Men’s Basketball Continues to Set Turnaround Records – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/11/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 11, 1999
Redd contributes more than just offense in win over Wolverines
Michael Redd led the Big Ten in scoring last year, but now he’s finding other ways to win games for No. 13 Ohio State. Redd didn’t score any of his 22 points in the last four minutes, but had an assist and a timely tip that pushed the Buckeyes past Michigan 74-69. The Buckeyes (18-6, 8-3 in the Big Ten) finished the game with a 9-2 run to retain sole possession of second place in the conference. With Ohio State holding a 68-67 lead, Redd drove the lane and whipped a pass in traffic to Ken Johnson for a dunk with 57.7 seconds left that brought the crowd of 18,645 to its feet with a thunderous roar. Redd drove through the heart of the Michigan defense, pirouetted, and wrapped the pass around Michigan’s Josh Asselin. Michigan turned the ball over on its next possession when Ohio State freshman Brian Brown knocked the ball away from Louis Bullock on a drive and Redd ended up with the ball. The Buckeyes ran time off the clock until Johnson was fouled with 15.4 seconds left. He missed both foul shots, but his second try bounded off the back of the rim. Redd leaped and batted the ball to the backcourt, where Scoonie Penn, who added 21 points, five assists and four steals, caught it and was fouled. Penn hit those two free throws with 11.1 seconds left, then added two more with 1.9 seconds remaining to seal the victory. Josh Asselin had 17 points, Robbie Reid 16 and Brandon Smith and Bullock each had 11 for the Wolverines.
No turnaround can match OSU’s
No team that finished in last place in the 30 NCAA Division I men’s basketball conferences can match the turnaround currently underway in Columbus. None of the 30 teams that finished in last place in their respective leagues last year have rebounded to the degree of the Buckeyes this season. Ohio State is No. 2 in the Big Ten this season with an overall record of 18-6 and a league mark of 8-3 (8-22, 1-15 in 1997-98). Only Maine (America East) has climbed to as high as third (as of 2/11) this season after a last place mark a year ago.
Ohio State sets record for Big Ten turnaround
With an 8-3 record in the Big Ten this season, Ohio State has set a record for best Big Ten turnaround from one season to the next. The Buckeyes finished 1-15 last year and have improved by seven games in the win column this year. The Buckeyes made two six-game improvements from 1-11 (1923) to 7-5 (1924) and from 7-7 (1959) to 13-1 (1960). Ohio State tied for fourth in 1924 and won the Big Ten and the national title in 1960.
Big Ten, Buckeyes scoring high in RPI and Sagarin
Ohio State is ranked No. 19 in the latest RPI Rankings (2/7/99) and No. 11 in the Sagarin computer ratings. The Big Ten sits atop both computer rankings ahead of the ACC. Eight league schools are rated among the top 64 schools in the RPI and in the Sagarin.
Redd back in Wooden contention
Michael Redd was on the initial list of players considered for the John R. Wooden Award, given annually to the best player in College basketball. The list was then reduced as the season progressed. Redd was removed from the list but has now been placed back in contention along with nine others. Redd, Quincy Lewis of Minnesota and Dean Oliver of Iowa are the most recent Big Ten additions.
No. 13 ranking highest since 1992
The No. 13 ranking for Ohio State in the Associate Press poll this week is the highest since the Buckeyes ended the 1991-92 season No. 3. After the win at No. 19 Purdue last Saturday, the Buckeyes moved up two spots in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls.
10-game improvement second best in OSU history
The Buckeyes won eight games last season and have already improved that mark by 10 wins this year (18-6). The record for improving in the win column from one season to the next at Ohio State is 14 from 1958-59 (11-11) to 1959-60 (25-3). The Buckeyes won the national title in 1960. Ohio State has made two previous, 10-game improvements 1918-19 (7-12) to 1919-1920 (17-10) and from 1990-91 (17-13) to 1991-1992 (27-4). In five of the seven years in which the Buckeyes have improved in the win column from one season to next by at least eight games, Ohio State has won or shared the Big Ten title five times.
Redd earns third Big Ten honor
Sophomore Michael Redd earned his third Big Ten Player of the Week honor by averaging 24.5 points and 4.5 assists and helping the Buckeyes to wins over two Top 20 opponents (No. 16 Purdue/No. 17 Minnesota) Jan. 25. In the win over the Boilermakers, Redd scored 30 points, which included a 14-for-21 outing (67 percent) from the field. Against Minnesota, Redd scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. He shot 57 percent on the week (21-37).
