Heavyweight rematches
Hoyas, Buckeyes put little stock in result of last year’s meeting

ATLANTA (AP) - Passing and cutting, Georgetown worked its offense to perfection and Ohio State was powerless to do anything about it. Just as bad, the Buckeyes couldn’t get anything of their own going offensively.

The game most thought would be a gimme for Ohio State in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament turned out to be anything but. In what might have been the surest sign Georgetown really was back, the Hoyas routed the second-seeded Buckeyes.

In OSU’s back yard, no less.

Fast-forward a year, and the teams are meeting again, this time in the Final Four. But anyone looking at last year’s game to see who will have the edge tonight would have just as much luck consulting a Ouija board.

Actually, the Ouija board might provide more insight.

"They are an extremely different team than they were then. We are an extremely different team than we were then," Georgetown Coach John Thompson III said.

The Hoyas (30-6) have Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green and Jonathan Wallace back, and they still run that same patient offense that relies on passing and motion. But Georgetown has far more depth and finesse this time around.

Hibbert has emerged as one of the best big men in the country, holding his own in comparisons with freshmen Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. He averages 12.7 points and 6.9 rebounds and has a double-double streak of five games.

Green can do pretty much everything on the court - and do it well. He leads the team in scoring (14.4 points) and is a close second in rebounds (6.2). And whenever the Hoyas need something to happen, he usually delivers.

While Hibbert and Green get all the attention, it’s the guards who make the Hoyas go. Wallace is the third-best scorer on the team. Jessie Sapp has put on two of his best efforts in the tournament, scoring a career-high 20 points in the opener against Belmont and adding 15 points and eight assists against the Tar Heels.

And don’t forget about freshman DaJuan Summers, who’s looking like a grizzled veteran the deeper the Hoyas go into the tournament.

"We have an extremely versatile team that can play different styles," Thompson said.

For as different as Georgetown looks, it’s nothing compared to the Buckeyes (34-3).

Jamar Butler is the only returning starter. Ron Lewis is a senior, but Coach Thad Matta has entrusted his team to a bunch of babes - four heralded prep players and junior college transfer Othello Hunter, aka the Thad Five.

Everyone knows about Oden, of course, touted as the best domestic-born big man since another Hoya, Patrick Ewing, and likely will be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

He leads the Buckeyes in scoring and rebounding, and it was his presence that made the difference as Ohio State beat Memphis in the regional final.

Mike Conley Jr. has emerged as one of the best point guards in the entire country, playing with a savvy some guys in the NBA don’t have. He’s gone off for 57 points in Ohio State’s last three games, and was chosen as the MVP of the South Regional.

Their presence alone ensures that this game will be nothing like last year’s.

"We’ve debated on whether to show our guys any film from last year or not," Matta said, "because it wasn’t real pretty."

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Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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