The #5 Buckeyes Host The Nittany Lions – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2000
No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (16-4, 7-2)
G 12-Scoonie Penn, 5-10, Sr.
G 22-Michael Redd, 6-6, Jr.
G 13-Brian Brown, 6-3, So.
C 32-Ken Johnson, 6-11, Sr.
F 34-Cobe Ocokoljic, 6-8, Fr.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Probable Starters (12-8, 4-5)
G 33-Titus Ivory, 6-4, Jr.
G 3-Joe Crispin, 6-1, Jr.
C 54-Carl Jackson, 6-9, Sr.
F 35-Tyler Smith, 6-8, So.
F 31-Jarrett Stephens, 6-7, Sr.
Redd leads Buckeyes in games vs. PSU
Ohio State junior guard Michael Redd has averaged 26.8 points per game in four meetings with Penn State. He managed 47 points in two meetings last year, including 26 in an overtime loss in the final regular season contest last year in State College, Pa. Redd also is averaged nearly seven rebounds against the Nittany Lions.
Oliver again leads charge against Buckeyes in 67-64 Hawkeye win
Buckeye-killer Dean Oliver kept Iowa in it until Kyle Galloway nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner with four seconds left as the Hawkeyes upset Ohio State 67-64. The loss dropped Ohio State into a tie for first place with Michigan State in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes, who were all alone at the top for the first time since 1992 after Purdue beat Michigan State last night, had won eight straight and 12 of 13. It was the third time this season the Buckeyes lost on a perimeter jumper at the end of a game. Oliver, who hit a 3-pointer in the final minute a year ago to beat the Buckeyes in Columbus, scored 21 points, while Galloway added 12 and Ryan Luehrsmann had 10. Reserve Rod Thompson grabbed 11 rebounds and contributed big plays on three consecutive possessions down th stretch. It was Oliver who brought the ball downcourt after Ohio State tied it with 11 seconds left. He split the defense, drew a defender and then flipped the pass to a wide-open Galloway in the right corner. Scoonie Penn, who scored nine of
Ohio State’s last 10 points, led the Buckeyes with 22 points. Michael Redd added 14 points, George Reese 13 and Brian Brown 10 while Ken Johnson matched his own school record with 11 blocked shots.
Noting the game against Iowa
– With the defeat, Ohio State is now 26-3 in Value City Arena. Iowa has posted two of the opponent wins in VCA, with Notre Dame holding the other. OSU’s record over the past two seasons at home is the fourth-best in school history.
– Ken Johnson blocked 11 shots in the contest – tying the Ohio State school record. Johnson also blocked 11 shots in a game earlier this season vs. St. John’s.
– Johnson continued to move closer to the top position on the all-time Ohio State blocked shots chart, swatting 11 vs. Iowa to give him 272 for his career. Johnson moves to within 56 of Herb Williams’ record of 328. Johnson also added to his current single-season blocks record, bumping his total to 114 this season.
– Johnson’s 11 blocks are a Value City Arena record, topping his previous arena record of eight, set vs. American and Eastern Kentucky earlier this season.
– Michael Redd recorded his 130th career steal, moving him into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time OSU chart. Redd stands 11 behind ninth-place Mark Baker (141).
– Ohio State now has connected on at least one three-point field goal attempt over the last 240 games. Scoonie Penn extended the streak with a 3-pointer early in the first half.
– Duez Henderson’s disqualification (fouls) was Iowa’s 19th disqualification this season. In contrast, Ohio State has two.
– Scoonie Penn set a season high with 22 points, topping his previous high of 21, set vs. Coastal Carolina (12/13/99).
