Men’s Basketball Faces Florida State in The Great Alaska Shootout – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2000
Game Notes in .PDF format
Opponent: Florida State
Site: Sullivan Arena (8,700)
Game Time: 9:30 p.m. (EST)
TV: ESPN Regional
Local TV: WBNS-TV 10
TV Talent: Bob Carpenter (P-by-P)
Jimmy Dykes (Color)
Radio: OSU Radio Network (63 stations)
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (P-by-P)
Ron Stokes (Color)
Ohio State Buckeyes Probable Starters (1-0) G 4-Brent Darby, 6-1, So. G 21-Boban Savovic, 6-5, Jr. OR 3-Sean Connolly, 6-5, So. G 13-Brian Brown, 6-4, Jr. C 32-Ken Johnson, 6-11, Sr. F 33-Zach Williams, 6-7, Fr.
Florida State Seminoles Probable Starters (0-1) G 10-Delvon Arrington, 5-11, Sr. G 5-Adrian Crawford, 6-5, Sr. C 34-Nigel Dixon, 6-10, So. F 1-Michael Joiner, 6-7, Fr. F 4-Antwuan Dixon, 6-5, Jr.
Connolly tops Buckeyes with 18 in debut vs. Yale
Sean Connolly scored eight of his 18 points in a 19-7 run to start the second half as Ohio State beat Yale 65-45 in the season opener for both teams. The Buckeyes ran their record in home openers to 85-17. Connolly made his first appearance for Ohio State. He sat out 1999-00 after transferring from Providence, where he hit 64 3-pointers while starting every game as a freshman. Connolly hit 7-of-11 shots from the field against Yale, including 4-of-7 3-pointers. He also added six rebounds. Brian Brown, returning for his third year as a starter, was the only other Buckeye player in double figures with 16 points. Center Ken Johnson, who led the nation in blocked shots a year ago, had seven points, five rebounds and five blocks. Chris Leanza led Yale with 10 points.
Noting the win over Yale
Junior Boban Savovic and sophomore Brent Darby each made theirfirst career start in the game. Savovic played in 50 games off thebench in his first two seasons as a Buckeye, while Darby appearedin 27 games as a freshman last season. Freshman Zach Williams hadhis first career start. He is the first Buckeye to start his firstcollegiate game since Michael Redd (Kent State, Nov. 19, 1997).Another freshman, Velimir Radinovic, also appeared in his firstgame. Two transfers, sophomore Sean Connolly (Providence) andjunior Tim Martin (Kent State) appeared in their first game asBuckeyes. Three walk-ons, sophomores Ryan Heflin and Shaun Smithand junior Kel Frazier, also saw playing time. Connolly, Williams,and Martin each scored their first career points as Buckeyes.Connolly ended the game with a game-high 18 points, including four3-pointers. Williams had seven points and five rebounds. Martin hadfive points to tie his career high set at Kent State vs. Marshall(Feb. 23, 1998). With the victory, Jim O’Brien now has 294 careerwins in 19-plus seasons. He is only six away from his 300th careerwin. Senior Ken Johnson had five blocked shots in the game. He isfour away from tying the OSU record of 328 set by Herb Williams(1978-81).
Johnson close to cracking Top 10 in career starts at Ohio State
Ken Johnson has started 93 career games as a Buckeye since the 1997-98 season. With two more starts, he will tie for 10th on the all-time career starts list at Ohio State with Jay Burson (1986-89), who finished his career with 95.
Noting OSU at the Alaska Shootout
The Buckeyes have compiled a 15-10 record over the 2000 GreatAlaska Shootout field, including a 3-1 record over possible secondround opponent Syracuse. Ohio State could possibly meet three teamsfor the first time, University of Alaska Anchorage, Rhode Islandand Valparaiso. Ohio State last played in the Shootout in 1981, itsonly other appearance in the event. The Buckeyes were 2-1 with winsover McNeese State (63-60) and Georgetown (47-46) and a one-pointloss to Iona (58-57) in the opener. OSU last played in a holidaytournament in 1998 when they won the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic.The Buckeyes defeated Alabama-Birmingham (71-64), N.C. State(81-64) and Mississippi (67-62) to claim the title. The trip toPuerto Rico also marked the last time the Buckeyes traveled outsidethe continental United States. The trip to Anchorage will mark theonly time the Buckeyes play outside of Value City Arena beforeopening the Big Ten season in January. When Ohio State takes thecourt Nov. 23 to play Florida State it will mark the first time theBuckeyes have played on Thanksgiving.
