Buckeyes Travel To Penn State Wednesday Night – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 29, 2000
No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (20-5, 11-3)
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 40-George Reese, 6-7, Sr.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Probable Starters (13-12, 5-9)
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 Stphens, 6-7, Sr.
Buckeye defense holds down Illini
Twenty minutes of hard work made the final seven days of the regular season that much more meaningful for No. 6 Ohio State. Rebounding from a nondescript first half, the Buckeyes used a stifling defense, Michael Redd’s 21 points and a 20-3 second-half surge to get by Illinois 64-51. The victory kept the Buckeyes in a virtual tie with Michigan State and Purdue for the top spot in the Big Ten heading into their final two regular-season games. A capacity crowd of 19,100 said goodbye to three senior starters – Scoonie Penn, George Reese and Ken Johnson – who played their final game at Value City Arena. Redd had 12 rebounds as the Buckeyes dominated the boards in the second half. He also moved into fifth place – passing Jimmy Jackson – on Ohio State’s career scoring list with 1,787 points. Brian Brown had 12 points and Reese finished with 11. Johnson blocked six shots and had six rebounds. Illinois had won seven in a row and nine of its last 10. Brian Cook led the Illini with 17 points. Frank Williams, who beat the Buckeyes on a 3-pointer at the buzzer in the Big Ten opener, mustered 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting. The Illini, shooting 44 percent for the season, hit just 18-of-59 shots from the field for 31 percent. Noting the win over Illinois
– OSU concluded its second season in Value City Arena with a 15-2 record, losing only to Notre Dame and Iowa. OSU holds a 29-3 record during its two seasons in VCA, marking the fourth-best home record in back-to-back seasons in OSU history.
– Ohio State now has recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons, marking the first time since the 1991 and 1992 that OSU has accomplished the feat.
– Michael Redd recorded his 11th career double-double, scoring 21 points while grabbing a career-high (tie) 12 rebounds. Redd has four double-doubles this season, and OSU is 3-1 in those contests, losing only at Kansas.
– Redd moved into fifth place on the all-time OSU scoring list with 1,787 points. Redd moved past previous No. 5 Jim Jackson (1,785) and now has his sights on No. 4 Kelvin Ramsey, who scored 1,934 career points.
– Ken Johnson blocked six shots in the game, moving within two of Penn State’s Calvin Booth’s Big Ten single-season record of 140 blocks. Johnson has 138 blocks this season and 296 in his career.
– Johnson’s 296 blocked shots are the sixth-most in Big Ten history, 11 short of fifth-place Brad Sellers (307) and 32 less than Herb Williams’ OSU record of 328.
– Ohio State has now connected on at least one three-point goal in 245-consecutive games. Scoonie Penn extended the streak with a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining in the first half.
– Scoonie Penn eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier after scoring 14 points vs. Illinois. With 1,004 points, Penn becomes the 38th player in Ohio State history to join the 1,000-point club at OSU. Penn now has 1,741 total points in his career at Boston College (737) and Ohio State.
– The stingy OSU defense held the Fighting Illini to a season-low 51 points. The Illini also scored 51 in a narrow win (51-50) at Penn State (2/6/00).
– OSU also held the Illini to 21 points in the second half. The Illini’s previous low in a half was 24, set vs. Penn State (2/6/00).
– George Reese scored in double figures for the 17th time this season. OSU owns a 14-3 record in those contests.
– Brian Brown scored in double figures for the 15th time in his career. The Buckeyes hold a 12-3 record in those games. Brown finished two points shy of his Big Ten season-high of 14 points, set at Northwestern and vs. Michigan State.
– With three assists, Scoonie Penn moves into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time OSU assists chart. Penn now owns 261 career assists. Penn also recorded five steals, one off his career high.
– OSU held the Illinois bench players to four points, a season low for the Illini. Averaging 24.1 points per game, their Illini reserves’ previous low was eight, set at Penn State (2/6/00). Only two teams – OSU and Penn State – have held the Illini reserves to less than 10 points. Illinois’ bench came into the game outscoring its opponents by a 579-449 margin.
