Basketball Outlasts UMBC, 92-83 Dewcember 29, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Jamar Butler scored 22 points and had a career-best 12 assists and Evan Turner added 17 points in Ohio State's 92-83 victory over Maryland-Baltimore County despite a school record 17 3-pointers by the Retrievers. The Buckeyes (9-3) built a 75-58 lead with 7:15 to play but UMBC's Ray Barbosa got the Retrievers close when he made a pair of 3s with about two minutes left, cutting Ohio State's lead to 79-72..."
Buckeyes Cage Gators, 62-49 December 22, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Ohio State is no longer Gator bait. It's a long way from making up for all the grief that Florida has dished out to Ohio State over the last year, but the Buckeyes got a tiny measure of revenge Saturday with a 62-49 victory over the Gators..." Florida vs. Ohio State Box Score
Buckeyes Get Redemption With Win Over Florida December 22, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Ohio State's zone defense proved too tough for two-time defending national champion Florida. The Buckeyes held the visiting Gators to 33 percent shooting and cruised to a 62-49 win, avenging a pair of losses to Florida from last season. Kosta Koufos led OSU with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Jamar Butler had 13 points and five assists. Click this free link for more...updated with notes and quotes..."
Men's Basketball Outshoots Presbyterian, 87-43 December 15, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Buckeyes set Value City Arena records for field goal and 3-point field goal percentage. Kosta Koufos scored 21 points including nine in a 16-0 first-half run, to lead Ohio State past Presbyterian 87-43 on Saturday..." Boxscore
Ohio State Shuts Down Coppin State, 47-39 December 10, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Evan Turner scored 13 points in his first collegiate start to lead Ohio State past Coppin State 47-39 on Monday night..." Boxscore
Second-Half Collapse Spells Defeat At Butler December 1, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Ohio State had No. 16 Butler on the ropes, jumping out to a 14-point first-half lead. But the Buckeyes could not hold on against Butler's veteran team. The Bulldogs rode their patient offense and strong defense, forcing 24 OSU turnovers in what ended up as a 65-46 win for Butler Saturday night at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse..."
Ohio State Falls to No. 1 North Carolina, 66-55, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge November 28, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Wayne Ellington and Deon Thompson led a second-half surge and No. 1 North Carolina defeated Ohio State 66-55 Wednesday night. Freshman Jon Diebler came out of a shooting slump to score 19 points for the Buckeyes, who had won six of its last seven..." Boxscore
Preview Box For North Carolina November 28, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "In our next installment of the basketball preview box, we take a look at the key matchups, strategies and noteworthy statistics leading into tonight's nationally televised game between Ohio State and North Carolina. Bucknuts basketball analyst Jeff Rapp goes to great lengths to assess OSU's chances of pulling off a major upset at Value City Arena, where Thad Matta has never lost to a nonconference foe..."
Buckeyes Slam VMI, 90-57, in St. John Arena November 25, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Jamar Butler set the Ohio State career record for 3-pointers made and Kosta Koufos recorded his first career double-double in a 90-57 victory for the Buckeye men's basketball team Sunday over VMI..." Boxscore
Buckeyes Get Right In 90-57 Bludgeoning Of VMI November 25, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Freshman Kosta Koufos posted a game-high 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds as Ohio State bounced back from a loss to Texas A&M Friday night at Madison Square Garden with a 90-57 pounding of VMI Sunday night at St. John Arena. Click this free link for more. Updated..."
Ohio State Falls to Texas A&M in NIT Championship Game November 23, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site/Associated Press - "The Buckeyes suffered their first defeat of the season with a 70-47 loss to No. 15 Texas A&M in the championship game of the preseason NIT Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Senior Jamar Butler scored 17 points for the Buckeyes..."
Buckeyes Go Stone Cold in Loss to Aggies November 23, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "There's cold, there's very cold, there's inept, and then there's whatever you would call what the Buckeyes were against the Aggies. Check out the-Ozone report on a night the Buckeyes would probably prefer to forget in the Preseason NIT final..."
Final Analysis: Texas A&M 70, Ohio State 47 November 23, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The good signs were scarce and the alarming ones were plentiful as the Buckeye hoopsters fell apart in the finals of the NIT Season Tip-off at Madison Sqare Garden. Bucknuts basketball analyst Jeff Rapp peers inside Texas A&M's rout over Ohio State, summarizing the decisive moments and indentifying the key performers..."
Twelve Courtside Observations from the Garden - Texas A&M November 23, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "The-Ozone was courtside at The Garden again last night, and noticed some interesting things as the game played out. Check out our courtside observations now..."
