Stories

Schlegel Pumps Up Buckeyes

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:27:36 GMT

Anthony Schlegel was a prominent member of the Ohio State football team as a standout linebacker in 2004 and 2005, and now he’s an important cog in another facet of the program.

In fact, Schlegel is in his third year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at OSU, meaning he has put more tenure into his campus job than he did as a student-athlete.

And what Schlegel is now doing as a right-hand man for Mickey Marotti may be even more important than his output as a two-year tackling machine for Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes.

Schlegel joined the strength and conditioning staff in January 2011, and he was retained by Marotti, who carries the title of assistant athletic director for football sports performance.

“I didn’t know a lot about Coach Mick and I really didn’t know a lot about our profession and being a strength coach because I was so new to it,” he admitted. “However, growing up how I did in Texas with that hardcore training mentality, mental and physical toughness, when he came in I was like, ‘This is awesome.’

“This is how I like to train and he’s been a fantastic mentor. I enjoy coming to work every day and learning from him. And he’s really trying to develop the entire staff, and I really like that.

“We have interns that we’re trying to develop into being assistant strength coaches. We have assistant strength coaches that are trying to be head strength coaches one day, and he’s trying to fill all our toolboxes with his experience and the overall structure of how to bring together a team. That’s really what strength and condition is all about at the college football level.”

Schlegel long has valued the conditioning aspect of football.

Born in Iowa but raised in Highland Park, Texas, Schlegel was a high school state wrestling champion and junior national champion along with being a Class 4A all-state linebacker. As a teenager, he also set world dead-lift age group records (U19) twice in power lifting.

He originally played football at Air Force but after two highly successful years there realized he could step up to play at a major college level. He chose Ohio State partly because of the intensity the players had off the field and in the weight room.

Schlegel became an All-Big Ten performer at OSU, racking up 166 tackles in two seasons while flanked by A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter. He ranked third on the team with 84 stops as a junior and second with 82 as a senior.

Schlegel was drafted by the New York Jets and played for that team as well as the Cincinnati Bengals becoming a starter for the letter. He also had a stint in the United Football League.

When professional football ended, Schlegel started his own strength training business, Schlegel’s Hardcore Elite Training. That allowed him to return to his alma mater as a strength and conditioning coach and eventually learn under Marotti, renowned as one of the best in the business.

Schlegel quickly learned why Marotti’s reputation is so strong. Head coach Urban Meyer made hiring Marotti his No. 1 priority and many Buckeyes flourished in the weight room. OSU also responded to the high-demand, high-reward approach by posting a 12-0 season.

“I’ll say this and Earle Bruce said it: You are what you emphasize,” Schlegel said. “At Oregon they do something completely different than what we do at Ohio State. Coach Tressel did something different than we do right now. And guess what: We won a lot of games. And we are winning games now. So you are what you emphasize. And the strength and conditioning program has to match what you emphasize on the football field.

“So if you emphasize being mentally and physically tough, being coached hard and football position, that’s how you have to train in the weight room. You can’t turn it off in the weight room and then just expect kids to go out there and turn it on on the field.

“I think what makes this work so well is Coach Meyer and Coach Mick are on the same page all the time. So the football staff, the strength staff and the players are 100 percent together.”

Meyer often talks of the critical role Marotti and his staff play in the program’s achievement.

“It’s (important) because you handle the kids, the young men, all year,” Schlegel said. “If you really think about it, during the season we’re around the kids the entire time. The coaches are coaching but then January they’re recruiting and where are our players? With us. Spring break they go off, they come back and they’re doing spring football, but where who else are they with? Us. After spring ball, this Maymester all the way through to camp, who are they with? Us. The coaches are gone or they’re recruiting or they’re doing camps the entire time.

“If we need leadership, we can help develop and bring out team leadership. If we need togetherness and team unity, that’s things that you can work on, but it’s kind of the head coach and the strength coach that see the chemistry that’s needed for each individual team, because they’re all different.”

Ohio State long has been a program rife with high-quality athletes who are put through grueling practices and workouts. Plus, one aspect that never changes despite altering philosophies on training and even nutrition is that the program always has benefited when elite players set a high bar off the field.

It happened when Woody Hayes demanded it of his captains. It happened when Bruce had special talents such as Chris Spielman, Cris Carter and Keith Byars. It happened when John Cooper’s practices sometimes ended with Eddie George squaring off against Mike Vrabel in sprints. It happened under Tressel, and it’s happening now.

“That’s one thing that I love about our program, the competitive spirit that Coach Meyer talks about all the time,” Schlegel said. “You can’t just go out on the football field and say I want to have competitive spirit. It is contagious throughout the entire strength and conditioning program and then it goes to the field.

“Coach Mick could give you the best strength conditioning, running weight lifting program on the face of the planet, and we’re going to coach it as hard as we possibly can coach it to get the best out of you, but if you don’t spill it – the individual player doesn’t spill it every day … you get what you put into it.

“Hopefully I don’t like getting beat by my partner or my position group or going up against somebody on the offense. Hopefully that’s going to motivate me and drive me to push more and get better.”

Schlegel sees that the new staff is determined to bring in hard-nose players who can handle the challenge, which, of course, is ideal.

“I love it because that’s the way I was, too,” he said. “That’s what drew me here. What drew me to Ohio State was I met guys like Bobby and A.J. and Simon Fraser and (Craig) Krenzel. These guys worked hard and they were tough and I wanted to train with them. And now you’ve got guys like (John) Simon and (Zach) Boren with our kids here, and James Laurinaitis comes back and he brings people from St. Louis, and Malcolm Jenkins. And our kids see them grinding and competing against all the older guys.

“That’s something I wish everybody could really see, the brotherhood past your four years here. It’s really something special, and Coach Meyer and Coach Mick do a great job with inviting our guys to come back and do that.”

A huge part of Schlegel’s job is to encourage players to compete and push themselves every day. However, it’s not as tough as sell as some might think.

“I think people buy in,” he said, “and you better buy in because the train is moving fast. If you don’t buy in, guess what? There’s a guy who’s behind you that’s probably working really, really hard. And that’s what’s cool.

“I was talking to recruits and I was like, ‘You don’t want to go somewhere else. You can go there and be the guy, but if you come here and you’re the guy, that’s saying something else because I had to beat out three other guys who are really good.’

“And if they want to get better, we’re here.”

Versatile Forward Readies For OSU

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:27:42 GMT

Keita Bates-Diop can be somewhat poker-faced out on the basketball court but on the eve of his meeting with fellow Ohio State commitment Jae’Sean Tate, Bates-Diop morphed into a first-grader awaiting Christmas.

When asked on May 3 in Fort Wayne, Ind., if he was looking forward to the rematch with Tate, Bates-Diop said, “Yeah, definitely. We’re going to be playing with each other so we may as well start it up now. It should be fun.

“We send each other text messages at times. And when we play each other we talk at that tournament.”

It turned out it wasn’t as enjoyable for Bates-Diop. His Illinois Wolves AAU squad was dumped 71-54 at the Spiece Fieldhouse by Tate’s All-Ohio Red team and Tate scored 21 points compared to Bates-Diop’s 12.

Still, at the prestigious Run-n-Slam tournament there and elsewhere this offseason, Bates-Diop continues to remind why he has a great chance to be a difference-maker on the collegiate level.

Standing a legitimate 6-7 and weighing 190 pounds, Bates-Diop continues to intrigue as a combo forward with range, soft touch around the rim, a slithery presence underneath the boards and an eye-opening passing game.

After committing to Ohio State in November and embarking on a standout junior season at Bloomington (Ill.) University High School, Bates-Diop already is climbing the recruiting charts this spring. In fact, ESPN.com now considers him to be a top-20 prospect nationally in the class of 2014.

The service rates him as the No. 18 player in his class nationally as well as fifth among power forwards and the third-best player in Illinois. He chose OSU over Illinois and a slew of schools and is now the headliner for a 2014 class that also includes the 6-4 Tate and 6-9 power forward David Bell. Tate preps at Pickerington (Ohio) Central and Bell at Garfield Heights (Ohio) HS.

Bates-Diop follows in the footsteps of current Buckeyes Lenzelle Smith and Sam Thompson of Illinois products to join ranks with the Buckeyes.

“It has set in,” he said. “I can’t put it out of my mind. I’m committed, I know it, everybody knows it, so I’m definitely in that mind-set.

“It’s probably a little weird for some people. I’m from Illinois so a lot of people want me to go to school in Illinois. But I’m definitely happy with my decision.”

Bates-Diop said he followed Ohio State during its postseason run and has kept in touch with the coaches. He feels playing at Ohio State will be a smooth transition for him, especially now that he’s gotten to know people in the program and seen how the team functions behind closed doors.

When asked what put it over the top, Bates-Diop immediately pointed to his campus visit.

“It was definitely the little things like the players’ relationship with the coaching staff,” he said. “It was really strong, and I liked it.”

As for how he’ll fit in on the court, Bates-Diop still has a full year to hone his skills but already had distinguished himself as a unique combo forward who can hurt defenses in a lot of ways.

“I’m a three, a versatile three who can do a lot of different things,” he said. “I feel like I can score from a lot of spots on the floor and defend. And I like to pass the ball. That’s a pretty big part of my game. I’ve always been pretty unselfish and I like to make the extra pass.

“I think my shooting definitely should carry over to that level. I’m a pretty good outside shooter and I think I can be effective shooting in college. My strength will have to get a little better, though, because I’m going to need to do a lot of different things. And I’ll just have to keep working on my overall game so I can keep up with the pace.”

The young forward said head coach Thad Matta and the OSU assistant coaches have one constant piece of advice for him.

“They definitely want me to work on my strength, and that will solve a lot of different things,” Bates-Diop said. “They want me attacking the basket more instead of always looking for jump shots.”

Bates-Diop estimates he and Matta talk three or four times a week – and he enjoys the conversations.

“He’s easy to talk to,” he said. “We talk about a lot of different things. Sometimes we don’t even talk about basketball a whole lot.”

By the clam he displays on the court and the way he carries himself, it’s easy to see Bates-Diop is happy with his decision and focused now simply on improving his game. He’s the only member of the Illinois Warriors program who is already committed to an NCAA school and sees it as an advantage.

“It’s definitely less stressful,” he said. “I don’t feel like I have to go out here and always try to impress all the coaches. I can just go out and play. There’s just one program that I have to worry about and be committed to. It’s nice.”

He said he gives advice to others if they ask for it, “but for the most part I just let them go through their own process.”

As for the offseason, the goals are now clear.

“I’m just trying to win as many games as I can and try to be prepared for next year for when I get to Columbus,” he said.

Five-Star Guard Weighs Ohio State

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:24:27 GMT

Watching JaQuan Lyle light it up for the Spiece Indy Heat 17-Under AAU squad, it’s easy to see why he’s one of the most coveted backcourt performers in the Midwest.

A 6-4, 185-pound combo guard, Lyle does just about everything at an outstanding level against AAU competition and for his high school, Evansville (Ind.) Bosse.

He’s a well-sized and strong lead guard who is tough to handle on the drive and he’s also one of the more impressive prepsters around in terms of pure shooting from the outside.

And for good measure, Lyle has worked to become a better defender and standout passer, causing offers to pour in from everywhere, including from Ohio State head coach Thad Matta.

ESPN.com considers the 17-year-old to be the 16th-best senior-to-be in the country as well as the No. 4 point guard prospect and No. 2 player in Indiana.

At the prestigious Spiece Run-n-Slam in Fort Wayne, Ind., last weekend, Lyle starred for the hometown team and caused fans and followers on hand at the Spiece Fieldhouse to fantasize him running the show for their college outfit of choice.

It now appears one of the following six will win the sweepstakes: Indiana, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, Louisville and Ohio State.

Local speculation is that Lyle is leaning on either Indiana or Louisville, but he did not tip his hand in Fort Wayne. He did, however, express interest in all those schools after hosting representatives from each of them recently for in-home visits.

He also admits to having a rapport with IU coach Tom Crean.

The two became acquainted the summer after Lyle’s freshman year at Bosse and Crean was decidedly candid in his assessment of the youngster.

“My head was big, and it really brought me down,” Lyle told a handful of reporters after an AAU game at the Fieldhouse. “But it helped me and now I am where I am.

“I just took it differently because I was a lot younger. He told me what I needed to hear and I didn’t like it then. Now he told me what I needed to hear and I liked it. He just talked about a lot of stuff with me academic-wise, player development-wise.”

Lyle said Crean made an impression on him and his family during their recent face-to-face discussion in Evansville.

“That was the first time I had met Coach Crean on a serious note, and my grandmother and mother were around,” Lyle said. “It went real well.”

When asked to compare Indiana to Louisville and others, Lyle said, “They’re both great places. Coach (Rick) Pitino, national champions. Louisville is a great place to be. They get up and down.

“Florida is a great place. (Assistant) Coach (Rashon) Burno, he and I have a good relationship. Florida has nice weather down there and it’s a great school to be at.”

Tennessee and Illinois appear to be on the outside rail right now while Ohio State, which is about to send Fort Wayne native Deshaun Thomas to the NBA draft, is the dark horse.

“Coach Matta and Coach (Dave) Dickerson came down and they just really dropped some knowledge on me about stuff on and off the court,” Lyle said. “That was a great in-home, too.”

