up against one another. Here's how he views the point guard situation of the two teams.
Point Guard
Without a hint of exaggeration, this may be the most intriguing individual matchup of the entire Final Four. Ohio State's Aaron Craft is arguably the best on-ball defender in the country. He doesn't give ball-handlers an inch of space and forces enough turnovers that SI.com's Luke Winn created a stat just to track them. Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor, on the other hand, has become notorious for the turnovers he commits and the bad shots that he takes. And while Bill Self would surely have less gray hair if Taylor had managed to eliminate that aspect of his game, there is no denying just how much the senior point guard means to the Jayhawks. He had 22 points, six boards, five assists and five steals against North Carolina. I've maintained all season long that Taylor is the most important player for Kansas, and if Craft can limit his production, that becomes a difference maker for the Buckeyes.
Edge: Even
The entire article is thorough and illuminating and well worth the click-through, so check it out for yourself.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stop by SB Nation's dedicated tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Kansas PG Tyshawn Taylor Is Confident Jayhawks Can Win
One of the most crucial man-to-man matchups in the entire 2012 NCAA Tournament will be realized on Saturday in the Final Four in New Orleans. Kansas Jayhawks point guard Tyshawn Taylor will square off against Ohio St. Buckeyes point guard Aaron Craft. Both players will be attempting to guide their team to a spot in the national championship game.
Stewart Mandel of SI.com reports that Taylor has deep respect for Craft, but an even stronger confidence that his team will prevail.
"As many questions I'm answering about how good he is on defense -- he must be. That's all I'm talking about" said Kansas' bubbly and ever-candid senior point guard. Earlier, told of an Ohio State player's observation that Craft was the superior defender, Taylor replied: "He's great. I'm just way too confident in my abilities to give him that much credit. I guess I'll have to see for myself."
The rest of the nation will see for themselves as well on Saturday. Only one team can advance. Perhaps Taylor's confidence will be validated when all is said and done.
For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Kentucky Facing Highest Expectations, Immense Pressure
The first-overall seeded Kentucky Wildcats enter Saturday's game with in-state rival Louisville with all the pressure on their backs. For more than a month they have been the favorites of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and this weekend in New Orleans is all about whether or not they will fulfill expectations. They have the rock star coach, the roster full of lottery picks and the most loyal and rabid fan base in the country, which will surely be on full display at the Superdome. Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated penned a column highlighting the pressure on the 'Cats and noting which team could shatter their march to a Big Blue party in New Orleans on Monday:
This NCAA Tournament is about Kentucky and whether anybody can stop Kentucky. That seemed pretty clear two weeks ago, clearer a week ago, and is plainly obvious now. Louisville, Kansas and Ohio State all have a lot of fans, of course, and those fans will watch primarily to see if their team can win the national title. The rest of us want to know if somebody can beat Kentucky.
The Wildcats have the best team, far and away the best talent, and a very good coach, no matter what you think of him. Still, do you think we can turn the hype switch off for a minute?
Rosenberg thinks the Buckeyes have the best shot of knocking off the Cats, but they'll obviously have to get by Kansas first. With such a talented but young team, it will be interesting to see how UK responds to the hoopla at the Superdome on Saturday, especially given all the pressure and expectations coming down on them from "Big Blue Nation" and the college basketball punditry. They'll start the weekend on Saturday as nine-point favorites against the rival Cardinals.
For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012 Predictions: How Does Louisville Match Up With Kentucky?
In one of the most eagerly anticipated NCAA Tournament matchups in recent memory, the Kentucky Wildcats and the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals will square off in New Orleans on Saturday in the Final Four. The Wildcats are the favorites going in, but all bets are off in this game where the intensity is sure to be off the charts.
Rob Dauster of SI.com runs down the matchup position by position to determine whether Louisville has what it takes to pull off the upset.
Small Forward
Simply put, Louisville does not have anyone who can match up with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Few have this season, but the Cardinals are going to find themselves at a severe disadvantage. What MKG provides the Wildcats is a spark in transition. No one in the country is more dangerous than he is in the open floor, as he can get up and down the court with the quickness of a point guard and finish around the rim with the efficiency of someone four inches taller. MKG is also a terror in the paint, both on the glass and in the post. He's as strong as any small forward in the country. Louisville will be playing a lot of zone against the Wildcats, but if the Cardinals are forced to go man -- as they were against Florida -- it will be interesting to see if Kyle Kuric and company will be able to contain Kidd-Gilchrist. At the other end, Kuric has struggled with shooting this season, but when he gets into a rhythm he is as dangerous as anyone.
