One Frame At A Time: Ohio State
Somewhere there should be
for all the world to see
a statue of a fool made of stone.
An image of a man
who let love slip through his hands
and left him to stand here all alone.
— David Ruffin, "Statue Of A Fool"
I found your statue, Mr. Ruffin.
It depicts Dan Dakich watching Aaron Craft attempt this shot.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the GIFs, including lots of Derrick Walton, "Plastic Man," John Beilein giving dap in the run of play, sad Ohio fans, and more.]
As usual, click the stills/links to open each GIF in a lightbox, and don't forget to vote for your favorite at the end of the post.
HONORABLE MENTION
Stauskas plays possum, hits triple. Beautiful crossover and dish to Horford by Walton. Stauskas needs thismuch space. Somehow, this is a foul on Jon Horford. In less surprising news to everyone but Aaron Craft, this is a foul on Aaron Craft. Wait, where's everyone going? WIN THE GAME, non-McGary edition.
10. The Future
The Future doubles as a pretty solid Present.
As usual, don't forget to watch the bench; Andrew Dakich (front and center) has Mitch McGary's roll the dice celebration down cold. Nik Stauskas also slips in a quick three monocle on his way back up the court.
9. Aaron Craft Meets Plastic Man
I'm trying to get "Plastic Man" to stick as a nickname for Caris LeVert, a player whose unusual physique and style beg for a good nickname. This totally works:
He can contort his body into various positions and sizes impossible for ordinary humans, such as being entirely flat so that he can slip under a door or using his fingers to pick conventional locks.
Plastic Man. It is known.
8. Stauskas stepback/Beilein low-five
Which Stauskas's opening stepback three wasn't the most high-percentage shot he could've attempted, he found a way to knock it down, and his coach approved...
This won't be your last look at the, er, variety of life in Ohio.
7. Tréjà Vu
The word "Burke" was uttered, in comparison instead of deficit, when Walton took a mishandled dribble and exploded to the basket for an and-one against a seven foot shotblocker. He extended his body past applicable limits and crashed to the floor after. It had to be mentioned. It was like seeing a ghost.
This is not that shot, nor the one Brian screencapped in his post.
This is Trey Burke.
Whenever John Beilein decides he's worked enough magic, "LaVall Jordan, Coach in Waiting" has a nice ring to it.
6. Rise and fire, Derrick Walton
This is when one should hold their shooting form. Chest thumps, given the situation, are also appropriate.
5. Salute My Shots
1. I'm telling you, LeVert is Plastic Man.
2. This goes right into the pantheon of nononononoYES NEVER A DOUBT shots.
3. The interaction between GRIII (saluting, just visible above the scoreboard graphic) and the bench (Dakich, again, stars here) is great.
4. For some reason, the cheerleader closest to the basket giving a final, hesitant clap just before the ball goes in makes me laugh every time.
4. Amir Williams, SMDH
Zooming in on the foul and the fan reactions, in slow-mo, produces a panoply of submission cobras and facepalms, with perhaps the best one coming at the very end just to the left of the basket:
Here's the foul again with a fan reaction shot that needs further breakdown below:
1. SMDH lady is the star, both for her befitting reaction and THAT 'DO.
@AceAnbender @rodiard I'm from Ohio, and my mom had that cut until at least 2010.
— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) February 12, 2014
2. Unnecessary Accessory Guy.
@RossWB @AceAnbender I also might add that the "sleeve" on his right arm is definitly an Adidas sock.
— Joe F. (@tallshmo) February 12, 2014
3. The girl on the other side of UAG has come to a horrible realization and is looking to the heavens for answers. BiSB dubbed her "Just Realized The Futility Girl".
4. Lower left corner: "Sorry I'm late! Did I miss anythi-- oh."
5.. Everyone else. Their sadness fuels me.
For all-purpose use: just the SMH/submission cobra/general schadenfreude portion.
3. F*** yeah, Derrick Walton
Ghosts, man.
2. Island in a sea of Ohio
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE FAN REACTION SHOTS COULDN'T GET ANY BETTER.
FRAMES OF THE GAME: AARBALL
Credit to our own BBrown for coining "Aarball" immediately after the game, beating out "3-lol" and "Crairball" for the gold medal of naming this GIF. Also, props to Guyism for mashing this up with the crowd exodus.
This wins forever, but I guess I'll let y'all vote anyway.
VOTE
February 13th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
last year when he won the tourney game on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot.
Someone should tell Aaron, when your shot is that errant, you look for somewhere to hide--you don't leave your hands up like you just executed the perfect jump shot.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^
It's not a good sign when you can't tell you've missed that badly. A good shooter generally knows as soon as the ball leaves their hand.
February 13th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
and once he sees it miss he just stops dead in his tracks
February 13th, 2014 at 6:15 PM ^
Kinda like, "Wow, so... that happened."
February 13th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
is the most touchingly beautiful gif I have ever witnessed.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:21 PM ^
Agreed. Can we get someone to set it to some majestic music? I think it deserves it.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
IIRC didn't Stacey Augmon already take Plastic Man?
February 13th, 2014 at 12:44 PM ^
However, he retired in 2006, and that was well after he was particularly relevant. I think it's time to bring that one back. It just works so well for Caris.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
Eh, I don't like recycling nicknames.
Surely there must be some other multi-use substance out there to describe Caris's game.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^
Mr. Silly Putty?
February 13th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
Gumby?
