2011-2012 Preview: Talking Ohio State Basketball With Joe Dexter

In preparation for the start of the 2011-2012 regular season on November 7, we’re running a series here on Busting Brackets where we talk with other writers about their team or conference. You can check out all of the pieces in our preview series by clicking here. Our series continues with an in-depth chat with Joe Dexter of The Buckeye Battlecry, who discusses how Jared Sullinger and Ohio State can win it all this year.

Be sure to check out Joe’s work at TheBuckeyeBattlecry.com and follow him on Twitter @joedexter. (Editor’s Note: I’d also like to announce that Joe will be joining us once again this season as a contributor here on Busting Brackets. So stay tuned!)

BustingBrackets.com: Plain and simple….. will Thad Matta’s team be better than they were a year ago?

Joe: It’s hard to replace the experience that was lost from a year ago, and it’s hard to believe that a three loss team can get better, but this squad has the absolute talent to be a more all-around team than last year. When it comes to records, It will be hard to match what the Buckeyes did last season. In fact, I don’t think this squad will even come close to it. When you look at the athleticism that is entering the program and the talent that remains from last year, It’s hard not to picture a better functioning machine. When you add in the fact that Deshaun Thomas, Aaron Craft, and Jared Sullinger all come back for their sophomore campaign with experience under their belt, combined with talent that can fill the voids of Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale and David Lighty, It’s obvious this team is a top contender in the country.

The only questions are how do you account for losing the best three point shooter in Big Ten history and arguably the game of basketball in Jon Diebler. The Buckeyes also have to figure out how to attack on the defensive side of the floor without the best on the ball defender in the country last season in David Lighty. Lighty was the sole leader of this team, and was so imperative to the defensive success because of his range on the floor. Most believe those problems will be answered by a committee of underclassman that are hungry to win. Nearly all of Buckeye Nation believes that Thad Matta can make the adjustments needed to replace those attributes.

BB: Given the talent that returns, anything but a national championship would be a disappointment to most fans, right?

Joe: Absolutely. After last season’s letdown to Kentucky, Buckeye fans are itching for their team to get to that next level. Historically, teams don’t live up to the hype the year after a monstrous season, but this squad is different. Jared Sullinger is the biggest game changer in the nation. Not only is he a threat in the post, but he is the most proficient post player in the country. If you double team him, he’ll find a lane to pass the basketball through. If you leave him open, he’s not afraid to take the uncontested shot within his range. You combine that with William Buford, who will have a chance to come into his own on the wing offensively and players like Aaron Craft who are stingy on defense, and things start to add up to the average Buckeye fan. For the crazies out there, anything but a national championship would be a letdown.

For those of us that understand one bad game can end your season, a Final Four appearance would be a huge lift for this young and talented program.

BB: It’s pretty hard to find a weakness on this team. But if you had to pick an area of concern, would it be how young this team is? Or something else?

Joe: Honestly, I don’t see youth as a weakness, but more as a strength for this team. A lot of that has to do with the talent that is put together, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that Thad Matta has a lot of experience molding teams out of younger players. Last year’s starting lineup featured four guys that spent some good time in the system, but it also keyed in on three or four freshman that played a huge role in the team’s success. Guys like Evan Turner, Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Jared Sullinger aren’t a rarity for Matta, but their contribution is expected from day one. Take Aaron Craft for example. Nobody would of thought he would of brought so much to the table in his first year with the program, but now he is drawing comparisons to the Memphis Grizzlies point guard.

If there is a weakness for this team, It’s positional defense. Deshaun Thomas, who is slated to either start at small forward or power forward, struggled at times on the floor defensively in his first year as a Buckeye. He is slimmer, has more explosion off his first step, and has worked a lot this off-season to redeem that. Losing a David Lighty that could cover the hot shooter or most regarded play-maker will hurt this team in the beginning of the season. Aaron Craft can fill that role, but doesn’t nearly have the size to cover some 3s and most 4s. At the center position, either Evan Ravenel or Amir Williams will be called upon on defense. Williams is a shot blocking phenom out of High School, but the college game is a different animal. Ravenel has a 7’2″ wingspan but has yet to play up to expectation. He’ll get his first crack as a buckeye after transferring from Boston College. If this is the true weakness of this team though, it plays right into the strengths of Thad Matta and his coaching staff.

