Men’s Basketball Christen Arena with Victory – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/9/1998 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
November 9, 1998
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Redd, Penn highlight opener
The Ohio State men’s basketball team%^$christened the immaculate 19,500-seat Value City Arena Tuesday evening with a%^$107-75 win over the One World All-Stars. The game was an exhibition contest, and%^$will not count in OSU’s overall record this season. OSU’s dynamic one-two punch%^$of Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn lived up to every expectation of the 12,280 fans%^$in attendance. Redd scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed five rebounds. In%^$his debut as a Buckeye, Penn registered 15 points and showed superior passing%^$skills with eight assists.
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Five Ohio State players scored in double figures
Sophomore Jon%^$Sanderson scored 14 points and hit all three of his attempts from behind the%^$three-point arc. Jason Singleton notched 11 points, and freshman Brian Brown%^$added 10 points. Orlando Antigua led the One World All-Stars, a collection of%^$foreign born players, with 17 points. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 55-36 lead in%^$the first half and never looked back. A tenacious Buckeye defense forced 26%^$turnovers. OSU committed only eight turnovers on offense while dishing out 22%^$assists. Despite taking a whopping 84 shots compared to only 49 from the One%^$World All-Stars, OSU won the rebounding battle by a 39-34 margin. OSU connected%^$on 41-of-84 (49 percent) shots from the field, while the All-Stars hit 25-of-49%^$(51 percent) shots from floor. Ohio State sizzled from long range, hitting%^$10-of-20 three-point attempts. The Buckeyes took advantage of the lopsided%^$victory, as 11 players saw at least 10 minutes of playing time. Ten of Ohio%^$State’s 13 players found their way into the scoring column.
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Marathon 2-4 after swing through East, Midwest The Marathon Basketball team%^$enters the contest tonight 3-3. The squad opened with a loss to Seton Hall 83-69%^$(10/31) then downed Villanova 92-85 (11/1). St. John’s won 87-82 (11/2) followed%^$by a 107-81 victory by Providence. Marathon has split the last two contests with%^$a lost to Connecticut 79-76 (11/5) and a win over West Virginia, 95-73 (11/7).%^$Marathon is led by Lazell Durden with 19.8 points a game. He is followed by Erwin%^$Claggett with 16.2 a contest.
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Buckeyes usher in new era, arena
With the game against the%^$Worldwide All-Stars, Ohio State basketball and hockey will begin the Value City%^$Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center era. The new arena will seat 19,500 fans%^$for both men’s and women’s basketball and 17,500 for ice hockey. The facility%^$will be the home for the coaching staffs of the three sports along with locker%^$rooms, training and weight training facilities. The basketball teams will utilize%^$a separate practice facility as well.
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Redd considered for Wooden Award
Ohio State sophomore Michael Redd%^$is on the preseason watch list as a candidate for the prestigious John R. Wooden%^$Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate player. Redd is among 50%^$players under consideration this season.
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Redd preseason all-Big Ten selection:
Both the Big Ten coaches and%^$media selected the same five players to their preseason all-Big Ten Teams at the%^$annual media day festivities in Chicago (Oct. 25). Ohio State sophomore Michael%^$Redd earned a selection along with Louis Bullock (Michigan), Mateen Cleaves%^$(Michigan State), Evan Eschmeyer (Northwestern) and A.J. Guyton (Indiana).%^$Cleaves was tabbed as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.
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WBNS to televise three games in Puerto Rico
The Buckeyes will%^$have every game on its 1998-99 schedule televised with the addition of the three%^$games in Puerto Rico Dec. 21-23. WBNS (Channel 10) will air the games%^$tape-delayed at 7 p.m. each night of the tournament. Ohio State will open with%^$Alabama-Birmingham Dec. 21 and will play either N.C. State or Middle-Tennessee%^$State Dec. 22. The opener against UAB will begin at 11 a.m. EST. All OSU games%^$will air live on WBNS Radio (AM 1460 and FM 97.1).
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Buckeyes Celebrating 100 Years
Ohio State will celebrate 100 years%^$of men’s basketball during the 1998-99 season. The Buckeyes first fielded a team%^$in 1898, posting a record of 12-4. Since then, OSU has compiled a record of%^$1,264-902 (.584). Since joining the Big Ten, Ohio State has won or tied for 15%^$conference titles, winning 10 outright. OSU has an overall record in Big Ten%^$games of 610-599 in 87 years of membership. Along the way, the Buckeyes have%^$produced 14 All-Americans, three Associated Press players of the year, 13 NBA%^$first round draft picks, eight members of the National Basketball Hall of Fame,%^$two U.S. Olympians and countless others national, international, conference and%^$local award winners and team members.