February 13th, 2014 at 3:18 PM ^
I personally like to call him The Noodle. Or when I get super excited I will yell things like PASTA.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^
Mr. Fantastic?
February 13th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
"I think we're all saying the same thing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDzBVvhbtIw
(I don't know how to embed)
February 13th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 1:36 PM ^
Hope this doesn't offend you too much, but that is the dorkiest post I've seen in quite some time. Made me laugh.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^
Stretch? Gumby?
February 13th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^
Mr. Stretchy Arm!
February 13th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
because those watching him feel compelled to shout "Plastic Man".
February 13th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
I think "Plastic Man" fits for LeVert, but in my mind that nickname will always belong to Stacey Augmon (the former Detroit Piston). I can't imagine that too many other people will have that problem, though.
EDIT: It looks like I'm the second guy to board the HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT STACEY AUGMON bus. That's not a seat I ever expected to occupy.
February 13th, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^
...and call him "Plastic, Man!"?
February 13th, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^
Caris as Plastic Man? - Already taken by Augmon
How about "Gumby"
February 13th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
Why not Rubber Band Man? The Spinners started off at Motown.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
the guyism gif is one of the best i've ever seen
February 13th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
I feel like Aarball Craft is still holding that pose. Did he break, and is now stuck in that position for the rest of his life? Did he expect that shot to bounce short, but kept holding his pose because he thought it was going to bounce off the ground, then back up 10' in the air an fall through the hoop?
So many questions. Zero Answers. Zero points whence Aarballing.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
I do not think Dakich is actually rolling the dice, but I like the celebrations he gives regardless.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
Re: Salute My Shots - I think Jordan Morgan wins the bench reaction (though Dakich is great too)
February 13th, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^
My favorite part about Aarball is the Ohio bench reaction --- there is absolutely none. Whenever an M player puts up a 3 in a similar situation, the bench rises in anticipation of a bucket. The Ohio bench seems to already know the disappointing outcome before anyone else, like an inverse bizaro Josh Bartelstein.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
1. the cheerleader to the left of Walton in #3 after he comes crashing down. Her teeth, man.
2. the amount of double-chin in GIF #2 is staggering.
February 13th, 2014 at 3:21 PM ^
That's one homely fanbase!
February 13th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^
Plastic Man is ok, but Norm McDonalds comedy bit on Mr Fantastic reminded me of this
February 13th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^
I loved the Aarball, but the mashup with the crowd leaving is so good.
To me, that will be a memorable image, just like with Branch walking away from the dead Penn St. QB, or when Herbie was destroyed in the Game many years ago.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
Yeah, it's not quite the same without the crowd scene as well.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^
Am I wrong or could Walton have been called for carrying the ball there? Kind of a high dribble.
Plastic Man is pretty good. For some reason Levert reminds me of the greased up deaf guy.
February 13th, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^
They don't call it unless blatant, but that was quickly approaching blatant if not already there.
February 13th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
nah his hand never came below the ball to hold or alter the trajectory. Mildly errant dribble but kept his hand on top of it.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:06 PM ^
Great juxtaposition of a smiling Beilein giving encouragement and the Ohio fan in ref shirt shouting (likely) obsenity. What a huge game.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:06 PM ^
Isn't SMDH Lady a guy, dressed up as a lady? She/He is wearing a tie, and that hair is so fake it has to be a wig. Right? I refuse to believe that a woman, who looks ilke that, who wears that, who has hair like that, would even be allowed down amongst all those bros. The simpler solution: it IS a bro.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:19 PM ^
Nah she appears to be an usher cuz she has a name tag on the left. Also is wearing a sweater vest which might be the official uniform of OSU staff.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:16 PM ^
Wasn't Stacey Augmon the plastic man?
Edit: I'm late to the party I see
February 13th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
But in the end, even though the Craft airball is going to seriously run away with the vote, I had to go with Treja Vu.
But hey -- all of these are winners!
February 13th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
Ace,
Are there any plans to do an end-of-school/athletic year GIF top 10? I think Aarball would be up there on the year. I just can't get over how he held the shot pose until well after it was OOB.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
There should be plenty of offseason GIF material, GIFs Of The Athletic Year tournament included.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
LaVall Jordan going somewhere for a head coaching gig. Then, when Beilein retires, we would have to go get him back with a little head coaching expereince under his belt.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:38 PM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^
I said on another board that Craft hit nothing but oxygen. Of course somebody had to be a smart ass and point out the atmosphere is more than just oxygen. Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and other trace amounts of gases. We all know this. I argue that his shot was so off it managed to not only miss any area near the rim, but it also managed to miss all the nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases in the surrounding atmosphere. His shot was that ugly.
February 13th, 2014 at 2:24 PM ^
In the exodus, you can see what appears to be that ass-hat "Buck-I Guy" dude. As someone who lives in Columbus, I can honestly tell you there's not a more annoying representation of Buckeye Fan than this clown. My wife works in public schools with Autistic children, and this DB showed up at a rally they were having at the state house in full garb to get his picture taken and get on the news.
[edit] I should add, lest anyone think I am potentially downplaying an altruistic gesture by said Buck-I Guy, that my wife is an OSU alum/fan, and even she was annoyed that he showed up at the rally.
February 13th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
Beilein is working like hell to keep Nik's confidence up. Just that little gesture was pretty cool.
February 13th, 2014 at 4:18 PM ^
LOL at the towels spinning and all slowly coming to a stop as Amir Williams fouls D-Walt.
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