Delaware Hayes’ Landon Vanderwarker gets free on a breakaway and throws down a dunk during Saturday’s Division I semi-final play with Cleveland St, Ignatius. (Press Pros File Photos)
What we saw, and what we’ve heard already about the state basketball finals weekend, Ohio State and Michigan hiring new basketball coaches, and video review in college baseball.
Dateline, Overload – The thought that went through my mind as I drove home from a whirlwind weekend of the OHSAA state basketball tournament, college basketball coverage, and the Buckeyes losing three straight baseball games to Georgetown was exactly this…dateline, overload!
So much to see. So much to contemplate. And so much to consider before the next game, the next season, and the next shoe to fall in terms of change that will influence the future.
And yes, the mailbox, even by Sunday evening, was stuffed with both compliments and complaints about what we did and didn’t do – what we missed.
VPP sponsors the Buckeyes on Press Pros Magazine.
Someone wrote to mention, “I’m disappointed there was no statement of concern about the OHSAA tournament being concluded on Sunday. THESE are the values we’re teaching our young people? Shameful.”
We’ll let the ‘Godless’ OHSAA deal with that one. But please…contact them, directly!
But as it turned out, a revealing twist, or coincidence, to the OHSAA’s issues with competitive balance rose to undeniable acknowledgement with the titles in Div. I, II, III, and IV going to either private schools (Lutheran East, Kettering Alter and Ignatius) or to an urban Cleveland school with the reputation – let’s face it – of having open borders.
Some of what we’ve heard already: “It can’t be coincidence that Richmond Heights is that much better than the rest or the state for three years in a row? Is anyone paying attention?”
Another: “This doesn’t encourage competitive balance, it discourages it.”
A few others, all with the same question (paraphrasing): “Is there no solution?”
Well, the OHSAA is hoping that going to seven divisions is the solution, but when you ask some coaches privately (and we have) there’s equal cynicism over how soon even the new system will be manipulated…and what does a watered-down trophy really mean when you know you didn’t rise to meet the standard? The standard was lowered to meet you.
In the meantime…once again the UD Arena served to be the perfect host, as our observance was that it was the right size, the right environment, and it didn’t appear to keep anyone away who really wanted to be there. So please, chalk one up for the OHSAA.
Anyway, we hope you enjoyed our expanded coverage of the tournament, which also allowed for us being in multiple cities and events. Hats off to our staff of Steve Blackledge, Alan Brads, photographers Julie McMaken Wright, and Brian Bayless. It was…a busy weekend.
And a shout out to long-time presenting sponsor of the tournament on Press Pros…the Spot Restaurant, and Michael Jannides, in Sidney, Ohio. We couldn’t do it without you, nor would we want to!
Huffer Chiropractic has offices in Osgood, Dublin and Jackson Center to help your athlete become elite.
In Columbus on Sunday there was plenty of discussion about the announcement that Michigan had hired Dusty May, from Florida Atlantic, as its new men’s basketball coach, just a month after Ohio State had hired former assistant coach Jake Diebler to take the place of Chris Holtmann, who was fired in February.
Bruce Hooley, in his Saturday column following the Buckeyes’ NIT win over Virginia Tech, posed the excellent coming attraction of seeing which of the two football powers will have ultimately made the right choice to lead their basketball programs.
Is there not room for two good hires – you know who (above) and TTUN?
In Diebler’s case, there had been much public anticipation of Ohio State going outside to find a more experienced young gun like May, who took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four just a year ago. But the popular choice, inside Value City Arena, has been Diebler, who’s drawing standing ovations every time he’s announced with the pre-game starting lineups, even though he has no previous head coaching experience – but an 8-2 record as interim. The popular opinion appears to be that experience be damned in the day of DEI. Everyone gets a chance. It might work out.
Which is fine for those so moved, as long as someone else is picking up the check. Like world peace, it’s a wonderful idea in theory.
In Dusty May’s case, he’s catching Michigan on the rebound from the embarrassing demise of the Juwan Howard era, another favorite son hire from the Fab Five days, who was the sexy popular choice when he was hired, justified by, “he’s family.” And, he’ll grow into the job. He too, had the support or administration and alumni.
At the end he had neither, fired after five years and the worst Michigan conference finish in 57 years.
One can make the case that there’s equal motivation for both Diebler and May, given that the respective schools are hungry to move on from previous hires of Holtmann and Howard, which, again, seemed like a good idea at the time.
And one can also ask the question…does it have to be either, or?
Why can’t Diebler and May BOTH be good hires for the respective schools? It’s a better scenario than Trump or Biden.
Like, there’s only one good choice allowed in a game as simple as pick-and-roll, box out, and make your free throws down the stretch?
It’s a simple game of Xs and Os that highlights execution of the afore-mentioned…once you outbid someone else for the right players to come to your school. Do it, and you win.
If you don’t, fire the coach and move on.
Logan Services sponsors the best area sports stories on Press Pros Magazine.com
Before midnight on Sunday we’d heard from a Ohio State baseball fan blasting the Big Ten umpiring crew and video replay in Sunday’s game with Georgetown over the overturned call at the plate in the third inning that denied Ohio State a run…in a game ultimately won by Georgetown in extra innings.
Originally called safe, whatever review system they have in place was used to overturn the call. The game was televised on the Big Ten Network.
“I wonder if it’s worth the delay in the game,” he wrote, “on a play that wasn’t that conclusive from what was shown on TV. If the Big Ten is going to have video review they shouldn’t half-ass it.”
To clarify, what you saw on the Big Ten-Plus broadcast replay may not have been what the umpires saw in their review of the play. Upon confirmation with the Ohio State staff and sports information department, different camera angles are used for video review apart from the camera angles the network uses to actually televise the game.
I can share with you the comments of a scout sitting behind home plate, who questioned, as you did, the process of delaying a college baseball the game five minutes for a wide-open play that should have been cut and dry. In this case, a lot people wondered why the plate umpire didn’t get it right in the first place. No camera had a better view than he had (above).
Personally, I hate video review as it takes the pressure off the men in charge to be at their best at all times, another concession to mediocrity in today’s world. Mistakes will be made, that’s true, and it’s always been a part of the game. And I don’t know that it’s changed the course of history.
Wilson Health proudly sponsors the best in area sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.com.