Buckeyes own 85-17 record in home openers, 80-22 in season openers
In the 102 years of Ohio State men’s basketball, the Buckeyes have won 85 home openers and 80 times in the first game of the season. Ohio State has won 33 of its last 35 home openers and 8 of 11 season openers. The Buckeyes are 3-1 in season and home openers under Jim O’Brien. OSU lost to open the season against Notre Dame (59-57, Nov. 11, 1999) last year.
Buckeyes 49-51 in road openers
The Buckeyes have an overall record of 49-51 in its first game on the road over 101 seasons. Ohio State did not play a road game during the 1900-01 season (1-3).
Ohio State 43-11 in November games
The Buckeyes have played just 54 total games in November and have posted a 43-11 (.796) record in those contests.
Merrymakers to hold fund raiser to benefit men’s and women’s basketball
The Merrymakers, a nonprofit organization supporting scholarships for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, will be holding its annual fund-raising event at 6 p.m., Nov. 30 at the Value City Arena.
The Merrymakers will be holding a pep rally for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. There will be facility self-guided tours, face painting (for the children), coach and player introductions followed by player autographs. Admission is $10. Tickets are available at the door or in advance by calling 1-800-GO BUCKS.
Buckeyes 3-0 vs. Florida State, 30-14 vs. Atlantic Coast Conference
Ohio State and Florida State have met three times in history with the Buckeyes winning all three contests. The teams last met Dec. 27, 1968 in Tallahassee, Fla., with then-No. 16 OSU coming out on top 93-86. Ohio State, ranked No. 1 nationally, won the first contest Dec. 2, 1961 in Columbus 72-57. Florida State returned to OSU Dec. 4, 1967 and fell 76-69. Against 8-of-9 ACC members, the Buckeyes have compiled a 30-14 (.682) record all time. Ohio State has faced every ACC school except Clemson.
Ohio State owns advantage against Syracuse, BIG EAST and Conference USA
Ohio State has a slight 5-4 advantage in nine meetings against DePaul and owns a 38-24 (.613) record against teams representing Conference USA. The Buckeyes could face either Syracuse or DePaul in the second round of the Great Alaska Shootout Friday. Syracuse, a member of the BIG EAST Conference, is 1-3 against the Buckeyes while OSU has a 50-31 (.617) record against BIG EAST teams.
No. 11 Florida downs Florida State in season opener for both schools
The No. 11 Gators needed a career-high 27 points from Teddy Dupay and had to fight to the finish for an 85-70 victory over Florida State in the season opener last Friday. Not until Dupay sandwiched two 3-pointers around a basket by Haslem, and Brent Wright followed with four free throws, did the Gators have a lead they could feel comfortable with, 69-56 with five minutes left. Florida State’s Michael Joiner, the forward from Fayetteville, N.C., scored 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting and kept the Seminoles within striking range. With football on everyone’s mind, it seemed fitting that Florida State’s lineman-sized center, Nigel Dixon, had a good game. The 350-pound sophomore ate up space inside and scored all 11 of his points in the second half. Florida State’s only returning starter, Delvon Arrington, finished with four points and five assists, as the Seminoles lost their first season opener ever in Tallahassee, breaking a 37-game streak.
DePaul, Syracuse win openers
DePaul was threatened, but the 22nd-ranked Blue Demons were never worried. Bobby Simmons scored 19 points despite foul troubles and freshman Andre Brown had 18 as DePaul outlasted Lewis 87-80 in the opener for both last Friday. The Flyers led 49-39 at halftime and were ahead 70-69 with 5:47 left before the Blue Demons took control.
Preston Shumpert scored 23 points and blocked four shots Sunday leading Syracuse to a 73-53 victory over St. Francis of New York in the season opener for both teams.
Three student-athletes added for 2001-02 season
Jim O’Brien signed one of the best recruiting classes of his coaching tenure Nov. 8, the first day of the fall men’s basketball signing period.
Matt Sylvester (Loveland, Ohio/Moeller), Terence Dials (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) and Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) all signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play for Ohio State.
Sylvester, a 6-foot-7-inch, 200-pound wing forward, is considered to be among the top two players in Ohio. He is ranked by Prep Spotlight Magazine as one of the Top 60 players in the country. Sylvester played for the powerful Cincinnati AAU program. As a junior, he averaged 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. As a sophomore, Sylvester helped guide Carl Kremer’s Moeller squad to a Division I State Championship.
