Bo Knows Homecourt advantage

In the 1990's we learned theres very little that Bo Jackson doesn't know how to do. In the new millenium, its Bo Ryan who simply knows how to win at home. With a 72-69 win over rival Ohio State, the Badgers improved to 40-2 at home against conference foes under Bo Ryan. That record should only get better as Ryan features a deep team poised to play in early April. The final score is not indicative of how this game went, but the Buckeyes had a chance to force overtime. Shoddy late game free throw shooting by the Badgers opened the door for the Buckeyes, but a three point attempt by Jamar Butler clanked off the rim as time expired. Led by an outstanding performance by point guard Kammron Taylor, the Badgers were in command for most of the game. Senior playmaker Alando Tucker struggled from the floor making only 8 of 18 shots, but came up with plays down the stretch including his highlight reel fumbled jumper over Greg Oden. The Badgers also got strong efforts from defensive ace Michael Flowers and improving sophomore Marcus Landry. They have a tremendous scoring duo in Taylor and Tucker, a stiffling defense that creates a lot of turnovers, and a deep enough bench to play with anyone in the country. Even with a poor showing by vastly improving big man Brian Butch, the Badgers had enough to hold off a very strong Buckeyes team. However, as Oden heals and the young guys mature, the story could be different when they meet in Columbus.

With Oden limited by his hurt wrist, Ohio State continues to settle for a lot of threes. In their defense, they nailed a dozen of them last night. Big men Greg Oden and Othello Hunter were saddled early with foul trouble and forced Ohio State in to a more perimeter oriented offense. With Ivan Harris, Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler, and Mike Conley Jr. this team can beat you from the outside, but need more post production to make a run in the tournament. Oden has struggled when teams were able to throw a lot of big bodies at him (UNC, Florida, Wisconsin). Until he feels comfortable health wise, these problems could continue. Freshman swingman Daequan Cook struggled mightily last night, converting only one of eight shots from the field. None of the "Thad Five" had a particularly strong game, which is encouraging for Buckeyes fans for the rest of the Big 10 schedule. Losing at the Cole Center seems to be the norm in the Big 10, so things should only get better for the Buckeyes. With a loss in the football national championship and last night's basketball defeat, things can't get much worse.



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