Preparing for the NIT
See, I wasn't just being mean when I said we weren't making the tournament. We haven't beaten anyone important in weeks. Sure we hang around and lose by 3 to Indiana (hey Diebler, if you make more than 1 of your 6 threes that game goes into overtime), but we're losing to teams like Iowa and Michigan now. Last week the experts had us listed as going to the tournament along with the other Big Ten teams, but since our 3 game losing streak I have to send us to the NIT instead.
There are rules a fan has to obey when cheering for a team in the NIT. We're not allowed to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Sorry. You have to go to that ghetto wing place, "Ronnie's Wings n' Shit" down the street and watch the Buckeyes from a plywood booth on the faded color TV propped up on that miracle "how is that thing screwed into the wall?" display. The games are on nights like Monday and Wednesday and they're not even on ESPN. Oh no, ESPN is showing the Big Dance...for the women. Nope, we get ESPN2 and maybe some Pam Ward to do our games. Meanwhile, teams like Drake are enjoying the spotlight of being the talk of everyone's bracket. Watch out for those 10 seeds, blah blah blah.
"Can I get some blue cheese?" No, I can't. They only serve ranch at Ronnie's. And don't bother asking for celery or a wet-nap because only NCAA tournament fans deserve that kind of treatment. Holy shit a 250 pound black woman just changed the station to Fox so she can see who is on American Idol this week. Nothing I can do about it, I'm not at a sports bar.
And now for your Diebler 3-ball report...
16-45 since I last reported. Wow, Jon, that's over 33%, you're almost like a real recruit. Don't make me look up your girlfriend on facebook and email her some advice to pass onto you. (You'll recall Sideshow Matt's girlfriend didn't take that too well). Instead, I've found and joined the group "Is Jon Diebler every going to make a shot?"
posted by The Dur @ 2/27/2008 11:33:00 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Hey, the preseason NIT!! That's a premier tournament.
Oh, wait . . . FUCK!
(Do they even play the preseason NIT anymore, or am I showing my age and my ignorance of non-March related college basketball?)
We competed in and finished ... duh duh-duh-DAH ... second in the preseason NIT this year.
We're an NIT team, by which I mean, we're not that good. Home wins over MSU and Purdue will put us squarely on the bubble, and those two wins plus one win in the Big Ten tournament comes pretty close to getting us in. But the odds of that happening ... yeah. This team hasn't proven they can beat anyone good.
This may be one of the more infuriating Buckeye teams in recent history, I have to think they are underachieving. There is talent,size and experience at PG. So why the let down? Part of the blame has to go at Matta, great recruiter, mediocre in game coach which I think we all agree on. Part of it goes to Jamar Butler, who skipped summer workouts with the frosh to play in Lima. Not exactly great for building team chemistry with a bunch of new guys but by now I think that point is moot. Finally, I wonder if these guys just aren't great team players yet. The frosh are all elite players but not physical freaks ala Oden, Conley. So they need to play as somewhat of a team to compete. Of the frosh, Koufos and Diebler played on absolutely one man teams in HS. They shot pretty much when and where they wanted. Turner the turnover, well enough said. Lacks alot of polish. I think combining the lack of ever playing an organized offense, insert Hunter who isn't all that experienced himself with Jamar having to play point again and it just seems like the pieces haven't jelled. Which leads to infuriating inconsistency and droughts. Maybe another year of experience or someone who actually looks for the roll on the high pick [not Jamar] will help but that remains to be seen. Thoughts? -Scooter out
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