At the halfway point of the Big Ten season, the Ohio State men’s basketball team sits at 15-7, 4-4 in the Big Ten. As the Buckeyes prepare to face Michigan at noon tomorrow at the Schottenstein Center, The Lantern hands out the mid-Big Ten season report card.
Junior guard J.J. Sullinger:He can shoot – sometimes. He can rebound – sometimes. He can shoot free throws – sometimes. It seems like there’s good J.J., bad J.J. and space cadet J.J. All three can alternate between possessions. His athletic dunks wow Buckeye crowds and his patented jumpers off the front rim make them cringe. GRADE: B-
Senior guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham:Fuss-Cheatham is shooting better than he did last year from beyond the arc, but the senior still struggles from inside. If you like your point guards of the dribble-drive-dish variety, Cheatham-Fuss isn’t for you. However, he has become a decent quarterback for the offense, and is eighth in the conference with 3.7 assists per game. GRADE: B-
Sophmore forward Ivan Harris:A forward in name only because he spends most of his time standing behind the 3-point line. There are 6-foot-8-inch players in college basketball that can dominate inside, but Harris is not one of those. The McDonald’s All-American needs to learn how to rebound or it’s going to be a long, disappointing four years. GRADE: C
Senior guard Tony Stockman:With last year’s burden of having to play the point guard position lifted, Stockman thrived in non-conference play. However, in Big Ten play, the senior can’t get to the line, has nearly twice as many turnovers as the guard with the next highest total, and is shooting 27.7 percent from 3-point land. However, his mind might not be on the floor considering the recent birth and hospitalization of his son. GRADE B-
Freshman guard Jamar Butler:How does one shoot 18.8 percent from 3-point land? It’s easy if you have a jump shot as ugly as Butler’s. However, as a point guard, he’s not out there to shoot, and a freshman point guard with a 46/16 assist-to-turnover ratio bodes well for the future. In recent news, he scored his first Big Ten points Saturday against Northwestern in his seventh Big Ten game. GRADE: B
Freshman guard Jermyl Jackson-Wilson:He has played in only one Big Ten game, but he has the best hair on the team. GRADE: I
Junior guard Je’Kel Foster:Foster is the favorite player of everyone that goes to most of the games. He hustles, plays great defense, buries his threes, and is a great passer. The junior is limited in that he can’t drive the lane, but his leadership qualities make up for what he can’t do. GRADE: A-
Junior center Terence Dials:Dials started the year as a dominant post presence but has had problems with the bigger, stronger players in the Big Ten. The offense still flows through the junior though, and that counts for something. It doesn’t matter if he’s off or on, teams have to dedicate double teams to him, freeing up the outside for the shooters. GRADE: B+
Junior forward Matt Sylvester:Sylvester is playing big minutes in the Big Ten season, but it’s hard to get a read on what he does well. His outside shooting isn’t great, he struggles creating his own shot, and he’s not a natural at driving to the basket. However, the junior absolutely killed St. Joseph’s and Minnesota down the stretch, mainly because of sheer effort. GRADE: B
Freshman forward Matt Terwilliger:Terwilliger has played in two Big Ten games, and just under 60 minutes on the year, but in that limited time he has shown somewhat of an instict of what to do around the basket. At 6-feet-8-inches, 215 pounds, he’s going to have to add some weight, but if he does he could be a good one. GRADE: I
Senior center Matt Marinchick:The senior is doing the best with what he has. He’s tall and immobile, but he can shoot. He’s a leader and a nice guy. He’s played over 10 minutes a game in Big Ten play and has contributed. GRADE: B-
Coach Thad Matta:OSU could not have hired a better basketball coach last summer. Matta is the kind of coach that players want to play for. Last year, former coach Jim O’Brien was trying to pound square pegs into round holes. This year, the holes are round. Matta has designed a system that makes the most of his players and has brought excitement to a team that was pretty much a running joke last year. GRADE: A
Team:I guess this is the best that we could have hoped for. They can shoot and Dials is a legitimate inside force. They’re one slasher away from being an above-average offensive team, but solid defense and varied scoring has kept the Buckeyes afloat. The whole seems to be more than the sum of the parts, and that’s a credit to Matta. GRADE: B
