Men’s Basketball Opens The Season vs. Yale – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2000
Game Notes in .PDF format
Opponent: Yale
Site: Value City Arena (19,100)
Game Time: 8:07 p.m. (EST)
TV: ESPN Plus
Local TV: WBNS-TV 10
TV Talent: Mike Gleason (P-by-P)
Bill Hosket (Color)
Radio: OSU Radio Network (63 stations)
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (P-by-P)
Ron Stokes (Color)
Johnson scores 21 to lead Buckeyes to win over Marathon
Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson scored a team-high 21 points and added nine rebounds to lead the Buckeyes to an 82-73 win over Marathon in the final exhibition tune-up of the season Monday. Johnson connected on 8 of 13 shots from the field and 5 of 6 free throws in the victory. Brian Brown added 16 points and seven rebounds while Sean Connolly contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Tim Martin added nine points off the bench.
Buckeyes own 84-17 record in home openers, 79-22 in season openers
In the 101 years of Ohio State men’s basketball, the Buckeyes have won 84 home openers and 79 times in the first game of the season. Ohio State has won 32 of its last 34 home openers and 7 of 10 season openers. The Buckeyes are 2-1 in season and home openers under Jim O’Brien. OSU lost to open the season against Notre Dame (59-57, Nov. 11, 1999) last year.
A first in history
Ohio State has never played on Nov. 17 in the 101 years of recorded Buckeye basketball history. The Buckeyes have played just 53 total games in November and have posted a 42-11 (.792) record in those contests. Ohio State has opened the season earlier than Nov. 17 four times, all in the 1990s. The earliest start was a Nov. 13, 1998 home date against Oakland in the first game played at Value City Arena. Merrymakers to hold fund raiser to benefit men’s and women’s basketball
The Merrymakers, a nonprofit organization supporting scholarships for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, will be holding its annual fund-raising event at 6 p.m., Nov. 30 at the Value City Arena.
The Merrymakers will be holding a pep rally for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. There will be facility self-guided tours, face painting (for the children), coach and player introductions followed by player autographs. Admission is $10. Tickets are available at the door or in advance by calling 1-800-GO BUCKS.
Scouting the Bulldogs
At Guard: The Bulldogs feature a talented backcourt as sophomore Chris Leanza started all but one game last year and averaged more than 35 minutes. Leanza was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week three times and had one of the best games ever by a freshman at Yale when he scored 33 points against Columbia. Leanza led the Bulldogs in assists (87), three-pointers (51) and free throw percentage (.782, 68-of-87) and was second in scoring (12.3 ppg.). The backcourt also should be bolstered by the return of senior Isaiah Cavaco, who was limited to five games last year because of a knee injury. As a sophomore in 1998-99 Cavaco started 23 games and had team-highs in assists (72) and three-pointers (36).
At Forward: Newcomers could have an impact on the Bulldogs’ front line. The only returning player who saw regular action last year is sophomore Bill Parkhurst. Parkhurst, who scored a career-high 12 points against Cornell, played in all 27 games and averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds. Five freshmen will try to earn playing time.
At Center: In the middle, 6-foot-11 senior Neil Yanke, the 2000-01 Yale captain, has established himself as one of the top centers in the Ivy League. Last year, he led the team and was second in the Ivy League in rebounding (7.7 rpg.) and led the team in blocked shots (43), which placed him third in the conference. His 43 blocks give him 84 in his career, which is the third most at Yale since 1983-84. Chris Dudley ’87, who is currently playing for the New York Knicks, is Yale’s all-time leader in blocks with 172.
Big Ten Presence on Yale Schedule
Yale will play both Ohio State and Penn State this season. The Bulldogs list the game with the Buckeyes as their fourth most important game of the season. Penn State is termed the No. 1 game of the year. Here is why Yale has rated the Big Ten contests so important.
No. 4: Nov. 17 at Ohio State: With the Michigan-Ohio State football game the next day, Columbus will be rocking when the Bulldogs open their season at Value City Arena.
No. 1: Nov. 27 vs. Penn State: Penn State comes to Payne Whitney Gym for the first time since 1937. The Bulldogs are 2-0 all-time against the Nittany Lions in New Haven, winning 33-31 March 9, 1937 and 23-20 March 8, 1921.