Edge: Kentucky
The full article is well worth a read-through, so please click through to check it out for yourself.
For all news and information regarding the Kentucky Wildcats, please visit A Sea of Blue. For updates and perspective on the Louisville Cardinals, head on over to Card Chronicle. For complete coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stop by SB Nation's dedicated tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Rivalry Lost On Friendships Between Louisville And Kentucky Players
Saturday's Final Four tips off with the much-atnicipated and heated in-state rivalry game between Louisville and Kentucky. As soon as the Wildcats pulled away from Baylor last Sunday, a full week of rivalry discussion commenced. While the fan bases of each school are on less-than-friendly terms, the players for each school have known each other for a long time and tend to have amicable relationships. While the fans may be getting in fights at dialysis clinics, Louisville freshman Chane Behanan, who is friends with Kentucky's Marquis Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, discussed the friendships among both teams with Matt Norlander of CBS:
"We talk about how our schools are, our communities, how the parties are and how hot the girls are," Behanan said of his conversations with UK's guys.
These are just a couple of the many friendships between players on both sides. Anthony Davis and Wayne Blackshear have a pre-existing friendship, and Peyton Siva and Terrence Jones have a relationship going back to their boyhood days in Seattle. It's not exactly the blood feud that exists between the fans that has been highlighted in the run-up to their rematch. John Calipari noted this earlier in the week when he said almost all of his players hailed from out-of-state and were not caught up in the rivalry hype heading into the clash in New Orleans. Obviously, when the ball goes up Saturday evening, those friendships go out the window.
For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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2012 Final Four, Ohio State Vs. Kansas: Thomas Robinson, Jared Sullinger Square Off
The Kansas Jayhawks and Ohio State Buckeyes are two of the four teams left in the NCAA Tournament and they'll have their second meeting of the season in New Orleans. The Jayhawks will be hoping for a repeat of a 78-67 victory in Kansas, while the Buckeyes will be hoping that Jared Sullinger's presence will help them earn revenge for their first loss of the season.
Kansas earned its win in the first matchup of the two squads thanks to Thomas Robinson's scoring and Tyshawn Taylor's distribution. Robinson, an athletic multipurpose forward, had 21 points and seven rebounds in the game, and Taylor dished out a career-high 13 assists, helping offset his seven turnovers. But Robinson may be even more crucial as a scorer to match Sullinger in the second go-round, and Taylor will have to deal with the harrying of Buckeyes ballhawk Aaron Craft. Jeff Withey, a premier shot-blocker, should help Kansas contain Sullinger, but the Jayhawks will be hard-pressed to replicate their defensive brilliance from their Elite Eight win over North Carolina, in which they limited the Tar Heels to 20 second-half points.
Sullinger and Craft form the core of an Ohio State team that has played some of its best ball in the NCAA Tournament, but neither will likely be the team's key player on offense, despite Sullinger seemingly hitting his stride with three straight outings of better than 50 percent shooting from the field. That player would be Deshaun Thomas, recently one of the nation's most explosive scorers; he has been held to single digits just twice since 2011 became 2012 and has averaged almost 22 points and more than eight rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament. If Thomas can't prop up the Buckeyes, Ohio State will have to hope William Buford can pull out of his slump. The senior guard hasn't made more than five shots in a game since a win over Michigan State in early March and is just 13-of-44 in the NCAA Tournament.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Buckeyes and Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Rick Pitino Reportedly Not Elected To Basketball Hall Of Fame
Getting the 2012 Louisville Cardinals to the Final Four is likely one of Rick Pitino's finest accomplishments in a storied career that includes Final Fours at three schools (Providence, Kentucky and Louisville) and multiple Final Fours at two (Kentucky and Louisville). But Pitino won't be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year, according to a report from ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor.
SB Nation's Louisville blog, Card Chronicle, is okay with that idea:
While I think this is borderline absurd and would have obviously preferred Pitino to get the nod, there is a part of me that is selfishly happy to have yet another piece of motivation heading into one of the biggest weekends in the history of Louisville basketball.
Two more wins would make a nice little statement.
For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Kansas Won't Let Danny Manning's Departure Be A Distraction
The Kansas Jayhawks are preparing for their appearance in the Final Four and what they hope will be the penultimate step on their road to the national championship. When they meet up with the Ohio St. Buckeyes in New Orleans on Saturday, it will be the first time the two teams have ever met in the NCAA tournament.
