That said, Ohio State boasts the potential National Player of the Year in powerful Sophomore Jared Sullinger, Senior scorer William Buford, SF DeShaun Thomas and the scrappy glue who holds it all together, Sophomore PG Aaron Craft, giving the Buckeyes the horses to again run through the Big Ten. However, if the team wants to accomplish its ultimate goal of winning a National Championship, then it must address the above issues to be able to match up against long, talented teams like North Carolina and Kentucky.
North Carolina starts two 7-footers in Tyler Zeller and John Henson, along with dynamic SF Harrison Barnes, an explosive scorer who is adept at creating his own shot. The Tar Heels also have additional length and athleticism from impact Freshman F James Michael McAdoo. Kentucky also has incredible athleticism and length up front from three future NBA Lottery picks, Sophomore F Terrence Jones, Freshman F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the potential number one pick of the 2012 Draft, 6-10 Anthony Davis. Kentucky was a difficult matchup for Ohio State in last year's tournament because of their length and athleticism, and both the WIldcats and the Tar Heels would pose similar challenges to this year's Buckeyes.
However, there is hope for Matta and Buckeye fans, and that rests in trusting and developing some of their young bench players, notably Freshmen PG Shannon Scott, C Amir Williams and soon to be eligible Forward, LaQuinton Ross.
Scott has a great handle and can penetrate. He's also a polished, intelligent player with NBA bloodlines who could add depth and create scoring opportunities off the dribble.
The 6'11 Williams' development is crucial, as the Buckeyes will need his size and shot blocking skills if they are to have a deep run in the tournament and face a squad like North Carolina, Kentucky or even UCONN. Currently, the Buckeyes seven-man rotation only has two players over 6'8", F Evan Ravenel, who is generally listed at 6'8", and Sullinger.
When Ross becomes eligible on December 9th, he will be the best athlete on the squad, as he has great length to defend and the ability to create and score from the outside, as the team misses the outside shooting of David Lighty and Jon Diebler from last year's squad and needs additional options other than Buford and Thomas, as both players have proven to have streaky moments from the perimeter. If Matta is willing to work him into his rotation, Ross, like Scott and WIlliams, has the ability to overcome some of the deficiencies of a very solid Buckeyes team.
Matta is an excellent coach, but if he wants his young Buckeyes to cut them down in New Orleans, then he needs to trust and develop his young bench and focus not on how to match up against Big Ten teams, but on how to beat teams like Kentucky and North Carolina.
The 6'11 Williams' development is crucial, as the Buckeyes will need his size and shot blocking skills if they are to have a deep run in the tournament and face a squad like North Carolina, Kentucky or even UCONN. Currently, the Buckeyes seven-man rotation only has two players over 6'8", F Evan Ravenel, who is generally listed at 6'8", and Sullinger.
When Ross becomes eligible on December 9th, he will be the best athlete on the squad, as he has great length to defend and the ability to create and score from the outside, as the team misses the outside shooting of David Lighty and Jon Diebler from last year's squad and needs additional options other than Buford and Thomas, as both players have proven to have streaky moments from the perimeter. If Matta is willing to work him into his rotation, Ross, like Scott and WIlliams, has the ability to overcome some of the deficiencies of a very solid Buckeyes team.
Matta is an excellent coach, but if he wants his young Buckeyes to cut them down in New Orleans, then he needs to trust and develop his young bench and focus not on how to match up against Big Ten teams, but on how to beat teams like Kentucky and North Carolina.
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