Men's Basketball
Buckeyes Take on Blue Hens
By John Porentas
After two games the new-look, Thad Matta-coached Buckeyes
are undefeated and have been impressive in two one-sided wins at Value
City Arena. Matta knows that the competition probably hasn't been
the stiffest, but he's happy with what he's seen so far.
"I wish the season would end today," Matta
joked.
"We're shooting over 50% and our
opponents 31%."
Matta knows that as the competition level goes up, those
numbers will most likely change, but he does like what he has seen
so far in the early going.
"We haven't been tested in adverse situations yet.
I think we're going to be a work in progress. I honestly do,"
said Matta.
"I think as you sit down and watch
us play, after a game we're doing some good things defensively,"
Matta said, but then added "but in order for us to play our best
basketball we have to continue to learn and teach the little things
defensively and get guys to pick up things quicker."
Matta is encouraged by OSU's early play
and hopes Buckeye fans come out to see his team take on the Blue Hens
of Delaware on Friday.
"I hope that tomorrow night our
fans come out as kind of a prelude to the football game," Matta
said.
The Buckeyes have not sold out the Value
City Arena in their first two outings, but Matta likes what he has
seen so far of the OSU basketball crowd.
"I think our students have been tremendous. I think
that even our fans, the thing that excites me is they get excited
about defense. I think it's a process of 'What's this team really
going to be like?' Hopefully they'll continue to like what they've
see," Matta said.
"It's funny, they've kind of cheered the things
that I think are important. I think they've been supportive of us.
They really have," he added.
One of the things that fans have seen
thus far is a new commitment to hard-nosed defense that seems to be
paying dividends in the early going. The other thing is an offensive
style allows players to showcase their skills and does not inhibit
that process.
"It seems like in our offense there's a lot of
freedom for everybody," said OSU point guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham.
"The system of it is basically you playing your
game. My game is try to get in the lane and kick. Tony's game is to
shoot the threes, J. J.'s is to do a little bit of both," said
Fuss-Cheatham.
"We have about the same amount of plays that we
had last year. The only difference is that the plays this year kind
of depend on what happens as opposed to dictating what we're supposed
to do," said Forward J. J. Sullinger.
"If I go this way, then Tony or Brandon knows to
go that way. Last year, if I went this way, and I wasn't supposed
to go that way, then no one knew what to do," Sullinger said.
"It kind of put everybody in a box. It kind of
put cement in the floor.
"We have options this year, where if I do this,
we have plan A through plan ZZ. Last year it was just plan A. It's
a real big difference," Sullinger said.
"I love it," said Sullinger.
"Coach Matta loves it too, and that makes it all
the better.
"It's kind of like an ameba of an offense, where
there's no set spot for anyone, unless you are in a specially called
play," said Fuss-Cheatham.
"It seems like half of our offense is just playing
your game."
Notes:
* The Buckeyes are off to a 2-0 start, but Delaware
has yet to play a game this season. The Blue-Hens return four starters
from last year's squad that posted a 16-12 record overall and a record
of 10-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Buckeyes and Blue
Hens have met one time on the hardwood, a 109-38 OSU win in 1960.
* Point guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham sprained his ankle
in the Robert Morris game on Tuesday, but has been rehabbing intensely
and hopes to be able to play against Delaware.
"I'll be practicing today, so I'll be back in the
mix," said Fuss-Cheatham
"I've been non-stop. I got up yesterday morning
at about six in the morning and and did it (rehab) before class. I've
been in there non-stop," he said.
"We're using a lot of ice, trying to get the movement
back, trying to get the swelling out of there and push it back up
my leg. They just want to make sure the swelling is
out of there," he said.
Fuss-Cheatham says he is encouraged by the early results
of his rehab.
"Percentage wise, I haven't tried to practice on
it yet, but I'd say I am 90%."
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