Lately, we have been hearing a lot of talk about how Ohio State "plays a boring brand of basketball" and "can't score." We really do not understand this sentiment. First of all, Ohio State has played in arguably two of the most entertaining games in the entire NCAA tournament. Those of course being the St. Patrick’s day escape against Xavier, and last Thursday’s epic comeback against Tennessee. But more than that, they score better than most people give them credit for, and here is the proof:
Bada-Bing! Sorry, we couldn't resist. Here is the real proof - Among the Final Four teams:
Complete Season (regular season & tournament)
Florida - 79.3 ppg
Ohio State - 74.7 ppg
UCLA - 71.5 ppg
G'Town - 69.3 ppg
Within the Tournament
Florida - 84 ppg
Ohio State - 83.25 ppg
G'Town - 76 ppg
UCLA - 64 ppg
So there you have it. Fewer than five points per game separates OSU from the mighty Florida Gators during the season. And in the tournament, less than a point.
(And incidentally, Florida scored 112 points in their first round match-up against Jackson State, so their four game NCAA tournament average is a bit misleading)
So if you want, you can say that you don't think that the Buckeyes are that good. You can say that they are "lucky" to be in the Final Four. Hell, you can say that you think that Georgetown is going to beat them by 30 on Saturday if you feel like it. But don't say that their games are boring, or that they cannot score. Because the facts don't back that up.
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