Marquee Matchup Loses Some Luster
By Mark Long
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The game was supposed to feature three of the best big men in the country, with Ohio State’s Greg Oden facing Florida’s Joakim Noah and Al Horford.
Tickets were sold out long ago. At least 20 NBA scouts requested seats. Thousands of students delayed going home for the holidays to see the marquee matchup many consider a precursor to college football’s Bowl Championship Series national title game between the two schools on Jan. 8.
As it turns out, the basketball game will be somewhat of a two- man show.
Horford — Florida’s leading scorer and rebounder — will be sidelined with a high ankle sprain, creating a much tougher task for the fifth-ranked Gators (10-2) when they host the No. 3 Buckeyes (10- 1) today at 4 p.m. (CBS-TV, Channel 12).
“I don’t think we have any excuses,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “That’s why they call it a team. I think our team and myself personally would rather have Al out there play-ing, and I’m sure Al would rather be out there playing. But he’s not. … Any time you’ve got a player out the caliber of Al Horford there is an effect on your team. There’s no doubt about it.”
The Gators will rely on Noah and senior Chris Richard to guard Oden, a 7-foot, 280-pound freshman who is widely considered the best center in the country and probably the top pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave school early.
Oden missed the first seven games this season while recovering from wrist surgery. He had been expected to be out until January, but returned a month early and has been impressive in four games — despite a brace on his right wrist and having to shoot free throws left-handed.
Oden is averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, prompting Donovan to compare him to a young Patrick Ewing.
The Gators have a plan for facing Oden, talented seniors Ron Lewis and Ivan Harris and the other members of the “Thad Five” — the team’s highly touted recruiting class that includes freshmen Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook and David Lighty and junior college transfer Othello Hunter.
“They’re going to have to come with their energy because we’re bringing ours,” forward Corey Brewer said. “They’re going to have be ready to get up and down, all of them.”
Especially Oden.
The Gators hope to run early and often, testing Oden’s stamina and ability to keep up with Noah.
“We’re going to have to make him run and make him guard things because he’s just coming back from an injury,” Brewer said. “For us, we’ve got to try to take advantage of it.”
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