Three of four OSU losses come in final three seconds
Ohio State (16-4) has lost three games this season on opponent shots that fell in the final three seconds of the game. The first was in the season opener vs. Notre Dame when the Buckeyes battled from a four-point deficit with 54 seconds to play to tie the game at 57 with 18 seconds left. The Irish’s David Graves then hit an off-balance shot from the left side at the buzzer for a 59-57 UND victory. Ohio State then battled from 10 down with 5:47 left to tie the score at 77 vs. Illinois with five seconds to play on a Brian Brown tip-in. Illinois’ Frank Williams then launched a straight-on 3-pointer that fell at the buzzer to give the Illini an 80-77 victory. Iowa won with three seconds to play on a Kyle Galloway 3-pointer from the left corner after OSU came back from 10 down to tie the game at 64 with seven seconds to play. OSU did come out on top at St. John’s this season after battling from 10 down with 2:49 to play to take a 65-64 lead with 23 seconds left on a pair of Scoonie Penn free throws. Penn then blocked a 3-point attempt by SJU’s Erick Barkley to preserve the win.
2-year home record rates high in OSU history
Ohio State has compiled a 26-3 (.897) record over the last two season in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were 14-1 in the inaugural season in VCA last season and so far boast a 12-2 record at home in 1999-00. In back-to-back season in which the Buckeyes have won at least 25 wins at home, the current record of 25-2 stands fourth all-time for home record in consecutive seasons. The 1962-63 teams posted a record 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 26-3 .897 1985-86 26-5 .839 1982-83 25-5 .833 1986-87 26-7 .788 1985-86 26-5 .781
Redd moves to 7th in career scoring
Michael Redd is in 7th place all-time at OSU in scoring with 1,671 career points after a 14 point effort against Iowa (2/9/00). Redd trails No. 6 Jay Burson (1986-89) by 85 points. Burson ended his OSU career with 1,756 points.
OSU vs. the Top 10
Ohio State played its second Top 10 team of the season against the No. 10 Spartans of Michigan State. The Buckeyes lost 80-67 earlier this season to No. 8 Kansas in Lawrence but ended MSU’s 21-game Big Ten winning streak with a 78-67 victory Jan. 20 in Columbus. All-Time, Ohio State has a 49-99 record against teams ranked in the AP Top 10.
OSU record when ranked in Top 10
No. 5 Ohio State opened the season ranked No. 4 but fell to No. 15 following a 59-57 loss to Notre Dame in the opening round of the NIT. Ohio State has a record of 189-49 (.794) in games when the Buckeyes are ranked among the Associated Press Top 10 teams in the nation.
Ohio State owns edge in big games
When Ohio State is ranked and plays a ranked opponent, the Buckeyes have a 51-36 record all-time. OSU has taken an Associated Press ranking into games against ranked foes four times this season. Ohio State lost to No. 8 Kansas 80-67 earlier this season on the road before dropping an 80-77 contest to No. 19 Illinois in Champaign. OSU was ranked No. 12 and No. 13 respectively in those defeats. OSU rose to No. 5 after a 78-67 win over No. 10 Michigan State, a 65-64 win over No. 19 St. John’s and a 68-59 win over Purdue.
Buckeye schedule toughens
Ohio State will play at least six teams ranked among the AP Top 25 this season with the possibility to add a few more down the road. The Buckeyes already met No. 8 Kansas and No. 19 Illinois, No. 10 Michigan State and No. 19 St. John’s. OSU will travel to No. 6 MSU and No. 10 Indiana next week. Purdue and Illinois are getting votes in the AP Top 25 poll.
Penn, Redd battle for scoring lead
The Ohio State guard duo of Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn each have lead the Buckeyes in scoring this season. Penn is leads at 15.6 ppg. Redd is the currently second with 15.5 points per game. Penn has scored 312 points followed by Redd with 309.
Redd among 30 finalists for Wooden Award, Penn still being considered
Ohio State junior guard Michael Redd is listed among the 30 finalists for the 2000 John R. Wooden Award. Ohio State senior Scoonie Penn is still under consideration but is not listed among the mid-season Top 30.