Buckeyes 4-3 vs. RPI Top 25
Ohio State has played 11 games against opponents ranked among the Top 64 teams in the latest Rating Percentage Index (Feb. 27), used to selected the field of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State, No. 24 in the RPI, is 4-3 against teams in the Top 25. Ohio State is 1-0 vs. St. John’s (10), 0-1 vs. Kansas (13), 1-0 vs. Indiana (14), 1-1 vs. Michigan State (19), 1-1 vs. Illinois (21), 1-0 vs. Purdue (26), 2-0 vs. Wisconsin (31), 0-1 vs. Iowa (51), 0-1 vs. Notre Dame (60).
OSU No. 15 in Sagarin Ratings
Ohio State has climbed to No. 15 in the Sagarin Ratings as of Feb. 27. The Buckeyes have a 7-3 record vs. the Sagarin, another tool for NCAA Tournament selection, Top 64 and a 3-3 rank vs. the Top 25. OSU has played Michigan State (5), Indiana (11), Illinois (16), Kansas (20), Purdue (22), St. John’s (24), Wisconsin (25), Penn State (1-0, 61) and Iowa (56) in the Sagarin Top 64.
Penn joins OSU 1,000-point club
In just his second season in Columbus, Ohio State senior guard Scoonie Penn reached the 1,000-point club at Ohio State. Penn is the 38th player in OSU history to reach 1,000 career points. Penn scored 609 as an OSU junior and has 395 this year. Penn became 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. Penn also became just the seventh Buckeye to reach 1,000 points in his first two seasons at Ohio State.
Player (yrs. lettered) 1st 2 yrs. at OSU Jerry Lucas (1960-62) 1,381 (1960-61) Michael Redd (1998-) 1,361 (1998-99) Brad Sellers (1985-86) 1,122 (1985-86) Herb Williams (1978-81) 1,069 (1978-79) Jim Jackson (1990-92) 1,067 (1990-91) Dave Sorenson (1968-70) 1,041 (1968-69) Scoonie Penn (1999-00) 1,014 (1999-00)
OSU reaches consecutive 20-win seasons
Jim O’Brien has guided the Buckeyes to an 11-3 record in the Big Ten and a 20-5 overall record after completing the conference schedule with a 12-4 record and an overall mark of 27-9 last year. The Buckeyes finished second in the league a year ago and remain in the running for the league title this year. The Buckeyes have posted back-to-back 10+ win seasons in the Big Ten for the first time since 1991, 1992. OSU was 15-3 in both seasons tying for the Big Ten Title in 1991 and earning it outright in 1992. The win over Illinois (2/27) gave the Buckeyes back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1990-91 when OSU won 27 and 26 games, respectively.
Johnson near 300th career block, 6th on Big Ten list
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 296 blocks in his career after swatting six against Illinois (2/27). 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 296 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. Johnson will become just the sixth Big Ten player to record 300 blocks with four more this season.
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. Brad Sellers, WIS-OSU 1981-86 307 6. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 296 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. Calvin Booth, PSU 1997-98 140 2. Ken Johnson, OSU 1999-00 138 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, 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 5.52 shots per game with 138 blocks on the year. Johnson has the fifth highest block per game average in NCAA history as of Feb. 28. As a team, the Buckeyes are first among Big Ten teams and No. 4 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.365) and blocked shots (6.76). OSU is second in the Big Ten, No. 14 nationally, in scoring defense (60.0 ppg) and scoring margin (12.2), No. 21 nationally.
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 5.52 6.#Keith Closs, C. Conn. St. 1995 5.35 7.#Shaquille O’Neal, LSU 1992 5.23 8.#Shawn Bradley, BYU 1991 5.21 9. Theo Ratliff, Wyoming 1995 5.14 # Led nation in blocks. Johnson is current national leader with 138.
OSU honors Lucas, retires No. 11
The Ohio State Department of Athletics officially retired the No. 11 in men’s basketball to honor three-time All-American Jerry Lucas (1960-62). The ceremony took place at halftime of the Ohio State vs. Northwestern game Feb. 23 in Columbus. Lucas led the Buckeyes to the 1960 National Championship, the NCAA runner up in 1961 and 1962, three Big Ten titles and a 78-6 record during his career. A relentless rebounder, he owns the OSU career rebound record (1,411), single season (17.8 rpg.) and career (17.2 rpg.) records for rebound average. His No. 11 was the first retired for men’s basketball and only the second number in all sports retired at Ohio State. Two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin’s No. 45 was retired during the 1999 OSU football season.