If Lyle has a fault in his game it’s that it almost comes too easily to him at times, hence Crean’s plea for the youngster to work harder on his craft.

It’s clear that Lyle has taken that to heart. His outside shooting, for example, is smooth and accurate, and his range is comfortable on the three-point arc and beyond.

“It’s been a lot of hours in the gym and a lot of work put in,” he said. “Some of that comes natural, but in order to improve and maintain it you’ve got to work at it, too. You can’t just always rely on your skills. You have to work on your game, too.”

Lyle also is fluid on the move and can find open teammates with relative ease. Even though he could play either guard spot, most suitors are intrigued with the idea of him running the point.

“A lot of schools talk about my playmaking ability and my passing ability,” he said. “A lot of schools like that. And a lot of schools see me as a point guard, others see me as a combo. I’m just taking my time and going through the process.

“I take my ACT June 8 and then after that I’ll decide where I’ll take my five officials to. The other two schools won’t be out of it, but that’s where I’ll take my officials. After that I’m just going to take my time and I’ll make my decision when I think it’s time.”

Tate Locks Horns With Bates-Diop

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:05:00 GMT

When Jae’Sean Tate of nearby Pickerington committed to the Ohio State basketball program in November, it came a day after the slightly higher rated Keita Bates-Diop of Bloomington, Ill., had done the same thing.

And when the two seniors-to-be and future Buckeyes met face-to-face earlier this spring in Milwaukee, it was Bates-Diop who played the role of standout and his Illinois Wolves that appeared to be the superior AAU outfit.

“That was our first tournament together and I think we’ve come a long way from that,” said Tate, a 6-5, 190-pound guard/forward from Pickerington Central. “We didn’t have any plays, new players, we didn’t have any team chemistry.”

Since then Tate had a 40-point explosion in a Nike Elite game and his All-Ohio Red squad started finding its stride on the AAU circuit.

After each had performed well in dominating wins on Friday night in the loaded Run-n-Slam at the Spiece Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Friday night, the stage was set for their second head-to-head matchup on Saturday.

“I think this time around it’s going to be a really good game to see,” Tate said confidently. “I want us both to do good. Of course I want to win, but I want us both to be successful.

“He’s a great player. The last time I played him was actually the first time I had ever seen him play. It looks like he has a good motor just like me. We’re going to be a good duo together.”

Since meeting each other, Tate and Bates-Diop have stayed in touch via texting and social media.

Ohio State’s third member of the 2014 recruiting class, 6-9 power forward David Bell of Garfield Heights (Ohio) HS, also was in town but his team’s AAU games were not staged at the Fieldhouse.

When asked Friday night if he was looking forward to the rematch with Tate, Bates-Diop told SportsRappUp.com, “Yeah, definitely. We’re going to be playing with each other so we may as well start it up now. It should be fun.”

Turns out it wasn’t so much fun for Bates-Diop – or any of the guys in the orange jerseys, for that matter.

Playing with the same tenacity as Tate and following the defensive tone set by their leader, All-Ohio Red stunned the Wolves with its aggressiveness, shut down the running game and mashed out an impressive 71-54 win in pool play.

Tate and the 6-7 Bates-Diop each jumped center for the opening tap but were matched on only a handful of possessions as they filled roles all over the court for their teams.

Bates-Diop held the early advantage. Moments after Tate missed a top-of-the-key three, the Illinois product nailed a triple from the wing to give the Wolves a very early 5-4 lead.

Tate hit four straight free throws in the early going, but after he was called for a carry and Diop scored in the paint off a lob pass and soft flip shot, the Wolves led 19-12.

That’s when Tate cranked it up from both ends of the floor and changed the tenor of the game.

With 8:07 left in the first half he spun, pump faked and scored over Diop to cut the lead to 19-17. Moments later, he caused a travel with perfect help defense.

With 3:02 left in the half, he drew another shooting foul and made both free throws to improve to 6 of 6 on the line and provide All-Ohio Red with a 26-19 lead.

The advantage stayed at seven at halftime – 30-23 – and Tate made his presence felt again on the first possession of the second half when he got a long lob and threw down a vicious two-handed dunk.

Tate’s other second-half field goals were a scoop shot in the lane after banging into a defender, a baseline pull-up that splashed the net, and a follow shot while fouled.

Bates-Diop eventually picked up the pace and whammed home a rim-rattling dunk of his own, but by then All-Ohio Red had a 60-42 lead and cruised to the 17-point win.

Bates-Diop finished with a dozen points but Tate had 21.

It seems the higher the stakes and the better the opponent the better Tate plays. In a regional semifinal against AAU teammate Javon Bess and Gahanna Lincoln, Tate logged 31 points and 21 rebounds in a 53-50 loss.

In a high-profile Nike Elite contest in Hampton, Va., on April 26, Tate hit 15 of 26 shots and racked up 40 points, 18 boards, five assists and eight steals in a 94-73 win over the Georgia Stars. His amazing stat line was achieved in just 24 minutes.

“It was just my night; I couldn’t miss,” he said of the game in Virginia. “We had three minutes to warm up. Had to get dressed in the van. We just came in there and my teammates just kept getting me the ball.

“They did pressure us a lot but they also played a lot of zone, so it wasn’t really a fast-paced game.”

Tate said his overall experience from the event was ideal.

“There’s nothing like it,” he said. “It’s everything everyone said it was. Every game is like a championship game. You’ve really got to come with you’re a game.”

The son of former Buckeye and University of Cincinnati forward Jermaine Tate, Jae’Sean is now learning under the tutelage of ex-OSU captain Jerry Francis, his coach at Pickerington Central.

What Tate has shown at the high school, AAU and all-star level is that he can take over a game on either end of the court.

“Ever since I was a starting to play basketball I loved defense and I loved rebounding,” he said. “That’s where I get my money from. Back when I was little my coach always used to tell me ‘see ball, get ball,’ and I still live by that today.”

In Fort Wayne, Tate blocked several shot attempts, many of them occurring almost the instant the ball leaves a shooter’s hand.

“Coach Francis is my high school coach and we work on that a lot – high hands, getting hands straight in the air, don’t jump and stay down on your feet,” Tate said. “High school has really helped me out to be fundamentally sound.”

Like Francis, Tate is a powerful forward only not with traditional college height. His detractors wonder what role he can have at Ohio State, but Tate is not worried about it.

When asked if he considers himself to be just a guard, he said, “Definitely not. I’m just a player. When I get out there positions really don’t matter to me. I’ll guard the biggest player on the floor; I’ll guard the smallest player on the floor. When I’m out there I’m just going to give it 100 percent every time.”

Throughout the course of any game, Tate can be a difference-maker in multiple ways. When the other team is shooting free throws he often stays back to guard the basket. He sometimes brings up the ball and also plays out on the wing. When the situation dictates, he nudges inside like a post player.

The OSU coaches apparently don’t feel the need to pigeonhole Tate, at least not now. In fact, they mostly tell the lefty to work on his shooting.

“They tell me, ‘Just stay in the gym. Get shots up. Free throws. Free throws,’ ” Tate said.

The youngster said he shot about 40 percent from the foul line as a freshman and was right around 75 percent last season as a junior.

“I’ve still got work to do but every year I’m increasing,” he said proudly.

Tate began his AAU career in the King James program, but said he’s now at home leading All-Ohio Red, just as his father once did.

“It’s just in the family,” Tate said. “It’s just an honor to be out here and keep the tradition going.”

'We Were One Point Short'

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:53:13 GMT

“Hey, guys, can you move to the side a little bit,” Fox Sports Ohio’s Natalie Taylor said to a few writers who were huddled around the plasma television in the Blue Jackets’ locker room.

Seated all the way in the back of the room and pulling off endless reams of tape and gear after another full night of action vs. Nashville was none other than Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus’ nearly impenetrable Russian goaltender.

The reporters quickly obliged. It was the tiniest gesture, and the least the media could go to honor the player who turned the Jackets from an NHL laughingstock to a legitimate Western Conference contender this year.

Unfortunately for Bobrovsky and just about everyone else who was crammed into Nationwide Arena on Saturday night, the pictures on the TV screen were not soothing. They showed the homestanding Colorado Avalanche trailing the Minnesota Wild, 2-1, in the final stages of the final game of the regular season.

The CBJ had just done its part by elating a lathered-up crowd in glorious fashion – a trio of third-period goals that completely erased a 1-0 deficit – and posting a 3-1 victory over the Predators in arguably the most important regular-season game in franchise history.

However, because of a tiebreaker that favored the Wild and an equal number of points – 53 – for both teams heading into Saturday, Columbus needed some help.

It didn’t happen.

The Avs couldn’t muster a tying goal in the final minutes and the Blue Jackets, as coach Todd Richards said repeatedly in the postgame press conference, “were one point short.”

The Blue Jackets not making the Stanley Cup playoffs normally isn’t news in Ohio’s capital or elsewhere, but the fact that they came so agonizingly close and could have been so dangerous in a postseason series makes this one of the most noteworthy near-misses in a while.

They just needed a Detroit loss at Dallas or a Minnesota loss or tie at Colorado. The rival Red Wings, though, made good on their promise to keep their lengthy playoff streak alive – 22 straight years and counting – and posted a 3-0 victory in Big D.

Moments later, Minnesota took advantage of a controversial call waiving off a Colorado goal and hung on for the fateful win and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Time of death: 10:01 p.m. Eastern.

“It’s a really disappointing, sinking feeling right now,” Columbus coach Todd Richards said moments later. “All the emotion from the win is gone.”

Richards expressed great pride in his team and its eye-opening second half surge, but …

“It was a great environment,” he said. “I thought our guys worked hard. Give credit to Nashville. I thought they played extremely hard. It was a good hockey game.

“But I guess this game tonight kind of captures our team – kind of a slow start; once we got our legs, we got going and it was a great finish. In the game it was good enough. In the season, the 48 games, it wasn’t good enough. We were one point short.”

Early into the strike-shortened season, the Jackets, easily the worst team in the NHL in 2011-12, had fallen into a 5-12-2 hole. Nobody blinked, only braced for another forgettable campaign.

But a few key moves including a trade for right winger Marian Gaborik and a changeover at the general manager position – longtime GM Scott Howson out; Jarmo Kekalainen of the Blues organization in – combined with the sudden brilliance of Bobrovsky changed the fortunes.

The win over the Preds moved the Blue Jackets’ record since March 1 to a stunning 19-5-5. That included the most impressive road trip in franchise history – a must-have 5-1 showing against several playoff-bound teams, setting up the dramatic season finale.

“That would have put us right up near the top of the conference with a better start,” said center Brandon Dubinsky, who finally got the CBJ on the scoreboard against Nashville with a rare goal.

You could almost see the shoulda-woulda-couldas turning in his head as he spoke further.

“You never know which point was going to matter the most,” he said. “I think it goes back to when we were losing those tight games in overtimes or shootouts. I don’t really know what to say right now.

“We sure didn’t get off the right way. Whether that’s not having a training camp with so many new faces or just finding a way to win those games early, obviously it came back to bite us.”

Added Richards, “The good thing is it has to hurt sometimes for you to grow and move forward. I think the fans appreciated the effort tonight but also in previous games and the way we finished the season.

“We started something now and we have to learn from this because no matter how good we played we were one point short. So that tells me we weren’t good enough.”

Still, after a year when hockey fans were deprived of a full season of action and the Jackets missed on their chance to host the NHL All-Star Game, Columbus could be looking at its most promising and optimistic offseason ever.

Richards, Kekalainen and team president John Davidson aren’t going anywhere and are very excited about the current landscape. Several key players are expected to sign contract extensions or already have been locked up. And, perhaps most important, the product is marketable again. Fans enjoy coming to Nationwide and they have a team in which they believe.

“The crowd was electric, for sure,” Dubinsky said. “We know that Columbus is a sports city and they’re starving for the Blue Jackets to be good. I’m not going to sit here and make any promises for next year but I think as a team we grew together, we grew as a group, and we have most the guys coming back.”

“The standards have been set and I still think we can go higher with our standards,” Richards said. “As John Davidson would say, some bricks have been laid.

“Being a Midwest boy and being in a Midwest town, as I consider Columbus, that’s what the people want. Give us an honest, hard effort every night. I think our guys did that.”

And Richards is perhaps most pleased with the team chemistry right now.

“This group is a really close group,” said the coach, who was named interim head coach in January 2012 and secured the job in May of last year. “I don’t know when it was, whether it was a moment or a game or a play that turned it around. I’ve told people close to me, family and friends, it feels like a team. They care for one another, and it shows out on the ice. Guys are genuinely happy for other guys when they have success.”

In fact, Richards said the CBJ’s failure to capitalize on early opportunities and the disjointed second period vs. Nashville were the result of trying too hard.

“I think we were too amped,” he said. “I think we were caught up in it. And some of that might have been my creating as well, as a coach.”

Eventually, though, the Jackets were not to be denied with so much at stake. They came out firing rubber at goalie Chris Mason in the third period and never let up.

“We could feel the ice tilting,” Dubinsky said. “We could feel ourselves starting to create chances.”

“We knew we were going to win,” said defenseman Jack Johnson, who tallied the second Columbus goal. “There was no doubt in our minds. One goal can’t beat you at home, at least it should never beat you. There was no doubt in our minds going out for the third we were going to win that game. Once we got one, we just knew we were going to keep coming harder and harder.

