Buckeyes Approaching March Madness with Strong Play

With March Madness approaching quickly, teams are positioning themselves for the best seeds. Big Ten teams, like Ohio State, are looking to peak here at the end of the season to enter the NCAA tournament in the best frame of mind, the most experienced, confident, and healthy. This should be a very exciting year for sports betting sites and fans of the teams in all the major conferences.

By Steve Patterson

Big Ten teams projected to be selected for the Big Dance include Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Of course the conference tournament winner has an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, which could add a sixth team into the mix. Purdue is in position to be a #1 seed with a 24-3 record, although the recent injury to Robbie Hummel and an upcoming Michigan State match up might cause them to stumble.

Ohio State is looking like a #3 seed with a 22-7 record. The Buckeyes biggest concern is their lack of bench depth. Evan Turner is the team’s leader and has been remarkable all year long. He leads the team in points per game with 19.3, rebounds with 9.3 per game, assists with 5.8 a game, and steals with 1.9 a game. Yet the team is reluctant to play it’s bench which could ware on the starters in a long tournament run. Head Coach Thad Matta has 8 players that have played significant games with only the 5 starters getting large minutes.

The tournament will be exciting once again and everyone should be set to enjoy a good solid month of college basketball as March approaches.

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Florida Gator Dan Cross Helps Players Transition

Dan Cross led the Florida Gators to the Final Four in 1994 with his constant defensive presence and offensive skills. He led the team in scoring that year with 15.7 points a game and was drafted into the CBA after his senior season. In this interview Dan Cross discusses being a part of the 1994 Final Four Florida Gator Basketball Team, playing for the CBA, and his latest endeavor which creates curriculums at universities for student athletes to transition from sports to the business world. 

Coach Thad Matta added another piece to his already impressive 2010 recruiting class this morning with a commitment from Northland High School forward J.D. Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon was originally committed to Xavier, but decommitted when Sean Miller left for the Arizona job.

He is known as an athletic, high-flyer on the court. His game does need some work, and he is developing a perimeter game. He is most comfortable on the blocks, and has the ability to shoot with either had over defenses. He has shown to have strong shot-blocking abilities, though his size will make him more of an undersized 4-man, than a 3. With his size and speed, his is capable of running the floor in transition and finishing above the rim. Weatherspoon joins high school and AAU teammate Jared Sullinger in the 2010 class, giving Coach Matta a likely top 10 class for 2010.

By Marlene Gundlach

Film:JD Weatherspoon 2009 Highlight Film

Summer Full of Events for #1 Center in the Country, Jared Sullinger

Jared Sullinger followed his older brother JJ to Ohio State but comes to the Buckeyes with a lot more hype and a national ranking that would make anyone envious. Out of Columbus Northland, Sullinger is rated the #1 center in the country and will join 4 of his All-Ohio Red teammates in the 2010 recruiting class that could be the best class in the country.

By Steve Patterson

We recently contacted the 6’8” 260 lbs Sullinger about his skills on the court and his summer schedule of tournaments. He feels his rebounding is his best attribute, grabbing 15 a game. “The best thing I have is my rebounding skill.” he told us. “Its good enough to dominate both sides of the floor. I think rebounding is the best thing and I love the feeling to know you have 10 or 15 rebounds and 5 of them are offensive.”

But rebounding is not all Sullinger does, as he fills the stat sheet almost every night. “My stats for last year were 20 pts, 14.7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 4.3 assist a game.”

Northland won the State Championship this last year, making him the first Sullinger to do so. “Highlight of my high school career is me winning a state championship. First between my 3 brothers to do that. And in my family everything is a competition…” he explained.

He is solid with his commitment to OSU so he will not make any additional college visits this summer. “I already committed to OSU so there is no point to waste my time on visits.” he reported. In fact he committed to Coach Thad Matta on May 5, 2007 well before most schools had the opportunity to make a scholarship offer.

He likes the style of play at Ohio State and looks forward to being on campus with his fellow All-Ohio Red teammates in 2010. “I look for a team that plays my style of ball. I like to get up and down the floor and be able to break off of a rebound.”

Sullinger has a full schedule this summer before he returns for his final year of High School. If you have a chance to see him on ESPN, make sure to watch one of these events:

France June 9-15
NBA Top 100 camp June 17-21
Xaviers team camp June 24-26
Amare Stoudemire camp June 28-1
Lebron James Camp July 5-9
Myrtle Beach big shots touney July 10-11
Peach Jam July 12-16
Super showcase and nationals July 23-1
Adidas nations August 4-9
Elite 24 August 19-22

Josh Selby is the number 7 prospect in the Rivals150 for 2010, and he recently decommitted from Tennessee. This means the game is back on when it comes to schools seeking this top recruit. His family says he has already had contact with several schools, including Ohio State. Others include Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, and Texas. Selby plans to put together a list of schools he hopes to visit after he participates in the Nike Global Games being played the weekend of August 8. Selby is a 6’1”, 180 lb guard out of Baltimore.

Film: 2010 Guard Josh Selby at the Hoophall Classic

A member of Ohio State’s 2010 class Jared Sullinger will participate in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event taking place at Rucker Park in New York on August 22. Of the twelve players committed to play thus far, seven are uncommitted. Sullinger is out of Northland High School in Columbus and committed to the Buckeyes in 2007. He was named Mr. Basketball in Ohio in 2009. He is the brother of former Buckeye J.J. Sullinger.

By Marlene Gundlach

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