Dials, the second recruit from Ohio to sign with the Buckeyes, is a 6-foot-9-inch, 240-pound power forward/center. He gives the Buckeyes an athletic big man. As a junior, Dials averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4.0 blocks.
Fuss-Cheatham (6-1, 190) is the No. 1-ranked point guard in the Midwest by Vince Baldwin of Midwesthoops.com and the No. 6 nationally-ranked point guard. He also is considered a Top 30 all-around player in the high school class of 2001. He averaged 21.3 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.1 rebounds as a junior. He shot 59 percent from the field (279-476) and 77 percent (123-160) from the free-throw line. He has been Blackhawk’s starting point guard since his freshman season. The Cougars are 85-11 during that time. Over the last two seasons, Blackhawk is 62-4 with two conference championships and a state title.
Buckeyes own advantage vs. Ivy
Ohio State is 6-2 all-time vs. Yale and 32-18 against Ivy League schools. Penn was the last Ivy school to defeat Ohio State. The Quakers downed the Buckeyes 91-71 Dec. 3, 1994 in Philadelphia.
Big Ten coaches, media select Johnson preseason First Team All-Big Ten
The Big Ten men’s basketball coaches and league media chose Ken Johnson (Sr., Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford) as a preseason First Team All-Big Ten selection. The announcement was made Oct. 30 at the annual Big Ten Men’s Basketball media day. Johnson joins Cory Bradford (Illinois), Charlie Bell (Michigan State), Kirk Haston (Indiana) and LaVell Blanchard (Michigan) on the squad selected by the coaches. The media selected the same squad with the exception of Haston. Joe Crispin of Penn State filled that spot. Johnson, who averaged nearly eight points, over six rebounds and 5.4 blocks a game last year as a junior, is the only senior on Ohio State’s squad this season.
Johnson on watch list for Naismith Award
Ken Johnson, a senior on the Ohio State men’s basketball team, is among 30 preseason candidates for the 2000-01 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award. The Naismith Awards program, now in its 33rd year, honors the outstanding college basketball players in the United States. The program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball. Charlie Bell (Michigan State), Cory Bradford (Illinois) and Mike Kelley (Wisconsin) also represent the Big Ten on the list.
Wooden Award a possibility for Johnson
Johnson is a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, which began its Silver Anniversary celebration with the announcement of the Top 50 Preseason Candidates for the 2000-01 All-American Team in late August. Founded in 1976, The John R. Wooden Award is the nation’s pre-eminent trophy given annually to the most outstanding collegiate basketball player in the United States.
Johnson helps Olympic team prepare for Gold in Sydney
Ken Johnson was selected as one of 12 collegiate players who gathered to practice against the 2000 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team last summer in Maui, Hawaii. Johnson was the only true center on the 2000 USA Basketball Men’s Select team and its tallest player at 6-feet 11-inches. The Select team scrimmaged the Olympic team each day during the week-long camp. The camp ended with a nationally-televised (NBC) contest Sept. 2 at the University of Hawaii Stan Sheriff Center.
Johnson No. 2 on OSU career swat chart
Ken Johnson made a serious assault on the Buckeye career blocked shots chart in 1999-00 with 161 blocks, which moved him into second-place all-time at Ohio State in career rejections. Johnson is four behind (324) the 328 recorded blocks by Buckeye great Herb Williams (1978-81). Johnson averaged 1.9 bpg (58/30 gms.) as a freshman, 2.8 bpg. (100/36 gms.) as a sophomore and 5.37 bpg. (161/30 gms.) in 1999-00.
Johnson, Brown selected captains
Jim O’Brien announced Ken Johnson and Brian Brown will serve as team captains for the 2000-01 season.
Johnson, who is a fifth-year senior, led the nation in blocked shots as a junior with 161. He has started 92 games in the last three seasons and has appeared in 96 contests. Johnson has a chance to become the all-time record holder for blocked shots in the Big Ten Conference. With 110 more rejections, he will overtake Calvin Booth, who swatted 428 during his career (1995-99) at Penn State. Brown, a junior, has started the last 35 games at guard for the Buckeyes, including all 30 contests as a sophomore. He averaged 8.9 points per game last year, more than doubling his 4.1 scoring average from his freshman season.
