Ohio State and Auburn to Meet in Basketball for First Time – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 15, 1999
By HANK LOWENKRON
%^$AP Sports Writer%^$
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Auburn and Ohio State, two teams without much NCAA%^$history in the 90s, have no history against each other.%^$
The two teams will meet for the first time Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn.%^$Top-seeded Auburn (29-3) survived a stiff challenge from Oklahoma State to%^$advance with an 81-74 triumph in Saturday’s opening second-round game at the%^$RCA Dome.%^$
Fourth-seeded Ohio State had a much easier time, holding Detroit%^$scoreless%^$for nearly 10 minutes to open their game and then cruising to a 75-44 victory%^$over the Titans.%^$
Ohio State (25-8) is completing one of the biggest turnarounds in college%^$basketball history, having won only eight games last season. The Buckeyes are%^$in the tournament for the first time since 1992.%^$
Auburn, meanwhile, hasn’t been in the tournament since 1988.%^$
O’Brien can’t be accused of looking past the Titans toward Thursday’s%^$game.%^$
“I didn’t see them for one second. I have obviously a lot of respect for%^$them, they’ve had a great year, but I really don’t know much about them. I’ve%^$spent no time thinking about Auburn,” he said after Saturday’s game, in which%^$the Buckeyes limited Detroit to only 12 points in the first half and 31%^$percent%^$shooting for the game.%^$
“This is a real nice win for us. I am happy to see our kids be as%^$happy as%^$they are. The scene in our locker room at the end of the game, I won’t soon%^$forget,” he said. “This is a happy bunch of kids, and all I’ve been telling%^$them is they deserve it.”%^$
The Buckeyes will be looking for more effective shooting from Scoonie%^$Penn%^$in Knoxville. He was 7-for-27 in the two games here after bringing a 46%^$percent%^$mark to the RCA Dome.%^$
However, O’Brien remains confident that the 5-foot-10 Penn, who was voted%^$the Big Ten Player of the Year, will quickly regain his former shooting touch.%^$
“I don’t know about him and all of the shots that he’s missed. I still%^$believe that every time he pulls up to shoot it, I think it’s going in,”%^$O’Brien said. “I have confidence in him. … I just like the idea that he’s%^$involved and he gets his hands on the ball.”%^$
“If my shot is not on, I’m not going to be concerned about that,” said%^$Penn, a third-team All-American. “I can be a floor leader or a rebounder like%^$I was today, whatever it takes to win.”%^$
Penn grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, helping the Buckeyes outrebound%^$Detroit 51-25. John Sanderson led Ohio State with 15.%^$
Meanwhile, O’ Brien will have to decide how he’ll use Brian Brown.%^$O’Brien%^$put Brown in the starting lineup for both tournament games after not giving%^$him%^$a start all season. The reason was to make life tough for the other team’s%^$leader.%^$
Brown made life miserable for Aubrey Reese of Murray State in the%^$opener and%^$then he tormented Detroit’s Jermaine Jackson on Saturday.%^$
Brown said starting makes no difference to him.%^$
“I just want to go out and play good, hard defense,” said Brown.%^$
That’s what he plans to do against Auburn, a team that dominated its%^$opponents consistently and won 26 games by double-digit figures.%^$
“Auburn is a good team and they are real physical,” Brown said. “If we%^$play as good as we played tonight (Saturday), we could probably beat them.%^$
“The thing about Brian is he may have some of the quickest feet I have%^$ever%^$seen on defense,” Penn said. “You may think you’re by him, then the next%^$thing you know, he has caught up to you and turned you.%^$
“I know, because he does it every day to me at practice.”%^$
Thursday, he may be asked to do it against Auburn’s Scott Pohlman, who%^$had a%^$career-high 28 points in Saturday’s victory, or point guard Doc Robinson.%^$
The Tigers will challenge the Buckeyes with a balanced offense that%^$features four starters averaging in double figures. And the Buckeyes will also have to%^$keep an eye out for 7-foot center Mamadou N’diaye, who in two seasons has%^$topped the school record for blocks in a career set by Charles Barkley.
