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Aaron Craft
- Thread starter SchaafC
- Start date
http://www.foxsportsohio.com/11/16/...ing_ohiostate.html?blockID=605356&feedID=8889
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NBA scouts came to watch Jared Sullinger vs. Patric Young in the post.
Florida coach Billy Donovan ended up watching Aaron Craft dribble circles around his team. Again.
Ohio State's dynamic sophomore point guard makes the Buckeyes go, and Tuesday night he was at his relentless best in an early-season battle of top-10 teams. The No. 3 Buckeyes dominated the last 25 minutes en route to an 81-74 win that really wasn't that close, and almost everything they did in running past No. 8 Florida had Craft's fingerprints on it.
For the second straight year, Ohio State ended up running away from Florida. For the second straight year, Craft led the pack.
The game a year ago in Florida served as Craft's official welcome to the big stage. He was Sullinger's AAU teammate but not a heralded recruit, and his emergence as the guy who came off the bench to affect games with his quickness, hustle and vision surprised just about everyone except Sullinger and Craft.
Tuesday night, Craft had 13 points, seven assists, three steals and a block. He was one of four Buckeyes in double figures in the scoring department, and Donovan saw him as the guy who ensured the Gators again failed their biggest early-season test.
"Craft as a freshman, at our place a year ago, was spectacular beating the press," Donovan said. "But I thought he dominated this game tonight from start to finish.
"He physically beat up our guards and manhandled our guards. I am not saying that he was fouling; everything was in the confines of the game. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him. I don’t think he gets the respect he deserves around the country.â€
While Sullinger and William Buford deservedly get the star treatment at Ohio State, Craft is the producer and director. He keeps the Buckeyes a move ahead in the chess game and also isn't afraid to play pinball — human pinball — when necessary.
Craft, who is probably generously listed at 6-foot-2, drove past — and then scored over — Florida's 6-foot-10 Erik Murphy early in the game. In the final five minutes he drew two fouls on Scottie Wilbekin, a Florida guard who tried but simply couldn't keep up.
Florida's primary ball handlers, Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, each were charged with three turnovers. Without diving into the accuracy of that, just know they'll sleep well tonight.
"You get what you get from Aaron — 100 percent effort at all times," Sullinger said. "He never gets tired.â€
"Craft is as good as anybody out there," Donovan said.
A long time ago, Craft was verbally committed to Tennessee, Florida's SEC rival. That means both Ohio State coach Thad Matta and Donovan are glad that didn't work out.
A year ago, Craft was voted the Big Ten's top sixth man, led the league in steals and led the Buckeyes in assists. There was even more star power on the Ohio State roster then, and Matta has admitted he had no idea which of his new and young players were really ready for the kind of test a physical — and physically impressive — Florida team would present.
He wouldn't say it, but he knew he had zero worries with respect to Craft.
“I thought (Craft) was terrific tonight," Matta said. "We told him going in if they were going to force his hand with the pressure he was going to have to avert the mission and make plays. I thought he did a very good job at that, he kept the ball and made great reads to find his teammates.â€
Craft made an errant pass midway through the first half, one that led to a Florida dunk as part of a Gator run that saw the Gators lead by as many as eight. He made up for it later to the point that at one point he took a ball Young was trying to save under the Gators' basket and went the other way, turning it into an alley-oop to a guy he wasn't even throwing it to.
"I thought Lenzelle (Smith) was coming," Craft said. "It turned out Evan (Ravenel) got it for a layup. I guess it worked out."
It was the 10th time in Craft's 39-game career that he scored in double figures. He also had at least seven assists for the 10th time and a three-steal night for the 14th time. He rested only after picking up his second foul late in the first half.
Freshman Shannon Scott, a McDonald's All-American last season, played just 2 minutes 59 seconds while Matta kept Craft on the bench to avoid his third foul. The backup point guard job at Ohio State is a lonely position.
Matta loved that three sophomores and his lone senior, Buford, were the four players in double figures and the guys who led the way Tuesday. There is such thing as a quiet 16-point night for players as gifted as Sullinger, and he had one. Buford got going as the game went on and got 12 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. DeShaun Thomas, who's still finding his way, had 15 points and joined Sullinger and Buford in having six rebounds.
"I don't think I can put a price tag on it," Matta said. "When you have guys who have been in that type of situation and environment, it's different."
Ohio State turned the ball over just seven times and forced Florida into 16 turnovers, five fewer than they did a year ago. But Craft had a hand in forcing most of them, and he forced the Gators to use a lot of energy chasing him the other way. They rarely caught up.
"We knew Florida wanted to play fast, get us out of our game," Craft said. "After the first 10 minutes we really controlled the tempo."
