Oden, OSU dismantle Memphis, fulfill Matta's vision

	#1 Ohio State #2 Memphis 92 76   Box Score Recap All Scores
	Conley (1) and Ohio State took the high road to knock off Memphis on Saturday. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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SAN ANTONIO -- Back in September, Ohio State coach Thad Matta called a team meeting and handed out a packet to his players. Along with a training schedule and a manual about academic standards, there was a picture from a Final Four pamphlet. "We put it in there and said, 'hey, if we work, this is what we will be working for,'" said Matta.

On Saturday, the Buckeyes answered Matta's challenge and punched a ticket to Atlanta. Playing its best basketball of the season, Ohio State defeated No. 2-seed Memphis 92-76 to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1999.

"The way coach Matta presented it at the time, that's why I went here," said point guard Mike Conley after the win. "I really believed we could do it. I hadn't played for him yet, [but] I was just hoping he would lead us and help us grow as a team, become men, and get us here."

After surviving shaky starts against Tennessee and Xavier, Ohio State took control of the regional final against Memphis from start to finish. The standout performance of the night came from freshman center Greg Oden. No one was able to stop the big man. Not Memphis' muscular, 6-foot-9, 260-pound junior Joey Dorsey, who was talking trash like a heavyweight boxer before the game. Not the leaner 6-9, 215-pound Robert Dozier.

Dorsey actually rooted for Ohio State to beat Xavier because he wanted to go up against Oden. Then he made a bold projection: "I see this as a big challenge for me to make a name for myself. I'll stop Greg Oden and hold him to probably nine points and probably five rebounds. And I will have 15 points and 20 rebounds. Everyone is going to say Dorsey is a great player, he's underrated, he's a great rebounder."

Afterward Dorsey looked worse than Patrick Ewing guaranteeing a Game 7 victory -- zero points and three rebounds -- and Memphis coach John Calipari was left to defend his big man. "I don't think he meant to call him out," said Calipari of Dorsey. "It's pretty obvious if you watch the game."

What we saw is that Oden only played for 24 minutes, but was 7-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from the free throw line. He finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds.

Oden's most crucial contribution came midway through the second half. With just under 10 minutes remaining and Memphis leading 60-57, Ron Lewis missed a three-pointer and tipped the ball in a scramble for the rebound. Daequan Cook recovered the ball and quickly passed it to Conley Jr., who immediately fired the ball to Oden under the basket. Oden went up for the shot and Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts threw his arms around Oden's waist and shoved him. The ref called an intentional foul, and Oden made the basket. He also made one of his two free throws to tie the game at 60. And since it was an intentional foul, Ohio State got the ball back.

"It changed the whole complexion of the game," said Calipari.

After that, junior Jamar Butler scored on the next possession and the Buckeyes never looked back. The Tigers pressed, trapped and stayed aggressive in a 1-3-1 zone but were never able to make a stop.

As the players climbed the ladder one-by-one to cut down a piece of the net, fans chanted "two more games!" Oden stood amidst the celebration with a smile on his face and walked around taking pictures with the band and cheerleaders (he even handed his piece of the net to one of them).

Now it's time to prepare for the Final Four, the moment the team has been working for since that September meeting. For his part, Oden's ready for some well-deserved rest. "I'm really excited," he said. "We have a long plane ride home, so I will probably sleep it off."

Player Who Impressed Me

Whether Mike Conley Jr. is splitting defenders and driving to the basket, dishing to teammates to set up three-pointers or lobbing the ball inside, he rarely makes bad decisions with the ball in his hands. The freshman, later named top player of the region, wasn't flawless against Memphis -- he was 0-for-2 from beyond the arc and had a team-high five turnovers -- but what stands out is his feel for the game, his instincts, and his quick hands.

Courtside Confidential

Oden's favorite NBA player is former Spurs center David Robinson, and the Admiral was in attendance for the game against Tennessee. Oden admitted Friday he was distracted by his idol's presence. "In the middle of the game, I'm sitting there in the timeout and I look up and see [Robinson], and coach [Mike] Conley was like 'Were you looking at me in the timeout?' and I was like 'No, I was looking at David Robinson." Why does Oden love Robinson? "I think my style of play kind of resembles his and he's just a good person who I would like to resemble." ... Oden's mother couldn't make it to today's game because his brother, Anthony, a 6-8 junior at Dayton (Ohio) Dunbar played in the state championship game. "I'm happy for him that he's having a lot of fun now. He was really excited he was playing in the championship. I wish I could see it but I'm going to be having some business myself." ... A fan in the Memphis section held up a sign saying, "Calling Coach C: UK, Line 1."

Big Picture

Today was by far the best Ohio State has looked since the start of the tournament. They came out gunning (Memphis was in a 8-0 hole four minutes in), Oden dominated, they knocked down free throws down the stretch, and the guards stepped up to make key shots. If coach Thad Matta can keep the team focused, and not allow the mental lapses they had against Xavier and Tennessee, there's no question they have the talent and depth to win it all.