Redd leads Buckeyes in games vs. the Nittany Lions
Junior Michael Redd has averaged 26.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in five career meetings with Penn State. Senior Scoonie Penn has averaged 14.7 points followed by George Reese with 11.3 ppg. Senior center Ken Johnson pulls down an average of 5.8 rebounds followed by Reese at 5.3.
O’Brien guides 10th team to 17+ wins
Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien has led his 10th team to the 17+ win-plateau and with the victory over Illinois (2/27) the Buckeyes are 20-5 this year. In nine previous seasons when an O’Brien-coached team reached 17 wins, the squad advanced to postseason play eight times, including the Final Four last year when OSU was 27-9 overall. The only season one of his teams did not go to the postseason with 17+ wins was his second campaign at St. Bonaventure when his 18-13 squad of 1983-84 did not advance. O’Brien has taken four teams to the NCAA Tournament and four to the NIT. O’Brien has coached four previous teams to 20 or more wins. Three have advanced to the NCAA Tournament. His first team at St. Bonaventure (20-10, 1982-83) played in the NIT.
Buckeyes take care of the ball
Ohio State averages just 12.6 turnovers a game this season while opponents are giving it up 15.6 times a contest. Ohio State senior guard Scoonie Penn is averaging just 2.2 turnovers a game in 34.7 minutes of playing time a contest, or just one turnover for every 15.8 minutes played. Sophomore Brian Brown averages just 1.6 turnovers a game in 28.6 minutes per game or one TO every 17.9 minutes.
Penn edges closer to 3-point record
Neshaun Coleman, a captain last season, set the all-time record for 3-pointers made in a career with 147 during OSU’s run through the Final Four last year. Scoonie Penn could break that mark in just two seasons in Columbus with seven more this season. He has a career total of 141, which includes his OSU single-season record of 88 made last year. His 53 made this year ranks seventh behind the 55 made by Damon Stringer (1997) and Jamie Skelton (1993).
Penn reaches Top 10 in assists
With three assists against Illinois (2/27), Scoonie Penn claimed the No. 10 spot in career assists at Ohio State. He has done so in just two seasons. Penn dished out 154 assists as a junior and has 107 this season for a career total of 261 assists.
Redd enters Top 10 list for career starts
Ohio State junior guard Michael Redd started his 91st career game against Illinois (2/27). Redd, in less than three full seasons, is 10th all-time in career starts. Redd has started every game of his OSU career.
Three of five OSU losses come in final three seconds
Ohio State (20-5) 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 ND victory. OSU 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. UI’s 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 29-3 (.906) 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 15-2 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 29-3 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 29-3 .906 1985-86 26-5 .839 1982-83 25-5 .833 1986-87 26-7 .788 1985-86 26-5 .781
Redd catches Jackson for No. 5 spot in OSU career scoring
Michael Redd is in fifth place all-time at OSU in scoring with 1,787 career points after a 21-point effort against Illinois (2/27/00). Redd trails No. 4 Kelvin Ransey (1977-80) by 147 points. Ransey ended his OSU career with 1,934 points.
OSU vs. the Top 10
Ohio State played its fourth Top 10 team of the season against the No. 10 Hoosiers of Indiana (2/19/00). The Buckeyes lost 80-67 earlier this season to No. 8 Kansas in Lawrence but ended then-No. 10 MSU’s 21-game Big Ten winning streak with a 78-67 victory Jan. 20 in Columbus. Michigan State avenged its loss in Columbus with an 83-72 win over the Buckeyes (2/16). The Buckeyes then downed No. 10 Indiana on the road 82-71 (2/19). All-Time, Ohio State has a 50-100 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 193-50 (.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 52-37 record all-time. OSU has taken an Associated Press ranking into games against ranked foes six times this season.
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. Redd is the current leader at 17.0 ppg. Penn is currently second with 15.8 points per game. Redd has scored 426 points followed by Penn with 395. Redd is just the 12th Buckeye to record 400 or more points in a season three times
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.
Penn passes 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 61 starts over the last two seasons.
Redd begins another double-figure scoring streak
Ohio State junior guard Michael Redd has appeared in 91 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 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 16 games.
