Men’s Basketball To Take The Court Again – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/9/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 9, 1999
Buckeyes 5th/6th in major polls
%^$Ohio State is rated No. 5 in the preseason AP Poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today preseason list. The Buckeyes received first-place votes in both polls as well. OSU claimed three No. 1 votes in the AP Poll and two in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. %^$
%^$Several Ohio State opponents rated among nation’s best
%^$Michigan State (3/2), Kansas (11/11), Illinois (16/18), St. John’s (18/19) and Purdue (23/21) are all rated among the Top 25 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today preseason polls, respectively. Several other 1999-00 OSU opponents are receiving votes as well. Indiana, Michigan, Iowa and Siena (possible 2nd rnd. NIT foe) all are receiving votes. Other possible NIT opponents in the Top 25 are Arizona (9/9), Kentucky (14/12), Utah (15/15) and Maryland (RV/23).%^$
%^$Buckeyes experiment, roll to win over One World All-Stars
%^$Ohio State opened the 1999-00 season with an exhibition win over the One World All-Stars, 82-66. The Buckeyes toyed with several lineups in the first half. OSU trailed at the half 39-34. In the second half, the Buckeyes outscored One World, 48-27, after turning up the defensive pressure and working out the offseason dust. Four Buckeyes scored in double figures led by senior guard Scoonie Penn’s game-high 20 points. Penn connected on 5 of 9 3-pointers to pick up where he left off last season. He connected on a school record 88 treys last year. Junior Michael Redd added 14 points followed by 12 from sophomore Boban Savovic off the bench and 11 from senior forward George Reese. Senior center Ken Johnson also continued from where he left off last season (school record 100 blocks) with four rejections vs. One World. He also led both sides with eight rebounds to lead the Buckeyes to a 43-37 advantage on the boards. %^$
%^$No. 5/6 Ohio State Buckeyes Probable Starters (0-0)
%^$G-12-Scoonie Penn, 5-10, Sr.
%^$G-22-Michael Redd, 6-6, Jr.
%^$G-13-Brian Brown, 6-3, So.
%^$C-32-Ken Johnson, 6-11, Sr.
%^$F-40-George Reese, 6-7, Sr.
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%^$Marathon Basketball 1-2 entering contest with Buckeyes
%^$Prior to facing Penn State (Tuesday, Nov. 9) the Marathon Basketball team opened its season with a lose to St. John’s (98-59, Nov. 2), a win over Rutgers (76-66, Nov. 3) and a loss to Villanova (90-80, Nov. 5). Following the game with the Buckeyes, Marathon will end its schedule at Notre Dame (Nov. 11), at Indiana (Nov. 12) and at Texas El Paso (Nov. 15). %^$
%^$VCA Sold out for 1999-00
%^$The entire 1999-00 home men’s basketball season at Value City Arena is sold out. All 19,100 seats are sold this year, including 4,000 student season tickets. A total of 10,000 student season ticket applications were submitted for the 4,000 available seats. Split season tickets were distributed to 8,000 students who submitted applications this year. Last season 650 student season tickets were sold. The Buckeyes averaged 17,228 fans last season. Ohio State was 14-1 in its first season a VCA. %^$
%^$Penn, Redd earn preseason Big Ten recognition by both coaches and media
%^$Ohio State senior guard Scoonie Penn (Salem, Mass./Salem) was selected as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by the league coaches Sunday in Chicago during the conference-sponsored media day.%^$
%^$Michigan State senior Mateen Cleaves was selected by the Big Ten media as its preseason player of the year candidate. Ironically, the coaches tabbed Cleaves the Big Ten Player of the Year at the conclusion of last season while the media selected Penn. Penn along with OSU junior Michael Redd (Columbus, Ohio/West) were both selected as first team all-conference members by both the media and coaches.%^$
%^$The coaches also added Cleaves and Morris Peterson of Michigan State to the first team along with A.J. Guyton of Indiana. The media selected a similar first team but replaced Guyton with Cory Bradford of Illinois. League coaches picked Michigan State to win the conference this year followed by Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana. The media picked MSU, Ohio State and Illinois as its top three.%^$
%^$Buckeyes return most of 1998-99 offensive, defensive firepower