Buckeyes among few to use same starting lineup in 1999-00
According to STATS Inc., Ohio State was among just six schools to use just one or two different starting lineups in 1999-00. Hawaii used the same starters all season. Ohio State, Southern Illinois, St. John’s, Vermont and Wofford used just two lineups in 1999-00.
Johnson reaches 300 career blocks, 5th on Big Ten list
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 324 blocks in his career after swatting five in the season opener against Yale (11/17). Johnson is just the second Buckeye and the sixth Big Ten player to reach 300 career blocks. Johnson is fifth in Big Ten history with 324 rejections. Herb Williams (1977-81) leads OSU and is fourth all-time among Big Ten players with 328 rejections.
Big Ten Career Blocked Shots leaders 1. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-99 428 2. Acie Earl, IOWA 1989-93 365 3. Joe Barry Carroll, PUR 1977-80 349 4. Herb Williams, OSU 1977-81 328 5. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 324 6. Brad Sellers, WIS-OSU 1981-86 307 7. Roy Tarpley, MICH 1982-86 251 8. Kevin McHale, MINN 1976-80 235 9. Greg Stokes, IOWA 1981-85 229 10.Randy Breuer, MINN 1979-83 228
Big Ten Season Blocked Shot leaders 1. Ken Johnson, OSU 1999-00 161 2. Calvin Booth, PSU 1997-98 140 3. Jim Pitts, NU 1965-66 123 4. Acie Earl, Iowa 1991-92 121 5. Acie Earl, Iowa 1990-91 106 6. Joe Barry Carroll, PUR 1977-78 105 7. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-96 101 8. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998-99 100 9. Dean Garrett, IND 1987-88 99 10.Roy Tarpley, MICH 1985-86 97 Brad Sellers, OSU 1985-86 97
Johnson led nation in blocks, average fifth in NCAA
Ohio State center Ken Johnson led the Big Ten and the nation in blocks in 1999-00. Johnson sent back 5.37 shots per game with 161 blocks on the year. Johnson has the fifth highest block per game average in NCAA history.
NCAA Single Season Blocks Avg. 1. #Adonal Foyle, Colgate 1997 6.43 2. #Keith Closs, C. Conn. St. 1996 6.36 3. #David Robinson, Navy 1986 5.91 4. Adonal Foyle, Colgate 1996 5.69 5. #Ken Johnson, OSU 2000 5.37 # Led nation in blocks.
2-year home record rates high at OSU
Ohio State has compiled a 30-3 (.909) record over three season in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were 14-1 in the inaugural season in VCA (1998-99) and notched a 15-2 record at home in 1999-00. In back-to-back seasons in which the Buckeyes have won at least 25 combined home games, the OSU record from 1999-00 of 29-3 stands fourth all-time for home record in consecutive seasons. The 1962-63 teams posted a 25-0 record during a span of 50 home games in which the Buckeyes were undefeated from 1960-64.
Ohio State home record in back-to-back seasons
Seasons 2-yr. home Rec. Win Pct. 1962-63 25-0 1.000 1991-92 30-1 .968 1990-91 27-2 .931 1999-00 29-3 .906 1985-86 26-5 .839 1982-83 25-5 .833 1986-87 26-7 .788 1985-86 26-5 .781
OSU 3-pt FG streak extended to 251
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 251 games. Brent Darby extended the streak early in the first half against Yale (11/1700). The last time an OSU team missed all attempts from 3-point range was Feb. 2, 1992 when the Buckeyes went 0 for 5 in a 68-58 OSU win over Michigan. Buckeye opponents have a streak of 243-consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer made. Michigan went 0-10 from long range March 3, 1992 in an OSU 75-66 victory, marking the last time an opponent was held without a 3-pointer.
OSU vs. the Big Ten
The Buckeyes open the Big Ten season Jan. 3, 2001 at home against Northwestern. The Buckeyes have more victories over the Wildcats (97) than any other league school. Ohio State has 78 wins each over Michigan and Wisconsin. Illinois has the most wins over the Buckeyes with 94. This will be the 89th season of Big Ten play for Ohio State in men’s basketball.
Big Ten Series Records Illinois 56-94 Indiana 66-92 Iowa 59-67 Michigan 78-67 Michigan State 44-51 Minnesota 69-50 Northwestern 97-44 Penn State 11-11 Purdue 67-77 Wisconsin 78-53 Totals 625-606