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 (296) at Ohio State in career blocks. Johnson trails the 328 recorded blocks by Buckeye great Herb Williams (1978-81) by 32. Johnson averaged 1.9 bpg (58/30 gms.) as a sophomore, 2.8 bpg. (100/36 gms.) as a junior and 5.52 bpg. (138/25 gms.) so far this season. If he keeps up his current pace he could still reach Williams’ record. Ohio State has at least four games remaining (three regular season, one in the Big Ten Tournament, one in the NCAA Tournament). Johnson could reach the record on his current pace in six games.
Redd, Penn eclipse 1,700 career points
The Ohio State guard tandem of senior Scoonie Penn and junior Michael Redd reached 1,700 career points against Michigan State. Redd has 1,787 career points, good for fifth on the OSU career list. Penn, who spent two seasons at Boston College, has scored 1,741 career points. Penn tallied 737 while at BC and has 1,014 at Ohio State.
Team Notes
Ohio State has scored 70 or more points in 14 games this season and has an 12-2 record in those games…Ohio State has held 16 of 25 opponents under 65 points this season and has an 15-1 record in those games…Ohio State has blocked at least one opponent shot in the last 62 games (0 vs. Penn State, 2/28/98)-Ken Johnson has started the last 61 games…an OSU player has scored in double figures 91 times this season…Michael Redd has 24, Scoonie Penn 22 and George Reese 17…four different players have reached the 20-point plateau with Redd leading the way with seven followed by Penn lead with four, Reese has three 20+ games…Penn is the only Buckeye with a 30-point game this season, he did so against Michigan State (30 pts.) Feb. 16…10 times a player has reached double digits in rebounding led by Ken Johnson with five followed by Redd with four…the Buckeyes are 13-1 when leading at the half and have come back to win seven of 11 games when trailing at the break…when the OSU bench outscores the opponent bench, the Buckeyes are 14-2 but are still 6-3 when the opposing bench holds the advantage…the Buckeyes are 7-3 in games decided by 10 points or less and 13-2 in games decided by 11 or more points.
Numerically noting the Buckeyes
– Scoonie Penn: Penn reached 1,000 career points at Ohio State with 14 in his final home game against Illinois (2/27)…he is the 38th Buckeye to reach the 1,000 point mark and just the second to do so in his only two seasons at Ohio State…Penn has played 30 or more minutes in 22 games this season, including the last 15 and all 40 at Kansas (12/16)…he played his 4,000th minute as a collegiate player vs. Illinois (2/27)…he has averaged 34.5 mpg. over 116 career games…Penn had a streak of 19-consecutive contests with at least one steal halted vs. Penn State (2/12)…he has 212 thefts in his career, 124 at Ohio State…a small but mighty rebounder, Penn is averaging 4.6 boards a contest this year…he has 440 career rebounds (3.8 rpg.)…Penn has five or more assists in nine games this season, including three of the last five contests.
– Michael Redd: Redd has started all 91 games in his career…he claimed fifth on the OSU career scoring list with 21 points vs. Illinois (2/27)…Redd has 1,787 career points…Redd is 72 of 93 (.774) from the foul line this year…he is a career 64 percent free throw shooter (337-524)…In 13 games this season, Redd has made all attempts from the foul line, including the first five games this season (16-16)…Redd has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 20 of 25 games this season…he has 562 career rebounds for an average of 6.2 rpg…in the last seven games, Redd has scored 20 or more points five times while connecting at 50 percent or better from the field in five of the last six contests.
– Ken Johnson: Johnson has started the last 61 games at center…Johnson has 296 career blocks and is averaging 5.52 bpg. (138) 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 this season with 138 so far…Johnson has 27 career games with five or more blocks, he had three as a freshman, seven last year and 17 this season in 25 games.
– Brian Brown: Brown has doubled his offensive output this season with an average of 9.3 points a game…he averaged 4.1 as a freshman…he also is shooting 35 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 51-59 (.864)…he has made 84 of 154 field goal attempts (.545) this season after shooting 39 percent as a freshman…Brown has scored in double figures in 12 games this season after reaching 10 points just twice as a freshman…OSU is 11-3 when Brown reaches double figures
– Cobe Ocokoljic: Ocokoljic cracked the starting lineup vs. Oakland (12/27)…he had a streak of 13-consecutive starts broken at Michigan State (2/16)…he has played double-figure minutes in 12 of 24 games, 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 12.1 ppg…he connected on 42 percent of his shots as a junior (73-174) but has upped that percentage to 50 percent this year (120-237)…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)…Reese started his 12th game of the season vs. Illinois (2/27) and contributed 11 points…he notched his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the road win over Indiana (2/23/00).