Johnson records 200th career block, now 6th on Big Ten list
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 272 blocks in his career after swatting 11 against Iowa (2/9). Johnson is just the second Buckeye and the 12th Big Ten player to reach 200 career blocks. Johnson is currently sixth in Big Ten history with 2672 rejections. Herb Williams (1977-81) leads OSU and is fourth all-time among Big Ten players with 328 rejections. OSU’s Brad Sellers is the next target on the all-time Big Ten list. Sellers recorded 307 career blocks at Wisconsin and Ohio State from 1981-86.
Big Ten Career Block Shot 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. Brad Sellers, WIS-OSU 1981-86 307 6. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 272 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
Johnson, Buckeyes leading nation, Big Ten in several categories
Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson is leading Big Ten players and the nation in blocks this season. Johnson is sending back 5.70 shots per game with 114 blocks on the year. As a team, the Buckeyes are first among Big Ten teams in field goal percentage defense (.361) and blocked shots (7.10). The Buckeyes are second in scoring defense (58.5) and turnover margin (+3.15).
Penn equals BC total in games played at OSU
Ohio State senior guard Scoonie Penn made the 100th start of his career against Toledo (12/22). Penn has started every game in which he has appeared over two seasons at Boston College and two at Ohio State. As an Eagle at BC, Penn started 56 games from 1995-97. To date at OSU, Penn has 56 starts over the last two seasons.
Redd begins another double-figure scoring streak
Ohio State junior guard Michael Redd has appeared in 83 games as a Buckeye. He has failed to reach double figures in scoring just three times, a nine-point effort vs. BYU (12/30/97), an eight-point outing at Michigan (1/16/99) and a career-low four-point outing against Oakland (12/27/99). Redd had scored in double figures in 26-consecutive games before the Oakland game. He scored 10 or more in 34-consecutive contests after the BYU game his freshman season. He has reached double digits in his last 11 games, including the 14-point effort vs. Iowa (2/9/00)
Johnson likely has made final move on OSU career swat chart but…
Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson likely made his final assault on the Buckeye career blocked shots chart with his eight-rejection night against Eastern Kentucky, which moved him into second-place all-time (272) at Ohio State in career blocks. Johnson trails the 328 recorded blocks by Buckeye great Herb Williams (1978-81) by 56. Johnson averaged 1.9 bpg (58/30 gms.) as a sophomore, 2.8 bpg. (100/36 gms.) as a junior and 5.70 bpg. (114/20 gms.) so far this season. If he keeps up his current pace he could still reach Williams’ record. Ohio State has at least eight games remaining (seven regular season, one in the Big Ten Tournament). Johnson could reach the record on his current pace in 10 games.
Redd, Penn reach 1,600 career points
The Ohio State guard tandem of senior Scoonie Penn and junior Michael Redd each reached career point 1,600 this season. Redd has 1,670 career points, good for seventh on the OSU career list. Penn, who spent two seasons at Boston College, has scored 1,658 career points. Penn tallied 737 while at BC and has 921 at Ohio State.
Penn closing in on OSU 1,000 point club
In just his second season in Columbus, Ohio State senior guard Scoonie Penn is nearing the 1,000 club at Ohio State. Penn will be the 38th player in OSU history to reach 1,000 career points with 79 more this season. Penn scored 609 as an OSU junior and has 312 this year. Penn could become just the second player to record 1,000 points in his only two seasons as a Buckeye. Brad Sellers (1985-86) was the first to do so with 1,122 points in his career.