Buckeyes end drought with four Big Ten POW awards
Sophomore Michael Redd earned his third Big Ten Player of the Week honor yesterday, giving the Buckeyes their fourth honor of the season. It is only the second time Ohio State has had four POWs in the same season and the second time an individual player has earned three in one year. During the 1991-92 season, Buckeye Jim Jackson was the Big Ten honoree three times while the Buckeyes claimed four that year (Chris Jent) as a team. Junior Scoonie Penn was the other honoree this season when he earned the first award of the 1998-99 campaign. That award ended a five-year drought for the Buckeyes. Prior to this season, OSU had not had a player win the award since Jan. 11, 1993 when Greg Simpson was honored. Ohio State has had 25 Players of the Week since the Big Ten began the award for the 1981-82 season.
Redd reaches OSU milestone
Sophomore Michael Redd (1,120) 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 54 games at Ohio State and has scored 1,120 points.
Two-year OSU 1,000+ scorers
Player Career 2-Yr. Gms to Total Total 1,000 Jerry Lucas 1,990 1,381 38 Michael Redd 1,120 1,120 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 earns back-to-back wins over ranked teams twice in 1998-99
With a win over then-No. 19 Wisconsin and the 73-56 victory over then-No. 13 Indiana the Buckeyes earned victories over back-to-back ranked foes for the first time since the 1992 campaign when No. 8 Ohio State downed No. 12 Michigan State on the road 78-65 Feb. 29 1992. Ohio State then moved to No. 5 and beat No. 18 Michigan 77-66 in Columbus March 3, 1992. Again this season, the Buckeyes matched the back-to-back feat over the ranked by downing No. 16 Purdue 72-43 and No. 17 Minnesota, 89-60.
Ohio State 5-2 vs. the ranked
Ohio State faced its seventh ranked team when the Buckeyes traveled to No. 19 Purdue (W 80-69, 2/6). Buckeyes have not won more than four games against ranked opponents since the 1991-92 season when the Buckeyes went 5-3 vs. ranked squads.
Ohio State seeks 9th win in Big Ten for 1st time in seven years
With an 8-3 record in Big Ten play, the Buckeyes will be seeking their ninth win in the conference for the first time since the 1992 season when OSU was 15-3 (1st) in the league.
Buckeye starters scoring high from the field
The five players who have started each game for Ohio State this season are knocking down 51 percent of their shots this season (525-1,105). Senior Jason Singleton leads the way with a .695 shooting percentage (98-141). Ken Johnson (.544) and Jon Sanderson (.542) are the other starters averaging .500 or more. Michael Redd (.476) and Scoonie Penn (.450) round out the starting five.
Ohio State makes quickest turnaround in school history
Ohio State equaled its win total from last season with the win over Florida Atlantic (99-70, 12/17/98). The win over the Owls marked the quickest an OSU team equalled the previous season’s win total in school history (minimum eight victories). OSU finished the 1997-98 campaign with an 8-22 mark and reached that total Dec. 17. The previous record for quickest turnaround from one season to the next was during the 1915-16 to 1916-17 seasons. OSU was 9-13 in 1915-16. The Buckeyes won their ninth game the following year Jan. 13, 1917 against Oberlin (38-14). OSU finished 15-11 that season.
Iowa keeps Golden Gophers winless on road
Kent McCausland drilled a 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining that lifted No. 19 Iowa to an important 76-73 Big Ten Conference victory over 22nd-ranked Minnesota. With his team trailing 71-70, McCausland used Dean Oliver’s screen to hit a 3-pointer from the left wing, giving the Hawkeyes the lead for good. Iowa had trailed by five points moments earlier before scoring six straight from the foul line to get back into the contest. Walk-on freshman Dusty Rychart went to the foul line for Minnesota (14-7, 5-6) with 1:33 left but missed both shots, and Jason Bauer gave the Hawkeyes a three-point lead as he made the second of two free throws with 17 seconds to play. The Golden Gophers worked the ball to Quincy Lewis, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, in an attempt to tie the game. Lewis, though missed a shot that would only have counted for two since his foot was on the 3-point line. The Hawkeyes grabbed the rebound and saw their two-game losing streak come to an end moments later. Lewis tallied 30 points for the Golden Gophers, who suffered their second straight loss and fell into a tie for seventh place in the wild Big Ten race. Oliver netted 15 points for Iowa, which moved ahead of Northwestern and into fourth place.
