Guards Control Ohio State’s Future?
Yet on a night when (Jared) Sullinger had a good but not great game, the Buckeyes still managed to beat No. 8 Florida 81-74 at home Tuesday. That’s because one of Ohio State’s few questions — its perimeter play — showed it deserves a little more attention.
If the Gators figured to have one advantage coming into Value City Arena, it was the backcourt led by veterans Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker and talented freshman Bradley Beal. They left Columbus singing their counterparts’ praises.
“Their guards are just tremendous,” Boynton said of Ohio State.
For the second straight year, Florida was bedeviled by point guard Aaron Craft, a sixth man who played starter’s minutes last year. Craft dissected the Gators’ full-court pressure defense in Gainesville last season in just his second college game. Billy Donovan decided not to press him nearly as much this time around, but Craft found different ways to control the action.
Ask Walker. One of Florida’s top scorers, the senior suffered through a 1-for-6 shooting night with Craft guarding him. Craft had three steals and seemed like he had his hands in the middle of every play, diving for loose balls and causing deflections with nonstop hustle.
Loading ...