“We want to create that excitement every night. I’m fully aware this is a football town, but we’re planning to turn it into a hockey town as well.”

Conley Guides Yet Another Winner

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:07:34 GMT

If you make your way to the website ohiodomincanpanthers.com, you find that a freshman running back from nearby Olentangy “scored all three touchdowns to lead the Gold team to a 21-0 victory over the Black team in Ohio Dominican’s annual spring football game.”

That didn’t make major headlines in Columbus, but is noteworthy on several fronts.

In fact, the game, held under the lights at Ohio Dominican University on Saturday, wraps up a very productive spring session for the Panthers – and also is yet another example of the upward mobility of the program under coach Bill Conley.

Defense, running game, fundamental coaching, increased fan intrigue, a roster built on lots of in-state and local talent – it’s all part of the formula now at Ohio Dominican.

A former Ohio State player and longtime assistant coach at Ohio State, Conley brought instant credibility to ODU when he arrived a little more than three years ago, and, predictably, the Panthers are reaping the benefits of the savvy hire.

Conley had to build from a cement level in 2010, and the Panthers went just 2-8 in that initial season. The following year, his impact as a topnotch recruiter and his rekindled vibrancy as a program overseer led to a huge turnaround and 7-4 record. For that effort, OhioCollegeFootball.com named Conley the Division II Coach of the Year.

Last fall, ODU improved again, recording a mark of 8-3. The Panthers logged the third-most points and allowed the second-fewest among teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), and they also won their last five games of the 2012 season. They take that momentum and an outstanding signing class into the Sept. 5 season opener at Georgetown (Ky.) University.

And even in the offseason, which may seem like drudgery to some, Conley goes through his daily routine with a wide grin on his face.

“I do really enjoy it,” he told SportsRappUp.com in an exclusive sitdown interview in his office. “It’s like I tell the kids: I’ve never worked. This is really great. You’re doing something you enjoy doing and you’re helping young people become better people.”

Because Conley was so convincing in the living room and so smooth in terms of public persona – he was a football analyst for many years on 610 WTVN (AM radio) in Columbus – he often was portrayed as a salesman as much as a football coach. However, he was a successful high school head coach at Ohio locales such as Middletown and London and an accomplished position coach at Ohio State, all the while cherishing the behind-the-scenes relationships with and nurturing of his players.

Plus, at every stop, Conley won – and he’s got Ohio Dominican pointed toward major success as the program embarks on its transition from the NAIA ranks to Division II.

Smaller Pond

It’s not big-time college athletics. In fact, ODU, a 102-year-old private four-year institution, is tucked into a quiet north-central district of Columbus and has an enrollment just over 3,000. It’s a small liberal arts school, founded in the Catholic and Dominican traditions. Nothing about it is supposed to be splashy and it doesn’t even try to compete with the likes of Ohio State.

“You miss certain things about it sometimes,” Conley said of working at his alma mater. “You miss being on the biggest stage or maybe a bowl game, something like that. You always miss the camaraderie with the other coaches. That’s a huge part of it.

“But I think it’s offset here by, first of all, being the head coach. I get to organize and run the entire program, which is good. I enjoy that part of it. Also, the thing I enjoy most about this job is you really get to spend more time off the football field with your football team, with your players.”

A member of Woody Hayes’ noted 1968 national championship team, Conley retired from coaching in the spring of 2004 after being part of 150 wins in 16 years (1984-87, 1992-2003) at OSU under head coaches Earle Bruce, John Cooper and Jim Tressel. He spent much of his sudden free time staying connected to the game as a motivational speaker, on the radio, promoting his book, “Buckeye Bumper Crops,” and serving as a National Recruiting Analyst for ESPN.

Conley still has daily reminders of his Ohio State heritage. His ODU staff includes ex-Buckeyes Harlen Jacobs, Winfield Garnett and Pepe Pearson as well as former OSU graduate assistant and area high school coach Dustin Calhoun.

Every member of ODU’s staff – all 16 assistant coaches – played some form of college football, and half of them had at least a taste of life in the NFL. Conley has full-time, part-time and graduate assistants at his avail. Also, several former high school coaches have offered to help out on a volunteer basis.

“I look for guys who are, number one, great teachers – it’s not important what they know; it’s what they can have the kids know – guys who are accountable for the kids on and off the field, and I look for guys who are great recruiters,” Conley said.

“If you get those kind of guys you can win a lot of games at Division II.”

The roster – which includes spring game hero Brandon Schoen of Olentangy Orange, junior running back Ronnel Spates of Cleveland and sophomore quarterback Mark Miller of Cincinnati – is littered with Ohioans. However, it also includes players from the prospect-heavy states of Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan and Texas. It’s what Conley knows.

“I don’t think it’s a lot different on your method; it’s the message that I guess is a little bit different,” Conley said of recruiting new Panthers. “For example, one of the great selling points that we use here – same as we did at Ohio State – is Columbus, Ohio, which we think is a huge advantage being that we’re a Division II school. Most Division II schools are in small towns.”

In the GLIAC, for example, Ohio Dominican has to deal with Detroit-based Wayne State but just about every other team is from a much less populous area. Other Michigan schools in the conference include Northern Michigan, Grand Valley State and Ferris State. Ohio combatants include Ashland, Findlay and Tiffin.

Conley, though, is settled into his new environment and sees it as highly marketable, maybe even moreso than at the Division I level.

“It’s a huge advantage because of your ability to do internships and things like that before a young man graduates, and maybe even get offered jobs in their particular field of study, which has happened numerous times,” he said. Also the size of the class is a huge seller. We have a ratio of 14-to-1 (student-to-instructor) here.

“You get the best of both worlds. You get small class size with lots of individual attention. We’ve got all the study help necessary – the tutors, the writing labs, the reading labs, which are available for all students – and at the same time on Saturday afternoon you’re playing on the highest stage for Division II football that there is in the country. That’s the GLIAC Conference.

“That’s how we sell it, and it’s been a huge success for us, because not many schools have both of those.”

And on top of that is the allure of central Ohio.

“The economy is good,” Conley said. “We’re able to get our guys summer jobs, which is huge. That’s another advantage for us compared to another Division II school in a small town, where there’s not a lot of jobs to go around anyway, much less in the summer for a college student.”

For Conley to adjust, he had to acquaint himself with the many policies and procedures in place at the D-II level. He said that took about six months, especially developing a comfort zone with the complex handling of scholarships and grant money for players.

Most student-athletes are on some type of aid, although not very many of the financial programs pay a significant amount of money. On the plus side, he is able to divide up a pot of funds to maximize the roster and get help to student-athletes with partial as well as full scholarships.

Also, some team members are highly qualified academically and considered exemptions, meaning they don’t count against the scholarship quota.

With no roster maximum, Conley is limited only by cap space, if you will, and, of course, locker space.

“We average about 130 players a year,” he said. “Sometimes a couple less, sometimes a couple more.

“This is more like the real world in that we have scholarships and you can be rewarded by adding to your financial-aid package if you do well in the classroom and do well on the football field. In Division I, you either have a scholarship or you don’t have a scholarship.”

Conley signed 22 prep players this winter – 20 from Ohio, one from Indiana and one from the Chicago area. Most of the newbies are products of what he calls the “I-71 corridor” – mainly schools in the areas in and around Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.

With a much more localized base and without unlimited funds, Conley is not on the recruiting trail nearly as much as he was at Ohio State. Plus, the Division II level has less NCAA restrictions regarding player access.

“It’s more like a high school atmosphere in the sense that you get to see the kids all the time,” he said. “You don’t just see them in the meeting group or the football field. They pop up here, we’ll grab lunch. They’ll come over and we’ll all watch film together. It’s really a much closer-knit football type atmosphere.”

Pointing Due North

Now able to guide talented players who are committed to the cause, Conley has authored an impressive overhaul of the program and has every facet on an uptick. The only downside is the lofty expectations that accompany the newfound belief.

Still, he figured that was part of the deal.

“We could have taken the easy route, which is wait four or five years until you get a complete set of recruiting classes here before you can even start having any sense of success,” said Conley, who was regarded as one of the top recruiting coordinators in the country while at Ohio State. “But I’m not that type of guy. I’m a fast-paced guy. We set the goals high immediately and we demand a lot from our players as students first.”

With that high bar set, the Panthers recently posted a team grade-point average of 3.1.

“They know they’re here first of all for an education and football is an add-on,” Conley said.

“I told our players when I came here, ‘If we do the little things right, the big things will take care of themselves.’ And that’s being accountable – never missing a class, never missing a workout, never missing a practice, and all those things, because that carries over to the football field.

“All of the sudden, the guys who came here, the NAIA athletes, became bigger, faster, stronger, and they became more confident in everything they were doing.”

With the NFL draft underway this weekend, Conley said one of his departed players actually has a chance to be invited to a camp. Pro scouts are now coming by the ODU campus and their way through town.

Even so, the program isn’t attracting prima donnas who are more focused on getting paid to play football.

“You don’t have to deal with a lot of the really big egos,” Conley said. “We’re going to bring in good football players but also make sure we have a high-caliber person, because in terms of numbers there are a lot more Division II athletes than Division I athletes, so you can be a little bit more selective that way.

“And then our players become our best recruiters. That’s the same everywhere. I don’t care if it’s Ohio State or Ohio Dominican. Your players are your best recruiters. And that also helps because they confirm the message that if you want to be part of it, you’ve got to buy in.”

Still, Conley has to close the deal – and that has always been one of his major strengths as a coach.

“The things it takes to be a good recruiter at this level are exactly the same,” he insisted. “You can’t leave any stone unturned. You have a find out who the decision maker is in the family, you have to get on kids early an establish relationships. That’s all recruiting is.

“And that’s one area where I feel our assistant coaches do a very good job because most Division II coaches don’t work as intently or as intensely at recruiting as probably we do. We’ve done a really good job early in that sense.”

He added, “The key to being successful at this level, too, is you’ve got to go after those athletes who are right at the margin of Division I. That’s the key. We’re not going to recruit the guys we know are going to go to an Ohio State or a Michigan or a Penn State, but we’re going to recruit the same type of guys who go to the MAC schools, because they can only take so many.

“Some of those guys are right on the verge of being a Division I player anyway. Maybe they’re an inch or two short or instead of a 4.4 running back they’re a 4.6. So I think we do a great job of identifying those guys early and staying in contact with them so that if they get a Division I offer, hats off to them; if they don’t, we’re the next-best choice.”

When asked if he’s ever wondered how he was able to land such a gifted player at ODU, Conley said, “Yeah, and I think in this year’s class we had that feeling several times.”

Of course, the process can work the other way – like if a MAC school does a last-second player grab. But D-II schools like Ohio Dominican are afforded another 30 days beyond national signing day and often need that time to round out the roster.

Conley said he likes to keep a few spots open just in case opportunity arises to add a Division I transfer. There’s also the possibility, though often remote, that a worthy community college player is out there.

Yes, Ohio Dominican is not Ohio State. Conley once helped the Buckeyes rope in mega-recruits such as Orlando Pace, Eddie George, Shawn Springs and David Boston; now he’s scouring lists of players who are on the outside looking in at Division I.

Last year the Panthers beat Notre Dame – no, not that Notre Dame, but the dinky school tucked into South Euclid, Ohio.

But it’s clear Conley is enjoying his job.

“I always had that itch to do it again,” he said. “This gave me the opportunity to do it again. I think you always want a challenge as a coach, and the challenge here is we’re hoping to one day get good enough, hopefully, to one day compete for a national championship. We’ll see if that happens.

“When I was Ohio State and we won the national championship against Miami (Fla.), the real joy is not just winning that game that day, that night. The joy is the journey to get there and the friendships, the relationships that you establish along the way. That’s the fun of it – building it all.”

Doing Some Spring Cleaning

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:40:42 GMT

When the college basketball season concludes and the spring football session winds down, my colleagues and I usually take five seconds to exhale and expect a break in the action.

However, it didn’t happen this year.

Urban Meyer’s assistant coaches, to our surprise, were availed to the media last week, another Buckeye became a high pick in the WNBA draft, coaching changes occurred at Ohio State and elsewhere, etc.

And all of those stories, of course, paled in comparison to the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, which didn’t just shake the sportsworld, it shocked, saddened and angered the entire country.

(For my take on that, click here.)

I’ve got a lot of reaction to all of those topics, so let’s do some spring cleaning and clear them out one at a time.

Iced

Once again, Ohio State has left us to sort through the rubble on our own when it comes to the ouster of a coach. What is it about this school when it comes to media relations?

Jim Tressel’s job supposedly was so secure that Gordon Gee chuckled at the thought of Tressel’s demise and Gene Smith chided reporters for suggesting it may have been in jeopardy. A few months later Tressel is run out of town and the announcement is made on, wait for it … Youtube.

Last month, Jim Foster and his sterling 11-year record were gone and associate AD Miechelle Willis addressed reporters before she even knew how to characterize the dismissal. Was Foster forced out? Did he retire? Willis – and no other official at tOSU, for that matter – couldn’t say.

And then there is the quiet and mysterious ext of men’s hockey coach Mark Osiecki.

“Oz” had a losing record in his three years at OSU (46-50-16) and this past season (16-17-7), but the Buckeyes overcame a front-loaded schedule and injury-riddled campaign well enough to make the CCHA playoffs and advance to the semifinals at The Joe in Detroit for the first time since 2005.