Iowa 16-6, 7-5 in Big Ten
Iowa put together an 11-game winning streak after a 75-73 loss at home to Creighton (Nov. 25). Since then, Iowa won at Kansas, 85-81, before winning home games against Iowa State (74-54), Missouri (82-68) and Coppin State (87-73). Iowa started the conference season with wins over Indiana (67-52), Northwestern (52-48) and Illinois (84-62) before the first meeting at Ohio State. The Hawkeyes won their 11th-consecutive contest at Ohio State (71-68, 1/12) to hand the Buckeyes their only home loss of the season. Since that win, Iowa has a 3-5 record heading into the game with OSU in Iowa City.
OSU, Iowa Series
Ohio State and Iowa have met 124 times in the series with the Hawkeyes owning a 66-58 advantage. The Buckeyes have a 39-23 advantage in Columbus with Iowa owning a 43-18 advantage in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are on a 10-game winning streak over OSU with the last Buckeye win coming in Columbus Jan. 4 1994, 72-68.
Tom Davis at Iowa
Tom Davis has compiled a record of 264-136 during his career at Iowa and an overall record of 538-286 as a head coach, which has included stints at Lafayette (116-44, 1972-77), Boston College (100-47, 78-82), Stanford (58-59, 83-86) and Iowa. Over the years, Davis’ teams have participated in five National Invitational Tournaments (two at Iowa) and 10 NCAA events (eight at Iowa).
OSU vs. the Big Ten
Ohio State played its 1,200th game against the current alignment of Big Ten teams against Indiana (Jan. 9). 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. The Buckeyes won in their 1,200th game vs. Big Ten teams against Indiana 73-56 Jan. 9 in Columbus.
Big Ten Series Records
Illinois 55-93 Indiana 64-92 Iowa 58-66 Michigan 76-67 Michigan State 43-50 Minnesota 67-50 Northwestern 94-44 Penn State 9-9 Purdue 66-77 Wisconsin 75-53 Totals 607-601
OSU three-point field goal streak extended to 208
Ohio State has connected on at least one three-point field goal attempt over the last 208 games. Sophomore Michael Redd extended the streak with a three early in the first half (18:24) against Michigan. Six different player have extended the streak this season. Scoonie Penn has extended the streak 10 times followed by Redd (7), freshman Brian Brown (2), sophomore Jon Sanderson (2), freshman Boban Savovic (1) and senior Neshaun Coleman (2). The last time an OSU team missed all attempts from three-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 200-consecutive games with at least one three-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 three-pointer.
Buckeyes lead league in scoring
Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring (76.2 ppg.), field goal percentage (.487) and turnover margin (+3.54) this season after 24 games. As a team, OSU rates among the Top 5 in 10 categories. The Buckeyes are second in scoring margin (11.8) and steals (8.71), third in blocked shots (4.21), fourth in rebounds (35.7) and offensive rebounds (13.38) and fifth in scoring defense (64.4).
Penn among Top 10 in six Big Ten categories
Individually, junior Scoonie Penn ranks among the Big Ten’s Top 10 in six categories. He is third in assists (4.50), fourth in steals (2.08), seventh in assist/turnover ration (1.57), eighth in scoring (15.9) and field goal percentage (.450) and ninth in 3-point field goals made (2.17). Sophomore Michael Redd is fourth in scoring (19.3), fifth in field goal percentage (.450). Junior Ken Johnson is third in the league in blocks (2.88), sixth in offensive rebounds (2.46) and eighth in rebounds (6.0). Senior Jason Singleton is eighth in steals (1.83).
Buckeye bits…
OSU is 16-2 when leading at the half…74 times members of the Buckeyes have scored in double figures this season, Michael Redd has been in double digits in 23 games, Scoonie Penn 20 times…Ten different Buckeyes have scored in double figures this season…Redd has scored in double figures in 52 of 54 career games…He has six career double-doubles after his 28-point, 12 rebound effort against UAB (12/21) in the first round of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic.
Opponents shooting 40.4 percent
Ohio State has held 13 of 24 opponents under 40 percent shooting this season. Foes are shooting just 40.4 percent overall from the field (540-1,337). Ohio State has been held under 40 percent just twice. Penn State allowed the Buckeyes to connect on 26 of 66 attempts for 39.4 percent and Miami held OSU to 36.2 percent (25-69). OSU is shooting 48.7 percent on the season (683-1,402).