BB: Talk a little about Jared Sullinger and some of the things that he’s done this off-season to make himself even better…..which is kind of a scary thought given how excellent he was last season.

Joe: Sullinger has committed to do what ever it takes to get this team to the next level. After last year’s Kentucky game, it became apparent that he was a step behind hard nosed players when it came to offensive and defensive position. Much credit has to go to Josh Harrellson, who dominated Sullinger at times in that ballgame, both on the glass and at the hoop. Hardly anybody during the season was able to work around the freshman to get a offensive rebound, but Harrellson exploited that weakness. After the game, when he made it official that he was staying, Thad Matta and Sullinger talked about what could be done to make him and more importantly this team better. That’s when both decided that moving to the power forward position, while trimming the baby fat, would make Sullinger nearly unstoppable. Thirty pounds later, Ohio State’s big man is chiseled, quicker, and working towards perfecting his mid range game. He’s also focused on being a defensive presence and stamina. Like you mentioned, it’s hard to picture an even better Jared Sullinger, and for opponents it’s even scarier trying to figure out how to game-plan against him.

BB: Matta once again loaded up in recruiting and landed a great class. Which of these freshmen will make the biggest impact this season?

Joe: Amir Williams out of Detroit will probably get the most playing time at the center position, and might have the biggest defensive impact, but the player to watch on offense this season will be point guard Shannon Scott. Thad Matta has been recruiting hard the state of Georgia, where he hopes to land 2012 inside prospect Tony Parker and was fortunate enough to convince Scott to come play ball for the Buckeyes. What makes Scott so special is he has so many skills that could impact this year’s team. He is a natural point guard, so he can distribute the basketball well, has excellent floor vision on both sides of the ball, and has a beautiful shot from long range. Expect him to come off the bench and have a major impact right away as a spark player, very similar to Aaron Craft’s role last year.

BB: Everyone knows about the superstars on this team. But is there one player that is flying under the radar that is gonna be an unsung hero for the Buckeyes?

Joe: Jordan Sibert didn’t see much time last year at all, but he has the body size, speed, and shot to become the unsung hero off the bench for this team. What Thad Matta is looking for from his seventh man is more of a defensive role, and Sibert has the reach to be that man. He also has the grit to be a great on the ball defender, and has shown in short time that he can create turnovers and turn them into points. The sophomore was lost in the shuffle to start his OSU career, but this season could be his coming out party.

BB: As for the Big Ten race, it seems like most believe that Ohio State is a cut above the rest of the conference. Is there a team that you think could dethrone the Buckeyes as Big Ten champs?

Joe: That’s the thing about the Big Ten Conference this year. There are a lot of question marks for a lot of good teams. Can Michigan State rebound after a very disappointing season? Is Robbie Hummell enough offense to replace JuJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore? We know that Penn State isn’t going to be anywhere near as good as last season, and Minnesota has a lot of work to do before they become contenders. Though I don’t think they are at the same level as Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin are the two teams that can contend in the regular season. Jordan Taylor is a truly gifted point guard and John Beilein is one of the best coaches in the nation at rolling with the changes game in and game out, while using his players in the best roles. Though there are a handful of good teams in the conference, nobody matches up well with Ohio State.

BB: Alright, let’s wrap it up with this. I have Ohio State at #3 in my preseason Top 25. The Buckeyes should be ahead of North Carolina and Kentucky because…..

Joe: Actually, you can keep your rankings the way they are. When it comes down to it, Kentucky ended the Buckeyes season last year. North Carolina doesn’t necessarily deserve to be number one, but Buckeye fans wouldn’t mind if this team flew under the radar just a bit this season. The fact of the matter is only one top seeded (overall) team has won a national championship. Here’s to North Carolina running the table in 2011 up to March.

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