Xavier-Ohio State

[DUBulldog]

Ohio State leads by 1....about 12 minutes left. If Xavier pulls it off, it will wreck a lot of brackets.

[Aceman96]

I didn't fill out a bracket this year! Therefore, i can root for whomever I please, whenever I please!! GO X!!

[bcrawf]

Xavier up 5 with just over 8 to go...

[XSaluki]

X up 8 with 9 to go. X has been dictating this game so far.

[Aceman96]

This is a great game... X is on fire!!

[tennis08tarheels]

X up 8 with 9 to go. X has been dictating this game so far.

Actually, they haven't dictated anything. Their shots have just now started falling, which is why they're in the lead.

[smsandmsuson]

Bye Bye Bracket!!!
Thats ok though, Ill take it!

[Aceman96]

Oden on the bench with 4. Doesn't look good for OSU. GO X!!! I love upsets.

[Aceman96]

Wow... Matta leaves Oden in. WHAT???!?!

[Nyghtewynd]

C'mon Xavier! I got this one!

[DUBulldog]

Xavier 57-50 at the under-4 time-out.

[DUBulldog]

Xavier 59-OSU 57....about 1:30 to go...OSU on a run.

[Aceman96]

well, will the exciting games of the tournament finally start today? This is a great game!! GO X!!!

[smsandmsuson]

61-59 Xavier with 43 seconds left

[DUBulldog]

61-59 Xavier....Xavier with the ball, time-out 43 seconds left.

[Aceman96]

wow... what a sequence. Oden is done!

[smsandmsuson]

Every single one of my brackets, GONE! Hahaha.

[smsandmsuson]

SAVED!!!!!!!! For the time being. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

[tennis08tarheels]

EPIC 3-pointer with 2 seconds left by Lewis! He's been amazing all game long, we're going to OT.

[DUBulldog]

OVERTIME!

[Nyghtewynd]

Full-on choke by Xavier in the last two minutes. Coaching at the end of the game is apparently a lost art, because no one can seem to do it any more.

[tennis08tarheels]

Don't blame Xavier for the collapse, blame Ron Lewis. Now THAT's senior leadership on a team full of freshmen.

[Ace Dad]

Nightwind, what would you have done as the Xavier coach?

[Bradleyfan]

Full-on choke by Xavier in the last two minutes. Coaching at the end of the game is apparently a lost art, because no one can seem to do it any more.

You can't put this in the same class as the Illinois choke last night. Ohio St is (supposedly) the superior team, even though they have played anything like one. But they still made the superior plays when they needed to.

[tennis08tarheels]

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ron Lewis Buffet. Our special today is a buzzer-beating clutch 3-pointer. However, we also offer a single-handed 12-3 run.

[JCPanthers]

Nightwind, what would you have done as the Xavier coach?
I would have made sure Cage didn't miss that last free throw that would have made it a 4 point game.....almost assuring the victory.:grin:

[fontleroyjr]

leave the players in the lane to contest a possible rebound.

foul them so they cant tie it with a 3

[Nyghtewynd]

Well there goes my bracket. Xavier blew their one chance, and now they won't play tOSU again for another thirty years.

[Nyghtewynd]

leave the players in the lane to contest a possible rebound.

foul them so they cant tie it with a 3

Shh! Don't you know there's no reason to question a coach on anything?

[Bradleyfan]

leave the players in the lane to contest a possible rebound.

foul them so they cant tie it with a 3

Yup! We had this debate following the Bradley/Providence game the other night. A Providence 3 pointer sent the game into overtime, and we determined that a missed free throw or a steal on an inbounds pass could have given Providence the victory in regulation time. So it all depends on the coach and philosphy.

However in this case, with a victory over the number one team in the country on the line, I would have to go with the foul. I said to myself Xavier would not have a prayer if this game went to overtime, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

Oh well, at least my bracket is still intact! :original:

[txsaluki05]

what an INSANE game, wow

[fontleroyjr]

i dont understand not contesting a rebound there. they basically just said if we miss, you can take the ball up the floor with no pressure and get some kind of shot off.

i'll take my chances of a guy making one free throw under a lot of pressure, missing the second, getting the offensive board, then making another shot.

[smsandmsuson]

Nightwind, what would you have done as the Xavier coach?

You foul so that they cant shoot a three. I dont know why more teams dont do that. Could have saved it for Xavier

[Keita44]

When Ohio State knocked down the three, then stole the inbound pass and made another basket, you could feel that Ohio State was going to win. They are simply a dominate team. Xavier played extremely well.