Aggressive defense helps OSU
Not only is the Ohio State defense holding opponents to 40 percent shooting from the field, it has been blocking shots and helping itself with steals as well. Ohio State has blocked nearly twice as many shots as its opponents (101-52) and has a 209-125 advantage in steals. Ken Johnson is the leading shot blocker with 69 while Scoonie Penn is the leader in thefts with 50. Senior Jason Singleton is close with 44.
Penn, Redd reach 1,000 career points, Singleton within reach
Two Buckeyes reached 1,000 career points this season. Sophomore Michael Redd went over 1,000 with a 30-point outing against Purdue. Redd has 462 points this season after his record-setting freshman campaign (658 pts.). Another Buckeye, junior Scoonie Penn, reached 1,000 points as well for his career with a 21-point effort against Iowa (1/12/99). He tallied 737 during two seasons at Boston College. He has scored 381 at Ohio State. Senior Jason Singleton has 935 career points in 107 Buckeye games. He has averaged 8.7 points a contest at Ohio State.
Noting the Michigan Game (2/9)
* Ohio State is now 76-67 all-time against Michigan. The win is Ohio State’s eighth in Big Ten Conference play, marking the first time the Buckeyes have won eight in conference play since the 1993 season when OSU was 8-10 (7th) in the league.
* The win was Ohio State’s first over Michigan since Jan. 2, 1997, when the Buckeyes won at Ann Arbor, 73-71. OSU last won at home over the Wolverines March 3, 1992 (77-66). With the home win, the Buckeyes are now 12-1 at Value City Arena this season.
* Ohio State, with 18 wins this season, has made a 10-game improvement over last season’s eight-win total. The record for improvement in wins from one season to the next is 14, set from the 1958-59 (11-11) and 1959-60 (25-3).
* Michael Redd scored 22 points, marking the 52nd time in 54 career games that he has scored in double figures. Redd has scored 20 or more points 11 times this year and has now scored 1,120 points in his career, which ranks him in a tie for 29th place all-time. In addition, Redd has started in all of his 54 career games.
* Neshaun Coleman hit one of seven three-point attempts in the contest. He ranks second in both three-point field goals attempted (400) and made (134) in a career. He is just 10 away from breaking Jamie Skelton’s record for three-pointers made in a career. With his first three-pointer, Coleman eclipsed the 700-point plateau in his career.
* Jon Sanderson scored 12 points, his most in Big Ten Conference play in 1999, and his highest output since a 13-point performance against Miami (Fla.) (12/27/98). Sanderson also grabbed a season-high nine rebounds and hit all three of his free throw attempts.
* Ken Johnson swatted six more shots in the contest. The junior now has 127 blocked shots in his career, ranking him sixth all-time in OSU history. He now trails fifth-place Lawrence Funderburke (131) by four and fourth-place Granville Waiters by just nine.
* Scoonie Penn now has 20 double-digit outings this season after his 21-point performance. He has scored in double figures in 14 of his last 15 contests. In addition, Penn has nailed two or more three-pointers in 16 games this year and has now started in all 80 of his career games.
* Penn notched five assists and now stands just five assists away from 300 in his career. He also had four steals, giving him 50 for the season. Penn is fifth in the Big Ten in steals per game (2.00).
* Jason Singleton notched 12 points on six of nine shooting from the field. He connected on 11 consecutive field goals before missing his sixth attempt against Michigan. He was 6 of 6 against Purdue and hit his first five against the Wolverines. Singleton is now shooting a cool 75 percent (60-of-80) at Value City Arena this year. As a team, the Buckeyes are shooting just under 50 percent (398-of-798) at home.
* The Buckeyes are now 16-2 when leading at halftime and 15-1 when holding their opponent under 70 points.
Three Buckeyes make Puerto Rico All-Tournament team
Sophomore Michael Redd was selected as the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic MVP while teammates Jason Singleton and Scoonie Penn joined him on the all-tournament team. Redd averaged 23.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, scoring 70 points in the three-day event. He connected on 53 percent of his shots from the field as well. Singleton, a senior forward, scored on 74 percent of his shots from the field (14-19) while averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. Penn, who led all scorers with 20 points in the championship game, averaged 16.7 points, while adding 15 assists and six steals. Penn also knocked down 80 percent of his free throws (16-20).