Osiecki had some big-time recruits on the way and was coaching a young squad. The signs still pointed to hopeful, even promising. Then the hammer came down.

Ohio State announced his contract would not be renewed in one of the tersest press releases I’ve ever seen – six sentences.

Here were two of them: “We are making a change in our head hockey coaching position,” Smith said. “There was a difference of opinion over the management of the program that could not be resolved.”

The reason could be as simple as OSU feeling it finally had an avenue to former Denver coach George Gwozdecky, who was consulted the last time the job was open. He won a pair of national titles for Denver – one of them coming at The Schott in 2005 – but his contract was not renewed at the beginning of April because of an apparent power struggle over the language and provisions in the deal.

Still, rumors continue to fly. We are hearing that Osiecki was a bit of a tyrant and his act was wearing thin. It also appears he became disgusted with having to conduct practices across the river at the dinky OSU Ice Rink instead of the Schottenstein Center, which prioritizes basketball and events such as concerts and high school tournaments in the winter.

It appears he tried to stand up to management and didn’t have strong enough footing to do so. But this story gets weirder if Gwozdecky isn’t brought aboard.

The Crime Dog

Going back to Foster, we know there was some grumbling about him. Despite winning at a rate and raking in Big Ten titles in basically an equivalent manner to that of Thad Matta, Foster lost favor with fans for not bringing in more Ohio talent and failing to get past the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

That led to Ohio State’s real concern – and just about the only concern this administration has anymore running such a mammoth athletic department and 36 varsity programs – money.

When former AD Andy Geiger put Willis into power at Ohio State in the mid-1990s, one of her immediate jobs was to assess the basketball programs. She saw that St. John Arena was lively on game day, especially with Katie Smith an all-time idol for the women’s team.

But after Nancy Darsch was fired the same day as Randy Ayers in 1997 and both teams moved into the Schottenstein Center, the programs had the task of pulling in fans to the new, NBA-like venue. The men succeeded; the women not so much.

The Beth Burns era was a bust, and even though Foster brought instant credibility and welcomed the likes of Jessica Davenport, Jantel Lavender, Samantha Prahalis and Tayler Hill – who were all WNBA first-round draft choices, by the way – attendance dwindled for women’s hoops at The Schott.

New coach Kevin McGuff, who just signed a lucrative contract as Foster’s replacement, knows he has to turn that around. In fact, he made a plea to the reporters on hand for his introductory press conference Wednesday evening, saying that exposure will be key to bringing in more fans and, hence, a more vibrant gameday atmosphere.

“I need your help,” McGuff said to the media. “This needs to be one of the toughest environments in college basketball.”

McGuff later admitted to a handful of reporters that he was asked to ramp up promotion of the program. Foster was reluctant to play that salesman role and even insisted that school officials release accurate attendance figures, which were going in the wrong direction.

“Attendance is always a concern,” Willis admitted. “That’s not why we implemented a change, but when I started here 19 years ago we led the country in attendance and we were averaging about 6,000. Other schools like UConn have jumped to 10,000 (or) 9,000. Well, we’ve not even kept pace with where we were 19 years ago.

“It’s hard to have an intimidating environment in a 19,000-seat area when you have 3,000 people in the stands.”

Going off reports that claim everyone from Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma to Toledo’s Tricia Cullop were contacted about the job, McGuff may have been about choice Q. However, he’s an energetic 43-year-old coach who understands the tradition and importance of getting the word out when it comes to OSU women’s basketball. He also likes to display an uptempo, almost daring brand of basketball.

If that leads to success and a nice deep run in the Big Dance, the selection of McGuff could turn out very favorably.

“I think winning does that or certainly helps,” he said. “I think having a presence in the community, myself and the team, helps. I think that’s an important part of growing a program. We have such great fans and this is such an Ohio State town. It’s going to be something we’re going to try to do to help create buzz in the program.”

Queen Of The Hill

McGuff will have a tough time at first. The program is a quart low on talent right now, especially with Hill joining her former running mate Prahalis in the professional ranks.

In fact, I’m not quite sure many Ohio State fans realize what just walked out the door.

Not only was Hill a model citizen and outstanding player, she should go down as one of the all-time great gets for the program. Granted, her older brother, P.J. Hill, was already on campus playing point guard for Matta when Tayler decided to follow suit.

However, she was nearly set on going to Duke and easily could have pulled the lever for Texas, Marquette or her hometown school, Minnesota.

She would have been a standout at any of those schools but chose Ohio State and became a 2,000-point scorer at the collegiate level.

Hill was a phenom in Minneapolis, good enough to make the varsity at South High School as a seventh grader and lead the state in scoring as an eighth grader, which had never happened before in Minnesota.

By the time Hill left South she had pumped in 3,888 career points, the most for a prep player, boys or girls, in state history. She also helped South post a 31-2 record and win the Class 5A title as a senior while averaging 31.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 5.7 steals per game.

In one postseason game in that march to the state championship, a 68-61 win, she poured in 47 points and made 20 of 23 free throws.

Of course, major accolades and lofty recruiting rankings accompanied all the success. Hill was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the state and ranked as the No. 12 prospect on ESPNU/Hoopgurlz Top 100 recruits for 2009. She also was identified as a McDonald’s All-American.

While Deshaun Thomas was leading the Big Ten in scoring on the men’s side, Hill won the women’s scoring title this past season by scoring 21.1 ppg. She then went on to be selected fourth in the WNBA draft.

Brittney Griner of Baylor first, Elena Delle Donne of Delaware second, Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame third, Hill fourth. That’s kind of like (if you can accept the comparison to a much more popular sport) the 1992 NBA draft – a 1-2-3 of Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Christian Laettner followed by Ohio State’s Jimmy Jackson.

Only thing is Hill never received remotely as much fanfare and was overshadowed by both the stars of the women’s game and the recent success of the OSU men.

Nearly 4,000 points in high school, a state championship, an outstanding college career, a winning smile and a lofty pick of the pro ranks – if Hill were a male athlete someone would be commissioning a deal to write a book about her and the endorsement offers would be pouring in right about now.

As it is, she at least deserves a few extra kudos from a schlub reporter like me. Well done, Ms. Hill.

ET’s Plight

Professional coaching firings sometimes are head-scratching even when they occur after unsuccessful seasons.

Take the situation in Cleveland, for example. Byron Scott was brought on board and said yes to the organization after he was given some assurance that LeBron James would be there. James bolted and – who knew? – the Cavs couldn’t cover up the wound. Scott struggled with a young team whose lone standout player is still learning the pro game and he was promptly fired last week.

Similarly, Philadelphia ownership decided to let go of 76ers coach Doug Collins, one of the best minds in the game and a former standout player in Philly. Actually, it was portrayed that Collins resigned and will stay on in a consultant role but those close to him believe he was vastly underappreciated.

Collins worked miracles in Evan Turner’s rookie year by leading the Sixers to a break-even season. Last year they squeaked into the playoffs and knocked off the top-seeded Bulls. This offseason Collins orchestrated a bold move to trade All-Star Andre Iguodala and landed former Lakers center Andrew Bynum in an attempt to put the proper pieces in place around ET, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young.

It didn’t work because Bynum was never healthy, and the 76ers went just 34-48. That, of course, made Collins dumb somehow.

His loss is our gain because I think he’s the best NBA television analyst out there, and eventually, I suspect, he’ll return to that role. But this could be a blow to Turner since Collins, in my view, was an ideal coach/mentor for him. We’ll have to wait and see.

Who knows? Maybe Scott will get the next phone call.

Scarlet Sea Parts For McGuff

Jeff Rapp — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:30:00 GMT

The cat was already out of the bag when Kevin McGuff was unveiled as Ohio State’s new women’s basketball coach at a press conference on Wednesday.

Still, that didn’t keep the university from trumpeting his arrival from Washington as OSU tries to soar to a truly elite level after Jim Foster’s successful yet not overly well-received 11-year tenure.

Standing at midcourt of the Schottenstein Center with a logo-covered background, associate athletic director Miechelle Willis made the introduction before members of the team, administrators, media and friends of the program.

“This is the first day of a new era for Ohio State University women’s basketball,” Willis said.

A month removed from the strange announcement of Foster’s departure – the university never classified it as a dismissal nor retirement – Willis reminded that when last she met with reporters she said “we would take our time and conduct a thorough, comprehensive search to be sure that we got the right person for this job. We believe that we have found that person in Kevin McGuff.”

After McGuff spoke and answered questions for about 15 minutes, Willis availed herself to reporters but declined to discuss the specifics of the search process.

Reports mention several big-name head coaches who were contacted and bowed out of the process, including Connecticut’s record-setting Geno Auriemma, former Olympian and current South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, former Texas and Duke coach Gail Goestenkors, and former Michigan State and current Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie, among others. Miami (Fla.) coach Katie Meier was among those formerly interviewed.

Sources told SRU that Auriemma was put off by the overtures from Ohio State since he and Foster are old friends.

Reports also claimed Ohio State also was very interested in – and prepared to offer a contract to – Louisville coach Jeff Walz and Toledo’s Tricia Cullop. Walz just guided UL all the way to the national championship game in New Orleans, where the Cardinals lost to Auriemma’s Huskies.

OSU officials had to wait on Walz as Louisville continued through the postseason but eventually looked in the direction of McGuff, who made it clear to those connected to Ohio State – including men’s head coach Thad Matta – that he was eager to speak with search committee members and athletic director Gene Smith.

He said that dialogue just started this week.

“After they had a chance to regroup and kind of finish out their process, Gene called me with an offer,” he said. “It took me five seconds – actually not five seconds, two seconds – to say ‘yes, I’m coming.’ ”

At the outset of his address at the lectern, McGuff made sure to thank Willis, Smith, university president Gordon Gee and his wife, Letitia.

“I’m very fortunate to have married my best friend and I wouldn’t be in the position to have a job like this if it weren’t for her influence on me and our relationship,” said the 43-year-old coach.

The couple has six children, including a newborn, and his immediate family members were able to come from their Seattle home on short notice for the presser.

McGuff added another less likely person to his appreciation list.

“I also want to thank Jim Foster,” he said. “He has left an amazing group of young women and I’m thankful for that, that I now get to lead them. His success here also is a very, very important part of the legacy of Ohio State women’s basketball, and the tradition is very strong, so I thank Jim for all that he did in leaving so much in place.”

Foster won at a .772 clip, lead the Buckeyes to six straight Big Ten regular-season titles (2005-10) as well as four league tournament championships. OSU went to 10 straight NCAA Tournaments under Foster – a run that just ended this year – and the program has produced three straight WNBA first-round draft picks, including the recently departed Tayler Hill, who was just selected fourth overall.

McGuff said he recruited a few players on the current team. Guard Amy Scullion served as a member of the search committee and, according to Willis, was elated to find out McGuff had been tabbed for the job.

Smith also expressed his happiness.

“We are excited with the opportunity for Kevin to lead our women’s basketball program,” the AD said in a statement. “He is a proven leader and has done a marvelous job everywhere he has been. We welcome him back to his home, Ohio.”

A native of Hamilton, Ohio, McGuff was an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame, and was a head coach for nine years at Xavier and the last two at Washington, where he orchestrated a quick turnaround.

He compiled a mark of 255-99 in those 11 years including a 41-26 record at UW.

McGuff had just signed an extension to continue coaching the Huskies and said asking to step out of that deal was “awkward.” He reportedly faces a $1.7 million buyout, but Ohio State is going to ease some of that burden.

McGuff’s contract, which he signed Tuesday, calls for him to earn an annual salary of $850,000 --- $500,000 in base compensation, $250,000 in shoe/apparel earnings, and $100,000 for media availability and public relations. The deal also is loaded with incentives and goodies such as the ability to make as much as $150,000 for a high team cumulative grade-point average; several five-figure bonuses for postseason success; retention bonuses of $250,000 if he is still coach on April 30, 2016 and again on April 30, 2020; a $1,200-a-month automobile stipend, full membership to a local golf club of his choice, use of a private jet for recruiting trips, a free tickets to home OSU football and basketball games.

McGuff also receives a $700,000 signing bonus.

When a reporter pointed out that he was being paid handsomely, McGuff joked, “That’s what happens when you have six kids. It takes a lot to move from Seattle to Columbus. There’s a lot of logistics at play.”

He added that some coaches would be scared off by the high expectations that accompany such a contract, unlike him.

“I’ve always wanted the opportunity to be at a place where you’re expected to be best, but also given the resources and the opportunity to do best, and I think we can do that,” he said. “I really embrace the high expectations that we have here.”

McGuff said Smith made those lofty thoughts clear for the get-go.

“In about three minutes I could tell he and I had a shared vision for what this program could be,” he said. “I’ve always been excited about Ohio State as somebody who grew up in the state, but Gene started talking abut the things he thought we could do on a consistent basis, it really got my attention.

“I believe that we can have a program that consistently competes at the top of women’s basketball – anywhere in the nation, certainly in the Big Ten.”

McGuff intends to recruit top-line talent and play a high-tempo style conducive to the elite AAU and college programs in the country. While Foster centered the majority of his teams around forceful centers such as Jessica Davenport and Jantel Lavender, McGuff said he isn’t opposed to post play but prefers spreading the floor with a big who can face up.