%^$When the Buckeyes open the 1999-00 season against Notre Dame (Nov. 16), the Buckeyes will have over 70 percent of nine statistical categories returning from last year. Offensively, Ohio State returns nearly 77 percent of its points and assists. Defensively, the Buckeyes return 83 percent of its blocks and 70 percent in the steals category. %^$
%^$1998-99 Numbers Returning
%^$Points, 2,048 of 2,695 76.6 pct.%^$Rebounds, 974 of 1,303 74.2 pct.%^$Assists, 385 of 498 77.3 pct.%^$Blocks, 124 of 148 83.4 pct.%^$Steals, 208 of 297 70.0 pct.%^$Minutes, 5,323 of 7,275 73.2 pct.%^$Field Goals, 736 of 986 74.6 pct.%^$3-pointers, 170 of 218 78.0 pct.%^$Free Throws, 406 of 505 80.4 pct.%^$
%^$Buckeyes spend last 10 weeks in AP poll
%^$Ohio Spent the final 10 weeks of the 1998-99 season ranked among the Top 15 teams nationally in the Associated Press Poll. The Buckeyes finished No. 14 in the AP and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today polls. Ohio State is consistently ranked among the Top 10 teams nationally in a variety of preseason polls this year. %^$
%^$Redd, Penn named OSU captains
%^$Senior Scoonie Penn and junior Michael Redd were named team captains during preseason camp. It will be the second season Penn has served in that capacity at Ohio State. He along with seniors Neshaun Coleman and Jason Singleton served last season. Redd will be serving his first season as an OSU captain. %^$
%^$Both Buckeye captains named to Wooden Awards watch list
%^$Scoonie Penn along with running mate Michael Redd were named Wooden Award preseason All-Americans. The OSU guard tandem is among the 25 of the nation’s elite players to be considered for the award.%^$
%^$Penn, Redd listed on several preseason All-America lists
%^$Buckeye senior Scoonie Penn is listed on several first team All-America teams. Some of the publications or preseason pollsters who have deemed Penn among the nation’s best include: Sport Magazine, Athlon Sports, Basketball Times, Street & Smith’s and Blue Ribbon. Lindy’s picks Penn and junior Michael Redd as First Team all-Big Ten Conference selections. Redd has been consistently deemed a second team nomination in most of the preseason publications. %^$
%^$Three new players ready for action, two additional faces sitting out
%^$Three new eligible players will see action this season for the Buckeyes. Sophomore Doylan Robinson (Akron, Ohio/Buchtel) is eligible for the first time this season after sitting out his freshman campaign with the Buckeyes. Freshmen Brent Darby (6-0, River Rouge, Mich./River Rouge) and Slobodan “Cobe” Ocokoljic (Kraljevo, Yugoslavia/Massillon (OH) Washington) also are ready to contribute for the Buckeyes. Cobe (CHO-bay) is a nickname given by OSU’s other Slobodan, sophomore “Boban” Savovic. Two additional players are practicing with the Buckeyes this season but will not be eligible until next year. Sophomores Tim Martin, who played at Kent, and Sean Connolly, a transfer from Providence, are working out with the Buckeyes. %^$
%^$Buckeyes second in NCAA history for one-season turnaround
%^$The Buckeyes left the Final Four with a record just short of the NCAA record for one-season turnarounds. OSU, 8-22 in 1997-98, improved by 16 games (27-9), which is the second best jump by any school since the NCAA began keeping the statistic in 1974. The record (16.5) is held by North Carolina A&T from 3-24 to 20-8 in 1978, Murray State from 4-22 to 23-8 in 1980 and Liberty from 5-23 to 22-7 in 1992 but none made the NCAA Tournament. %^$
%^$Ohio State’s Ninth Final Four
%^$Coach Jim O’Brien guided Ohio State into its ninth Final Four appearance and its first since 1968 when Olympian and Academic All-American Bill Hosket led the Buckeyes to a third-place finish. Ohio State’s nine Final Four appearances – 1939-44-45-46-60-61-62-68-99 – represents the sixth-highest total in NCAA history, trailing only UCLA (15), North Carolina (14), Kentucky (13), Duke (12) and Kansas (10).%^$
%^$From 8-22 to the Final Four
%^$Ohio State was 8-22 and 1-15 in the Big Ten Conference in Jim O’Brien’s first season as coach (1997-98). OSU left the 1999 Final Four with a school-record-tieing 27 wins against just nine defeats. Only one school has had a worse winning percentage one year (OSU’s .266 mark in 1998) and then advance to the Final Four the next year: The 1940 Wisconsin Badgers had a .250 winning percentage (5-15) but bounced back to win the 1941 Final Four.%^$
%^$Ohio State sets record for games played in a single season
