Hoop Notes and Quotes – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2000
Head Coach Jim O’Brien
Last week
We are very happy with our recent road trip. Anytime you can go on the road and come away with two wins you have to be pleased.
Pace of game vs. MSU
Tempo is always a big thing when play Michigan State. They get out and play well in transition. You have to get back. You can’t give them breakaway layups. You have to keep control of the way the game is going. If things start to get crazy it plays to their advantage.
St. Johns game during conference season
It was mostly for television. I think it is fine to play some good non-conference games. If you have your druthers, you play it early in December. It is going to be a tough turnaround after a difficult game Thursday. It does not give us a lot of time to prepare for a really tough team on the road.
Being ready for MSU
We played Notre Dame and Kansas and they have really good wins. We played at Illinois and at Wisconsin. If we are not ready to play (MSU) now then we probably won’t be. We have to see if we are good enough to play these guys.
Team improving
We are getting better as a group. We are starting to mesh. The concern is our inconsistent shooting. I like how we are guarding people. I think we are playing very well defensively.
Nine days for MSU to prepare
Are they going to be rusty? I think not. The benefit is giving Cleaves time to practice. They do a very good job of scouting. They will have a good idea of what we will attempt to do.
BUCKEYE NOTES
Johnson leads nation in blocked shots
Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson (6-11, Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford) ranks first among NCAA Division I men’s basketball players in blocked shots, according to NCAA statistics (as of 1/19/00). Johnson has rejected 71 shots in 14 games for an average of 5.1 a contest. Myrda Wojciech of Louisiana-Monroe, a 7-0 center from Rzeszow, Poland, is second with 70 blocks in 14 games (5.0 bpg).
OSU among nation’s best in several team categories
The Ohio State defense has limited opponents to 36.1 percent shooting from the field after 14 games. That percentage is good enough to rank fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense, according to NCAA statistics (as of 1/107/00). Ohio State also ranks Seventh in scoring defense, holding opponents to 57.1 points per game. The Buckeyes are 14th in scoring margin, outscoring foes by 15.6 points a contest, and rebound margin, grabbing 7.6 more rebounds than opponents.