“We will be a really tough-minded defensive team, be one of the best rebounding teams in the country, and a team that plays really fast and really aggressively on offense,” he said.

“We need to be able to recruit the best of the best, worldwide. We want this to be a program that young people want to be a part of. And certainly within that, we want to make all the great players in the state of Ohio want to stay home and play at this great university.”

He added, “This is going to be a player’s program,” and defined that statement as making Ohio State a place where the student-athletes can develop on and off the floor.

He also made a plea to the reporters on hand, saying that exposure will be key to bringing in more fans and, hence, a more vibrant gameday atmosphere.

“I need your help,” McGuff said to the media. “This needs to be one of the toughest environments in college basketball.”

McGuff admitted after his pitch that he was asked to be a pseudo-salesman for the program. Foster was reluctant to play that role and even insisted that school officials release accurate attendance figures, which have dwindled in recent years.

“Attendance is always a concern,” Willis admitted. “That’s not why we implemented a change, but when I started here 19 years ago we led the country in attendance and we were averaging about 6,000. Other schools like UConn have jumped to 10,000 (or) 9,000. Well, we’ve not even kept pace with where we were 19 years ago.

“It’s hard to have an intimidating environment in a 19,000-seat area when you have 3,000 people in the stands.”

McGuff is hoping his more open style of play, especially if it leads to increased success, should bring in more fans.

“I think winning does that or certainly helps,” he said. “I think having a presence in the community, myself and the team, helps. I think that’s an important part of growing a program. We have such great fans and this is such an Ohio State town. It’s going to be something we’re going to try to do to help create buzz in the program.”

McGuff’s Coaching Record
Year School Record Conference Postseason
2002-2003 Xavier 20-10 11-5 NCAA First Round
2003-2004 Xavier 17-13 8-8 WNIT First Round
2004-2005 Xavier 22-10 13-3 WNIT Quarterfinals
2005-2006 Xavier 21-9 11-5 WNIT Second Round
2006-2007 Xavier 26-8 11-3 NCAA First Round
2007-2008 Xavier 24-9 11-3 NCAA First Round
2008-2009 Xavier 25-7 13-1 NCAA First Round
2009-2010 Xavier 30-4 14-0 NCAA Elite Eight
2010-2011 Xavier 29-3 14-0 NCAA Second Round
2011-2012 Washington 20-14 8-10 WNIT Quarterfinals
2012-2013 Washington 21-12 11-5 WNIT Second Round
Overall 255-99 (.720) 125-43 (.744)

4 Is The Score (Again) For Hill

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:41:00 GMT

For Buckeye fans, the story of Tayler Hill’s rise to the highest ranks of professional basketball begins when she was a superstar at Minneapolis South High School and decided she would follow her brother, P.J. Hill, and come to Ohio State.

“Two nights before, I actually told my mom I was going to Duke,” she told SportsRappUp.com. “Then I talked to my brother before I signed and he was like, ‘Are you sure? The family can come down and see us together. It’ll be one big, happy family again.’

“I’m one of seven and I wanted to keep the family together. So I went up there and I was like, ‘Um, I’m going to Ohio State?’ ”

That simple re-assessment of the situation led to Tayler becoming a standout player in her four years in Columbus and the even bigger step on Monday night as she was selected as the fourth overall pick of the WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics.

A 5-10 guard with eye-popping skill on both ends of the court, Hill is now the property of the Washington Mystics. The first three picks went as expected: The Phoenix Mercury snagged dominant 6-8 center Brittney Griner of Baylor, the Chicago Sky followed with 6-5 Elena Delle Donne of Delaware, and the Tulsa Shock was thrilled to pick Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins, a 5-9 guard.

That led to Hill being pick No. 4, a number that matches the one on her jersey – and that her brother wore at OSU for three years.

P.J. originally attended Midland (Texas) College for a year and caught the eye of former OSU assistant John Groce, now the head coach at Illinois, while playing in the NJCAA Tournament. He was a senior at Ohio State when young Tayler was a freshman there.

She arrived about as ballyhooed as any female athlete in the Midwest had been for years. In fact, her prep career alone is enough to make her a legendary figure for those who follow roundball.

She was allowed to play varsity basketball as an eighth grader and proceeded to lead the state in scoring that season with 22.5 points per game – a first in the state of Minnesota.

Hill kept pumping in the points and winning games. She ended her career as Minnesota’s all-time leading scorer (boy or girl) with 3,888 points. As a senior she averaged 31.4 ppg, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 5.7 steals while leading the Tigers to a 31-2 record and Class 5A state title. During the postseason run she set a couple tournament records in a 68-61 win with 47 points and a 20-for-23 performance at the free-throw line.

Of course, major accolades and lofty recruiting rankings accompanied all the success. Hill was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the state and ranked as the No. 12 prospect on ESPNU/Hoopgurlz Top 100 recruits for 2009. She also was identified as a McDonald’s All-American.

Along with runner-up Duke, she considered offers from Minnesota, Marquette and Texas.

Hill was a 2,000-point scorer at Ohio State and improved her production each and every year on campus. She played in 30 of 31 games as a senior and averaged a Big Ten-best 21.1 ppg along with 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2.2 spg per game.

The only disappointment – other than OSU’s 18-13 record and exclusion from the postseason – was Hill shooting just 31.7 percent from long range and making 64 threes a year after shooting them at a 41.8-percent clip and canning 82.

Still, it was evident to pro scouts that Hill had the goods to play at the highest level. Fleet-footed, well-skilled and possession quick hands, she has the size and makeup to play guard in the WNBA and prosper.

Plus, it probably didn’t hurt that two of Hill’s former OSU teammates – onetime running mate Samantha Prahalis (sixth overall in 2012) and center Jantel Lavender (fifth overall in 2011) – were lofty picks in recent drafts.

Jessica Davenport (second overall in 2007) is the only other Buckeye to be taken in the first round of the WNBA draft.

Hill was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and three-time All-Defensive Team selection, as well as a WBCA honorable mention All-American. Her career point total of 2,015 points is good for fourth on Ohio State’s all-time list.

Hill led a group of four Big Ten performers selected in the draft. Nebraska’s Lindsey Moore also went in the first round (12th overall) while Penn State’s Alex Bentley was chosen in the second round and PSU’s Nikki Greene was picked in the third round.

Most mock drafts showed Hill going anywhere in the first round after the first three picks. It turned out she didn’t have to wait long after Griner, Delle Donne and Diggins went as expected.

Washington coach Mike Thibault hinted at his team’s interest.

“Coach Thibault expressed a lot of interest in me when we talked by phone,” Hill said. “I knew there was a chance that I would go there. I’m really excited that he picked me.”

Divided But Not Discouraged

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:18:44 GMT

Team scrimmages can be a bit tough on offensive lines.

The splitting of the roster so that everyone can play under game-like conditions is usually a great way for coaches to assess all areas of the field – and as in the case of Saturday’s spring game in Cincinnati, the Ohio State staff got to digest plenty.

Going into the sun-splashed contest at Paul Brown Stadium, analysts contended that the OSU offense was a clear strength and perhaps ready to be included in conversations with the elite ball-moving units in the country.

After all, the Buckeyes boast four returning senior starters along their offensive line, a loaded backfield led by Carlos Hyde, a healthy Jordan Hall to man the hybrid spot, a burgeoning group of wideouts seemingly getting better by the day, and a pair of quality tight ends in Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett.

Oh yeah, and there’s this guy named Braxton Miller, OSU’s multi-threat quarterback, who is coming off a Big Ten MVP season and already is on every short list for the 2013 Heisman Trophy.

Even head coach Urban Meyer admitted after the spring game – which, for the record, was won 31-14 by the Scarlet squad – that the Buckeyes should have the best offense in the Big Ten and that almost all of the pieces are now in place.

The caveat as far as Meyer is concerned: right tackle.

Converted tight end Reid Fragel held that spot last year and had one of the most impressive breakout years for a senior in recent memory. In fact, Meyer holds up Fragel as the gold standard for a “nothing to something” emergence and he often challenges players fighting for field time to emulate him.

With Fragel prepping for the NFL draft, Ohio State is still searching for his replacement. Meyer’s mood regarding the right tackle situation may have been a little sour after the spring game since the line was split up and clearly missing starting left tackle Jack Mewhort and center Corey Linsley, who are nursing nagging injuries. Also, the loss of backup lineman Antonio Underwood due to an ACL tear further hit the depth of the unit.

OSU defenders registered a total of 11 sacks in the spring game, which, of course, is way too many – even considering Miller and No. 2 quarterback Kenny Guiton were wearing black jersey and could be “tackled” by a two-hand touch.

Taylor Decker probably still has the upper hand to replace Fragel but he played on the left side Saturday with Mewhort out and Chase Farris, a former defensive lineman, player RT. Each struggled at times in pass protection.

“The big glaring weakness is the fifth spoke of the offensive line,” Meyer said afterward. “I feel good about four of the five starters. But unless we get that fixed, there goes the best offense in the Big Ten, because you can’t play with four linemen.

“One of those young players has got to step up, and they haven’t this spring. They’re both great kids and talented enough to do the job, but I saw what you saw.”

Meyer’s postgame statement was not surprising. He likes to challenge players both directly and through the media. Midway through spring drills he said the following:

“I like 80 percent of our offensive line, the starters. I still don’t know who our fifth guy is. But those four guys are tough guys who picked up right where they left off last year.”

The flip side of all this concern is, as even Meyer points out, that the other four spots are in very good hands. Mewhort has moved around the line in his career but found a home at left tackle last season and is playing even better football now. Classmate Andrew Norwell is back to work next to him at left guard.

Linesley was one of the most improved members of the offense last year and now has a good rapport with Miller and the trust of others in leading and making the correct calls. Veteran Marcus Hall is back at right guard after a solid junior season that included an eye-opening performance in the season finale with Michigan.

Conversely, the defensive line is going through plenty of change with the loss of all four starters. However, junior Michael Bennett, the most experienced returnee, says the high praise for the O-line is legitimate.

“It’s a bold statement but I do feel that they are one of the top offensive lines in the country,” Bennett said. “When you go against talent like that every day for two hours a day, you’re going to get better as a whole group. So it’s great for this young D-line to be able to go against them. That’s just experience that other D-lines are not going to get.”

Maybe most important, line coach Ed Warinner, who constantly urges and analyzes his players, is very pleased with the work they put in throughout the spring.

“It’s a comforting feeling because we do have some veteran players back who are good players and they understand the system, so that gives us a leg up,” Warinner said. “And they are really good at preparing and teaching the young guys at how to do things the right way.”

As for the right tackle conundrum, Warinner says it’s still a work in progress.

“We’re just trying to figure out who the best guy is to put there,” he said. “We’re going to work through some people. Decker is a guy, obviously, that has a lot of ability and we’re looking. Chase Farris has been working hard in the offseason. It’ll probably be those two battling it out and Darryl Baldwin is in the mix a little bit, too.”

A redshirt sophomore from Elyria, Ohio, Farris is listed 6-4, 300 and has surprising quickness for his size.

“I had recruited him at another school I was at (Notre Dame) and I had recruited him to play O-line, so I had always had my eye on him since he was in high school,” Warinner said. “When I got here and saw that he wasn’t really in the picture on defense, so I lobbied every day until Coach Meyer either fired me or … No. I’m just teasing.

“He should play a lot of football for us and he has a great upside. He’s very athletic. If he’s not the most athletic guy we have, he’s one of them.”

Interestingly, Decker also was a Notre Dame recruit and actually had committed to play there. But he changed his mind after Warinner and fellow assistant coach Tim Hinton both left ND to work for Meyer at Ohio State.

Decker is a hulking figure (6-7, 315) who was dominant at Vandalia (Ohio) Butler and brings a lot of promise to the college level. He made an immediate impression on his teammates in practices and played sparingly last season as a true freshman.

However, the coaches are not just handing him the job.

Warinner is known for pushing his players, especially those who still have some proving to do.

“I want them to compete,” he said. “I want them to be locked in and I don’t want them to take a play off. I don’t want them to lose concentration. And that’s a hard thing to do in practice.

“Offensive linemen, they need something to motivate them. They don’t catch passes, they don’t gain yards, they don’t get touchdowns. It’s go block, get back up, block, get back up, and the guys they are blocking are tough guys. So I just like to keep things going and keep the energy. I love the guys and they know it.”

That includes the backups. Even with Underwood out, the Buckeyes can turn to the 6-6, 324-pound Kyle Dodson to start tapping into his vast talent and possibly work his way into the two-deep along with guard Tommy Brown and center Jacoby Boren. The backup tackles are Baldwin and the runner-up in the RT sweepstakes – either Decker or Farris.

“I think we’re much better at the second unit this year than we were last year, and that’s good because we’re rolling them in more in practice,” Warinner said.

As for the starters, they’ll be ready to go come fall – and the finality is setting in for Mewhort, Norwell, Linsley, and Hall.

“This is our last year together, so I think guys are realizing that and trying to be guys that people look to,” Mewhort said.

Defense Tries To Allay Fears

Jeff Rapp — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 05:28:15 GMT

Urban Meyer, as Ohio State fans have quickly discovered, will wear his emotions on his sleeve and not mince words about his concerns and fears for his football team.

So it didn’t take much prodding for Meyer to admit early in spring drills that he has plenty of worries for the OSU defense, a unit that has lost seven starters from last year’s 12-0 squad.