On top of the preparation the team will have to go through for the game, they will also be dealing with the loss of a member of their coaching staff. Assistant coach Danny Manning -- a former Jayhawks star who holds all-time KU scoring and rebounding records, and helped lead the team to a national title in 1988 -- left the team this week to accept a head coaching job with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
According to David Steele at AOL FanHouse, the Jayhawks are not going to let Manning's departure distract the team from their goal of a national title. KU center Jeff Withey had nothing but praise for Manning.
"He's meant so much to me. He's an awesome coach and a great mentor," Withey said. "It's sad to see him go, but I'm happy for him. He deserves it. He's going to make Tulsa a lot better."
Kansas head coach Bill Self still has just one thing on his mind: winning the next two games.
For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: All-Time Tournament Records Between Remaining Teams
The 2012 NCAA tournament has come all the way down to the Final Four, with just two pairs of teams remaining from the original 68. All four will attempt to advance and play for a chance at the national championship, but how have these teams fared against one another historically?
Evan Jacoby at Run the Court provided an in-depth breakdown on the histories of the four teams and their records against one another in the NCAA tournament.
In the most eagerly anticipated matchup yet in this year's tournament, the Kentucky Wildcats will take on their in-state rivals, the Louisville Cardinals. The two teams have met four times in the NCAA tournament, although the most recent of those games was in 1984. The rivals are 2-2 all-time against one another.
On the other side of the bracket, the Ohio St. Buckeyes will face the Kansas Jayhawks in a battle of No. 2 seeds. This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams in the NCAA tournament.
Should Kentucky advance, they are 1-1 all-time against the Jayhawks in the tournament, while Ohio State has a stellar 5-1 record against the Wildcats. However, Kentucky's lone win came just last year, in the 2011 Sweet 16.
If Louisville advances to the national championship game, they hold an 0-1 record against both Kansas and Ohio State in the tournament, although those losses are ancient history. The Cardinals lost to OSU in 1961 and to the Jayhawks in 1967.
For lots more on the Kentucky Wildcats, check out A Sea of Blue. For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Jared Sullinger And Thomas Robinson Face Off In Ohio State-Kansas Rematch
The 2012 Final Four features four teams that were ranked in the top 15 in the country when this season started -- a change from the bracket-busted previous three editions. The Saturday evening games will also feature two rematches from the regular season, one the highly touted in-state rivalry game between the Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats, and the other less-hyped bout between the Ohio St. Buckeyes and Kansas Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks handed OSU their first and only out-of-conference loss this season in early December. The Buckeyes traveled to Lawrence and faced KU without All-American forward Jared Sullinger, who was held out of the lineup with back spasms. Sullinger is sure to have an impact on Saturday's game, which will likely be decided in the paint and on the glass. Thad Matta discussed the importance of the rebounding margin, and SB Nation's Bill Connelly provided a statistical spotlight on the interior strength that has carried the Buckeyes in March.
But Kansas will counter with its own talented frontcourt duo of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey. Robinson, the Big 12 Player of the Year, had his way against the Buckeyes in December. Kansas assistant coach Danny Manning discussed the first game with WHB in Kansas City:
"I think for us and for our players we have a chance to really go back, watch tape, and see what the other players did in terms of how good they are in their roles. Aaron Craft is a terrific point guard and in four games you can talk about how well someone does this or does this but not until after you play him do guys realize he is the best on-ball defender in the country and you kind of get a grasp for it. So the biggest thing for us is knowing how talented that team is and then we have to get ready for [Jared] Sullinger because he didn't play. He's a first team All-American, he's a load, and we will have our hands full but it's a challenge that we gladly accept and we're looking forward to it."
There's almost nothing that will keep Sullinger out of the game this time around, so it will certainly be interesting to watch this strength-on-strength matchup. While each are elite post players, Sullinger largely plays below the rim while Robinson has the bounce to dominate with his athleticism. The clash of styles will be a highlight of the second game on Saturday.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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NCAA Final Four 2012, Ohio State Impact Players: Jared Sullinger Not The Only Star
When the Ohio State Buckeyes met the Kansas Jayhawks earlier in the season, they didn't fare well. Kansas shot a spectacular 58 percent from the floor in a 78-67 win. Unlike the Final Four meeting between the two teams, that game was at Allen Fieldhouse, not at a neutral site. Also unlike that game, Ohio State will have all of their key players.
Three players in particular will be in the spotlight for Ohio State, though there's one that sticks out.
Jared Sullinger
Sullinger was the one key player that Ohio State did not have when they first met Kansas, and it showed. Thomas Robinson scored 21 points on 7-9 shooting for the Jayhawks and was the team's co-leading rebounder with seven boards. Ohio State lost the rebounding battle in that game and had zero blocks.
