Part 2 - OSU Basketball

Aaron returns for round 2..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had the chance to travel down to Columbus on Sunday for the Bucks blowout of top ten Illinois.  I hadn’t been to the Schott since the 01-02 season, and I must say the place was a rocking.  The student section was going nuts, the place was packed, and everyone was amped up for a big OSU basketball game.  And what the crowd got was an unreal performance from a very good and talented OSU team.  Foster and Butler went nuts from the three-point arc, dropping 11 of 14 combined.  The team as a whole hit 13-23, which is just ridiculous.  Dials tore up the middle, grabbing 16 boards and 19 points.  A very balanced attack.   

So last week, the Bucks beat two very good Big 10 ball clubs, hitting 28-47 from behind the arc in the two games.  Of course hitting 50% of three point shots will not happen every game, but if we could consistently hit 40% we have a good chance of winning the Big 10, maybe the Big 10 tourney and make some noise in the tourney.  This team actually reminds me a lot of the 1999 Final 4 team.  We have a second year coach with a core of players that are playing well, maybe even overachieving.  They believe in themselves, have come out of nowhere, and are playing with so much confidence, nothing seems impossible.  I can’t wait for March!!  First though, a big game in Wisconsin tonight.  O!H! 

On a different note, the ruling came down in the Jim O’Brien madness, and it may surprise everyone that O’Brien won.  

The judge in the case stated the infraction made by O’Brien was minor and did not warrant a contract termination.  Hmm . . . I don’t know exactly what to think about this.  Jimmy O was a good coach who helped revive OSU basketball, and I hate to see him punished for being a good person (giving money to a recruit who’s father was dying and couldn’t afford medical treatment).  But rules are rules, and if OSU was wrong in terminating the contract, then they oughtta pay up.  And it looks like the infraction was so minor, that the team should not face any more sanctions.  But that’s a different matter all together.