Men’s Basketball Hosts Eastern Kentucky – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2000
Game Notes in .PDF format
Opponent: Eastern Kentucky
Site: Value City Arena (19,100)
Game Time: 4 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)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (2-2)
G 4-Brent Darby, 6-1, So.
G 21-Boban Savovic, 6-5, Jr.
G 13-Brian Brown, 6-4, Jr.
C 32-Ken Johnson, 6-11, Sr.
F 33-Zach Williams, 6-7, Fr.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Probable Starters (2-1)
G 23-Spanky Parks, 6-3, Jr.
G 30-John White, 6-2, G
C 42-Richard Gaston, 6-7, Jr.
F 24-Lavoris Jerry, 6-3,Sr.
F 33-Phillip Taylor, 6-7, Jr.
Buckeyes finish fifth at Great Alaska Shootout
Ohio State won its opener against Florida State 90-65 behind the phenomenal shooting performance turned in by junior Brian Brown. Brown finished with 23 points after connecting on all nine of his shots from the field and all five 3-point attempts. Syracuse, the eventual tournament champion, then downed Ohio State 77-66 despite a double-double performance turned in by senior center Ken Johnson, who had 13 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. The Buckeyes then suffered a 67-64 defeat to Valparaiso in a game that went down to the final seconds. Brown again led Ohio State with 16 points. Brown earns all-tournament honors
Junior co-captain Brian Brown was selected to the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament team behind his 19.0 scoring average during the three-day event. Brown was the Player of the Game in the first contest against Florida State after scoring 23 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the field and a 5-of-5 effort from 3-point range. Brown led the Buckeyes offensively in all three games. He scored 18 against Syracuse and 16 vs. Valparaiso.
Johnson No. 1 on OSU career swat chart
Ken Johnson has 16 blocks on the season for a career total of 335, which moves him into first-place all-time at Ohio State in career rejections. Johnson passed Herb Williams (1978-81) at the Great Alaska Shootout. 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. He has an average of 4.0 blocks a game this season.
Noting the Great Alaska Shootout
Ken Johnson led the tournament with 11 blocks, Brian Brown wasfourth in scoring with 57 points and 3-pointers made with seven.Brown was second in free throw shooting…he connected on 16-of-17(.941). As a team, the Buckeyes connected on 50-63 free throws(.794), second to Syracuse (66-83, .795). Ohio State improved to4-0 all-time against Florida State and to 31-14 against teamsrepresenting the Atlantic Coast Conference. Ohio State is 50-32all-time against the Big East Conference and 3-2 vs. Syracusefollowing the second round loss to Syracuse. Valparaiso is thefirst Mid-Continent team to win a game against Ohio State. TheBuckeyes are 6-1 vs. the MCC and 0-1 vs. Valparaiso all-time. TheBuckeyes are 3-3 in the Great Alaska Shootout. Ohio State headcoach Jim O’Brien has a career record of 295-257, just fivevictories short of career win No. 300. O’Brien is 60-40 after 100games at Ohio State in four seasons as the Buckeye head coach. KenJohnson has 96 career starts…he is tied for No. 8 all-time forcareer starts at Ohio State. Michael Redd (1998-00) and DennisHopson (1984-87) each started 96 career games at Ohio State.Johnson not only took over the No. 1 spot in career blocks at OhioState in Alaska, he also moved into the No. 4 position in careerrejections in the Big Ten. He needs 15 more to surpass Joe BarryCarroll (1977-80) of Purdue for the No. 3 spot in the Big Ten.Carroll finished with 349 career rejections. Johnson has 335following 11 rejections in the Shootout. Ohio State is 44-13all-time in games played in the month of November. Freshman ZachWilliams scored a career-high 16 points against Valparaiso…he hasstarted all four games this season. He is averaging 9.0 points and25.0 minutes of action. The Buckeyes will play the next nine gamesat home before traveling to Illinois for a Jan. 6 Big TenConference game.
Eastern Kentucky outlasts Capital, 70-61
Although being handled by 11 on the backboards, Coach Travis Ford’s Eastern Kentucky University Colonels were able to defeat a scrappy Capital University team, 70-61, in McBrayer Arena Tuesday. Capital, who came into the game with a 3-1 record and a 52 percent field goal percentage, battled to the end before succumbing to the Colonels. The Crusaders rebounding edge gave them more opportunities to score or be fouled which kept the NCAA Division III school from Columbus in the game. In addition to being outrebounded, 51-40, the Colonels had a complete turnaround at the free throw line, hitting just 21-36 from the charity stripe (58.3 percent) after making 19-23 (82.6 percent) at Xavier last Wednesday. The Colonels led just 31-28 at the break. After Capital tied the score at 35 with 17:37 to go in the game, Eastern outscored the Crusaders, 14-3, to go up 49-38 with 13:45 left. The closest Capital came the rest of the way was 53-50 at the 8:43 mark. Clinton Sims and Spanky Parks led Eastern with 14 points each. Freshman forward Chuck Bihn had quite a night off the bench for Capital, scoring a game-high 16 points and grabbing a game-high 18 boards.