Three student-athletes added for 2001-02 season
Jim O’Brien signed one of the best recruiting classes of his coaching tenure Nov. 8, the first day of the fall men’s basketball signing period.
Matt Sylvester (Loveland, Ohio/Moeller), Terence Dials (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) and Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) all signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play for Ohio State.
Sylvester, a 6-foot-7-inch, 200-pound wing forward, is considered to be among the top two players in Ohio. He is ranked by Prep Spotlight Magazine as one of the Top 60 players in the country. Sylvester played for the powerful Cincinnati AAU program. As a junior, he averaged 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. As a sophomore, Sylvester helped guide Carl Kremer’s Moeller squad to a Division I State Championship.
Dials, the second recruit from Ohio to sign with the Buckeyes, is a 6-foot-9-inch, 240-pound power forward/center. He gives the Buckeyes an athletic big man. As a junior, Dials averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4.0 blocks.
Fuss-Cheatham (6-1, 190) is the No. 1-ranked point guard in the Midwest by Vince Baldwin of Midwesthoops.com and the No. 6 nationally-ranked point guard. He also is considered a Top 30 all-around player in the high school class of 2001. He averaged 21.3 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.1 rebounds as a junior. He shot 59 percent from the field (279-476) and 77 percent (123-160) from the free-throw line. He has been Blackhawk’s starting point guard since his freshman season. The Cougars are 85-11 during that time. Over the last two seasons, Blackhawk is 62-4 with two conference championships and a state title.
Savovic, Robinson pace Buckeyes in exhibition opener
The Ohio State men’s basketball team opened exhibition play by defeating the One World All-Stars, 101-78, Nov. 7. The Buckeyes took the lead for good at the 17:04 mark in the first half on a 3-point basket by sophomore point guard Brent Darby. OSU extended the lead throughout the rest of the first half. The Buckeyes’ largest lead of the half was a 14-point difference with 2:15 remaining. Both Darby and Brian Brown scored nine points in the half to give Ohio State a 48-37 lead at the break. Junior guards Boban Savovic and Doylan Robinson led the Buckeyes with 15 points each. Freshman Zach Williams scored 14 points in his collegiate debut and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Marinchick to sit out 2000-01 campaign
Jim O’Brien, Ohio State head men’s basketball coach, announced Nov. 7 Buckeye freshman Matt Marinchick will redshirt the 2000-01 season and will retain four years of eligibility with the Buckeyes beginning with the 2001-02 season. Marinchick, a 6-foot-10-inch, 240-pound center from Hudson, Ohio, will use the 2000-01 season to build strength and physically mature, O’Brien said.
Buckeyes own advantage vs. Ivy
Ohio State is 6-2 all-time vs. Yale and 32-18 against Ivy League schools. Penn was the last Ivy school to defeat Ohio State. The Quakers downed the Buckeyes 91-71 Dec. 3, 1994 in Philadelphia.
School OSU Record Brown 1-0 Columbia 0-1 Cornell 5-3 Dartmouth 3-1 Harvard 5-0 Pennsylvania 5-5 Princeton 7-6 Yale 6-2 Totals 32-18
Yale roster has Ohio flavor
The Bulldogs have four players who played high school basketball in the state of Ohio. Seniors Neil Yanke (Akron/Walsh Jesuit) and Tom Kritzer (West Chester/Lakota) along with sophomores Chris Leanza (Parma/Benedictine) and T.J. McHugh (Cleveland/Ignatius) all hail from the Buckeye State. Neil, the Bulldogs’ captain, and Kritzer are both centers. Leanza and McHugh are both guards. Leanza was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week three times last year.
Big Ten coaches, media select Johnson preseason First Team All-Big Ten
The Big Ten men’s basketball coaches and league media chose Ken Johnson (Sr., Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford) as a preseason First Team All-Big Ten selection. The announcement was made Oct. 30 at the annual Big Ten Men’s Basketball media day. Johnson joins Cory Bradford (Illinois), Charlie Bell (Michigan State), Kirk Haston (Indiana) and LaVell Blanchard (Michigan) on the squad selected by the coaches. The media selected the same squad with the exception of Haston. Joe Crispin of Penn State filled that spot. Johnson, who averaged nearly eight points, over six rebounds and 5.4 blocks a game last year as a junior, is the only senior on Ohio State’s squad this season.
