Our Honor Defend

The Buckeye tackle football team is momentarily smelling roses, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a step aside to comment on Thad’s boys renewing operations for the 2009-2010 school year.  The Buckeyes played their first regular season game of the season against Alcorn State as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.  The Alcorn State Braves, coached by former NBAer Larry Smith, isn’t exactly a worthy adversary.  The AP write-up of the game made sure to remind us that they may be one of the worst in college basketball.  Undaunted, the Buckeyes took care of business in an easy 100-60 victory.

Elaboration on such a game may not be worthwhile, but props should be given to two players in particular.  First, Evan Turner looked as good as advertised.  Turner was so good, in fact, that he cobbled together the second triple-double in Ohio State men’s basketball history.  Getting that 10th assist proved difficult in the second part of the second half, but a Jon Diebler 3 secured it.  Turner finished with 14pts (6/12 FG), a gaudy 17 boards and 10 assists.  We know Turner is good, and we also know that we’ve had some great ones to come through Columbus.  Evan Turner’s performance this game is in an elite category, to which only one other person belongs.

Second, this was a welcome back party for Old Man Lighty, the team’s senior statesman and last remaining member of the Thad Five recruiting class.  He redshirted last season after an early season injury.  Lighty was efficient in distributing the ball, as was the whole team.  He finished with 8 assists to go along with 8 points.

Buford and Diebler put forward great efforts as well.  I would say that I’d be disappointed that Mark Titus did not get a trillion (1 reb, 3 minutes of play), but he is rocking a Buckstache at the moment.  Always a good decision.

The Buckeyes next face James Madison University on Thursday.  A tilt with the defending national champion Tar Heels, who we seem to have played 3 of the last 4 years, looms on November 19th.

Those that follow this blog know that I have a genuine interest in the women’s shooty hoops team.  It’s strange that I have it, but it’s genuine.  Our women’s team have been hampered by unfortunate finishes to really good regular seasons, and I’m hoping this year is an exception from the rule of the Jim Foster era at Ohio State.  It could very well be the year; the Lady Buckeyes are the 3rd ranked team in the country.  They return Jantel Lavender, Shavelle Little, welcome PJ Hill’s highly touted sister to the fold and get Samantha Prahalis back for (hopefully) a much improved year two.  The sky is the limit for this team, though women’s basketball is built in such a way that it seems a Tennessee, UConn, Duke or UNC national championship is predetermined.

The Lady Buckeyes tip off November 13th against Eastern Illinois as part of the Preseason WNIT.  Their nonconference schedule disappoints me.  Last year, they made it out to Auburn.  Having been there once, I will never, ever return again.  This year, they go on the road to Oxford, MS, which is about 4.5 hours away from me and attainable only on the backroads¹ and will host, not visit, UAB and Alabama A&M.  A road visit to no. 6 Duke is also on the register.  Long story short, I’m trying to subtly lobby either basketball team to make a visit to Tuscaloosa or Birmingham so I can watch a game.

1. …of Mississippi… yeah… no thanks… [↩]