The thing I like best about this close call is that it wakes up Ohio State, my national champion pick. After watching the end of the game, I am very confident in my pick. :clap:

[OmahaBen]

Just curious if anyone else was thinking intentional foul when Oden assaulted the Xavier guy for his fifth foul. The Xavier guy went airborne on that one without flopping.

[Studgunners]

i dont understand not contesting a rebound there. they basically just said if we miss, you can take the ball up the floor with no pressure and get some kind of shot off.

i'll take my chances of a guy making one free throw under a lot of pressure, missing the second, getting the offensive board, then making another shot.


I totally agreed that they should have kept players to contest the rebound and try to eat up clock and foul if there was a miss. Not to say it wouldn't have played out similarly with a long outlet pass to midcourt.

I also thought the foul on Oden should have been a flagrant and 2 shots and the ball. Why have the rule if you aren't going to call it based on the situation. It either is or isn't.

[Keita44]

Just curious if anyone else was thinking intentional foul when Oden assaulted the Xavier guy for his fifth foul. The Xavier guy went airborne on that one without flopping.


Oden was going for the ball, he just went after it really hard. I don't think it was an intentional foul.


Originally, I thought they called a foul on the Xavier guy while OSU was shooting. If you watch the replay, you can see that the ref closest to the camera wanted to call a foul, he even put his hand up in the air. That could have made for an interesting situation.

[fontleroyjr]

i thought oden definately intentionally fouled him.

so that xavier would have to go down and shoot free throws.

:starwars:

[RiseUp]

leave the players in the lane to contest a possible rebound.

foul them so they cant tie it with a 3

THe tv analysists never mentioned that as an option. Not many coaches go for that strategy. It's ballsy to do, for sure.

[tennis08tarheels]

When Ohio State knocked down the three, then stole the inbound pass and made another basket, you could feel that Ohio State was going to win. They are simply a dominate team. Xavier played extremely well.

The thing I like best about this close call is that it wakes up Ohio State, my national champion pick. After watching the end of the game, I am very confident in my pick. :clap:

I think you meant dominant? However, they don't dominate anything until the final few minutes of their games. You saw it against Michigan in the regular season finale, in both Wisconsin games, and today. I like Ohio State to win the title unless they face Florida in the championship. Florida is the ONLY team that matches up well with Oden and Hunter down low, with Noah and Horford. Their guards are easily better than OSU's. If OSU runs into Florida, they'll get slaughtered again.

[MVC Fan]

Just curious if anyone else was thinking intentional foul when Oden assaulted the Xavier guy for his fifth foul. The Xavier guy went airborne on that one without flopping.

Yes, that was absolutely an intentional foul. That was almost scary the way he attacked that guy...and I don't want to hear about the 'it's the end of the game, don't call it' crap. There's fouling and there's assault; that was the latter. Ohio state never should've had the chance for a game-tying 3.

[Aces101]

I agree...the last foul on Oden should have been intentional. Xavier should be in the Sweet 16, not OSU. If the shoe had been on the other foot, I am sure that Xavier would have been whistled with an intentional foul giving Ohio State 2 free throws and the ball back.

[SubGod22]

I finally saw the play and absolutely agree that it should have been intentional. He just flat out shoved the guy without even a half hearted attempt to play the ball. I've seen a lot less called intentional to cost teams the game. OSU escaped this game because of a gutless official.



Xavier should have made at least one of the damn freethrows as well. That's what you call a choke job. But then they also should have gotten the ball back....

[DUBulldog]

I finally saw the play and absolutely agree that it should have been intentional. He just flat out shoved the guy without even a half hearted attempt to play the ball. I've seen a lot less called intentional to cost teams the game. OSU escaped this game because of a gutless official.

Xavier should have made at least one of the damn freethrows as well. That's what you call a choke job. But then they also should have gotten the ball back....

I'm pretty sure he made the first one.....he needed to make them both to make it a 2 possession game.

[MVC Fan]

Right, made the first, missed the 2nd. And it's hard to fault Cage much for missing one FT (barely-it hung ont he rim and went out). He played a fantastic game (I believe 8-for-8 from the field, 6-8 FTs, 25 pts).

[SalukiProf]

Just curious if anyone else was thinking intentional foul when Oden assaulted the Xavier guy for his fifth foul. The Xavier guy went airborne on that one without flopping.

It would have been a two-minute cross-checking penalty if the game was hockey. That qualifies as an intentional in basketball. . .

[SIUDAWG02]

It would have been a two-minute cross-checking penalty if the game was hockey. That qualifies as an intentional in basketball. . .


Shouldnt have even been an issue at this point had they fouled OSU the last trip up the court. No way they should have let him take that shot. Make them shoot two free throws, get the ball back and win the game.