Team Notes
Ohio State has scored 70 or more points in 11 games this season and has a 10-1 record in those games…Ohio State has held 13 of 18 opponents under 65 points this season and has an 12-1 record in those games…Ohio State has blocked at least one opponent shot in the last 57 games (0 vs. Penn State, 2/28/98)-Ken Johnson has started the last 56 games…an OSU player has scored in double figures 72 times this season…Michael Redd has 19, Scoonie Penn 18 and George Reese 12…four different players have reached the 20-point plateau with Redd and Penn leading the way with three 20+ games each…six times a player has reached double digits in rebounding led by Ken Johnson with four followed by Redd with two…Ohio State has outscored opponents by an average of 6.3 points at the half…the Buckeyes are 11-1 when leading at the half and have come back to win five of eight games when trailing at the break…when the OSU bench outscores the opponent bench, the Buckeyes are 13-2 but are still 3-2 when the opposing bench holds the advantage…the Buckeyes are 7-3 in games decided by 10 points or less and 9-1 in games decided by 11 or more points.
Numerically noting the Buckeyes
– Scoonie Penn: Penn reached 100 career starts vs. Toledo (12/22)…he has 56 at Ohio State…Penn has played 30 or more minutes in 17 games this season, including all 40 at Kansas (12/16)…since failing to record a steal in the season opener against Notre Dame, Penn has at least one theft in 19-consecutive contests…he has 201 thefts in his career, 113 at Ohio State…a small but mighty rebounder, Penn is averaging 4.5 boards a contest…he has 415 career rebounds (3.7 rpg.).
– Michael Redd: Redd has started all 86 games in his career…he claimed 7th on the OSU career scoring list with 14 points vs. Wisconsin (2/2)…Redd has 1,670 career points…Redd is 45 of 55 (.818) from the foul line this year…he is a career 64 percent free throw shooter (307-480)…Redd has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 16 of 20 games this season…Redd reached 300 career free throws and 500 career rebounds in the win over St. John’s…he has 524 career rebounds for an average of 6.1 rpg.
– Ken Johnson: Johnson has started the last 56 games at center…Johnson has 272 career blocks and is averaging 5.72 bpg. (114) this season…he set a single game school record with 11 blocks at St. John’s (1/22) and tied it vs. Iowa (2/9)…he set the single season record for blocks with 100 as a junior and broke that mark with five at Michigan…he has 114 this season…Johnson has 24 career games with five or more blocks, he had three as a freshman, seven last year and 14 this season in 20 games…Johnson is a career 52 percent shooter from the field (240-465) and is connecting on 55 percent this season (63-115).
– Brian Brown: Brown has doubled his offensive output this season with an average of 9.6 points a game…he averaged 4.1 as a freshman…he also is shooting 32 percent better from the foul line…Brown shot just 51.9 percent as a freshman (27-52) from the free-throw line…this season, Brown has connected on 39-46 (.848)…he has made 70 of 127 field goal attempts (.551) this season after shooting 39 percent as a freshman…Brown has scored in double figures in 10 games this season after reaching 10 points just twice as a freshman…OSU is 9-3 when Brown reaches double figures
– Cobe Ocokoljic: Ocokoljic cracked the starting lineup vs. Oakland (12/27)…he has played double-figure minutes in 12 of 20 games and eight of the last 14, including a career-high 32 minutes vs. American (12/29).
– George Reese: Reese has doubled his offensive output from a year ago…he averaged 5.5 points last season and is third on the team this year at 11.7 ppg…he connected on 42 percent of his shots as a junior (73-174) but has upped that percentage to 51 percent this year (94-185)…he scored 18-second half points on his way to 24 vs. Illinois (1/6/00) and had 19 points in the win over No. 10 Michigan State (1/20/00)…he established a career-high with 25 points in the win at Michigan (2/6).
– Boban Savovic: Savovic has been bothered most of the season with ankle injuries…he has appeared in just 10 games this season and has connected on 9 of 24 shots from the field…he suffered a lower left leg bruise in the win over Purdue (1/29) and missed the last three games with that injury.
– Brent Darby: Darby made a huge 3-pointer with 7:02 remaining in the second half vs. Wisconsin (1/13) and did so again in the second half vs. the Badgers in Columbus…he has made nearly 50 percent of his 3-pointers this season (9-19)…nine of his 16 field goals this season have been 3-pointers…in his first game in the state of Michigan (he is a River Rouge, Mich., native) he scored six points with no turnovers in 20 minutes against the Wolverines (2/6).