%^$Ohio State played in 36 games in 1998-99 (27-9). That total is a school record breaking the 34 games played (19-15) during the 1988-89 season. The Buckeyes advanced to the third round of the NIT Tournament that season before losing to St. John’s in overtime, 83-80 March 23, 1989. %^$
%^$O’Brien enjoyed most successful season as head coach
%^$Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien directed the Buckeyes to a 27-win season. O’Brien’s previous single-season high for wins came during the 1993-94 season when he guided Boston College to a 23-11 campaign and a trip to the NCAA regional finals.%^$
%^$O’Brien 7th coach to take OSU to the NCAA Tournament
%^$Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien, the 1999 Big Ten and NABC (Co-) Coach of the Year, is the seventh head coach at Ohio State to guide his team to NCAA Tournament. O’Brien follows Harold Olsen (1939, ’44, ’45, ’46), William “Tippy” Dye (1950), Fred Taylor (1960, ’61, ’62, ’68, ’71), Eldon Miller (1980, ’82, ’83, ’85), Gary Williams (1987) and Randy Ayers (1990, ’91, ’92). O’Brien joins a select group of coaches to have taken two team to the NCAA Tournament after guiding Boston College into NCAA play three times (1994, ’96, ’97). O’Brien is 9-4 in NCAA Tournament play. %^$
%^$Noting the Buckeyes
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Ohio State won a school record-tieing 27 games for only thethird time in school history. The previous two seasons are: 1961(27-1) and 1991 (27-4). The 36 games played this season (27-9) is aschool record as well.%^$
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Ohio State defeated 10 ranked opponents in 13 tries. Ohio Statehad a six game winning streak against teams ranked in theAssociated Press Top 25 before falling to No. 3 UConn at the FinalFour. The win over No. 4 Auburn (3/18) was OSU’s first win over aTop 5 team since the Buckeyes defeated No. 1 Indiana Feb. 23, 1993,81-77. The win over No. 9 St. John’s gave Ohio State back-to-backwins over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history. The 10wins over ranked opponents is a school record for single seasonsuccess over ranked foes.%^$
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Sophomore Michael Redd has scored 1,361 career points leavinghim 48 points away from moving passed Larry Bolden (1974-77) on theall-time career scoring list at Ohio State. Bolden scored 1,408points and is currently No. 17 on the all-time list.%^$
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Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien is now 9-4 in NCAA Tournamentgames after the 4-1 effort in 1999. It was O’Brien’s first FinalFour appearance.%^$
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Ohio State junior Scoonie Penn added to his school records for3-pointers made and attempted in a single season with a 2 of 7outing from long range against Connecticut. Penn has made 88 of 2293-pointers. Penn moved up the single season assists chart with fouragainst the Huskies. He holds down the No. 6 spot with 154. His 70steals this season is No. 3 on the all-time list in single seasonsteals.%^$
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Michael Redd set a freshman scoring record with 658 points as afreshman, the 11th highest single season scoring mark at OSU. Hemoved past that effort with his 22 points against Auburn, 20 vs.St. John’s and 15 against UConn to give him 703 as a sophomore. Hissingle season point total last year ranks No. 6 behind Jerry Lucas’710 points in 1959-60.%^$
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Ohio State won 19 more games last season than it did in 1997-98(8-22). The 19-game improvement is an OSU record for turnaroundsfrom one season to the next. %^$
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Ohio State set a single season record for team steals afteradding five against Connecticut. The Buckeyes recorded 297 theftslast year topping the 281 recorded during the 1986-87 season. OSUbuilt on its single season record for 3-pointers made (218) andattempted (611) after a 3 of 14 effort against UConn.. %^$
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Ohio State senior Ken Johnson recorded three blocks againstUConn to give him 100 on the season. That total is good for the No1 spot all time in a single season on the OSU block charts.%^$