Noting the Buckeyes…
Neshaun Coleman…Played in his 100th career game against Purdue (2/6/99)…reached 700 career points with three against Michigan (2/9/99)…has played double-digit minutes in 11 games this season in a backup role…matched a season-high with three 3-pointers against both Illinois (1/30/99) and Purdue (2/6/99) and notched his second double-digit outing of the season with 10 vs. the Illini…scored a season-high 11 points against Oakland (11/13/98)…had string of 21-consecutive free throws broken when he missed his first attempt at Illinois…his one assist against Miami gave him 200 for his career.
Scoonie Penn…Tallied 21 points, five assists and four steals while hitting all six FT attempts in 37 minutes (1 turnover) against Michigan in 74-69 win (2/9/99)…Scored the final 10 points of the game for OSU at Purdue (2/6/99) to hold of a Boiler rally in a 80-69 Buckeye win…eclipsed the 1,000 career-point mark with 21 vs. Iowa (1/12/99)…has 20 double-digit scoring outings this season, including 14 of his last 15 contests…scored a season-high 24 at Toledo (12/5/98) and matched that against Minnesota (2/23/99)…has two or more threes in 16 games…leads team in minutes played with 814 (33.9)…Big Ten Player of the Week (11/16)…has started all 80 games in which he has appeared…has at least one assist in all but one game in his career (Miami, 1/2/97)…voted to the all-tournament team in Puerto Rico…reached 100 assists this season with two at Illinois (1/30/99)…needs 5 assists to reach 300 for his career…has played 30 or more minutes in 18 games this season, including 13 of last 15 contests…has at least one steal in last 10 games and in 21 of 24 games this year.
Brian Brown…Made both free-throw attempts with 5 seconds to play to secure 64-41 win over Illinois (1/30/99)…led Buckeyes in assists at Purdue with four…knocked down clutch 3-pointer in overtime to put OSU up for good in win over Wisconsin (1/2/99)…it was his first 3-pointer in six games…held scoreless as a Buckeye for the first time against Michigan State (1/29)…has played 10 or more minutes in every game, averages 18.2 minutes a contest…adds depth to the guard spots…has at least one assist in 20 of 24 games as a Buckeye.
Boban Savovic…Led team with a career-high seven rebounds at Michigan (1/16/99) while adding 12 points…tied career-high with three 3-pointers in overtime win over Wisconsin (1/2/99)…had career-high 16 points against UT Martin…hit 6 of 8 shots vs. the Skyhawks, including 3 of 5 3-pointers…also added three assists vs. UTM…connected on 5 of 6 FTs vs. Army…scored 10 points in that game with three assists in 22 minutes…hit all four FTs in win over Indiana (1/9/99)…also added four rebounds, two assists and a steal vs. the Hoosiers…has 10 or more minutes in 7 of last 10 games…has four double-digit scoring outings this year.
Michael Redd…Scored a game-high 22 points in win over Michigan (2/9/99)…Wooden Award candidate…has been Big Ten co-player of the week three times this season (12/21/98, 1/4/99, 1/23/99))…is the second fastest Buckeye to reach 1,000 points…reached 1,000 with 30 against Purdue (1/19/99) in his 49th career game…leads team with 19.3 ppg…Puerto Rico Holiday Classic MVP…also has 52 assists and 35 steals…set a career high with six steals against Miami (12/27/98)…second on team in rebounding with 5.5 rpg…second on team in minutes played with 31.9 mpg…has started all 54 OSU games in career…leads team with 171 FGs this season…had career high six 3-pointers made vs. Oakland (11/13) and Florida Atlantic (12/17)…48 of 132 rebounds this season are on offensive end…has at least two rebounds in every game as a Buckeye (54 gms)…Redd has made 10 or more field goals in a single game 13 times as a Buckeye, nine times as a freshman and four times this year, including a career-high 14 against Purdue (1/19/99)…Has played 30 or more minutes 16 times this season after playing 30+ in all 30 games last season (45 total).