– Will Dudley: Dudley is a career 65 percent shooter from the field…he has connected on 35-54 shots from the field in 34 career games…he has made 21-33 (.636) shots this season.
Blocks spark OSU defense
Ohio State, led by senior center Ken Johnson’s 103 blocks, has rejected 131 shots this season while foes have just 53.
Buckeyes spend last 24 weeks in AP poll
Ohio State spent the final 10 weeks of the 1998-99 season and the first 14 weeks of 1999-00 ranked among the Top 25 teams nationally in the Associated Press Poll. The Buckeyes finished 1998-99 No. 14 in the AP and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today polls. OSU is currently 5th in the AP and 6th in the ESPN/USA Today polls (2/7/00). Ohio State opened the season No. 5 in the AP poll then moved to No. 4 the week of Nov. 15.
Illinois nips Lions 51-50
Cory Bradford scored 18 points, including 10 of Illinois’ final 12, and Penn State missed three of four free throws with the game on the line as the Illini beat the Lions 51-50. The Illini survived despite being outshot 50 percent to 26 percent in the second half. With Penn State trailing 51-49 with 30 seconds to play, Joe Crispin was fouled on a drive to the basket, but fell hard and had to leave the game with a gash over his eye and a bloody nose. Brandon Watkins took the foul shots instead and made one of two, the Lions trailed 51-50. After Brian Cook twice missed the front end of one-and-ones, Gyasi Cline-Heard – 38 percent from the line – missed two free throws then a wide-open potential game-winner from 10 feet. Cook added 15 points for the Illini in this matchup of fifth-place teams. Illinois went up 11 points in the first half against the cold-shooting Nittany Lions.
Buckeyes split with Nittany Lions when ranked
Ohio State has taken an Associated Press Top 25 ranking into just two games against Penn State. The Buckeyes have come away with a 1-1 record in those games. The No. 7 Buckeyes defeated Penn State Jan. 2, 1992 in Columbus 73-63. Last season, the No. 10 Buckeyes fell to PSU 98-85 in overtime in State College.
Penn State falls to 12-8 and 4-5 in Big Ten
Penn State lost a heartbreaker at home to Illinois 51-50 last Sunday to fall to 4-5 in Big Ten play heading into the game with the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions opened the season 6-0 before losing at Villanova. PSU was 8-3 heading into Big Ten Conference play. League wins have come against Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Penn State has lost to Michigan State and to Indiana and Illinois, twice.
Stephens shines for Lions
Senior forward Jarrett Stephens is leading the Lions in scoring with 18.5 points a contest. He completes his double-double average with 11.5 rebounds a game to lead the Big Ten. His scoring average ranks second among league players. Junior guard Joe Crispin is second in scoring at 17.8 ppg. He leads the team with 45 3-pointers made on the season. Junior Titus Ivory is the only other PSU player in double figures in scoring with 12.8 ppg.
Dunn in 5th year at Penn State
Jerry Dunn has compiled an overall record of 75-57 in five seasons at the helm of the Nittany Lions. The George Mason graduate (1980) has guided PSU to a 12-6 record this season and a 4-5 mark in the Big Ten.
The Penn State Series
Penn State leads the young series with Ohio State 10-9. Ohio State is 7-3 in games played in Columbus and just 2-6 in State College. Penn State won the only meeting on a neutral court in 1950, 67-58. That game was played as part of the Michigan State Holiday Classic in East Lansing Dec. 30, 1950.
OSU vs. the Big Ten
Ohio State played its 1,200th game against the current alignment of Big Ten teams against Indiana (Jan. 9, 1999). The Buckeyes earned their 600th win over current Big Ten opponents with a 70-62 win over Penn State in the earliest Big Ten game ever played Nov. 20, 1998 in Columbus.
