Undersized Bearcats will be challenged by OSU’s Sullinger, Thomas

By Doug Lesmerises

Cleveland Plain Dealer

BOSTON

Backup guards Shannon Scott and Jordan Sibert have been chasing Deshaun Thomas through Ohio State practices at times this week, giving up four or five inches to the OSU forward while giving him the business, slapping at the ball and trying to drive him crazy.

“I know they’re trying to reach and smack,” Thomas said, “but I try to play strong.”

That type of smack attack is what Thomas expects he’ll see tonight in the East Region semifinal, when Cincinnati’s four-guard lineup should put 6-3 JaQuon Parker on the 6-7 Thomas. Whether the No. 6 seed Bearcats rattle the No. 2 Buckeyes with their quickness, or whether Ohio State stomps Cincinnati with its size, should determine this Ohio battle in TD Garden.

“It’s kind of like a chess match,” OSU assistant coach Jeff Boals said. “The four-guard lineup poses some challenges on our end, but on the other end, those four guards have to guard us.”

There’s a very strong chance the Bearcats (26-10) will opt for a zone defense, at least some of the time, and the Buckeyes (29-7) will be more prepared than they were when Gonzaga slapped a zone on Ohio State last week.

“It’s not one of the strongest zones,” Thomas said, “but we have plays we think can score and get the ball inside when they zone.”

When Parker winds up dealing with Thomas on his own, he’ll have to be strong, and he’s done it before. The switch to the four-guard look — with only 6-9, 260-pound center Yancy Gates inside — helped turn around Cincinnati’s season. Gates should be dealing with Jared Sullinger. But when the Bearcats beat Florida State on Sunday, Parker had a career-high 11 rebounds against an FSU front line that included 6-10 and 6-11 players.

“I’m used to it. Height doesn’t matter to me,” Parker said. “I just go in there and try to box out and do what we’ve got to do to win.”

Boals said the Bearcats are very good rebounders, but Cincinnati knows its best hope is to make speed matter more than size.

“Being so small, we’ve got to group rebound …and we’ve got to try to push teams,” Cincinnati Cashmere Wright said.