– Boban Savovic: Savovic has been bothered most of the season with ankle and leg injuries…he has appeared in just 14 games this season and has connected on 10 of 26 shots from the field…he suffered a lower left leg bruise in the win over Purdue (1/29) and missed four games before returning against Michigan State (2/16).
– Brent Darby: Darby was 4-4 from the field, all 3-pointers, in the win against Indiana (2/19)…three of those treys came in succession in the second half to help the Buckeyes secure the win over the Hoosiers…he 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 (2/2)…he has made 54 percent of his 3-pointers this season (13-24)…13 of his 20 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 63 percent shooter from the field…he has connected on 39-62 shots from the field in 40 career games…he has made 25-41 (.610) shots this season…he has come in to relieve Ken Johnson on several occasions but in big games, Dudley has answered the call…he played 12 key minutes at Indiana before fouling out…earlier this season, he spelled Johnson for 19 minutes in a win over Michigan State in Columbus.
Blocks spark OSU defense
Ohio State, led by senior center Ken Johnson’s 132 blocks, has rejected 162 shots this season while foes have just 64.
Buckeyes spend last 27 weeks in AP poll
Ohio State spent the final 10 weeks of the 1998-99 season and the first 17 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 6th in the AP and 5th in the ESPN/USA Today polls (2/27/00). Ohio State opened the season No. 5 in the AP poll then moved to No. 4 the week of Nov. 15.
Purdue keeps pace in Big Ten with win over PSU
Purdue has the lead in the wild race for the Big Ten Conference’s regular-season championship. Mike Robinson scored 20 points as the Boilermakers moved into sole possession of first place in the league with an 88-71 victory over Penn State. Purdue took a one-half game lead over Michigan State, which lost to Indiana in overtime Saturday. The Boilermakers visit Indiana Tuesday for their final regular-season contest. Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State are all within one game of the top spot and remain in contention for the top seed in next month’s Big Ten tournament. Purdue, the only unbeaten Big Ten team in February, posted its eighth straight victory, surpassing its seven-game conference winning streak in the 1997-98 season. Penn State has dropped three straight and six of its last seven. Joe Crispin kept the Nittany Lions in the game with 22 points. However, Penn State committed 25 turnovers and shot just 52 percent (11-of-21) from the foul line.
Buckeyes split with Nittany Lions when ranked
Ohio State has taken an Associated Press Top 25 ranking into just three games against Penn State. The Buckeyes have come away with a 2-1 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. Earlier this season, the No. 5 Buckeyes downed Penn State in Columbus, 88-75
Penn State looks to stay above .500
The Nittany Lions have lost six of their last seven games following an 80-72 win over Minnesota Jan. 26. Since that game, PSU won its only game at home against Northwestern 73-64 Feb. 16. Penn State is 10-3 on its home court, including wins over Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Lions nearly defeated Illinois but fell 51-50 Feb. 6.
Stephens shines for Lions
Senior forward Jarrett Stephens is leading the Lions in scoring with 18.6 points a contest. He completes his double-double average with 11.4 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 18.3 ppg. He leads the team with 59 3-pointers made on the season. Junior Titus Ivory is the only other PSU player in double figures in scoring with 12.6 ppg.
Dunn in 5th year at Penn State
Jerry Dunn has compiled an overall record of 76-61 in five seasons at the helm of the Nittany Lions. The George Mason graduate (1980) has guided PSU to a 13-12 record this season and a 5-9 mark in the Big Ten.
The Penn State Series
Ohio State evened the series with Penn State with its 10 win against the Nittany Lions earlier this year in Columbus. Ohio State is 8-3 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 56-94
Indiana 66-92
Iowa 59-67
Michigan 78-67
Michigan State 44-51
Minnesota 68-50
Northwestern 97-44
Penn State 10-10
Purdue 67-77
Wisconsin 78-53
Totals 621-605
OSU 3-point field goal streak extended to 245
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 245 games. Scoonie Penn extended the streak late in the first half against Illinois. 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 235-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.
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.
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.