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Scoonie Penn scored 609 points last year after an 11-pointeffort at the Final Four vs. Connecticut. He and running mateMichael Redd (703 points) became only the third OSU duo to score600 or more in the same season.%^$
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The Buckeyes have connected on at least one 3-pointer in thelast 220 games. Boban Savovic extended the streak at the 13:56 markvs. UConn.%^$
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The Ohio State guard trio of Michael Redd, Scoonie Penn andBrian Brown combined for 53 assists and just 24 turnovers in NCAATournament play for a 2.4 assist to turnover ratio. %^$
%^$1998-99 Buckeyes one of best OSU offensive teams ever
%^$Ohio State scored 2,695 points this season good for the No. 3 spot all time in scoring at Ohio State. The 1988-89 team is second with 2,720 points. The No. 1 1986-97 squad scored 2,802 points (84.9 ppg.). The Buckeyes averaged 74.9 ppg. this season. In the Top 5 scoring seasons at Ohio State four Buckeye teams reached 100 points at least once in a single game. OSU did not score 100 points last season. %^$
%^$O’Brien earns Big Ten Coach of the Year
%^$Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien was selected by the Big Ten media as the Coach of the Year in the Big Ten. O’Brien has now won similar league awards in the Atlantic 10 at St. Bonaventure, the Big East at Boston College and now the Big Ten after guiding the Buckeyes in just his second season to a 27-9 overall record and a Big Ten mark of 12-4. O’Brien directed his eighth team into the postseason and his fourth to NCAA Tournament play. O’Brien is the fourth OSU coach to earn Big Ten accolades. Randy Ayers won the honor twice in 1991 and 1992 and Eldon Miller in 1983. %^$
%^$Penn sets 3-point shooting record
%^$Scoonie Penn connected on 88 of 229 (.384) 3-pointers last season to place his name at the top of the single season record list at OSU for made 3-pointers and attempts. After two seasons at Boston College and one at Ohio State, Penn has connected on 192 of 552 3-pointers (.348).%^$
%^$Redd joins 500-point club 2nd time
%^$Buckeye junior Michael Redd reached the single-season 500-point mark for the second time in his career. He scored 658 points as a freshman, the 11th highest single-season scoring mark at OSU. He entered the NCAA Tournament with 604 points and increased that total by 99 to 703. He became the ninth Buckeye to score 500 or more twice. Redd’s single season total last year ranks sixth all time. Only Jerry Lucas has managed 500 or more three times. %^$
%^$Redd just 4th Buckeye to score 600+ points twice, 6th to reach 700
%^$Michael Redd has now eclipsed the 600-point mark in a single season twice. He scored a freshman record 658 points and finished with 703 this season. Only all-time leading scorer Dennis Hopson (690 in 1986 and 958 in 1987), Jerry Lucas (710 in 1960, 671 in 1961, 609 in 1962) and Gary Bradds (672 in 1963 and 735 in 1964) have managed 600 or more twice. Lucas is the only one to do it three times. Redd’s 703 points was the sixth highest single season total in OSU history and only the sixth time a player scored 700 or more in a single season. No player has done it more than once. %^$
%^$Penn reaches 500-point mark
%^$Scoonie Penn reached 500 points with his first free throw of the game against Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. He averaged 16.9 points in 1998-99. His 609 points made him just the 31st player to reach 500 points in a single season and just the 16th to score 600 or more. Penn tied for 14th on the single season scoring charts with Jerry Lucas, who scored 609 points in 1961-62. %^$
%^$Penn, Redd post dual 500-point seasons for first time in 11 years
%^$Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn became just the sixth duo from the same team in OSU history to score 500 or more points in the same season and just the third pair to eclipse 600 in the same campaign. Redd led the Buckeyes with 703 points (1905 ppg.) in 1998-99. Penn had 609 points and a 16.9 scoring average. Redd and Penn are the first to accomplish 500+ seasons since the 1987-88 season when Jay Burson (625) and Jerry Francis (507) managed 500 or more. The pair are the first 600+ since 1986 when Dennis Hopson (690) and Brad Sellers (653) turned the trick. Redd became the 30th OSU player to reach 500 points in a single season, Penn is No. 31. Redd has scored 500+ in both his seasons as a Buckeye. Redd is the 15th to reach 600 and just the sixth to score 700+.
