Men's Basketball
The Buckeye Watch
By Tony Gerdeman

How do you get up for something when you’ve already accomplished everything you thought you could?

Fortunately, players and coaches don’t think that way.

We as fans are probably pretty satisfied with the season. I know I am. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like a little chocolate cake after my steak and potatoes.

And now I really want that cake!

So now the Buckeyes play the Gators on Monday night. A game that has so many sidestories and backstories, it makes “LOST” look like “Two and a Half Men”.

And I’m tired of hearing about whether this will erase that one football game that one time; this has nothing to do with that.

Show this team the respect that it deserves.

Besides, they have their own revenge to focus on.

Until then, let’s do a little Watching...

5:07 One hour to go. I hate time.

5:57 I don't know if it's a hope or a feeling, but I just have something inside me saying Greg Oden is going to supremely impress people tonight.

5:59 This is Billy Packer's biggest broadcast since Jones vs Smolinski at a Fort Wayne putt-putt back in 1984. Jones pulled it out with an ace on the 18th hole. Putt-Putt Times called it "The putt heard 'round much of northeastern Indiana." The win put Jones' season-earnings at well over $437.

6:05 Sounds like a Buckeye crowd. No surprise. We can be very loud and belligerent when we want to be.

6:08 Mike Conley Jr. is the one talking in the huddle. And everybody is locked in on him. Freshman or not, that dude is a leader.

6:09 Game on...

6:09:49 Foul on Hibbert! Ha! That was quick. And a good call to boot. Everybody wants to let these guys play, but you still have to call fouls. Dang. Oden missed both. Both were long. He may be a tad too pumped. That was still a good trip, though.

6:10 Wow, these CBS sound-effects make baby Power Rangers cry.

6:11 Oden gets called for a moving screen. No surprise. Gotta keep it even.

6:11:32 Conley gets to the rim but misses. I understand there’s a 7-footer down there, but you have got to convert those tonight.

6:12 Butler with an easy three at the top of the key! He ran around some screens and there were no Hoyas to hinder his shot.

6:13 And Jonathan Wallace answers with his own three.

6:13:42 No way! No flippin’ way!! They just called Oden for a charge. Even the Fifes scoff at that charge. That was a hilarious flop--except it isn’t funny. Oden’s done for the half with two fouls. At least, I hope we’re able to play well enough that we don’t see him again this half.

6:14 Ivan Harris for three!! You see what you get, Hoyas! You see what you get!!

6:15 Buckeyes with the steal...Ron Lewis to Jamar Butler to Mike Conley for the lay up! Buckeyes lead 8-5. That’s already the second or third steal of the game for the Buckeyes. Keep it up.

6:15:41 Georgetown misses a three, but they’re all over the offensive glass right now. The ball gets knocked out of bounds and we go to our first television timeout. The Buckeyes lead 8-5 with 15:38 remaining in the half.

6:16 Well, Greg got two cheapies. I really thought they’d allow basketball players to play basketball. Evidently, we’ve got some soccer refs working tonight.

6:17 I take full responsibility for those two fouls based on my comments at 5:57. My bad.

6:20 Conley just hit his right-handed floater in the lane. He can get that whenever he wants--he just needs to make sure he sinks them.

6:20:28 Steal by Terwilliger! He gets it up to Daequan Cook, who misses the lay up, but Twig is there to tip it in. Tremendous hustle. Get the steal, get the tip-in. Can’t ask much more than that. Buckeyes lead 12-7.

6:21 Georgetown is due for a three soon. Ha! They missed one! It actually worked for once!!

6:22 Wow! Conley just broke the Hoyas down like boot camp and laid it in. Hilarious.

6:23 Actually, aside from Conley, the Hoyas are playing some pretty stifling defense right now. Cook has been forced to take a couple of desperation shots the last couple of times down court.

6:24 The offense is looking pretty ragged. I think we need Ron Lewis out there.

6:28 Hibbert is in. Conley is out. And Wallace hits an open three. Yes, we want them shooting threes, but not open threes. Who didn’t get the memo??? Wallace is their best shooter, you can’t leave him like that. I’d almost say he’s their only shooter, but I don’t want to be proven wrong in a massive way.

6:29 Ron Lewis drives into Hibbert, gets fouled, but the refs don’t agree with me. They rarely do. They are just so darned impartial. Our only offense right now is driving and hitting threes. The Hoyas defense is bothersome.

6:29:52 Ha! Shot clock violation for the Hoyas. Speaking of bothersome defenses. That leads us to a television timeout. Buckeyes lead 14-10 with 8:28 to play.

6:31 I like the way Thad Matta is constantly switching defense. Georgetown says they react to what a defense does, so we don’t want them finding any comfort zones on us.

6:32 Conley’s back in. Good.