Four new scholarship players ready for Buckeye debuts
Seven players return from the 1999-00 season with four more set to make debuts as Buckeyes this season.
Two players, junior Tim Martin (Dayton, Ohio/Dunbar) and sophomore Sean Connolly (Peabody, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) sat out last season following transfers from Kent State and Providence, respectively.
Three freshmen will get their first taste of Division I basketball as well. Velimir Radinovic (Toronto, Canada/T.A. Blakelock) and Zach Williams (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) begin their careers. Matt Marinchick (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) will sit out his freshman season as a redshirt and will have four years of eligibility with the Buckeyes beginning with the 2001-02 season.
Buckeyes add 3 to roster for 2000-01
Jim O’Brien added three student athletes to the men’s basketball roster for the 2000-01 season. A trio of Ohio products was selected following two days of walk-on tryouts during preseason camp. Junior Kel Frazier (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and sophomores Ryan Heflin (Dayton, Ohio/Meadowdale) and Shaun Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) have joined the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
Johnson on watch list for Naismith Award
Ken Johnson, a senior on the Ohio State men’s basketball team, is among 30 preseason candidates for the 2000-01 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award. The Naismith Awards program, now in its 33rd year, honors the outstanding college basketball players in the United States. The program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball. Charlie Bell (Michigan State), Cory Bradford (Illinois) and Mike Kelley (Wisconsin) also represent the Big Ten on the list.
Wooden Award a possibility for Johnson
Johnson is a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, which began its Silver Anniversary celebration with the announcement of the Top 50 Preseason Candidates for the 2000-01 All-American Team in late August. Founded in 1976, The John R. Wooden Award is the nation’s pre-eminent trophy given annually to the most outstanding collegiate basketball player in the United States.
Johnson helps Olympic team prepare for Gold in Sydney
Ken Johnson was selected as one of 12 collegiate players who gathered to practice against the 2000 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team last summer in Maui, Hawaii. Johnson was the only true center on the 2000 USA Basketball Men’s Select team and its tallest player at 6-feet 11-inches. The Select team scrimmaged the Olympic team each day during the week-long camp. The camp ended with a nationally-televised (NBC) contest Sept. 2 at the University of Hawaii Stan Sheriff Center.
Johnson No. 2 on OSU career swat chart
Ken Johnson made a serious assault on the Buckeye career blocked shots chart in 1999-00 with 161 blocks, which moved him into second-place all-time (319) at Ohio State in career rejections. Johnson is nine behind the 328 recorded blocks by Buckeye great Herb Williams (1978-81). Johnson averaged 1.9 bpg (58/30 gms.) as a freshman, 2.8 bpg. (100/36 gms.) as a sophomore and 5.37 bpg. (161/30 gms.) in 1999-00.
Parkhill joins Buckeye coaching staff
Bruce Parkhill, a native of State College, Pa., who directed Penn State’s men’s basketball program for 12 seasons (1984-95) accepted an offer to become the associate head coach on Jim O’Brien’s Ohio State men’s basketball staff. Parkhill, began his appointment Sept. 1. In 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Parkhill had an overall record of 270-244, which included six seasons at William & Mary (1978-1983) where he amassed a record of 89-75 before building a record of 181-169 at Penn State.
Johnson, Brown selected captains
Jim O’Brien announced Ken Johnson and Brian Brown will serve as team captains for the 2000-01 season.
Johnson, who is a fifth-year senior, led the nation in blocked shots as a junior with 161. He has started 92 games in the last three seasons and has appeared in 96 contests. Johnson has a chance to become the all-time record holder for blocked shots in the Big Ten Conference. With 110 more rejections, he will overtake Calvin Booth, who swatted 428 during his career (1995-99) at Penn State. Brown, a junior, has started the last 35 games at guard for the Buckeyes, including all 30 contests as a sophomore. He averaged 8.9 points per game last year, more than doubling his 4.1 scoring average from his freshman season.