Koufos scores career-high 24 points and Ohio State beats No. 21 Syracuse in NIT semifinals November 22, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "Ohio State coach Thad Matta doesn't want to anoint freshman Kosta Koufos as the next big thing just yet. The 7-foot freshman scored a career-high 24 points to help the Buckeyes beat No. 21 Syracuse 79-65 on Wednesday night in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals. 'Time's going to tell,' Matta said. 'You spend 15 minutes with him and you know he's 18 years old. I really believe we do kids an injustice by...he plays a good game and we blow him up.' Koufos has gotten better every game. He had 18 in his debut against Wisconsin-Green Bay and then scored 19 against Columbia to help Ohio State advance to New York..."
Ohio State - Syracuse Postgame Analysis November 22, 2007 Source: BuckeyeSports.com - "It was supposed to be a battle of youth and inexperience Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Both Ohio State and Syracuse had a young, untested team. However, Ohio State took issue with that perception and cruised to a 14-point victory against Syracuse in the semifinals of the NIT Tip-Off. Kyle Lamb dissects the game further..."
Twelve Courtside Comments from the Garden November 22, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "Writer's don't get to sit courtside much anymore, but they do at Madison Square Garden, and it gave us a chance to see some things in the Syracuse game that we normally wouldn't see. Check out Twelve Courtside Comments from the Garden now..."
Men's Basketball Quotes November 19, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The Ohio State men's basketball team leaves for New York Monday for the Dick's Sporting Goods Preseason Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden. The Buckeyes take on Syracuse in the second NIT semifinal at 9 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2). Ohio State then faces..."
Coach Interview - Thad Matta November 19, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Men's basketball head coach Thad Matta met with the media prior to leaving for New York City where Ohio State will face Syracuse in a Preseason NIT Semifinal matchup."
Men's Basketball Adds Four for 2008-09 November 15, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Men’s basketball staff attracts another highly-rated class...When Thad Matta took over the Ohio State men's basketball program in the summer of 2004 he immediately began recruiting student-athletes to improve the program's future. The first player to make a commitment to the Buckeyes that summer had yet to..."
Matta Glows About Latest Recruiting Class November 15, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta had reason to smile after he got all the expected signatures and was able to discuss his four-man class of 2008. The experts all rate the bunch among the top 10 in the country, thanks in large part to the exploits of 7-foot center B.J. Mullens, a local star who committed more than three years ago. (Note: We also have a link to video of Mullens signing and all of the recruits in action.)..."
Ohio State Defeats UW-Green Bay 91-68 November 13, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "David Lighty almost doubled his career high with 21 points as Ohio State beat Wisconsin-Green Bay 91-68 Monday night in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament at Value City Arena..."
OSU finds new fountain of youth November 12, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Thad Matta has realized it already. There are freshmen, and then there are freshmen..."
Numbers grow in Buckeyes' favor November 9, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "Quality may have fallen but Matta likes quantity: After a year of quality, the Ohio State Buckeyes are experiencing what it's like to have quantity. 'It's amazing,' coach Thad Matta said during preseason workouts. 'We started practice this year with 13 guys and I became claustrophobic. I'd never had that many guys before. Now at least we look better when we walk through an airport and our warmup lines look better.'..."
Bucknuts Staff Predictions: OSU Men's Basketball November 8, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The 2007-08 Ohio State men's basketball team has tough shoes to fill after last year's squad advanced all the way to the national championship game. Will there be an encore? Or will this young team have some growing pains? We attempt to answer your questions about this year's men's basketball season in this special feature..."
Buckeyes Stunned On Home Court November 7, 2007 Source: BuckeyeSports.com - "A last-second tip-in attempt fell short and the Buckeyes suffered a defeat on their home court to Division II foe Findlay. Get all the details on the game and where the Buckeyes go from here..."
Findlay humiliates 'awful' Buckeyes November 7, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Was Ohio State embarrassed by its 70-68 exhibition loss to Division II Findlay on Tuesday night? 'Wouldn't you be?' asked OSU senior point guard Jamar Butler. 'Come on, we got beat by a Division II team. If I said it's no big deal, I'd be lying.'..."
Buckeyes Flunk In Preseason Test vs. Oilers November 7, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "OSU Head Coach Thad Matta wouldn't say he was glad his team lost, but did say "It would have been a shame if we had won" after watching his team fall to Division II Findlay..."
Highlights - Ohio State vs. Findlay Source: OSU Official Site - "Big Ten Network highlights from Ohio State's men's basketball exhibition game vs. Findlay on Nov. 6, 2007."
Ohio State - Ashland Recap November 1, 2007 Source: BuckeyeSports.com - "After a magical ride all the way to the National Championship game last season, Ohio State returned to the hardwood Wednesday evening in an exhibition game against Ashland hoping lightning will eventually strike twice. Gone is over 50 points per game from a 35-4 season, but the Buckeyes showed flashes of ability in an 88-59 victory. Kyle Lamb shares his observations of the win..."