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1998-99 Captains named
Senior Neshaun Coleman, a 6-3, 190-pound%^$guard from Toledo, will again act as a captain. He was the lone captain last%^$season as a junior. Joining him will be senior Jason Singleton, a 6-5,%^$190-pound guard/forward from Detroit, and junior James “Scoonie” Penn, a 5-10,%^$185-pound guard from Salem, Mass. Penn is a transfer from Boston College who is%^$eligible for the first time as a Buckeye this season.
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Seven old and six new
Six new faces will dot the Buckeye sidelines%^$in 1998-99. Three freshmen and three junior transfers will be in uniform for the%^$first time as Buckeyes. They join seven veterans from a year ago battling for%^$playing time this season. OSU will field a young team this season with just%^$two seniors. The rest of the squad consists of five juniors, three sophomores and%^$three freshmen.
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The addition of “Scoonie” Penn
When Jim O’Brien accepted the%^$position at Ohio State prior to the start of last season, he took over a squad%^$unfamiliar to him and his staff. That soon changed when O’Brien’s star point%^$guard at Boston College decided to become a Buckeye. James “Scoonie” Penn sat out%^$last season because of NCAA transfer rules but was able to practice with his new%^$teammates. “Scoonie has already established himself as one of our team%^$leaders,” O’Brien said. “He will provide good leadership both on and off the%^$court. He will give us quickness, scoring, toughness and a strong work ethic.”%^$
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The Schottenstein Center Opens Ohio State’s $105 million Jerome Schottenstein%^$Center opens for the 1998-99 season and will host a variety of athletics events%^$in addition to many other concerts and shows. A total of 54 Ohio State men’s%^$and women’s basketball and hockey games are scheduled this season. Performers%^$Bill Cosby and Andy Williams also are scheduled. The Ohio High School Athletic%^$Association State Championships for wrestling and boy’s basketball, The Wizard of%^$Oz on Ice, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Harlem%^$Globetrotters and a visit from Sesame Street Live will be just a few of the acts%^$to perform in the Schottenstein Center’s first season.
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Other news, notes from 1997-98
Michael Redd was the first Ohio%^$State player since Jim Jackson (1992) to lead the Big Ten in scoring. Prior to%^$Jackson, Dennis Hopson led the league (and was second nationally) in 1987. Red%^$lead OSU 23 times in scoring … When Michael Redd (23) and Jon Sanderson (21)%^$topped the 20-point plateau at Iowa Feb. 14, it marked the first time in Ohio%^$State history a pair of freshmen had done so in the same game. The pair equalled%^$the feat against Penn State just two days later when Redd poured in 28 and%^$Sanderson 21 … Redd is the only returning player who started all 30 games last%^$season Sanderson and Jason Singleton each started 28 … Coleman has connected on%^$his last 14 free throw attempts … His last miss was against Southern%^$California, Dec. 20, 1997.
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Coleman pushing for career lead from long range Neshaun Coleman%^$continued his climb up the three-point shooting charts last year. He ranks second%^$in both three-point field goals made (115) and attempted (348). He needs 30 made%^$three pointers this season to pass Jamie Skelton, who made 144 from 1991-94.%^$Skelton also attempted 422 three points over his career, 74 more than Coleman.%^$
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Buckeyes could face as many as nine ranked foes from 1997-98 The%^$1998-99 Ohio State men’s basketball schedule is dotted with eight potential%^$opponents that finished among the Top 25 or received votes in either the AP or%^$USA Today/ESPN polls last season. Purdue, Michigan, Mississippi, Michigan%^$State and Illinois all ended the season in the Top 25 in both or one of the two%^$major polls. Minnesota, Indiana, Oklahoma and Penn State also received votes for%^$25 recognition last year.
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Twelve Opponents find spots in preseason polls A total of 12 1998-99%^$OSU opponents have secured spots in either the preseason Associate Press or%^$ESPN/USA Today polls for the 1998-99 season. Michigan State (5 AP/4 ESPN/USA%^$Today) tops the list followed by Purdue (16/16, Indiana (22/17) and a host of%^$others who have received votes. North Carolina State, Oklahoma,%^$Alabama-Birmingham and Mississippi are all possible opponents in the Puerto Rico%^$Holiday Classic. Miami (Fla.) received votes in both polls. The Hurricanes will%^$meet the Buckeyes in the HIP Health Care Orange Bowl Classic, Dec. 27 in Sunrise,%^$Fla. Other Big Ten teams receiving votes are Minnesota, Penn State and Illinois%^$and Michigan