With Sullinger on the floor, things should be a bit different. At 6'8", 265 pounds, he's easily the best-equipped player to defend Robinson. On the other end of the floor, he might be guarded by Jeff Withey, provided that Kansas doesn't decide to bust out their triangle and two defense again.
Sullinger is an immovable object on the low block and has some fantastic low-post moves. He hasn't had a dominant season, but he's a terrific low-post scorer and Ohio State will probably look to get the ball in his hands on a regular basis. He's been criticized for lacking the size and athletic ability to be a star in the NBA, but Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey aren't athletic freaks to the degree that they can slow down Sullinger on that aspect of their games alone.
Deshaun Thomas
Thomas has quietly been one of the best players in this NCAA tournament. He has the ability to score inside and out, and he should test Thomas Robinson's range as a defender. Late in this season and in the NCAA tournament, Thomas has improved his rebounding numbers significantly, and he was a major threat from three-point range in the Gonzaga and Cincinnati games.
Even though Thomas doesn't have an elite outside shot, elite size or elite quickness, he's very solid all-around and he presents matchup problems for everyone.
William Buford
Buford's length, build, lateral quickness, work ethic and intelligence make him a top-end perimeter defender at the college level, and his defense has been what has made the biggest impact for Ohio State in this NCAA tournament. He's an excellent three-point shooter, but he only attempted two threes against Cincinnati, while he wasn't terribly effective from behind the arc against Gonzaga or Syracuse.
Buford's biggest offensive impact in the three games where he had significant scoring performances -- he only recorded four points against Cincinnati -- has been in his ability to get to the free throw line. Even when Buford isn't hitting shots, he finds a way to make a serious impact for his team by getting to the line, finding his teammates and working hard on the other end.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Ohio State's Thad Matta Discusses Story On His Disability
This weekend, Ohio State's Thad Matta will return to the Final Four for the second time as the head coach of the Buckeyes. It's been five years since his last trip, however, and plenty has happened in Matta's life since then. Prior to Ohio State's Sweet 16 game against Cincinnati last Thursday, there was a widely-circulated story about the handicap Matta now deals with after complications from a back surgery that took place right after OSU's last run to the Final Four. Matta discussed the decision to go public and cooperate with the story on radio today with 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis:
"My wife kind of talked me into it from the standpoint of letting people know that have a disability that you can go on and do things. ... I didn't want to do it and I told him no several times. ... I'm kind of glad I did it because it let's people know that have a disability that hey, they can go on and do things in life. If one person's helped by it, I'm happy."
It was the first time that many Ohio State fans were even made aware of the disability, as the coach has hid it well in public.
On Saturday, Matta will look to match the success that 2007 team had and advance one more round to Monday's title game. To get there, he will have to face a Kansas team the Buckeyes lost to in the regular season while playing without Jared Sullinger. He discussed the challenge of facing the tall front line of Kansas
"They pose a lot of problems with their size. They've got guys that can make plays off the bounce. Once again, we're going to have be as sound as we possibly can. But the thing, the last three games, I think they're averaging 17 offensive rebounds a game, so we've got to come up with the first-time rebounds."
To match the Jayhawks' bigs, Ohio State cannot afford to get in foul trouble as they did against Syracuse. Both Sullinger and backup Evan Ravenel played less than six minutes in the first half against the Orange after picking up two early fouls.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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2012 Final Four, Louisville: The Cardinals' Path To New Orleans Mirrors 2011 UConn
Stop me if you've heard this one before: a Big East team, projected for great things in the preseason and loaded with talent and a legendary coach, led by a senior point guard, stumbles early, makes a shocking run to win the conference tournament and keeps it going in the NCAAs all the way to the Final Four.
It's the precise path the Connecticut Huskies took to the 2011 NCAA Championship behind Jim Calhoun and Kemba Walker, and it's exactly what the Louisville Cardinals are trying to do this year with Rick Pitino and Peyton Siva, who, admittedly, is no Kemba Walker. Still, the Cardinals have proved that they can beat any team in the country with wins against Florida in the Elite Eight, Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and New Mexico and Davidson in the tourney's first weekend.
In the Big East tournament, the Cardinals ran the table with wins over Seton Hall, Marquette, Notre Dame and Cincinnati in consecutive days, and Siva was the tournament MVP. The Cardinals are even built eerily like the Huskies last year; like Alex Oriakhi, Gorgui Dieng is their dominant paint presence, though Dieng is a far superior shot blocker. Instead of Jeremy Lamb, the Cardinals have freshman Chane Behanan, who has more of an inside game but is still a sparkplug who can score in bunches.