Young linebackers such as Josh Perry need to develop quickly to provide help to Ryan Shazier and Curtis Grant could be out of chances if he doesn’t distinguish himself in the middle.

The secondary is in much better standing with All-American candidate Bradley Roby back at corner and seniors Christian Bryant and C.J. Barnett at the safety spots. Still, considering that Doran Grant will be a new face at the other corner spot, the nickel is unsettled and how much the secondary struggled to tackle and cover last year, there is still reason for concern.

And then there is the fingernail-chomp-inducing situation up front, where all four starters have departed. On paper, that’s not a glaring problem considering sophomores Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington headlined OSU’s highly rated recruiting class last year.

Tommy Schutt, a healthy Michael Bennett, veteran Steve Miller and others also are in the equation, but there is plenty of uncertainty regarding the D-line.

“Those are talented guys, but I think the leadership was lost and now there’s a lot of high expectations for the young guys,” linebacker Camren Williams said.

So as the spring game unfolds today allowing the Buckeyes to stage a scrimmage at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati – Ohio Stadium is undergoing a few repairs – fans will want to watch the defense and become encouraged. Meyer is just hoping not to be discouraged.

Many sets of eyes will go to the back of the defense, where the secondary members will try to show they have some playmakers of their own. Co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers has put a premium on coming up with takeaways since he arrived about 16 months ago and the DBs have been meeting that challenge in many of the spring sessions.

Withers pointed out that the Buckeyes garnered 14 interceptions last season but dropped another 28 potential picks.

Bryant has been especially diligent in working on his hands and ball recognition. He’s putting in extra time with former Heisman Trophy quarterback Troy Smith, who has thrown him 50 to 100 aerials a day.

He also is trying to become a leader for a defense that is greatly missing the likes of John Simon and Johnathan Hankins.

“I’m just trying to fill the roles of people in the past,” he said. “Just looking at the seniors last year, it’s incredible what they did.”

Also trying to step up and fill a need is Corey “Pitt” Brown, who has had a breakout spring. Brown now figures into the mix at safety and can play some nickel as well.

“It’s definitely like a hybrid position because they have me in the box to tackle the running backs then you’ve got to go cover skill receivers and stuff like that,” he said. “It’s a lot, but it’s fun.”

Withers also likes the contributions of redhsirt freshman Tyvis Powell, who has a chance to claim a stake for a role in the defensive backfield with an eye-opening spring game.

As for the many battles up front, position coach Mike Vrabel knows he’s got a lot of clay to mold.

“We try to motivate them in a lot of different ways and provide some motivation every day, but I would think a starting job at Ohio State for what is supposed to be a Silver Bullet defense would be enough motivation,” he said.

Spence, who will take over Simon’s chores at the Leo, has been a standout throughout spring. Washington appears most likely to play at the other (strongside) end spot and Joel Hale may be in the lead at nose tackle.

Bennett, a former end who has overcome a nagging groin injury and is a solid 285 points, appears to be ready to play defensive tackle this season.

“I’ve seen him struggle a little bit with his injury but he’s come back very strong, so I think he’ll do really good,” Spence said of Bennett.

If he does, Bennett will take some of the sting out of the loss of Hankins, arguably the Big Ten’s best interior defensive lineman last season.

“Obviously everyone knows Hank was really good last year,” Bennett said. “I’ve watched film with him and tried to figure out what I can do to take tips from him and stuff like that. I don’t like to look at it as filling his shoes, because then you can start losing sight of what you need to do and maybe try to be someone you’re not. So I’ve got to be my own player but take tips from people who have succeeded at it.

“I can’t play the same kind of football that John could. I have to bring my own set of skills to the 3-technique. Every 3-technique has to have some element of power, but I’ve got some good quickness and I try to use that a lot to my advantage.”

While Bennett tries to strengthen the middle of the D-line, Curtis Grant has a similar challenge in the middle of the defense. With 14 practices in the books and only the spring game left, Grant has a firm grip on the MLB job.

“He’s the starting middle linebacker at Ohio State as of right now,” Meyer said this week.

Grant received very lofty national rankings from virtually every recruiting service as he finished up his prep career in Virginia in 2011. However, the 6-3, 240-pounder didn’t distinguish himself quite the way the coaches hoped he would the last two seasons.

In fact, grant struggled enough for Meyer to ask Zach Boren to cede his fullback duties and shift to the Mike position. Boren helped patch together the 2012 defense, leaving many fans to wonder if the train had passed by Grant and left him at the station.

“He wasn’t fully engaged (last season),” Meyer said. “He is a fully engaged guy right now.”

With Shazier likely to sit out the spring game to heal up some minor ailments, fans will be tracking the activity of Grant, No. 14.

The spring game will kick off at 1:10 p.m. Eastern today and be shown nationally on tape delay on Big Ten Network beginning at 7 p.m.

A Maddening, Comforting Ride

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:29:38 GMT

(Editor’s Note: This column from the student perspective was written by SportsRappUp.com contributor Mitchell Long, a senior at Ohio State and English major. A product of Celina, Ohio, Long also offers his opinions and insights on Twitter @m_long4.)

It seems like only a few months ago I was a college freshman. I remember hauling most of my things out of my parents’ house, loading them on a truck and systematically cramming them into a dorm like a small child trying to play Tetris for the first time.

It was that awkward transition in life when being a kid was out-of-style and finding a place in “the real world” was now mandatory. It was the birthplace of originality, an adaption to normalcy and a search for true identity.

Like so many students before me, I walked through collegiate purgatory looking for a place to call home.

Now, I can’t say that I wasn’t nervous, scared or even convoluted at the time. No boy can truly prepare himself for such a task. But while I faced a confluence of raw emotion and a changing personality, I found a genuine comfort at The Ohio State University: men’s basketball.

Whether I had a mind-numbing lecture, a stood-up date or even a bad gyro from Apollo’s (not possible, though), I knew I could depend on the basketball program for reassurance.

Truthfully, I think that we all unearth comfort zones in life. Whether it’s in music, sports, family, food or nostalgia, we lean on things that give us brief moments of refuge. Nevertheless, I leaned on Buckeye basketball during my own flashes of solitude – and that continues to this day.

But while three years have come and gone, and experiences have amassed, my senior year brought forth a Buckeye team filled with imbalance.

Now, I’m not saying we lacked talent or raw skill, but this regular season felt more like a top-thrill rollercoaster than a smooth ride to the finish.

The Buckeyes began their season ranked No. 4 in the nation (a bit generous), and started strong against paltry teams like Albany, Rhode Island, Washington and Missouri-Kansas City.

I felt pure bliss as they trampled over the undistinguished competition, confident in their pursuit toward Big Ten greatness – but things were about to change.

Riding the high of a four-game win streak, I can still remember the night the Buckeyes traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face then-No. 2 Duke. I sat uneasily in my chair at Buffalo Wild Wings, clutching a beer, as Ohio State handled the first half with great poise and execution; I was confident this would be a signature win.

What soon followed will go down in 2012 Buckeye infamy.

The Buckeyes proceeded to self-implode on national television after an agonizing second-half collapse. I sat and watched, my eyes filled with disgust, as the Cameron Crazies rejoiced over their 73-68 win.

But as any die-hard fan would do, I calmed down, ordered another beer and reminded myself that there were many more games to be played. Even so, the Buckeye Nation and myself were still left wondering how this team would fair against upcoming elite competition.

That question was answered just a month later when the Kansas Jayhawks came to Columbus. Here’s how that went down: Kansas came in, the bell rang, Kansas locked us in a sleeper-chokehold and tucked us away for the 10-count, 74-66.

And it didn’t get much better from there.

After two petty wins against unproven Chicago State and Nebraska, the Buckeyes traveled to Champaign, Ill., to face the mighty Illlini.

In a game that felt more like an ambush than a scheduled event, the 74-55 beatdown from then-No. 11 Illinois left me speechless – those concrete feelings of certainty and triumph were fractured; it was not how I pictured the season.

But even in my deepest moments of ambiguity, the Buckeyes held focus and continued on their voyage. They would go on to defeat a talented No. 2 Wolverine team, 56-53, and reestablish my faith in the season’s outcome.

Although they lost their next four games against ranked opponents, I saw a broken team finally coming together – and that’s exactly what happened.

After being written-off in February, the Buckeyes bounced back to win eight straight games, including matchups against Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin. Before I knew it, Ohio State found itself just one game behind the Hoosiers for a share of the Big Ten title.

I can tell you from experience, the environment on campus was nothing short of energetic hysteria. There’s just something so special about being in a place where everyone shares a common bond; and now, we all believed in it.

Sadly, I wish there were a better ending to a regular season filled with rollercoaster theatrics, but as we all know, Indiana won the outright Big Ten Championship with a dramatic win against Michigan.

Sure, there were upsets, there were second-half collapses, there were statement wins and there were agonizing defeats, but Ohio State was playing spectacular basketball at a time when it was needed most, and I couldn’t be more excited.

The Buckeyes would use this affirmed confidence to march into the B1G tournament and flip the script. Locked in a battle of wills, the Buckeyes found a way to beat Nebraska, Michigan State and Wisconsin to earn their fourth championship in the last seven appearances.

As the confetti streamed down to the United Center floor, I vividly remember high-fiving my girlfriend – who apparently couldn’t care less – and rejoicing in the fact it happened in my senior year.

Ohio State was headed into the Big Dance with 26 wins, a B1G championship, and a seventh-place rank in the final top-25 poll. I certainly had high expectation.

Now, I’ll be completely honest, and admit this next part is the red mark that spoils my senior year, so I’ll be brief. It was supposed to be the Buckeye’s easiest road to a Final Four, and potential championship run.

We beat Iona, Iowa State and Arizona, only to play the worst game I’ve ever witnessed in my entire college career. There. That’s literally all I want to say about it.

More context and description, you ask? Okay, how about pathetic, saddening, awkward, uncomfortable, ruined Easter. Better?

Although these feelings of deprivation and sadness eventually will pass, one thing remains constant: my loyalty to the program.

Maybe it’s a hereditary gene from my parents or maybe it’s the atmosphere of walking to the Schottenstein Center on a spring afternoon, but there is nothing more empowering than knowing you were a part of it all.

Sure, I would have liked a better turnout to my finale as a student, and it would have been surreal to win a share of the B1G title and an NCAA championship, but such is life. The Buckeyes had a great run in a very strong conference, and I can appreciate the ride.

Still, though, even as I sit here today, I do carry sadness – it’s bittersweet to know this season will be my last as a student; the doors of The Schott will close behind me.

But as I take the next step in life, well groomed and ready to conquer the world, the program also will carry on – and new students will embrace the same comfort I found.

Ideas Of Greatness

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:36:52 GMT

Even last year, when the Ohio State football team was blessed with a high-quality and experienced defensive line, newcomer Noah Spence was still a hot topic.

Certainly much of that had to do with Spence’s sterling recruiting marks – a five-star prospect on every conceivable list, a Parade All-American, a top-10 prospect overall nationally, the state player of the year in Pennsylvania, etc. – but it also correlated to the impressive raw talent the defensive end displayed in practices last year.

Offensive linemen, seeing first-hand how tough he was to block and keep blocked, raved about his potential. Classmate David Perkins, a promising linebacker, called him a “monster.”

Even head coach Urban Meyer and defensive line coach Mike Vrabel, who are less easily awed, admitted to reporters that Spence had wondrous ability and would have every chance to earn his way onto the field.

But, as is often the case with young players, Spence did a lot of adrenaline and little on firm grasp of the playbook as a freshman last season.

When asked recently if his output was based more on instinct in 2012, Spence laughed.

“Yeah, a lot more of it was,” he said.

“I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m trying. I know a lot more about the defense and college football itself. It’s a hard process, but I got a little stronger over the offseason and that helps a lot.”

A product of Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt, the same school that produced star running back Ricky Watters decades ago, Spence is aware of the high expectations circling around him and readily admits he has a long way to go to reach them.

In fact, it turns out he’s pretty hard on himself.

“I didn’t like what I did at all,” he said. “I did a couple little things, but I know I could try to be a better player. I need to play every down the same.”

To do so, Spence convinced himself that he needed to be sounder of mind and body.

Spence is now 6-3 and 247 pounds, which may not seem significant since he was listed at 240 last year. However, he actually played at right around 235 pounds and learned how difficult 300-pound Big Ten blockers can be to out-maneuver.

He says he’s about 15 pounds heavier and much stronger now. He’s also much more developed in terms of thinking through the intricacies of the position.

“It’s real important because I have to learn everything,” said Spence, who has repped with the defensive first team this spring. “It can’t be like last year when I partially knew what I was doing because I had older people in front of me. I don’t have the same amount of older guys in front of me, so I’ve got to learn everything just like they did.”

The Buckeyes played well up front just as Meyer and Vrabel, a former star end at Ohio State and longtime NFL standout, demanded. But the starting unit from last year’s 12-0 team has departed. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and end John Simon should go rather early in the NFL draft later this month. Nose tackle and 2012 co-captain Garrett Goebel also is moving on and former end Nathan Williams has overcome nagging injuries and hopes to play professionally as a linebacker.

The group ticketed to step in up front is not short on talent and includes veteran lineman Michael Bennett. Spence leads a bevy of young players who figure to see plenty of action in the defensive trenches.