%^$Year Players Pts.%^$1999 Michael Redd/ 703%^$ Scoonie Penn 609%^$1988 Jay Burson/ 625%^$ Jerry Francis 507%^$1986 Dennis Hopson/ 690%^$ Brad Sellers 653%^$1979 Kelvin Ransey/ 664%^$ Herb Williams 617%^$1970 Dave Sorenson/ 581%^$ Jim Cleamons 518%^$1968 Bill Hosket/ 584%^$ Steve Howell 507%^$
%^$Redd reaches OSU milestone
%^$Michael Redd (1,361) became just the third sophomore in Ohio State history to reach 1,000 points after his 30-point effort against Purdue (1/19/99). Herb Williams (1978-81) and Jim Jackson (1990-92) are the only other Buckeyes to reach 1,000 points at OSU as sophomores. Only five players have scored 1,000 points in their first two seasons at OSU. In addition to Williams and Jackson, Jerry Lucas (1960-62), Dave Sorenson (1968-70) and Brad Sellers (1985-86) each reached 1,000 points in their second year at Ohio State. Lucas and Sorenson were juniors who were not eligible as freshman and Sellers was a senior. He transferred from Wisconsin.%^$
%^$Redd second quickest to 1,000
%^$Buckeye legend Jerry Lucas (1960-62) reached 1,000 points during a 30-point effort against Northwestern Jan. 14, 1961 in his 38th game as a Buckeye. Michael Redd is just the second Buckeye to reach 1,000 points in less than 50 games. He has played in 65 games at Ohio State and has scored 1,346 points.
%^$Two-year OSU 1,000+ scorers%^$ Career 2-Yr. Gms to%^$Player Pts. Total 1,000%^$Jerry Lucas 1,990 1,381 38%^$Michael Redd 1,361 1,361 49%^$Dave Sorenson 1,622 1,041 52%^$Herb Williams 2,011 1,069 54%^$Brad Sellers 1,122 1,122 58%^$Jim Jackson 1,785 1,067 59%^$
%^$OSU vs. the Big Ten
%^$Ohio State played its 1,200th game against the current alignment of Big Ten teams against Indiana (Jan. 9, 1999). The Buckeyes earned their 600th win over current Big Ten opponents with a 70-62 win over Penn State in the earliest Big Ten game ever played Nov. 20 in Columbus. %^$
%^$OSU 3-point field goal streak extended to 220
%^$Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 220 games. Sophomore Boban Savovic extended the streak at the 13:56 mark of the first half against UConn at the Final Four. 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 212-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.%^$
%^$Miscellaneous notes
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Ohio State finished its inaugural season at Value City Arenawith a 14-1 record, winning the last five games in the homearena.%^$
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With his 99 points scored in the NCAA Tournament, Michael Reddmoved into 18th place in all-time scoring at Ohio State. Reddcurrently has 1,361 points after just 66 career games. He hasnotched double figure scoring in all but two of those games.%^$
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Ohio State is now 11-3 when Redd (20 vs. St. John’s) and Penn(22) combine for 40 or more points. The Buckeyes are 5-2 vs. BigTen teams when this feat is accomplished.%^$
%^$Buckeyes 11-3 when Redd, Penn combine for 40+ points
%^$Sophomore Michael Redd and junior Scoonie Penn have combined to score 40+ in 14 games. The Buckeyes are 11-3 in those contests.
%^$40+ games for Redd/Penn combo%^$ Redd/Penn-%^$Date Opp. Score Total%^$11/13 Oakland W 89-61 29/17-46%^$11/15 Alabama W 78-70 17/23-40%^$12/5 at Toledo L 64-63 16/24-40%^$12/17 Fla.-Atlantic W 99-70 26/21-47%^$12/21 vs. UAB W 71-64 28/14-42%^$1/2 Wisconsin W 78-74 ot 30/18-48%^$1/23 Minnesota W 89-60 19/24-43%^$2/9 Michigan W 74-69 22/21-43%^$2/13 at Iowa W 73-69 22/27-49%^$2/25 Wisconsin W 63-54 14/30-44%^$2/27 at Penn St. L 98-85 26/22-48%^$3/6 vs. Illinois L 79-77 32/15-47%^$3/18 vs. Auburn W 72-65 22/26-48%^$3/20 vs. St. John’s W 77-74 20/22-42%^$
