You know The Notebook likes to keep it light, but we must revert to a somber note for a moment.
There is a pressing issue that could damage OSU’s title hopes; the cool weather is robbing Greg Oden’s hands of proper moisture.
“The bad thing about me is my hands are peeling, so I really can’t grip the ball,” Oden said. “You haven’t seen me dunk the ball with one hand yet because I keep on losing the ball for some reason. If I can grip the ball again, maybe I can do a nice little Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) hook.”
Until then, he will continue to experiment with different hand lotions. And take advice from all directions, including the team doctor who told him to try sleeping with socks over his vaseline-covered hands.
So the 7-footer plays with sock puppets at bedtime?
“I definitely do not do that,” Oden said, laughing.
For the love of Lamb Chop, Greg, put on the socks.
Sending it to the vendors
Sometimes, Oden simply likes to marvel at the scene following a resounding block.
“It looks good when it goes to the popcorn stand,” Oden said. “You know, sometimes you like to block it out of bounds and stand and look at the crowd yelling.”
But it’s a defensive impact far transcending these blocks – he has more than four a game in conference play – that’s disproportionately responsible for the Buckeyes holding Big Ten opponents to a league-best 53 points per game.
“He changes the culture of what we’re doing defensively down there,” coach Thad Matta said.
Which means guards can get a little more intimate with the opposition outside.
“People are realizing they can make bad shots happen,” guard Mike Conley Jr. said. “You can get up on your man 25 feet from the basket (because) Greg’s the backbone of our defense.”
“You have that in the back of your mind that Greg is down there waiting,” Jamar Butler said.
From Grand Slam to ladies man
Oden might no longer be welcome at the Denny’s early bird special next to the retirement home, but he hopes trimming his beard will endear him to another crowd.
You know, one more his age (19, we think).
“I figured, alright, I might as well look good for the ladies,” Oden said.
Good thinking, Matta said.
“I’m thankful because I told him at one point that if he was going grow one, I was going to grow one,” Matta said. “I’m glad he didn’t remember.”
Bucks in the zone
Count on the Buckeyes to open in a 2-3 zone Wednesday night at Northwestern.
And if Mike Conley can’t keep KO’ing the opposing center, look for OSU to continue using it against any team that tries to use its outside-shooting big man to lure the Oden away from the hoop.
It certainly worked in last week’s bloodbath. Swiftly making the defensive switch that caught even OSU off guard – “We were shocked because we weren’t expecting to play a zone,” Butler said – the Buckeyes methodically stifled Northwestern.
The Wildcats shot just 33 percent and the 41 points OSU allowed NU’s agonizingly slow-developing Princeton offense was the school’s best Big Ten defensive showing since 1997.
And though the zone renders Oden less effective, he’s certainly down with it.
“I ain’t got to run that much,” Oden said. “I like the zone.”
Bucks extras
Butler should be good to go Wednesday night. The guard suffered what Matta described as a “charley horse” late in Saturday’s first half, but later returned to the lineup. “I think he’s good,” Matta said … Ohio State’s current 20-game home winning streak is the third longest in school history.
