HHC Report Card: 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes Home

Explaining The Grades:

Near Flawless	Poor
Good	Awful
Average

OFFENSE:

Nebraska didn't even hit 30 points scored until the 10:25 mark of the second half. That's 30 minutes, 30 points, for those keeping score at home.

For the game, NU scored 45 points on 29% shooting from the field, including 17% from downtown.

Our Player of the Game is Josiah Moore, who hit a three and had a nice drive en route to 5 points in 5 minutes.

DEFENSE:

Nebraska again left Ohio State perimeter shots open time and time again, and its surprising that the Buckeyes converted on only 8-21 from downtown based on the looks they received. I know NU had to really collapse on the inside and double team, but if its going to lead to WIDE OPEN jump shots, perhaps its time to just take your lumps down low and hope for the best.

By the way, when was the last time one of our big guys flopped on a Sullinger type player to get a charge? Kimani Ffriend and John Turek used to be good for one of those per game. It typicaly does work, too, as long as you pick your spots.

REBOUNDING:

Nebraska out rebounded Ohio State (39 to 34) and was able to grab eleven offensive boards, but it also missed 31 shots from the field.

BALL HANDLING:

If this were baseball, NU would have done well in getting 27 outs en route to a full game win.

However, this is basketball, and 27 turnovers is... effing pathetic.

Seven tonight by Toney McCray (nearly ten) and five by Bo Spencer. Not good.

COACHING:

This is both for Doc panicking and letting the refs again overtake his cool (see the Creighton game) AND for the talent on the floor in year six in front of 11,439 playing arguably the worst game in Devaney Center history.

I thought the officiating was bad, don't get me wrong. But if the officiating was bad, NU was a nadir. And once Doc let the focus go to the refs instead of his team, you could see his team panic.

I didn't like the early use of timeouts and full court pressing with 15 minutes left in the game. Again, it showed panick. And it created tons of "frustration fouls" by his perimeter guys which led to early exits. He got out of sync as a coach and his team followed suit. It was obvious and the worst I've ever seen at Nebraska, in terms of a team completely getting rattled and out of a game.

The talent, I've been harping on for two years. This is year six and a senior laden, upper class team. And all guys are now playing, minus a big guy that may have made a 5 point swing in this game (either way, depending on which Almeida showed up). In front of a near capacity crowd, on a Saturday night, you HAVE to at least compete. Losing by 35 is not an option. Neither is 25.

I will be the first to tell you moral victories mean nothing this deep into an administration of a program. HOWEVER, tonight would be an exception, AKA, when you're playing a Top 5 program. If you play competiive and a 40 minute game, I don't see anyone around bitching.

OVERALL GRADE:

The following quote speaks volumes about where we are at a program and where our head man sees us.

I'll let you draw conclusions from this quote on your own.

“Obviously I’m very disappointed in our basketball team. You know, I can’t say enough about us in the last six or seven ball games and I thought we were playing pretty well, but tonight’s game was a poorly coached game on my part and it was a poorly prepared for game on the players part."

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Josiah Moore

SEASON TOTALS:

Bo Spencer - 5

Toney McCray - 4

Brandon Richardson - 4

Jorge Brian Diaz - 3

Brandon Ubel - 1

Dylan Talley - 1

Josiah Moore - 1