Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Akron man killed in crash on his street
Browns find another way to lose
Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
After 30 years at the helm of Akron Children's, Considine still looks to future
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Sunday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Browns sick after sick loss in Detroit
Akron Zips:
Zips advance to Sweet Sixteen
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Post-game defensive quotes
Kent State Sports:
Kent State defeats Rochester College, 63-44
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
The Onion, By Any Other Name…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (70) Savings in Medicare Advantage
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Faye Dunaway to be Evicted?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Monique asks how to get tickets for the Polar Express.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – You are All Wrong About Jobs, or the Lack of Jobs, Being the Reason People Do Not Live in NEO
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
A year after playing for NCAA title, OSU to host UNC-Asheville
By Rusty Miller
Associated Press
Published on Monday, Mar 17, 2008
COLUMBUS: A year after finishing second in the nation, Ohio State isn't even in the top 65.
Last year's national runner-up, the Buckeyes were overlooked when the NCAA Tournament bracket was announced Sunday night and had to settle for a National Invitation Tournament home game against UNC-Asheville on Tuesday night.
Coach Thad Matta said the slight will serve as an educational tool for his young team.
''One of the questions I asked them (the younger players) a month and a half ago was, do you make the NCAA Tournament because you put an Ohio State uniform on?'' Matta said Sunday night. ''They all kind of laughed. They know now that there's a lot more that goes into it.''
Ohio State hoped that a 19-13 record, a decent RPI (49), two late wins over ranked opponents (Purdue, Michigan State), a 10-8 Big Ten record and a difficult schedule (ranked 13th toughest in the country) might be enough to get it into the tournament.
UNC-Asheville (23-9) made it to the Big South title game before losing.
''UNC-Asheville will be another difficult test,'' said Matta, whose team has played a ranked opponent in five of its past six games. ''We are fortunate to keep playing.''
The Buckeyes weren't the only Ohio team in the NIT. Dayton (21-10) hosts Cleveland State (21-12) on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in another first-round game.
If Ohio State wins its first-round game, it would play the winner of New Mexico at Cal.
Two wins by the Buckeyes could match them against Dayton or Cleveland State, which would need to beat the winner of Utah State at Illinois State to set up a showdown with Ohio State.
The NIT championship is April 3 at Madison Square Garden.
The Buckeyes were disconsolate after finding out they had been left out of the NCAA Tournament field.
''We're just as good as some of the other teams that were put in front of us in the (NCAA) tournament,'' forward Matt Terwilliger said. ''I think if we make a run here, we can prove that.''
Costly losses to a couple of bottom-dwellers in the Big Ten and a four-game losing skid undoubtedly hurt the Buckeyes' chances of making it back into the tournament.
''They always say you get what you deserve and I think we did,'' said senior point guard Jamar Butler. ''The game at Iowa, the game at Michigan — and you can throw some others in there that we could have won but didn't come ready to play — they came back to haunt us.''
A year ago, the Buckeyes lost to defending champion Florida — which also didn't make the field this time around. It was the first time since 1980 that both finalists missed the NCAA field the following year.
Ohio State lost the heart of that team, with two senior starters graduating and three stellar freshman leaving for the NBA draft, where they were taken No. 1 overall (center Greg Oden), No. 4 (Mike Conley Jr.) and No. 21 (Daequan Cook).
''It shows you about how much things change,'' Matta said. ''When you lose three freshmen in the top 21 of the NBA Draft — which has never been done before — it's hard to get your flow, your continuity going.''
Matta was asked if he felt it was worth it to trade one spectacular year with a number of one-then-done freshmen stars for a follow-up year tinged with disappointment.
''I think it is, especially when you look and say you were as close as we were to being back in the NCAA Tournament,'' he said.
With only one starter (Butler) back from that 35-4 team, the Buckeyes came close with two freshmen and two second-year players in the starting lineup.
''I hope what these guys walk away with is, hey, we didn't get it done,'' Matta said. ''There's reasons that we've got to get corrected. You look at the new challenges ahead and say, let's go try to play more basketball and keep winning.''
COLUMBUS: A year after finishing second in the nation, Ohio State isn't even in the top 65.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