“We’re all trying to (lead), but I think we’re leaning on Michael Bennett a little bit more as John Simon this year,” Spence said. “But he’s his own man, too. We’ve got a lot of guys who are really working on it right now, trying to help this D-line out.”

Spence is a leading candidate. He’s been a ferocious practice player and raised eyebrows on many occasions. Left tackle Jack Mewhort recently said he wouldn’t be surprised if Spence led the Big Ten in sacks this season.

The athletic end had more than 50 of them in his high school career, including 35.5 sacks – as well as 204 tackles – as a prep junior and senior.

Last year, Spence saw limited time early on and even filled in for an injured Simon late in the season. He logged 12 tackles and a sack and also showed the versatility to get out in the flat and pass cover.

The Leo position that Spence now occupies requires all sorts of versatility and aptitude, which is why Spence and his coaches are putting so much emphasis on his knowledge of the OSU schemes and situational approaches.

“I think when you learn the defense it gets you to play a lot more relaxed, which helps you play with speed and really show what you can do,” Spence said.

“I pretty much try to go hard on every play like it’s my last play. That’s probably the biggest thing I have going for me. I don’t always know what I’m doing – probably half the time I don’t know – but I’m going to give it 100 percent effort on every play.”

Vrabel agreed with that assessment.

“He’s got an innate ability to play really hard,” said the coach. “He’s got a great motor, and when he can learn how to play within our defense with that motor and his ability, he can be really good. But when he doesn’t feel like he knows where he’s going sometimes, he’s going to let the defense down just because he doesn’t know where he’s supposed to be.”

That’s why Spence shrugs his shoulders when reporters ask him to gauge his excitement of being a listed starter.

“I just feel like it’s a blessing; I don’t take it like it’s nothing bigger than that,” said Spence, who has eight siblings, all brothers. “I just want to go out and work hard every day and earn any playing time I get.

“Right now I’m just an effort guy. I’m not going to give up on any play. If I have to chase a guy down from the back I’m not going to give up. I’m going to fight guys when I’m one-on-one and even if I’m not.”

Bennett, though, says there is more to Spence than just effort – like freakish talent.

“Noah does stuff that a lot of people can’t do,” he said. “He’s like any other young player, he’s got stuff to work on, but there are times when you see him and you’re like, ‘Wow, that guy can do some stuff.’ He’s going to be a player.”

Spence is a fluid athlete who can run in space, track down ball carriers and even snuff out dump-off passes. He also has the strength and desire to have moments of dominance up front. Now it’s a matter of playing the majority of the game and putting all of his attributes together at the collegiate level.

“Every day he works and learns, and he learns something new every day,” Vrabel said. “There’s not a day that we come out to practice that Noah doesn’t get better, he doesn’t learn a new technique or doesn’t read another play. He was young and did it with effort last year, and hopefully he’s going to be more experienced, do it with effort, technique and fundamentals this year.”

Rapp Around: DT Says Bye-Bye

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:02:28 GMT

I watched Deshaun Thomas play a lot of basketball before he ever set foot on campus to begin what has been a very productive Ohio State career.

High school games, camps, showcases, AAU tournaments, the McDonald’s All-American Game – every time I observed Thomas I came away intrigued if not outwardly impressed with his unique skills and uncanny ability to score the basketball.

The kid had 2,254 points going into his senior season at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. He didn’t quite average the 34 points a game he needed to surpass Damon Bailey as the all-time leading scorer in the history of Indiana boys basketball, but he ended up third on that vaunted list with more than 3,000 points.

When Thomas signed a letter-of-intent with Ohio State in November 2009 he was considered a five-star recruit. ESPN.com gave a grade of 96 and rated him No. 12 nationally (second among all shooting forward prospects). Rivals (No. 18), Scout (No. 14), All Star report (No. 10) and Hoop Scoop (No. 8) also considered him a top-20 recruit.

My write-up of him at the time for Bucknuts Media included the following scouting report:

“The definition of a scoring machine, Thomas is long, left-handed and has an explosive first step that nearly makes him impossible to shut off from the basket. He slashes at will and also can shoot over the defense when it packs in on him. He could use a little more work on his off hand as well as some refinement with his intermediate pull-up game but he’s still a 30-point explosion waiting to happen.”

Thomas and top dog Jared Sullinger of Columbus Northland gave Thad Matta another truly elite class, and the group swelled to six with the addition of forward J.D. Weatherspoon of Columbus Northland, shooting guard Jordan Sibert of Cincinnati Princeton, combo guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. of Zion (Ill.) Zion-Benton, and point guard Aaron Craft of Findlay (Ohio) Liberty-Benton.

Today Ohio State made it official: Thomas, as expected, will leave a year of college eligibility on the table in pursuit of professional riches, which means the majority of that super six has departed.

Sibert and Weatherspoon transferred to in-state schools Dayton and Toledo, respectively, after their sophomore seasons and will be back in action in different uniforms next season. Sullinger, meanwhile, declared for the draft after last season and the Boston Celtics tabbed him in the first round.

Now Thomas has decided to follow Sullinger’s lead – just as he did in committing to Ohio State, doing so way back in June 2007.

So it’s not as if Thomas’ time connected to the OSU program was that short-lived. DT, as he is known by most, arrived with such a sterling ranking and reputation as a prolific scorer that Matta knew this day of an early exit might come.

The coach put on his best face in the statement released by Ohio State today, saying, “To see Deshaun grow into the man he has become has been amazing. His accomplishments on the floor speak for themselves but I am just as proud of him and what he has done off the floor. We recruited him offering the opportunity to grow as a person and player and that is exactly what happened. I know there is much more in-store for him in the future and I am proud to have been able to coach him.”

Clearly, Thomas has lived up to much of his promise.

He won a pair of state titles at Bishop Luers, was on a standout AAU team that also included former Kentucky guard Marquis Teague, who is a now a Chicago Bull, and won multiple Big Ten titles in three years at Ohio State. Last year, Thomas was the highest scoring player in the NCAA Tournament as the Buckeyes advanced to the Final Four.

This year, they came up a game short, losing to Wichita State in Los Angeles in the Elite Eight. If he’s played his last game as a Buckeye, his final college stat line would read thusly: a game-high 23 points, 8 of 20 from the field, 0 of 6 from three-point range, 7 of 9 at the free-throw line, five rebounds, three assists and five turnovers.

Many would look at those numbers and say, “Yep, typical Deshaun performance,” and in a sense, it was.

The 6-7 lefty played the vast majority of his 1,309 minutes this past season at power forward and became a matchup problem for just about everyone. He led the Big Ten in scoring and came up just short of the 20-point plateau at 19.8 points per game. His field-goal percentage of 44.5 wasn’t ideal but also wasn’t bad for a volume shooter.

Interestingly, he took way more three-point attempts than anyone else on the team with 209 and made a team-high 72, which equates to 34.4 percent. Smith (37.4 percent), LaQuinton Ross (38.9), Sam Thompson (40.4) and even seldom-used Amedeo Della Valle (38.5) all shot a much higher percentage from behind the arc.

Still, given how important Thomas was to the offense and how much attention he drew, his offensive shortcomings are understandable, as is the fact that he had just 48 assists in 37 games. His job was to shoot early in the shot clock, shot it late and shoot it in between. And he displayed the creativity and effectiveness to strike from all areas of the court – nifty reverses and power-ups down low, turnarounds on the baseline, fadeaways from the mid-post, bombs from every spot behind the arc.

What was disappointing about his junior season, in my view, was his average of 5.9 rebounds per game. Sure, that led the team and Thomas has a truly unusual knack for quick-grabbing offensive rebounds, especially his own misses. We saw him do that all the time – flip up a shot, grab the carom and go back up with it before defenders even had proper time to react.

But given this trait, Thomas should have snared more overall rebounds. He rarely lifted up above others for statement defensive rebounds and often left misses for Smith (4.8 rpg) and Craft (3.6 rpg) to chase down. He only logged five double-doubles in his OSU career including two this year and two in Big Ten play.

Perhaps, Thomas is well aware that his bread will be buttered by his scoring ability and he felt he had to put the majority of his energy into that aspect. But he still strikes me as someone who could have averaged seven or more rebounds per game this past season after averaging 15 a game in high school.

Admittedly, though, Thomas is not an explosive athlete, and therein lies the problem with his future. He doesn’t fit an NBA prototype for a combo forward or even a three-man. He gets off the ground as much as he has to at the collegiate level but is not springy legged. He runs like he has glass in his shoes.

And Thomas is not as unguardable as he appeared in high school and on the AAU circuit, when he seemed to get a step on his defenders with regularity. Mostly, of course, that’s because the fitness and competition level has risen. Also, Thomas is not as sinewy as he was a few years ago after beefing up to deal with absorbing contact in the Big Ten.

Please don’t misunderstand: I am not going out of my way to knock Thomas. I actually like the way he plays and have learned to appreciate the complexity of his talents. I don’t think it’s bad at all for an offensively challenged team to have a high-confidence, low-conscience leading scorer as long as he has some grasp of shot selection and team dynamics – and despite his reputation as a self-serving gun, Thomas did develop those qualities.

He just had an All-American season and the Buckeyes won 29 games and a Big Ten Tournament title. He leaves with 1,630 career points, which ranks ninth all-time at Ohio State.

But it’s also evident why NBA scouts are skeptical. They are looking for the next LeBron James, James Worthy or Kevin Durant to play wing forward – 6-8, 6-9 and 6-10 freaks who can run like gazelles, shoot with efficiency and throw down dunks over the league’s most feared shot-blocking centers.

Thomas is a dinker – not a dunker – a fader, a line-drive shooter, an up-and-under draw-the-foul guy. That doesn’t excite GMs.

I was on WTVN’s “Bucksline” show most Monday nights of the basketball season and found myself in many discussions with host Matt McCoy and analyst Tony White about the pluses and minuses of Deshaun Thomas.

I discovered Tony and I had the same reaction to a couple moments of the Wichita State contest.

“There were two plays in the game when he was trying to lead the fast break and the ball was turned over,” White said. “He looked completely uncomfortable with the ball in his hands. He has to spend the entire offseason remaking his game to the point where he is a mobile, left and right, with the dribble type of an offensive guy who can create his own shots and beat people one-on-one.”

Most NBA teams don’t draft someone with a high pick and then hope they can develop in that way. The label is already affixed.

In a recent column for CBSSports.com, Jeff Goodman said it’s time for Thomas to head to the NBA because – paraphrasing here – he’s not going to get any more athletic in a year.

That’s one way of looking at it. Considering it’s a weak-looking draft comparatively and Thomas is right in the 30-40 range on most boards, he could even sneak into the first round.

No doubt, that’s what prospective agents and friends are telling him right now. My guess, though, is that Matta and assistant coach Chris Jent, who is well-connected to the NBA, conveyed a more realistic view when they sat down with Thomas earlier this week.

Matta said it’s important to get all the facts and information out there to his star player, which could have been read, “Hey, go ahead and go if you don’t mind playing in Europe.”

That basically was White’s take on the situation.

“If he goes pro he is not going to be drafted in the first round; it’s not going to happen,” White said on “Bucksline.” At 6-6 or 6-7, you have to be a face-up, beat your man, handle the ball in transition, spread it around, shoot the three off the dribble type of a guy and that’s not who he is. He’s a second-round pick at best. If he goes pro, he’s going to end up overseas.”

Of course, Thomas appears to be a guy willing to take that risk. He didn’t exactly grow up in luxury in Fort Wayne and he and his girlfriend have a son, Deshaun Jr., who just turned 1.

“He can make a decent amount of money (overseas) and he’s got a family, I understand that,” White said. “But you hope the kid is focusing on the long-term factors.”

Getting your degree is a long-term factor. Returning for another run at the Final Four is another one. So is walking the earth being hailed as the greatest scorer in the history of Ohio State basketball – something Thomas no doubt would cherish.

Cash grab is a short-term factor, but one 18 underclassmen already have made at this writing with many, many more to follow.

Moments after the season ended, Thomas didn’t divulge which way he was leaning on his impending decision while talking to reporters in the locker room of the Staples Center, but he might have slipped when he said it would be a “sad decision.”

Ohio State fans, of course, wanted him to stay for his senior season. That would have allowed the Buckeyes to return all five of their starters and everyone in Matta’s 2012-13 rotation with the exception of center Evan Ravenel, a fifth-year senior. OSU also adds some wing help next season in the form of 6-2 shooting guard Kameron Williams and 6-7 forward Marc Loving.

The outlook, as is usually the case in Columbus, would have been very, very bright. Thomas, who was just named to the 10-man Wooden All-American team, would have been a consensus preseason All-American on a path to assault the school record book.

But the verdict to go could lead to headaches on both sides of the aisle.

According to NBADraft.net, one of the best sites of its kind, Thomas has increased his stock from the postseason but still is considered an early second-round pick at this point.

In fact, in the site’s latest mock, Thomas is listed as the first pick of the second round, No. 31 overall. Interestingly, the Cleveland Cavaliers own picks 32 and 33.

Analyst Aran Smith considers Thomas to be the No. 42 prospect of those who are likely to be eligible for the draft. NBADraft.net’s latest assessment lists Thomas as the No. 9 shooting forward on the board – right in the area where he is more likely to plummet than inch into the first round.

