bulldog8 wrote:
Are you basing your opinion that Coach Matta likes Diebler based on how much he played this season or do you personally know that Matta really likes Diebler? I'd like to think that the only reason Diebler played the minutes he did this season was because there really wasn't anyone better on the bench that deserved the minutes. I like Diebler's abilities from beyond the arc, but personally, I think Matta will like a few of these incoming freshmen a bit more than Diebler because of the all-around game they will bring to the table every night. Therefore, I don't think it's fair to say Diebler's position in the starting lineup will be safe because "Matta likes him." Jon was favored this year because the starting five was all that OSU had. That view might change immensely come next season.
I'm basing it on how much he played last season, I have no inside information. I think that you're points are valid, except that other (better) players did play less minutes. Yes, sometimes players went to the bench for periods because of foul trouble (and Deibler is rarely in foul trouble), but also guys like Turner, Lighty, and Buford were given breaks and Simmons and Hill would occasionally come in for a few minutes at a time to give these guys some rest. Deibler never got these breaks. Perhaps his conditioning is better and he doesn't need as many breaks, or maybe he keeps him emotions better in check and doesn't need break for those reasons, I'm not sure. All I know is that Deibler saw less bench time than anyone else on the team this year for whatever reason. I think it's a reasonable assumption that if Matter was willing to leave him out there 39+ minutes a game every game, while playing Turner, Lighty, and/or Buford only 35-38 minutes a game that there was a reason for it.
Ankle Breaker wrote:
I say Craft will play a lot at PG next year, if not start. You talk about a kid who gets the ball to the right player at the exact time he needs to get it, well, it's Craft. He is one of those rare kids who makes everyone around him better. Anyone would love to be this kid's teammate. And a very hard-nosed defender. An uncanny understanding of the game and how it is supposed to be played. He rarely shot the ball but he didn't need to. He still controlled the game.
Just like a freshman QB who starts, I'm always nervous when a freshman starts at point guard. However, since there will be a lot of talent around him and more importantly senior leadership, I think that he'll have freedom to make mistakes and time to learn and grow. Also, with Sullinger, we will have more of an inside presence which will open things up for the PG. I think that he won't need to score much since there will be plenty of scoring on the floor that if he can manage things and get the ball to the right people, he and this team will do very well. Also, Mick Conley proved a few years ago that a freshman PG can lead a team, and he really improved and grew into his own as the season progressed.