6:33 Lewis got to the rim again, got hit, and missed again. Ivan Harris gets the offensive rebound and gets fouled! He’s going to the line for two shots. Makes one of two. Buckeyes lead 15-10 with 8:05 remaining.

6:34 Big dunk by Hibbert! Nice dish. Jerks.

6:35 Ron Lewis goes to the basket AGAIN, and FINALLY gets fouled. Hibbert got him. That should be Hibbert’s fourth, but it’s only his second. Television timeout. Buckeyes lead 15-14 with 6:45 to play in the half.

6:36 Well, the refs were letting one of the big men play, until it just got to be too much to let go. Hibbert hit Ivan Harris harder on the play before than he hit Lewis on this play. Well, at least Hibbert is done for the half.

6:40 Ron Lewis drives yet again, and gets fouled again. I like this play-calling. Anytime Conley and Lewis want to, they can get to the rim. And with Hibbert out, now would be a good time to keep driving. Lewis makes one of two free throws. I think that’s Ron’s first miss in the Tournament. Buckeyes lead 18-14 with five minutes to play.

6:42 Sapp hits a wide-open three. We can live with Sapp shooting, but still, get out on him all the same.

6:42:44 Boom! Conley answers with a deep three of his own! I love this guy! 23-17 Buckeyes with 3:50 left.

6:44 This game is getting pretty hectic. I like it.

6:45 I wonder if John Thompson III will put Hibbert back in.

6:47 Jeff Green goes right at Terwilliger and gets fouled. That’s the second-straight possession where Green went at Terwilliger. He looks pretty serious now. He makes one of two free throws. Buckeyes lead 25-20 with 2:40 remaining.

6:48 Wow! Conley just found himself matched up against Vernon Macklyn and went by him for the lay up. Any time Conley gets a post-player playing him up top, you just have to laugh.

6:49 Hecticity leads to two points for Georgetown. I hate hectic.

6:49:44 Butler just blew by Macklyn but missed the jumper. We need those, Jamar.

6:50 Very nice! David Lighty is manning up Jeff Green in the post and still found a way to take a charge from the driving guard. That’s impressive.

6:51 Georgetown’s holding the ball for one final shot. Watch Wallace! Nice foul by Othello on a sure dunk by DaJuan Summers. Summers makes one of two. Buckeyes lead 27-23 with 4.2 seconds left.

6:52 Conley goes all the way...jumps at the three-point line...gets bumped...no shot...no call...no surprise. They are never going to call that one, Mike.

6:53 Well, that brings us to halftime, with the Buckeyes leading 27-23. You have to admire a defense that holds the galaxy’s “most efficient offense” to 23 points without the game’s best defensive presence even playing.

6:54 I would’ve taken a four-point lead with Oden playing 15 minutes, let alone only playing three.

6:55 But that half is now over. There’s only twenty minutes between you (us) and Monday.

6:56 Woodchuck, you got your ears on!!

6:57 Ron Lewis could be a much bigger player in this thing. I love the game he’s playing, but I think he could be even more aggressive going to the basket.

6:58 I’m going to go get some cookies.

7:05 I’m full.

7:07 No matter the magnitude of the game, it’s good to know that we’ve got the ball in the hands of a crafty veteran like Mike Conley Jr.

7:08 The bad thing about Greg Oden missing the entire first half is that he didn’t even get a chance to lose any jitters he may have had. His two free throw attempts were long, indicative of adrenaline and nerves. And now we don’t know where he is in that regard, and he may not either. It’s going to take the first few minutes to get him back into the feel of this game. And hopefully that doesn’t lend itself to a third foul. Though I doubt he’s playing with a mind on not fouling.

7:13 And here we go...game on...

7:14 Wallace hits a baseline jumper via great ball movement. That’s a bit disconcerting.

7:14:39 Ivan Harris with the put back! Harris was all over the offensive glass on that possession. Actually, he’s been there all night. Looks like he wants to play in one more game.

7:15 What the heck?? Oden was on Jeff Green and Conley got stuck on Hibbert. Of course, Hibbert dunked it home. I don’t know what defense that was, but it should be taken out behind the silo and shot.

7:16 Oden takes it over Hibbert for two. Greg had great position and just got too deep. Buckeyes back up by two, 31-29.

7:16:48 Wow. Another lay up for Georgetown. That’s four easy baskets right out of the gate. The defense looks lost.

7:17 Sapp hits a three behind a Hibbert screen, giving the Hoyas their first lead since it was 2-0, I believe. Hoyas are up 34-33.

7:17:47 Conley gets to the rim and gets hit by Hibbert. No call.

7:18 Oden now gets hit by Hibbert. Again, no call. But Ivan Harris gets the offensive rebound and goes back up and Hibbert finally gets called for a foul. It’s his “third”. Television timeout. Georgetown leads 34-33 with 15:56 left in the game.