The Cardinals face their in-state rival Kentucky Wildcats, the team Rick Pitino coached to the 1996 national championship, in the Final Four, where they are the heavy underdogs. If they continue to follow the script UConn wrote for them last year, however, then defying the odds is all part of the plan.
For more on Louisville, be sure to head to Card Chronicle. For news and updates on the Cardinals' opponent, visit Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012, Ohio State: How The Buckeyes Made It To New Orleans
The field of competitors in the 2012 NCAA Tournament has been whittled down from the initial 68 teams, all the way to the Final Four. One of the four teams traveling to New Orleans for a shot at the national championship is the Ohio St. Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Region, hoping to build on their strong Big Ten season and showcase Jared Sullinger, just one year removed from winning National Freshman of the Year.
The first game for the Buckeyes in the tournament came in the Round of 64, when they handily defeated the No. 15 seed Loyola, Md. Greyhounds by a final score of 78-59. In the round of 32, they similarly had little trouble knocking out the No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, 73-66, to advance to the Sweet 16. They met up with No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats in the regional semifinals and put up another decisive win, 81-66.
In the regional finals, the Buckeyes had by far their toughest challenge in the bracket, as they went up against the No. 1 Syracuse Orange, who entered the tournament as the second overall seed. In the end, the Buckeyes prevailed by a final score of 77-70 to send Syracuse backing and reach the Final Four.
If the Buckeyes want to make it to the championship game, they have another tough task ahead. They'll be taking on the No. 2 seed from the Midwest Region, the Kansas Jayhawks.
For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012, Kansas: Looking At The Jayhawks' Path To New Orleans
The 2012 NCAA Tournament is nearly at an end. After a whirlwind event filled with upsets, heartbreakers and last-minute heroics, the field of 68 has come down to the Final Four. One of the four teams heading to New Orleans to duke it out for a shot at the national championship is the Kansas Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and hoping to continue the momentum from a strong season where they captured the regular-season Big 12 title. Their first game in the tournament came in the Round of 64, when they defeated No. 15 seed Detroit Titans, 65-50.
Next up for Kansas was No. 10 seed Purdue Boilermakers, who presented a tougher challenge. KU was ultimately able to prevail, 63-60, to advance to the Sweet 16. In the regional semifinals, the Jayhawks faced the surprising No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack, but once again were able to pick up a slim 63-60 win and make it to the Elite Eight.
The Jayhawks went up against the No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels and stunned UNC with their most decisive victory in the bracket, winning by a final score of 80-67.
In New Orleans, the Jayhawks will meet a fellow No. 2 seed from the East Region, the Ohio St. Buckeyes. The winner will make it to the national championship game and have a chance to win it all.
For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 NCAA Tournament hub.
- about 1 year ago
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Final Four 2012: Kentucky Vs. Louisville Rematch Brings Out Passion In Fanbases
So the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals will tip off in the Final Four on Saturday. In case you didn't know, this is a very big deal. The UK-UL rivalry is arguably the sport's most heated, spanning 43 meetings over nearly 100 years and whole mess of cultural differences. Mike Rutherford at Cards Chronicle writes why the rivalry is the best in college basketball.
The use of "hate" is excessive in almost any context, but this rivalry brings the utilization of the word closer to the cusp of appropriateness than any other.
Without delving too much into the issues, there is a definite disconnect between the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky.
Though relatively insignificant in the eyes of the rest of the country, Kentuckians outside of Louisville view the Derby City the same way someone from upstate Vermont views New York City: prostitutes parading around the KFC Yum! Center, muggers behind the doors of every store in the local mall and gang-bangers residing in each and every high-rent neighborhood home.
Kentucky blogger Ken Howlett over at A Sea Of Blue didn't hesitate to throw more fuel on the fire. The top-seeded Wildcats have been the odds-on favorite to win the championship since the NCAA Tournament began. With all of Kentucky's NBA talent, Howlett says a loss to the Cardinals would be an unmitigated disaster.
Simply put, Louisville winning Saturday is a Kentucky fans' nightmare. As a matter of fact, I just got this in ... Webster's has issued a press release officially redefining "hell." It reads like this: Webster's Dictionary has redefined the word hell to mean the following -- The unmitigated horror any Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan must live through if UK loses to the University of Louisville in the 2012 Final Four.
So there you have it. It's official. Hell awaits if the 'Cats go down to the Cards.
There will be no shortage of passion on either side of the court come tip-off. Luckily, the rest of us can sit back and enjoy the spectacle on college basketball's biggest stage from afar.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub, and remember to pick up our printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
