A look at Ohio State versus Georgetown
Sun, Mar 25, 2007
By Associated Press
Ohio State vs. Georgetown
GETTING THERE
Top-seeded Ohio State dodged two upsets on the way to the South Regional title and its first Final Four since 1999. The Buckeyes trailed Xavier by 11 points in the second half of their second-round matchup before Ron Lewis hit a 3 at the regulation buzzer and Michael Conley Jr. took over in overtime. In the regional semifinal against Tennessee, Ohio State overcame a 17-point halftime deficit.
The second-seeded Hoyas didn't appear to have a chance at advancing to the Final Four, trailing North Carolina by 11 points with 12 minutes to play, but they rallied to tie and then dominated the overtime. Georgetown was last in a Final Four in 1985, which was the last of three in a four-year span. Like those Hoyas, this one has a big man in the middle and a Thompson on the bench.
THE ROAD
Ohio State beat No. 16 Central Connecticut State 78-57; No. 9 Xavier 78-71, OT; No. 5 Tennessee 85-84; No. 2 Memphis 92-76.
Georgetown beat No. 15 Belmont 80-55; No. 7 Boston College 62-55; No. 6 Vanderbilt 66-65; No. 1 North Carolina 96-84, OT.
THE COACHES
Thad Matta is in his third season at Ohio State and led the Buckeyes to their first No. 1 ranking since 1962. His previous deepest run in the NCAA tournament was in 2004 when Xavier lost to Duke in the regional final.
John Thompson III becomes the first son to follow his father to a Final Four. This is Thompson's third season at the school his father led to three Final Fours, including the 1984 national championship.
OFFENSE
The Buckeyes average 74.2 points per game and the top six players in the rotation average between 15.4 and 6.0 points. Freshman Greg Oden is the high scorer and his strength around the basket is obvious as he shoots 61 percent from the field. The perimeter game is solid with four players accounting for most of the 3-point attempts although Lewis takes - and seems to make - the ones at crunch time. The Buckeyes had just eight turnovers in each of the last two games.
The Hoyas aren't a high-powered offense, but they are efficient. They shoot just over 50 percent from the field led by 7-foot-2 Roy Hibbert at 67 percent and forward Jeff Green at 51 percent. Jonathan Wallace hit 68 3-pointers and shot almost 50 percent from beyond the arc.
DEFENSE
The defense is much better when the 7-foot Oden is in the game and not saddled with foul trouble. He has 100 of the team's 211 blocked shots and his intimidating presence makes opponents hurry when they're near the basket. The perimeter defense is solid, but opponents did average seven 3s against the Buckeyes this season.
The Hoyas were fourth in the nation on defense, allowing 56.8 points per game and they not only don't let you score, they are intimidating if you even try. Opponents shot a paltry 38 percent from the field. Hibbert had 89 of the Hoyas' 186 blocks and Green rejected another 43. The guards are quick, but they get even more brazen with the big men behind them to cover any mistakes.
REBOUNDING
Oden leads the way averaging 9.6 rebounds per game and Othella Hunter, his backup, is solid at 4.6 per game. The Buckeyes outrebounded opponents by just over three per game, not an overly impressive number and they were outrebounded in their last two tournament games.
As expected, Hibbert (6.8) and Green (6.1) led the rebounding, which saw the Hoyas grab just over six more per game than their opponents. More than half of Hibbert's rebounds came on the offensive end.
FREE THROWS
Jamar Butler shoots 84 percent from the line and Lewis hits 76 percent. Oden, who shot free throws left-handed for most of the season until switching back to his natural right hand, is a concern at 64 percent. The Buckeyes were 35-for-41 in the regional final against Memphis, making 18 straight at one stretch.
The Hoyas shoot 72 percent at the line, led by Wallace's impressive 87 percent. The front line all have more than solid numbers with Green at 79 percent, freshman DaJuan Summers 76 percent and Hibbert 70.
INTANGIBLES
The Buckeyes' 21-game winning streak is the longest in the country and they haven't lost since falling to Wisconsin on Jan. 9, a game they had a chance to tie at the buzzer. Keeping track of Oden's fouls has become a huge concern in the tournament. He fouled out at the end of regulation against Xavier and then played just 18 and 24 minutes against Tennessee and Memphis.
The Hoyas are a power team inside that runs a Princeton-like offense that comes up with a number of backdoor cuts every game. That makes them tough to prepare for and their ability to rally in games, something they did in both the regional semifinal and final, adds another touch to a team that started and finished the season ranked in the top 10 after falling out of the poll for nine weeks.