Former Buckeye Michael Redd, a 6-6 lefty and not a skywalker, was supposed to go somewhere in the first round of the 2000 draft but fell to No. 43. The shooting guards taken ahead of him included washouts DerMarr Johnson, Keyon Dooling, Courtney Alexander, Desmond Mason, Quentin Richardson, Morris Peterson and Lavor Postell.

Why? One word: athleticism. One other word: upside.

Redd’s story, of course, has a happy ending. He worked on his shot like nobody I’ve ever seen before, became a star with the Milwaukee Bucks and even won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team. But he also had a lost year rotting on an NBA bench and missed out on a chance to be the leading scorer in the history of the OSU program.

Plus, Thomas is not about to completely revamp his shooting form. He displays surprisingly good touch for a low-arc shooter. At this point, his game is what it is.

Thomas, who will turn 22 on Aug. 28, is consistently listed at 6-7 and 225 pounds. He measured 6-7 (in shoes) and 221 pounds with a 6-9 wingspan at the 2012 Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy, a prominent Nike developmental camp for post players.

His decision came at a time when many underclassmen were yet to make their announcements. For example, the Michigan trio of Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III has some business to attend to in Atlanta this weekend and it’s doubtful we’ll receive official word from any of them until the middle of next week. It’s likely all of them will bolt and even possible (but not likely) that UM big man Mitch McGary could join them.

Indiana center Cody Zeller and forward Victor Oladipo also are expected to enter the draft and it’s at least 50-50 that Michigan State forward Adreian Payne will do the same.

The Big Ten already is losing several seniors who project to go somewhere in the second round of the draft including Minnesota forwards Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams as well as Illinois guard Brandon Paul, a personal favorite.

If Thomas does indeed get picked somewhere in the middle of the draft, he’s a long shot to have a lasting NBA career, if at all. Teams at the bottom of the first round are looking for polished role players. Teams at the top of the second are seeking immediate help.

It would take an NBA GM or coach to fall in love with Thomas’ strange effectiveness for him to get the sample size he needs to show he can play at the top level – and even that rare opportunity would come with no guarantees.

Maybe he would have been best served to stay around the people who already love him – family, friends, his college coaches and championship-starved Buckeye fans.

But even though Thomas has until April 16 to change his mind and withdraw his name from early entry, that’s not the way it’s going to play out.

I enjoyed covering Deshaun and wish him nothing but the best. I applaud his career and the maturity that he has nurtured during it. And I hope he gets the chance, the real chance, he needs to show what he can do.

But, as I often feel when these kinds of decisions are made, most of all I hope he has some semblance of an idea of what he’s now up against.

It’s a tough businessworld out there.

But you stay cool, DT. Stay cool.

Humility, Grace, Redemption

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:47:20 GMT

(Editor’s Note: This former player feature was written by SportsRappUp.com contributor Mitchell Long, a senior at Ohio State and English major. A product of Celina, Ohio, Long also offers his opinions and insights on Twitter @m_long4.)

What if I told you that some of life’s greatest achievements are the ones we overcome internally? That shared success isn’t a true measure of blood, sweat and tears, and that happenstance is just a word people say.

For some athletes, life after sports is a callous beginning; it’s an adaptation to normalcy and a search for true identity – and for one former Buckeye, this struggle can never be truer.

Brandon Fuss-Cheatham experienced athletics’ greatest heights and lowest depths. From starting Ohio State point guard to off-court tragedies, this is the story of his evolution.

From his inception, Fuss-Cheatham was born to do one thing: be a high-caliber point guard.

Nurtured by his father to do just that, he began his journey at Blackhawk High School in Beaver Falls, Pa. It was here that Fuss-Cheatham wore the Cougar coat-of-arms and distinguished himself as a player.

Coveted for his exceptional court vision, smart playmaking ability and strong leadership, Fuss-Cheatham was hailed by many as Western Pennsylvania’s finest player in decades.

He would go on to average 27.1 points per game in his senior year, despite attempting only 18 shots a contest, and ranked among the top 10 point guards in the nation. Naturally, this awe-inspiring senior season led to his selection as the Post-Gazette Male High School Athlete of the Year.

For an athlete so promising, this came as no surprise – it was an expectation. Fuss-Cheatham, his father, and their community demanded no less. But his narrative didn’t end there; in fact, it had just begun.

In 2000, Fuss-Cheatham was highly recruited and sought-after by Pittsburgh, North Carolina State, Memphis and other elite programs. Ben Howland, then in charge of the program at Pitt, was under pressure to lure the talented point guard prospect. John Calipari wanted Fuss-Cheatham to be a building block at Memphis, where he had just landed the job.

Plus, Sean Miller, at the time a top assistant at N.C. State, figured to have an in. Fuss-Cheatham played for Sean’s father, John Miller, at Blackhawk, the same school where Sean came into prominence as a prep player.

Then-Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien wasn’t expected to out-maneuver the field but caught Fuss-Cheatham’s attention.

“I was just trying to find a college that best fit my skill set,” Fuss-Cheatham, told SportsRappUp.com. “A lot of it had to do with the point guards coach Jim O’ Brien had in his program prior to me. I had a big following in Pittsburgh – I had a lot of people behind me, but I wanted something new.”

So Fuss-Cheatham traded his Pennsylvania roots to suit up in Buckeye scarlet and gray. He was headed to Columbus to play under the bright lights of the Schottenstein Center – he had made it; he was designed to be the next college phenom.

But as with any tragic hero, the ambiance was about to change, and no writer could script what lay ahead. Sure, he had reached a monumental goal in his basketball career, but an identity based on possibility is social at best.

Fuss-Cheatham’s freshman season of 2001-02 was lackluster. It was not a surprise that he was relegated to the bench considering O’Brien’s backcourt was loaded with Brian Brown, Brent Darby, Boban Savovic and Sean Connolly. Still, Fuss (pronounced FOOS), as his teammates called him, barely took – or made – any shots as a frosh.

He ably handled his role as a part-time ball handler but was 10 of 46 (21.7 percent) from the floor including 1 of 9 from three-point range. He logged just 1.2 points and 1.1 assists per game.

The following year, Fuss-Cheatham suffered a hyperextended left knee in the first half of a preseason contest with the Harlem Globetrotters. His MRI indicated a partially torn lateral meniscus – he was projected to miss 3-5 weeks.

“I was confident that I could return, but it wasn’t the same,” Fuss-Cheatham said. “I sat for several weeks and wondered if my knee would ever fully recover.”

And it was true, Fuss-Cheatham’s injury didn’t heal as expected, and he would never be the player he once was. That NBA destiny was starting to cool off.

“That same quickness, that ability to jump, it was gone … and it wears on you,” he admitted. “Three months go by, six months go by, and little by little, the dream kind of wears off.”

After winning 24 games, cutting down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament and advancing to the NCAA tourney in March 2002, the Buckeyes slumped to just 17-15 the next season with several players departed and Fuss-Cheatham unable to take on a heavy role. He averaged 1.6 ppg and 1.5 apg, but showed a nose for the ball with 2.5 rebounds per game. He was just 12 of 53 (22.6 percent) from the field.

Fuss-Cheatham began to come around as a junior with averages of 5.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, and 2.4 apg, but his season was even less pleasant. The Buckeyes suffered through a 14-16 campaign and O’Brien was fired soon afterward when it was discovered that the athletic department had to self-report several NCAA violations.

Enter Thad Matta – and initial heartache.

Coping With A Nightmare

The day started like any other. The Buckeyes were gearing up for a scrimmage against Bowling Green State University in early November 2004, and Fuss-Cheatham was looking forward to a clean slate.

But it was on this day that his life would change forever.

During the scrimmage, he received word that his 44-year-old mother, Chris Fuss-Cheatham, had died from fatal injuries sustained in a two-car accident. Also, his father, 50-year-old Jeffrey Cheatham, was seriously injured.

While he could never imagine such a traumatic event, Brandon sought solace and comfort in the only normalcy he knew: basketball.

Ohio State officials considered canceling the team’s upcoming exhibition game as the team dealt with the shock.

Matta, who had just identified Fuss-Cheatham as one of the team leaders for the 2004-05 season, spoke to a gathering of alumni and reporters at an informal meet-the-team event, explained the absence of his point guard, and wept.

“As a coach, you don’t get the opportunity to practice for what we had to deal with and what we’re going to be dealing with,” Matta said with tears running out of his eyes. “When you see a player as we saw Brandon and his cousin, Ashley, last night, it really puts a lot of things in perspective. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Brandon, his family and his dad.”

Brandon, of course, was dealing with his own agony.

“The tragedy of the loss of my mom played a lot on my mind; it really hit me,” he said. “And I looked to basketball for comfort. My team was like my home now.”

Despite the pain he felt daily, Fuss-Cheatham discussed the loss of his mom with reporters and played his guts out for the Buckeyes.

The 6-1 lefty won back many of his critics while playing in all 32 games, averaging 5.1 ppg, leading the team in assists, and canning a career-high 22 three-pointers.

The Buckeyes, in rebuilding mode and already banned from postseason play because of NCAA sanctions, were threatening to win 20 games and prove they just might have been good enough to make the NCAA Tournament.

The senior sendoff for Fuss-Cheatham, guard Tony Stockman and center Matt Marinchick – three players Matta acknowledges to this day for helping kick-start the program’s return to elite status – happened to come against 29-0 and No. 1 Illinois.

A Sports Illustrated reporter interviewed Fuss-Cheatham the Friday before that Sunday matinee. The table was set for a glorious upset chance. The Buckeyes couldn’t go to the Big Dance but had a chance to capture the attention of the nation by facing down the mighty Illini.

Ohio State 65, Illinois 64.

“No one could script that Illinois game any better,” Fuss-Cheatham proudly recalled. “Going out on Senior Night, one of your best friends (Matt Sylvester) hitting the shot, you having the assist, the crowd storming the court.”

Basketball perfection.

A New Course

His senior year was over; no million-dollar contract would be signed.

“Of course, I wish I could have done better,” Fuss-Cheatham said. “There were just setbacks that I couldn’t change, and I’m not the type of guy who really looks back in regret.”

No, Fuss-Cheatham would never return to the basketball court in the same role, and his hopes at a professional sports career had passed. But as with any misfortune in life, it’s how you choose to adapt that will ultimately define you.

“When a lot of the athletes finish their career, or anyone of that stature, it’s hard to take an opportunity that might not be seen, or even what people expect,” Fuss-Cheatham said. “My first love was playing basketball. When that left me, I had to find another path.”

Fuss-Cheatham thought the natural step was into coaching. It would allow him to stay close to the game he loved and maybe pass along some of the knowledge he had attained in a career and young adult life that were anything but easy.

However, after months of being around Matta and his staff, long days in sweaty gyms, countless hours reviewing tape and breaking down film, Fuss-Cheatham came to realize coaching wasn’t his true professional passion.

“You can’t let your pride get in the way of opportunity,” he said. “Now, you might be working at a desk job or as fry cook, and it’s almost like you’ve got to drop your ego and start over.”

This was to be a defining moment in Fuss-Cheatham’s life. It was through this moment of clarity that he began to shape a new dream, and one that he never thought imaginable. Although thoughts of playing basketball still coursed through his veins, he decided to start a new business: Lamp Apparel.

Using simplicity, comfortable fabrics and his own creative wit as the cornerstones of the business, Fuss-Cheatham, along with his college roommate, Scott Kaiser, founded the trendy apparel company.

It was a fresh start in Fuss-Cheatham’s life. For once, it didn’t revolve around basketball, it didn’t require making a jump shot, and “winning” took on a whole new meaning.

This meant redemption, it meant not having to follow the route of others, it meant breaking out of the cliché role that ex-athletes are so easily placed in, and more importantly, it meant Fuss-Cheatham could move on.

“I was inspired to do something different, to not wait around for something to happen,” Fuss-Cheatham said. “Lamp Apparel was my opportunity to make something of myself – to be a ‘normal’ person, in a way.”

But his newfound success didn’t stop there; his evolution continues.

Fuss-Cheatham has since returned to the world of basketball, but it’s not what you’re thinking – he’s no longer playing or coaching. For the past three years, he’s joined InfoMotion Sports Technologies in introducing and marketing a whole new breed of 94Fifty basketballs.

InfoMotion has created and applied a microchip sensor inside their “smart” basketballs that is programmed to recognize and measure things we can’t see with the human eye.

With this microscopic addition, users can quickly improve shooting, ball-handling skills, timing, and speed with instant results and personal feedback on their smart phone, tablet or laptop. It’s a breakthrough technology that is sure to revolutionize the game, and pioneer a new era.

“For me, it’s no longer about beating Michigan,” Fuss-Cheatham said. “It’s about closing a new deal or meeting deadlines for clients.”

Still, while he’s off to transform the game, he won’t soon forget the transformation he’s been through as a person. Fuss-Cheatham lives a life that could never be scripted, and one that we won’t soon forget.

But as with any obstacle in life, whether it is success, tragedy, crisis or normalcy, there is always time to change the path you’re on.

Because as Fuss-Cheatham will tell you, “Nothing is concrete, and happenstance is just a word people say.”

If you would like to check out Fuss-Cheatham’s innovative apparel company, click here: http://www.lampapparel.com/

For more information on InfoMotion Sports Technology’s new breed of 94Fifty basketballs, click here: http://kck.st/13EcYHm