Big Ten Series Records
Illinois 55-93
Indiana 65-92
Iowa 59-67
Michigan 78-67
Michigan State 44-50
Minnesota 68-50
Northwestern 96-44
Penn State 9-10
Purdue 67-77
Wisconsin 78-53
Totals 618-603
OSU 3-point field goal streak extended to 240
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 240 games. Michael Redd extended the streak early in the first half against Michigan. 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 230-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.
Redd, Reese post 1st 50-point combo since 1995
Columbus natives George Reese and Michael Redd combined to score 50 points in the win over Michigan (2/6) with 25 points apiece. The last time a pair of Buckeyes combined for 50 or more points was Jan. 8, 1995 when Doug Etzler (37) and Rick Yudt (26) scored 63 in a 121-96 win over George Mason in St. John Arena. Etzler connected on 12 of 15 shots from the field, 8 of 11 3-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws. Yudt was 10 of 19, 2-8 and 4-4. Reese and Redd managed to score 50 on the road. The last time that happened was Feb. 2, 1994 at Indiana when Lawrence Funderburke (26) and Jamie Skelton (24) reached 50 in an 87-83 loss to the Hoosiers in overtime. Indiana’s Alan Henderson (29) and Pat Graham (22) combined for 51 in the win.
ONN to replay OSU men’s hoops
The Ohio News Network will replay eight Big Ten OSU men’s basketball games this season. Replays begin at 11 p.m. EST the night of the game on ONN. Remaining games are: Feb. 12 vs. Penn State, Feb. 19 at Indiana and Feb. 23 vs. Northwestern.
1999 Final Four banner unveiled
A banner celebrating the 1999 Final Four appearance by the Ohio State men’s basketball team was unveiled in a pregame ceremony Nov. 29 vs. Vermont. The banner will hang at Value City Arena throughout the 1999-00 season and then will be moved to the Ohio State practice facility. 1998-99 captains Neshaun Coleman and Jason Singleton raised the banner.
Lucas named to SI All-Century Team
Ohio State basketball legend Jerry Lucas (1960-62) was selected to the Sports Illustrated All-Century Team, one of only five players to be so honored. Lucas is joined on the team by Bill Bradley (Princeton, 1963-65), David Thompson (N.C. State, 1973-75), Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati 1958-60) and Lew Alcindor (UCLA, 1967-69). Lucas averaged 24.3 points a game in his OSU career and an astounding 17.2 rebounds a contest. He was a three-time All-America selection and the Big Ten’s only three-time player of the year. Lucas’ 1,411 career rebounds stands as the career record. His 17.2 average also is a career record. He averaged 17.8 rebounds as a senior, which stands as the OSU single season record.
Penn named 1st Team AP All-American
Senior guard Scoonie Penn was named to the Associated Press Preseason First Team All-America team. Penn joins Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State, Terence Morris, Maryland, Chris Porter, Auburn and Quentin Richardson, DePaul.
VCA sold out for 1999-00 Big Ten season
The entire 1999-00 home Big Ten men’s basketball season at Value City Arena is sold out. All 19,100 seats are sold this year, including 4,000 student season tickets. A total of 10,000 student season ticket applications were submitted for the 4,000 available seats. Split season tickets were distributed to 8,000 students who submitted applications this year. Last season 650 student season tickets were sold. The Buckeyes averaged 17,228 fans last season. Ohio State was 14-1 in its first season a VCA.
Buckeyes sign three for 2000-01
Jim O’Brien, Ohio State head men’s basketball coach, announced the signing of three highly recruited players to be added to the Buckeye program. Matt Marinchick (Hudson, Ohio), Velimir Radinovic (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) and Zach Williams (Middle Village, N.Y.) all signed letters of intent Nov. 11.
Marinchick (Ma-RIN-chick), a 6-10 center from Hudson (Ohio) H.S. is ranked No. 20 nationally at his position by Athlons Sports. He led his high school team with 12.8 points per game as a junior.