7:19 Now it gets interesting. The Hoyas can no longer match up with Oden. So do they double him hard, or just play with fire and hope he misses?

7:20 Although, Greg definitely needs to watch out for the “Even Steven” foul. The refs may feel obligated to not give Ohio State an “unfair advantage” here.

7:21 Ivan’s at the free throw line. Makes the first. He hasn’t been at the line this much in a long while. He misses the second, but Jeff Green gets called with a push on Oden.

7:22 Ivan misses a jumper, but Greg Oden gets the rebound and dunks it down. The zone will allow Oden to do that repeatedly. 36-34 Buckeyes with 15:11 to play.

7:22:29 Steal by Ron Lewis! Up to Conley, and he lays it in! 38-34 Buckeyes.

7:23 I really don’t like Greg Oden playing man-to-man defense on Jeff Green here. Green should try to get Oden out of the game. Ha! Traveling on the Hoyas. I like being bailed out.

7:24 Oden’s manning up Green again. His third foul is coming.

7:26 Oden with the unstoppable hook over Ewing. There’s nothing anybody can do about that. If that shot is falling, send the caterers home and start sweeping up the confetti.

7:26:52 Hibbert comes back in. Go to Greg.

7:27 Nice! Oden goes right over Hibbert for two. 42-36 Buckeyes with 11:55.

7:27:42 Crap. Hibbert just went right at Oden, got fouled, and made the shot. Now Greg will sit. Television timeout. Buckeyes lead 42-38 with 11:50 remaining.

7:29 I’m thinking we should continue to drive, but I’m highly doubtful that these refs are going to call a foul on Hibbert unless he pops somebody’s spleen. And there would have to be physical evidence that the spleen had actually popped. And no, a contusion is not a “pop”.

7:30 Well, that was a great move and great fortune for John Thompson III. He brings in Hibbert, and they knock out Oden. He couldn’t ask for much better circumstances than that. This is where Terwilliger and/or Hunter have to step up again.

7:31 Lewis misses a three, but Hunter gets the easy put back!! Like I said, step up. 44-38 Buckeyes.

7:32 Sheesh. Hibbert scores an easy two and gets fouled by Lighty. That was quick. They went right down the court and didn’t wait on anybody. Hibbert misses the free throw, but Ewing gets the offensive rebound. Goes down to Hibbert and he’s fouled again. No jump ball there, fellas? No three-second call? Hibbert makes one of two. Buckeyes still lead 44-41 with 10:40 remaining.

7:34 Ron Lewis misses another three, this time from the baseline. He’s getting some very good looks, they’re just not falling right now.

7:35 Wallace his a step-back three to tie the game. That dude always hits big shots. We need to do something about that.

7:35:27 Conley misses his floater. We need Greg Oden back in there.

7:36 Ha! Hibbert gets his fourth foul holding Othello Hunter! Packer saw that one coming. That was a cheapie, but it was definitely a foul. Oden’s back in. This is good.

7:37 Oden gets an easy two over Jeff Green. Buckeyes lead 46-44 with 7:50 remaining.

7:37:34 Wallace misses a three, Lewis rebounds it and throws it out to David Lighty who takes it in for the lay up! Run at every opportunity.

7:38 Jamar Butler drives and makes a crazy shot! I didn’t know spines could do that! Buckeyes lead 50-44 with 7:24 left to play! Georgetown calls a timeout.

7:38:22 How much longer can Hibbert sit? Green can’t handle Oden. Ewing can’t handle Oden. The zone can’t handle Oden. Hibbert can’t really handle him either, but at least he’s pretty tall.

7:39 Yeah, Subway, I want raisins for lunch. Idiots.

7:42 OH MY GOD!! Oden just took off from a step inside the free throw line and went over Jeff Green, but missed the dunk! Green gets called for the blocking foul. Oden crashed to the floor. Talk about your turbulent flights! That was insane! Television timeout. Buckeyes lead 50-44 with 6:37 remaining.

7:43 I’m laughing at the replay. Especially the dude behind the basket who has obviously never seen anything so amazing.

7:44 Greg, I don’t need to tell you this, but these are two pretty big free throws here. Bend your knees, snap your wrist, and follow through. Or is it “follow through and then snap your wrist”? I’m not sure, just make sure you bend your knees.

7:45 Man, that dunk attempt was crazy. Next time, clear the runway for Flight #20.

7:45:25 No surprise, Hibbert comes back in.

7:46 Greg makes one of two. Buckeyes lead 51-44 with 6:30 to play.

7:46:22 Jeff Green loses the ball! But he picks it up again and lays it in. That would’ve been a nice one to have. 51-46 Buckeyes with 5:50 remaining.

7:47 What?? What!! Hibbert just hit a 19-footer! And he looked comfortable. What the heck was that? That’s never a good sign. Why must people always hit random crap against the Buckeyes?? Is it contractual?

