Just Like this Picture!!! Kentucky is riding high right now, but their cheating coach will bring them back down sooner or later!!!!
William Buford's career-high 29 points power Buckeyes past hot-shooting Purdue
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With two starters on the bench and the score tied late in Tuesday night's game with Purdue, No. 3 Ohio State needed its most experienced player to take control.
And that's what William Buford did.
Buford, the only senior on the roster, scored a career-high 29 points and capped his night with a pivotal dunk in the final minute to lead the Buckeyes past hot-shooting Purdue 87-84.
"I just got good looks," Buford said. "I was taking them and fortunate enough to knock them down. I wasn't thinking about my shots, I was just shooting the ball like my teammates have been telling me to do. That was about it."
The win was Ohio State's 39th in a row at home since losing to Purdue two years ago at Value City Arena.
Buford scored 21 points in the second half to carry the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2 Big Ten) while All-American Jared Sullinger and point guard Aaron Craft were on the bench with foul trouble. He scored seven straight points for Ohio State as it took the lead for good, his dunk with 39 seconds left sealed it.
Some fans have been critical of Buford's play in recent weeks as he struggled to put two good games together.
But his coach never wavered in supporting him.
"I haven't ever worried about Will," Thad Matta said. "Maybe not every shot's been falling for him. But I've got confidence in him and I'll never lose it."
Sullinger had 18 points and Deshaun Thomas and Craft added 13 apiece for the first-place Buckeyes, who have won six straight and eight of nine.
It was a battle throughout, however.
"Sometimes you have to find a way to win," Craft said. "And we did that tonight."
D.J. Byrd, averaging 6.5 points a game, had a career-best 24 for the Boilermakers (15-9, 5-6), while Kelsey Barlow and Lewis Jackson each had 14 and Robbie Hummel added 13.
Purdue was coming off perhaps its worst game of the season, a 78-61 loss at home to Indiana. Coach Matt Painter said after that debacle that he was disappointed in his team's effort. He certainly wasn't after the close battle with Ohio State.
"I thought we played well enough to win," he said after watching his team shoot 52 percent from the field and 58 percent (11 of 19) on 3-pointers. "We just didn't get a couple of breaks at the end."
No more than three points separated the teams for the entire second half until Buford went off down the stretch.
After a first half that featured brilliant outside shooting and sparkling passing, the last 20 minutes were dominated by physical play, lots of fouls and near hand-to-hand combat under the basket.
The Buckeyes finally got some traction with Sullinger and Craft on the bench and Buford was the triggerman.
With the score tied at 73 and 4:38 left, he swished a shot from the top of the key to give the Buckeyes the lead for good. At the other end, Barlow's shot was blocked by Ohio State's Sam Thompson. Buford then hit another long jumper for a 77-73 lead.
After Hummel missed a 3-pointer, Buford took a pass in the backcourt from substitute point guard Shannon Scott, stepped back, and hit a high, arcing 3 to make it 80-73 with 2:54 left.
Purdue drew to five points on Jackson's drive through traffic at 1:53.
With 1:07 left, Sullinger went back to the bench after being hurt on a rebound attempt. Byrd, who was fouled on the play, missed the first but hit the second to make it 80-76.
Craft then hit a free throw before Buford tipped away a loose ball at the defensive end and raced the length of the court for a dunk with 39 seconds left to give Ohio State enough room to outlast two late Purdue 3s.
All of the criticism Buford had been hearing was suddenly a distant memory.
"When I'm feeling it, it's hard to stop me," he said.
Shayne Kelley to help Josh Hamilton
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Texas Rangers have hired Shayne Kelley as a major league staff assistant and part of his duties will be to support Josh Hamilton, general manager Jon Daniels said Tuesday night.
Kelley, a graduate of the University of Alabama, will also help hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh and the Rangers coaching staff as part of his duties.
Daniels said that Kelley has already started in his position and accompanied Hamilton to New York on Monday as the slugger saw two doctors, one with MLB and one with the union. Daniels said he's expecting a full report on that meeting within the next few days.
The meetings with doctors were Monday, a week after Hamilton said he had "three or four" drinks during dinner in Dallas and then had more drinks later that evening. Hamilton apologized Friday without taking questions about what happened, saying he had a "weak moment" that stemmed from "personal reasons" involving a family member.
Daniels said he plans on checking in with MLB to see how Hamilton's visit to New York went and what, if anything, MLB plans to do. But Daniels said it's unlikely the team will sanction Hamilton, saying the club feels this is more governed by the league and the conditions of Hamilton's reinstatement.
"We'll defer to MLB on how they want to handle it," Daniels said Tuesday, before appearing at a Rangers Winter Caravan stop in Fort Worth.
Hamilton said he took no drugs, and never thought of doing so last week. He has had several drug tests since then as part of his regular mandated routine.
Daniels said Hamilton was at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Tuesday working out and preparing for the season.
The general manager added that he doesn't like the term "accountability partner," when it comes to Kelley's position.
"The only person accountable for Josh is Josh and he understands that," Daniels said. "We'll support him, just like we do for all of our players."
Daniels said the club received more unsolicited interest for the job of Hamilton's support person than any other position since Daniels has been with the Rangers. He said a flood of resumes, cover letters and emails came in from people all around the country who felt they were qualified to help Hamilton.
Kelley fills the position vacated by Johnny Narron, who left this offseason to become the hitting coach of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Kelley has a religious background as team chaplain at Alabama from 1996-99, though he won't handle that role with the Rangers. Kelley has been around baseball at the college and high school level for more than 15 years, including a two-year stint as minor league strength and conditioning coach for the Kansas City Royals.
The Rangers last week put on hold talks about a contract extension for Hamilton, who can be a free agent after the upcoming season.
After being the No. 1 overall draft pick by Tampa Bay in 1999, Hamilton got involved in drugs and alcohol. He missed the entire 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons and served several suspensions. He didn't make his major league debut until 2007 with Cincinnati, and was traded after that season to Texas, where he has become one of the best players in baseball for the team that won the last two American League pennants. He was the AL MVP in 2010.
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