When Craft says "we," he means he controlled the tempo. And if he can keep going at this rate, he's going to make the Buckeyes — again — very tough to beat.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NBA scouts came to watch Jared Sullinger vs. Patric Young in the post.
Florida coach Billy Donovan ended up watching Aaron Craft dribble circles around his team. Again.
Ohio State's dynamic sophomore point guard makes the Buckeyes go, and Tuesday night he was at his relentless best in an early-season battle of top-10 teams. The No. 3 Buckeyes dominated the last 25 minutes en route to an 81-74 win that really wasn't that close, and almost everything they did in running past No. 8 Florida had Craft's fingerprints on it.
For the second straight year, Ohio State ended up running away from Florida. For the second straight year, Craft led the pack.
The game a year ago in Florida served as Craft's official welcome to the big stage. He was Sullinger's AAU teammate but not a heralded recruit, and his emergence as the guy who came off the bench to affect games with his quickness, hustle and vision surprised just about everyone except Sullinger and Craft.
Tuesday night, Craft had 13 points, seven assists, three steals and a block. He was one of four Buckeyes in double figures in the scoring department, and Donovan saw him as the guy who ensured the Gators again failed their biggest early-season test.
"Craft as a freshman, at our place a year ago, was spectacular beating the press," Donovan said. "But I thought he dominated this game tonight from start to finish.
"He physically beat up our guards and manhandled our guards. I am not saying that he was fouling; everything was in the confines of the game. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him. I don’t think he gets the respect he deserves around the country.â€
While Sullinger and William Buford deservedly get the star treatment at Ohio State, Craft is the producer and director. He keeps the Buckeyes a move ahead in the chess game and also isn't afraid to play pinball — human pinball — when necessary.
Craft, who is probably generously listed at 6-foot-2, drove past — and then scored over — Florida's 6-foot-10 Erik Murphy early in the game. In the final five minutes he drew two fouls on Scottie Wilbekin, a Florida guard who tried but simply couldn't keep up.
Florida's primary ball handlers, Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, each were charged with three turnovers. Without diving into the accuracy of that, just know they'll sleep well tonight.
"You get what you get from Aaron — 100 percent effort at all times," Sullinger said. "He never gets tired.â€
"Craft is as good as anybody out there," Donovan said.
A long time ago, Craft was verbally committed to Tennessee, Florida's SEC rival. That means both Ohio State coach Thad Matta and Donovan are glad that didn't work out.
A year ago, Craft was voted the Big Ten's top sixth man, led the league in steals and led the Buckeyes in assists. There was even more star power on the Ohio State roster then, and Matta has admitted he had no idea which of his new and young players were really ready for the kind of test a physical — and physically impressive — Florida team would present.
He wouldn't say it, but he knew he had zero worries with respect to Craft.
“I thought (Craft) was terrific tonight," Matta said. "We told him going in if they were going to force his hand with the pressure he was going to have to avert the mission and make plays. I thought he did a very good job at that, he kept the ball and made great reads to find his teammates.â€
Craft made an errant pass midway through the first half, one that led to a Florida dunk as part of a Gator run that saw the Gators lead by as many as eight. He made up for it later to the point that at one point he took a ball Young was trying to save under the Gators' basket and went the other way, turning it into an alley-oop to a guy he wasn't even throwing it to.
"I thought Lenzelle (Smith) was coming," Craft said. "It turned out Evan (Ravenel) got it for a layup. I guess it worked out."
It was the 10th time in Craft's 39-game career that he scored in double figures. He also had at least seven assists for the 10th time and a three-steal night for the 14th time. He rested only after picking up his second foul late in the first half.
Freshman Shannon Scott, a McDonald's All-American last season, played just 2 minutes 59 seconds while Matta kept Craft on the bench to avoid his third foul. The backup point guard job at Ohio State is a lonely position.
Matta loved that three sophomores and his lone senior, Buford, were the four players in double figures and the guys who led the way Tuesday. There is such thing as a quiet 16-point night for players as gifted as Sullinger, and he had one. Buford got going as the game went on and got 12 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. DeShaun Thomas, who's still finding his way, had 15 points and joined Sullinger and Buford in having six rebounds.
"I don't think I can put a price tag on it," Matta said. "When you have guys who have been in that type of situation and environment, it's different."
Ohio State turned the ball over just seven times and forced Florida into 16 turnovers, five fewer than they did a year ago. But Craft had a hand in forcing most of them, and he forced the Gators to use a lot of energy chasing him the other way. They rarely caught up.
"We knew Florida wanted to play fast, get us out of our game," Craft said. "After the first 10 minutes we really controlled the tempo."
When Craft says "we," he means he controlled the tempo. And if he can keep going at this rate, he's going to make the Buckeyes — again — very tough to beat.