Jason Singleton…Hit 11 consecutive shots over two games (Purdue 2/6, and Michigan 2/9)…Having a productive senior year…shooting 69.5 percent from the field (98-141)… connected on all six shots at Purdue (2/6/99) and first five against Michigan (2/9)…had 8 of 9 outing against Indiana (1/9/99) and 7 of 8 vs. Minnesota (1/23/99) …connected on 73.7 percent of his shots in Puerto Rico (14-19) to earn a spot on the all-tournament team…hit 7 of 8 FTs to seal win over Alabama (11/15/98)…has played in 107 games at OSU…leads team with 2,639 career minutes…has connected on at least 60 percent of his shots from the field in 17 of 24 games this season…went over the 100 career steals mark with four against Minnesota (1/23/99)…a great role player who has benefited from OSU’s aggressive pressing defense this year.
Devon Smith…Has appeared in seven games…played 10 minutes in win over Army (11/22/98).
Kwadjo Steele…Blocked first career shot in first half at Purdue (2/6/99)…had career high four points against Florida-Atlantic…knocked down first career 3-pointer against UT Martin…has seen action in 10 games…scored two points in opener against Oakland…grabbed three boards in win over Army.
Ken Johnson…Contributed six blocks, including a pair in the closing minutes against Michigan (2/9)…had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 35 minutes at Purdue (2/6/99)…Needs four blocks to tie and five to take over the No. 5 spot all time at Ohio State…enters game with Iowa with 127 career rejections…Lawrence Funderburke (1992-94) is currently No. 5 with 131…set career-high in rebounds in back-to-back games with 11 against Miami (12/27/98) and 12 at Wisconsin (1/2/99)…added 11 rebounds in win over Indiana to give him 11 or more in three-consecutive games…tied career high with 15 points at Vanderbilt (11/28/98)…set career high with seven blocks against both Robert Morris (11/18/98) and Vanderbilt (11/28/98)…hit 7 of 8 shots from the field vs. Vanderbilt…leads team with 69 blocks…has at least one block in 43 games as a Buckeye and 23 of 24 this year…has a streak of 13 games with at least one rejection and 10 games with at least two.
Jon Sanderson…Nearly notched a double-double with nine rebounds and 12 points in win over Michigan (2/9/99)…also added an assist and three-consecutive free throws vs. the Wolverines…connected on 7 of 7 shots against Florida Atlantic (12/17)…had season-high 18 points vs. Army…connected on 6 of 13 (.462) from three-point range…one of four Buckeyes in double figures against UT Martin (10 pts.)…has started 52 of 54 career games as a Buckeye…is shooting 54.2 percent from the floor this year (58-107).
George Reese…Had four points, four rebounds and a steal in 16 minutes at Purdue (2/6/99)…scored a career-high 14, 12 in the first half, at Michigan State (1/29/99)…top player off the bench…in the game when it counts…made all six FT attempts against Vanderbilt…buried a pair of free throws late in game with Wisconsin to tie score at 66 in regulation…capable of giving team a boost both on the offensive and defensive end of the floor…has three double figure scoring games and six games with nine points.
Will Dudley…Has appeared in 15 of 18 games this season…shooting 67 percent from the field (14-21)…connected on all five shots against Army for career best 11 points…will be out 4-6 weeks following surgery on his right foot (1/21/99).
Shamar Herron…Had season-high five points in win over Army…has played in seven games this season with high of 13 minutes against Army…had seven rebounds vs. the Cadets…24 of his 55 career rebounds have been on the offensive end of the floor…sidelined with strained right ankle suffered during practice (1/17/99).
Buckeyes Celebrating 100 Years
Ohio State celebrates 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.
Michael Redd scores first Buckeye basket in Value City Arena
The clock showed 18 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the first half when Buckeye sophomore Michael Redd squared and launched a left-handed three-pointer from the right wing. The attempt found the target, giving Ohio State a 3-0 lead, marking the first official basket made at Value City Arena. For Redd, it was just the start of a 29-point effort in leading the Buckeyes to an 89-61 victory. Redd made the first shot in each of the exhibition openers as well.
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.
Recruiting class among Top 15
After the conclusion of the early 1998-99 recruiting season, the Ohio State class of Brent Darby, a 6-0, 185-pound guard, Slobodan Ocokoljic (o-SOAK-o-litch) a 6-8, 210-pound forward and Aleksandar Radojevic (Ra-DOY-yo-vitch), a 7-3, 245-pound center, is ranked with the Top 15 classes nationally. Hoopscoop has OSU tied at No. 15 with Kansas. Basketball Times rates the class No. 14 and Van Coleman of Future Stars rates the class No. 11.