7:47:51 Steal by Conley, to the rim and gets it goaltended!! Buckeyes up eight, at 56-48 with 4:40 left!

7:48 Hibbert hits a nice hook over Oden, knocking it down to a six-point deficit.

7:48:36 Ron Lewis had a huge lane on the baseline, but he missed the lay up. Hibbert let him have the rim, but it looked like Lewis was expecting some contact. He should’ve just gone up with the intentions of throwing it down on the seven-footer.

7:49 Stupid craziness leads to a Hoya fast break. The lay up makes it 56-52 Buckeyes with 3:07 remaining. Settle down.

7:49:22 Oden misses a bunny. The momentum is shifting.

7:50 Green goes right at Oden and Oden picks up his fourth foul. Television timeout. Buckeyes lead 56-52 with 2:36 left in the game. There’s so much going on in this game right now.

7:51 Oden may be tired, but he’s only going to get a slight rest here. We need him out on the floor.

7:52 You have to assume that Green is going to make the first free throw, then miss the second, then Wallace will tie the game with a three-pointer.

7:53 Hmm, Green won’t be shooting free throws after all. My bad. Oden stays in, by the way.

7:53:22 Green gets called for a charge into David Lighty!! Lighty has played amazing defense tonight. He’s hassled Green whenever he’s been called on to do so. What a tournament for this guy!

7:54 Oden hits a turnaround twelve-footer!! 58-52 Buckeyes with 2:00 to play. He didn’t even hesitate on that shot. It was going up as soon as he caught it. He’s a seven-foot Reggie Miller.

7:54:44 Hibbert misses the hook, Conley goes coast to coast and drops it off to Lighty who gets fouled and makes the basket!! Great drive by Conley and tremendous patience by Lighty. He caught the ball, collected himself and then went up and drew the foul.

7:55 C’mon, Dave. Knees, elbows, etc. He sinks it! Buckeyes lead 61-52 with 1:41 remaining!!

7:55:17 Wallace misses a three-pointer and Oden grabs the rebound out of the rafters.

7:56 After a timeout by the Buckeyes, they’ve got the ball with a nine-point lead and only 1:14 remaining in the game. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? No, not beer! Though you do make a convincing argument...

7:57 Summers goes to the basket and gets massively denied by Oden, but Green picks up the loose ball and lays it in. Hoya timeout. Buckeyes lead 61-54 with 44:8 remaining.

7:58 You have to draw on the Memphis game here, fellas. Remember the twenty free throws? Please remember them.

7:59 Break out! But Lewis gets fouled right before the dunk. Makes both! 62-54 Buckeyes with 35.3 to play. Thad Matta calls a timeout. It’s too early for Titus and Peters, Thad.

8:00 I can actually feel the blood zooming through my body right now.

8:01 Wallace hits a three off of an offensive rebound and kick out. 63-57 with 21.8 left to play.

8:02 Ron Lewis gets fouled with 16.8 seconds remaining. He hits both! 64-57 Buckeyes.

8:03 Wallace hits another three. Oh come on! 65-60 with 3.7 seconds left.

8:04 The Buckeyes are 3.7 seconds away from a shot at a National Championship. Doesn’t seem possible. We couldn’t have done it without Jim O’Brien and his free-flowing pockets.

8:05 Daequan Cook gets fouled with 2.8 seconds left. Make the first, miss the second, and then start celebrating. He bounces the first one in. And makes the second. 67-60 Buckeyes.

8:06 And that’s the game!! Ohio State wins 67-60 and they’re playing Monday night for the National Championship!!

8:07 I’m not even jumping up and down and going crazy. I’m just sitting here with appreciative awe. And amazement.

8:08 I could talk for days about these guys. David Lighty and his amazing defense and ability to finish. Ivan Harris had some big shots and was a monster on the offensive glass. Matt Terwilliger and Othello Hunter stepped up in a huge way with Oden out and the Buckeyes facing a taller opponent. They all kept Hibbert and Green under control, and the nation doesn’t even know who they are. Hilarious.

8:09 Seriously, how can you not love this team? Anybody know when the last time a team with only nine scholarship players made the Championship game? Is it common? It can’t be, right? Who am I talking to?

8:12 Well, I’m going to go and grab some supper and get ready to watch our opponent. I’ll be rooting for UCLA, but I’m guessing there are a few Buckeyes that wouldn’t mind another shot at Florida.

8:14 You know what, I don’t even care who we play. We made it. We’re where we want to be. The interesting thing is that when we beat Memphis, the players were celebrating. After this win, there isn’t the same jubilant nature. That tells me there is unfinished business ahead for the Buckeyes. I’ll take that attitude. And I’ll take it against anybody that wants to get in their way, Gator or Bruin alike. We will not discriminate.

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