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Joshua Silcox
JS202403@ohio.edu
#3 Ohio State University (9-1) vs. #4 University of Florida (9-2)
December 23rd, 2006
4:00 p.m.(EST.)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center
Gainesville, Florida.
Buckeyes and Gators fans across the country have been patiently waiting for January 8th, but many don't realize that they are set to meet even earlier on the hardwood. The Ohio State Buckeyes will travel south to Gainesville, this Saturday as they are set to take on last years national champions, the Florida Gators. Ohio State will arguably be the only real test the Gators have faced since losing to Kansas almost four weeks ago in the O'Connell Center.
Overview
Although the Gators play more upperclassmen and are the defending national
champions, many still think that Florida is the underdog going into Saturday's showdown with the young and talented Buckeyes. Only eleven games into the season, Billy Donovan's club has been through a lot. After a great start to the season, Donovan benched last year’s Final Four MVP, Joakim Noah, for a lack of hustle and work ethic. Noah has since responded and is back to his
ways of dominating the paint each game with his trademark grin. Fellow front court star, 6-9 Junior Corey Brewer, was diagnosed with mono and missed 3 games including a loss to in-state rival Florida State, the Gator's second loss of the season. Brewer has since overcome his mild case of mono and is finally getting back to normal. Other injuries to the talented Florida squad include 6-10 Center Al Horford with a high ankle sprain and 6-11 Forward Joakim Noah with a respitory illness. All the current injuries in Florida's front court not only puts more pressure on their guards to produce, but also raises the question of whether they will be able to contain Ohio State's monster 7-0, 280lb freshman center, Greg Oden who is leading the NCAA with an astounding .895% field goal percentage.
Star Power
As if you needed a reason to watch the college basketball match up of the weekend, the star power of these two teams is more than appealing. Coach Thad Matta of Ohio State has brought in what it is arguably the best recruiting class of 2005. What is now being called the "Thad Five",
includes Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, David Lighty, and top junior-college transfer Othello Hunter. Oden and Conley Jr. played together at Indianapolis North High School and led their team to three consecutive state championships. The Gators have five NBA prospects themselves in Horford, Noah, Brewer, Green, and the much talked about 6-10, 250lb. freshman Marreese Speights who is likely to see more than his usual 9.1 minutes per game to help out against Greg Oden. It is by no means a stretch to say that this Saturday we will be seeing ten or more future NBA players showing their stuff on the hardwood in Gainesville, Florida.
So how do the teams match up against each other?
Statistically speaking, both teams are very even offensively. Ohio State shoots 52% from the field and Florida shoots 54%. Ohio State shoots 41.4% from three-point range and Florida shoots 41.6%. Ohio State scores 83.9 points per game and Florida scores 84.5. On paper, Florida seems to have the size advantage. They typically run two guards, and three in the front court all of whom are 6-9 or taller. Having Noah, Horford, and Brewer all on the floor at once has flustered many teams in the early goings and taken opponents out of their original game plan because of the athletic and rather lengthy front court of the Gators. On the other hand, the back court for the Gators is undersized when in comparison with the Buckeyes. Florida's main two guards, Taureen Green (6-0) and Lee Humphry (6-2), are at a considerable size disadvantage going up against the bigger back court of Ohio State, but what the Florida guards lack in size they more than make up with their experience and past success as a unit.
Another thing to watch for this Saturday is how Florida's big men handle the explosive and overpowering freshman phenom that is Greg Oden. At 7-0, 280lbs, Oden has posterized his opponents with high percentage dunks, four-foot jump shots, and easy put backs, however; Oden in his three games
played as a Buckeye has yet to face as formidable of a foe as the talented and large front court of the Gators. Throughout high school and his first three games as a Buckeye, Oden has had his way with the opposition. The three NBA-bound front court stars that Oden will face this weekend will be, in all reality, his first real test as a basketball player. The big question will be if whether or not the Gators big men will be healthy enough to play to their potential come game time. Either way, look for the Gators to double team Oden each time he gets the ball in the paint which could, in turn, provide open looks for the guards of Ohio State who are shooting 41.4% from behind the arch this season.
Keys to the game
The guards for Ohio State must have a good game this Saturday if they want to win. They can not afford to rely so heavily on Greg Oden as they have in their past three games against Valpo, Cleveland State, and a Cincinnati team who guarded Oden with a 6-4 tight-end from the football team. The back court for the Buckeyes must get into an early rythym and be more aggressive in going to the hoop then they have in recent games.
The three big men for the Gators, along with freshman Marreese Speights, must be physicaland work together on defending Oden. On the offensive side, the front court for the Gators needs to continue to be productive. Noah, Horford, and Brewer combine for an average of 36 points per game and they will need to contribute if the Gators want to come out on top. Greg Oden has a major presence in the paint and has deterred front court players from even attempting to put up a shot. The Gators must come at Oden and the front court of the Buckeyes until they prove they can stop the talented big men of Florida.
With these two evenly matched teams, I look for coaching and defensive schemes to play a huge part in the outcome of this weekend's marquee match up. Which one of these two young amazing coaches will keep their team focused and execute their game plan better? Can Billy Donovan execute his usual game plan with an unhealthy front court? Will Thad Matta be able to keep his team calm or will it be another second half collapse like it was in Chapel Hill in late November? Can Matta prepare Greg Oden for a hostile crowd in what will be arguably the biggest game of the young man's career so far? All of these questions will determine which team will walk out of the O'Connell Center with the win this coming Saturday.
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