Ohio State Wins Exhibition Opener 88-59 Over Ashland October 31, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The Ohio State men's basketball team opened its season Wednesday with an 88-59 exhibition win vs. Ashland at Value City Arena. The game marked the first Ohio State and Big Ten men's basketball game televised on the Big Ten Network..."
Bucks Off And Running With Win Over Ashland October 31, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The Ohio State men's basketball team controlled the action as hoped in its first exhibition run-through, an 88-59 blowout. The inside combination of newcomer Kosta Koufos and Othello Hunter proved productive, freshman Jon Diebler also joined the starting lineup, and a deep and hungry bench kept up the tempo thanks to a few throwdowns like the one Dallas Lauderdale provides at left...."
Young Bucks Prepping For Debut On Hardwood October 30, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "With an exhibition game with Ashland right around the corner, OSU men's basketball coach Thad Matta is working feverishly to get his newcomers ready for prime time. That hasn't been easy, however, as the Buckeyes feature seven newcomers that are offset by just four veterans. Are the five frosh and two transfers prepared for the trials and tribulations ahead?..."
OSU men's basketball: New look, same respect October 29, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "With the Ohio State men's basketball team having lost four starters and returning only four regulars from the team that reached the NCAA championship game last season, Butler thought the Buckeyes would be picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big Ten..."
Ohio State men's basketball: 2010 class adds two top-ranked recruits October 22, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "...Two high school sophomores who visited Saturday have committed to sign with the Buckeyes in two years...Trae Golden, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Powder Springs, Ga...Cameron Wright, a 6-5 guard from Cleveland Benedictine..."
Lighty Looking To Be Complete Player October 19, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "David Lighty was a two-sport star early in his high school days at Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph. And last season during his freshman year at Ohio State, there were fans who wondered if he had picked the wrong sport. However, when the chips were down late in the year, Lighty showed why he was such a highly-regarded prospect. And this year, he is expected to be huge piece of the puzzle for Thad Matta and the Buckeyes..."
OSU Basketball Scrimmage Photos October 20, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The Buckeye men's basketball team opened doors to the public for a scrimmage that took place before Saturday's football game. Here are photos of the event, taken by Steve Helwagen."
Matta and the Buckeyes Continue to Prepare For Season Opener October 18, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Thad Matta, head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team, has put his 2007-08 squad through a handful of practices with just under two weeks remaining before the team begins its two-game exhibition season at home Oct. 31 vs. Ashland (7 p.m./Big Ten Network)..."
Men's Basketball Media Day October 10, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Thad Matta and the two-time defending Big Ten champion Buckeyes previewed the upcoming 2007-08 season with media and posed for photos Wednesday at Value City Arena. Listen to audio clips from media day at the links below."
"In the national championship game, eight players were drafted from that game: five in the top nine of the NBA draft. ...If you're going to (compete)... you better have some really, really good players."
Starting over another day at office for Matta
October 11, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "When coach Thad Matta was asked whether he would like to rebuild the Ohio State men's basketball program every year, he laughed. He started to answer, tripped over a word or two and then tried again. 'That's a great question," he said. "I ask myself that every day.'..."
Basketball Bucks Strap In For Wild Ride October 10, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The Ohio State men's basketball team has a long way to go if it is to make anyone forget about last year's march to the pinnacle of the postseason -- and that task is doubly daunting considering the loaded schedule the Buckeyes are about to face. A rough nonconference ledger and a full 18-game trek through the Big Ten awaits..."
Public to Get First Glimpse of Men’s Basketball Team Oct. 20 October 9, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Thad Matta, head coach of the Ohio State men's basketball team, has scheduled a public scrimmage from noon-1 p.m. Oct. 20 on the main floor of Value City Arena prior to the Ohio State Homecoming football game vs. Michigan State at 3:30 p.m...."
Buckeyes' Matta gets raise, extension September 22, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "Ohio State gave men's basketball coach Thad Matta a raise of almost $500,000, boosting his salary to just under $2.5 million a year and adding another year to his contract through the 2016 season. In an addendum approved by the Ohio State Board of Trustees on Friday, Matta, in his fourth year as head coach, picked up another year on his contract by virtue of winning the 2007 Big Ten regular-season title..."
Gearing Up: Hoopsters Excel In Offseason Workouts September 20, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The Ohio State men's basketball team doesn't begin to practice officially for another four weeks. However, most of the 11 scholarship players were on hand throughout the summer and made very positive strides under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Dave Richardson. If you are a hoops fanatic anxious to see what the Buckeyes will have in store, this is a must read..."
