If you’ve never lived in Ohio, you perhaps cannot truly understand the role of Ohio State athletes in the community. They aren’t just football players or basketball players: they are expected to be role models, good citizens, and able representatives of an important institution. Buckeyes fans want Ohio State to have great players, to be sure, but we also want them to be great people so that they can fulfill that aspirational role.
This little video of a visit some Ohio State basketball players made to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, to hang out with some of the kids who are being treated there, gives a glimpse of what can happen when good people become Buckeyes. And it happens all the time, usually without any fanfare. When one of my colleagues was battling cancer, he was surprised by a visit from some Ohio State football players, including one of the biggest stars on the team. They came, they sat down, they talked with him and listened to him, and they provided encouragement. No photographers or publicists were there, and to my knowledge no news story about the visit ever appeared. But my friend greatly appreciated the gesture and the fact that these football players took time away from being BMOC to visit an ill stranger.
It touched him deeply, and it made me understand, better than I had before, the great significance these young people can assume — if they are good people. That’s one reason why we care so much about who becomes a Buckeye.
It’s tough because the Buckeyes looked lost in the first half of this game. They settled for three-pointers, couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean, and played listlessly as Wichita State went out to a big lead. The lead got even bigger in the second half, as the Shockers built a 20-point lead. 20 points! But this loss also is tough because Ohio State didn’t quit and kept coming back. It made me proud, but it also made me wonder how the game might have gone if Ohio State had played with that kind of effort for the full 40-minute game.
The win tonight against Arizona was a tough, hard-fought battle — just what you would expect from two great programs and two deep teams. Arizona looked very good for most of the game and built a big lead in the first half. But the Buckeyes rode Sam Thompson and Deshaun Thomas — whose icy shots kept Ohio State within range — and stayed close in the first half. The Buckeyes then played nails defense to start the second half, Aaron Craft made some great plays, the Buckeyes got out to a lead, built it, and then held on as their latest clutch shooter, LaQuinton Ross, made bucket after bucket to keep the Buckeyes ahead. Ross eventually made the game winner that advanced the Buckeyes to the Elite 8.
What about the Buckeyes? They are 10-2, but they’ve lost the only two games they’ve played against powerhouse teams, falling to Duke away and Kansas at home. In both cases, a big problem was shooting the ball. Ohio State plays solid defense but struggles to knock down shots in their half court offense. Deshaun Thomas can be counted on to put points on the board, but the team lacks a consistent number two scorer. Point guard Aaron Craft is a defensive whiz, but he struggles with his outside shot and the lack of Jared Sullinger in the middle has affected his opportunities to drive to the basket. Guard Lenzelle Smith, Jr. is a hustler but his offensive production is streaky. Center Evan Ravenel — the only senior on the team — has decent offensive skills but is undersized.
The Buckeyes played excellent on-the-ball defense and rebounded the ball well to dominate the first half — even though they played most of the half with Deshaun Thomas, their top scorer, riding the bench with two fouls. The Buckeyes were sharp and attacking and had Duke on its heels. In the second half, however, Duke played much more aggressively at both ends of the court, and it paid off. Duke hit big shots, Ohio State didn’t, and when Duke pulled ahead it made the free throws that salted the game away.
The team begins with three stalwart players who really emerged last year: scoring and rebounding machine Deshaun Thomas, point guard and defensive stopper Aaron Craft, and do-everything guard Lenzelle Smith, Jr. All three played significant minutes and made big contributions to last year’s success. To replace Sullinger in the middle, the Buckeyes will look to 6-11 sophomore Amir Williams, a shot blocker who showed promise is limited action last year, and senior Evan Ravenel, who backed up Sullinger. The other spot might be occupied by point guard Shannon Scott, who will need to improve his shooting this year, jump-out-of-the-gym alley-ooper Sam Thompson, or silky smooth shooter LaQuinton Ross. Add in freshman Amedeo Della Valle, from Alba, Italy, and you give coach Thad Matta lots of pieces to work with.
Obviously, I’m more excited about Deshaun Thomas’ decision to return to Ohio State for his junior year. This past season he went from a one-dimensional, shot-launching part-time player to a crucial part of the team that made it all the way to the Final Four. He brought so much to the table — a scorer’s mentality and creative shot-making, an inside-outside offensive game, tremendous rebounding abilities, and significantly improved defense and interior passing — and was just a lot of fun to watch. If his improvement from his sophomore to junior year is comparable his development this year, Thomas could compete for leading scorer and rebounder honors in the Big Ten next year.
