Ohio State-Kansas Preview – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2000
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio State continues its nine-game homestand with a marquee matchup against%^$ninth-ranked Kansas on Saturday.%^$
The Buckeyes (8-2), who do not leave Columbus until a Jan. 6 trip to%^$Illinois, have won the first six games of their homestand by an average of 28.5%^$points. Freshman forward Zack Williams scored a season-high 19 points as Ohio%^$State pounded Robert Morris 88-46 on Wednesday.%^$
Brent Darby added seven of his 15 points in a game-breaking 27-2 run in the%^$first half as Ohio State cruised to an easy win. Buckeyes coach Jim O’Brien was%^$pleased with the result, but knows beating the Jayhawks will be a tall order.%^$
“People are talking about this team as being easily good enough to get to%^$the Final Four and that it could win the national championship,” O’Brien said%^$of Kansas. “They have all the ingredients you want in a team.”%^$
Ohio State is 7-0 at the Value City Arena this season and 36-3 since the%^$arena opened prior to the 1998-99 season. Guard Brian Brown is averaging team%^$highs of 14.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, while center Ken Johnson is contributing%^$10.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game.%^$
Johnson also will draw the toughest defensive assignment on Saturday,%^$stopping Jayhawks center Eric Chenowith. The 7-foot-1 senior had a season-high%^$24 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as Kansas dismantled Tulsa 92-69 last%^$Saturday. Drew Gooden added 21 points for the Jayhawks, who picked apart the%^$smaller Golden Hurricanes squad.%^$
“Eric was really good – 24 and 14 are big-time numbers,” coach Roy%^$Williams said. “I yelled at him once because he took a jump shot on the%^$baseline. If you’re 7-1 and the guy guarding you is 6-7, then you shouldn’t%^$take jump shots. You can’t play dumb.”%^$
Kansas also hopes to have two of its starters back for this game. Leading%^$scorer and swingman Kenny Gregory has missed the last three games with a stress%^$fracture in his right foot. Gregory, who averages 17.9 points and 7.7 rebounds,%^$is a native of Columbus and is expected to play.%^$
Guard Luke Axtell has missed the last two games with a sprained left ankle,%^$but is also expected to return for this game. Axtell is averaging 9.3 points%^$through four games and has made eight of 19 shots from 3-point range.%^$
The Jayhawks are averaging 87 points and are shooting 52 percent from the%^$field, including 42 percent from behind the 3-point arc.%^$
Kansas, which leads the all-time series 4-3, recorded an 80-67 victory last%^$season behind Gregory, who had 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting.%^$