Buckeyes among few to use same starting lineup in 1999-00
According to STATS Inc., Ohio State was among just six schools to use just one or two different starting lineups in 1999-00. Hawaii used the same starters all season. Ohio State, Southern Illinois, St. John’s, Vermont and Wofford used just two lineups in 1999-00.
Johnson reaches 300 career blocks, 6th on Big Ten list
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 319 blocks in his career after swatting four vs. Miami, Fla. (3/19/00). Johnson is just the second Buckeye and the sixth Big Ten player to reach 300 career blocks. Johnson is fifth in Big Ten history with 319 rejections. Herb Williams (1977-81) leads OSU and is fourth all-time among Big Ten players with 328 rejections.
Big Ten Career Blocked Shots leaders 1. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-99 428 2. Acie Earl, IOWA 1989-93 365 3. Joe Barry Carroll, PUR 1977-80 349 4. Herb Williams, OSU 1977-81 328 5. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 319 6. Brad Sellers, WIS-OSU 1981-86 307 7. Roy Tarpley, MICH 1982-86 251 8. Kevin McHale, MINN 1976-80 235 9. Greg Stokes, IOWA 1981-85 229 10.Randy Breuer, MINN 1979-83 228
Big Ten Season Blocked Shot leaders 1. Ken Johnson, OSU 1999-00 161 2. Calvin Booth, PSU 1997-98 140 3. Jim Pitts, NU 1965-66 123 4. Acie Earl, Iowa 1991-92 121 5. Acie Earl, Iowa 1990-91 106 6. Joe Barry Carroll, PUR 1977-78 105 7. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-96 101 8. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998-99 100 9. Dean Garrett, IND 1987-88 99 10.Roy Tarpley, MICH 1985-86 97 Brad Sellers, OSU 1985-86 97
Johnson led nation in blocks, average fifth in NCAA
Ohio State center Ken Johnson led the Big Ten and the nation in blocks in 1999-00. Johnson sent back 5.37 shots per game with 161 blocks on the year. Johnson has the fifth highest block per game average in NCAA history.
NCAA Single Season Blocks Avg. 1. #Adonal Foyle, Colgate 1997 6.43 2. #Keith Closs, C. Conn. St. 1996 6.36 3. #David Robinson, Navy 1986 5.91 4. Adonal Foyle, Colgate 1996 5.69 5. #Ken Johnson, OSU 2000 5.37 # Led nation in blocks.
2-year home record rates high at OSU
Ohio State has compiled a 29-3 (.906) record over two season in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were 14-1 in the inaugural season in VCA (1998-99) and notched a 15-2 record at home in 1999-00. In back-to-back season in which the Buckeyes have won at least 25 games at home, the current record of 29-3 stands fourth all-time for home record in consecutive seasons. The 1962-63 teams posted a 25-0 record during a span of 50 home games in which the Buckeyes were undefeated from 1960-64.
Ohio State home record in back-to-back seasons Seasons 2-yr. home Rec. Win Pct. 1962-63 25-0 1.000 1991-92 30-1 .968 1990-91 27-2 .931 1999-00 29-3 .906 1985-86 26-5 .839 1982-83 25-5 .833 1986-87 26-7 .788 1985-86 26-5 .781
OSU 3-pt FG streak extended to 250
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 250 games. Brian Brown extended the streak late in the first half against Miami, Fla. (3/19/00). 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 242-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.
OSU vs. the Big Ten
The Buckeyes open the Big Ten season Jan. 3, 2001 at home against Northwestern. The Buckeyes have more victories over the Wildcats (97) than any other league school. Ohio State has 78 wins each over Michigan and Wisconsin. Illinois has the most wins over the Buckeyes with 94. This will be the 89th season of Big Ten play for Ohio State in men’s basketball.
Big Ten Series Records Illinois 56-94 Indiana 66-92 Iowa 59-67 Michigan 78-67 Michigan State 44-51 Minnesota 69-50 Northwestern 97-44 Penn State 11-11 Purdue 67-77 Wisconsin 78-53 Totals 625-606