Johnson closing on 100 career starts
Ken Johnson has started 96 career games as a Buckeye since the 1997-98 season. With four more starts, he will become one of only eight Buckeyes to reach 100 or more career starts. Currently No. 8 all-time, Johnson will next overtake Troy Taylor (1982-85) at No. 7 with 101 starts.
Leading the Buckeyes
Junior Brian Brown leads the Buckeyes offensively with a scoring average of 18.3 points per game. He also has been deadly accurate from the foul line, hitting 19-of-20 attempts for a shooting percentage of 95 percent. He leads the Buckeyes from 3-point range (8-19, .4210 and has played a team best 33.2 minutes per game. Ken Johnson is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.5 a game. He is the most accurate Buckeye from the field as well hitting 48 percent of his shots (15-31). Junior Boban Savovic is the surprise leader in assists from his off-guard position. He has dished out 16 assists for an average of 4.0 a game.
Buckeyes scoring well from foul line
Ohio State has connected on 77 percent of its foul shots after four games (64-83). The starting unit is 49-of-57 for 86 percent accuracy.
OSU looking to halt two-game skid
The Buckeyes lost the final two games of the Great Alaska Shootout, marking the first time Ohio State has lost two-consecutive contests since back-to-back losses to Iowa and Michigan early in the 1999 Big Ten Conference season. The Buckeyes finished 27-9. Ohio State did not lose two in a row all of last year during a 23-7 campaign.
Buckeyes 7-0 vs. the Ohio Valley Conference, 2-0 vs. EKU
Ohio State and Eastern Kentucky have met twice previously with the Buckeyes winning both games. The teams first met at the Casper (Wyo.) Shootout Dec. 28, 1995. Ohio State won that meeting 92-88. The schools also squared off Dec. 19, 1999 in Columbus. The Buckeyes cruised to a 72-40 victory in that game. Ohio State is 7-0 against Ohio Valley Conference teams with wins over EKU (2), Murray State, Tennessee Martin, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech (2).
Four Colonels average 11 or more points
Eastern Kentucky’s upperclassmen pace the Colonels in scoring. Junior Spanky Parks tops the squad with a 15.7 scoring average followed by senior Lavoris Jerry with 14.3 ppg. Junior Clinton Sims is next at 13.0 ppg., followed by senior John White’s 11.7 ppg. Junior Phillip Taylor leads the squad in rebounding with 7.7 rpg.
Noting the Colonels
Eastern Kentucky enters the 2000-01 season under the direction of first year head coach Travis Ford. He guided Campbellsville University to a 23-11 record last season and into the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tournament. Ford, who played his collegiate basketball at the University of Kentucky, compiled a three-year record of 67-31.
Arnie Risen, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1998, played his freshman season of collegiate basketball at Eastern Kentucky (1942-43) before serving in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II and then transferring to Ohio State.
This will be just the third meeting between the two schools. The Buckeyes last met the Colonels in 1999-00 in Columbus. Ohio State won that game 72-40.
Ford in first year at EKU
Travis Ford was named to his current post April 4, 2000.
Ford guided Campbellsville to a 23-11 record in 1999-00 and into the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Tournament. In three years as head coach of the Tigers, Ford compiled a 67-31 record.
Following his graduation from the University of Kentucky in 1994, Ford played with the Golden State Warriors. After his stint in the NBA, he played the role of Danny O’Grady in the motion picture “The 6th Man” before returning to basketball.
OSU opponents fare well in polls
Six 2000-01 Buckeye opponents are rated among the Top 25 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. Another seven foes are receiving votes for Top 25 consideration. Kansas (2/4), Michigan State (3/2), Illinois (9/8), St. John’s (19/21), Syracuse (20/19) and Wisconsin (23/23) are rated in the Top 25 in both polls. Alabama, Purdue, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Minnesota and Valparaiso all are receiving votes.
Johnson reaches 300 career blocks, 4th on Big Ten list
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 335 blocks in his career after swatting 11 in the three games at the Great Alaska Shootout. Johnson is fourth in Big Ten history in career blocks. Joe Barry Carroll of Purdue (1977-80) is the next target for Johnson at No. 3 with 349 career blocks.
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. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 335 5. Herb Williams, OSU 1977-81 328
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. His total of 161 is the seventh most in a single season 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.
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.
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. The Buckeyes have used the same lineup for each of their four games this season. Ohio State has used the same starters in each of the four games this season.
2-year home record rates high at OSU
Ohio State has compiled a 30-3 (.909) record over three seasons 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 seasons in which the Buckeyes have won at least 25 combined home games, the OSU record from 1999-00 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 254
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 254 games. Boban Savovic extended the streak early in the first half against Valparaiso (11/25/00). 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 246-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
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.
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.
