#5 Ohio State Hosts Iowa – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2000
No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (16-3, 7-1)
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.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Probable Starters (10-11, 3-6)
G 24-Ryan Luerhsmann, 6-1, Sr.
G 20-Dean Oliver, 5-11, Jr.
C 14-Jacob Jaacks, 6-8, Sr.
F 23-Duez Henderson, 6-7, So.
F 1-Rob Griffin 6-6, Jr.
Alford successful on last Columbus trip
The last time Iowa head coach Steve Alford traveled to Columbus in an official Big Ten basketball capacity was during his senior season at Indiana in 1987. Alford led the Hoosiers to a 92-80 victory Jan. 4, 1987 with 22 points, five rebounds and nine assists in 40 minutes. He was 7 of 13 from the field, 3-5 from 3-point range and 5 of 6 from the foul line. IU went on to win the national title that season.
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.
Ohio State on longest winning streak since 1992
With eight-consecutive victories, the Buckeyes are enjoying one of the longest winning streaks in nearly a decade. The last time Ohio State won eight-consecutive games was in 1992 when OSU won nine in a row from Feb. 26 to March 27 before falling to Michigan 75-71 in the Midwest Regional Finals in Lexington, Ky., March 29.
Buckeyes score well in Ann Arbor
Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien wanted George Reese to be more aggressive. Reese took him seriously. Reese, thriving in his role as sixth man, scored a career-high 25 points, and the Buckeyes rolled to their eighth straight win, 88-67 Sunday over Michigan on Sunday. Michael Redd also scored 25 points, 20 in the first half when the Buckeyes raced to a 47-32 lead, thanks in large part to 12 first-half Michigan turnovers and six Ohio State steals. The Wolverines, who lost their fourth straight, finished with 16 turnovers and had the ball stolen nine times. Blanchard scored 21 points and Josh Asselin added 15 for Michigan. The Wolverines were playing their second straight game without freshman guard Jamal Crawford – their leading scorer – who was hit with a six-game suspension by the NCAA for his living arrangements while in high school.
Noting the win over Michigan
– OSU head coach Jim O’Brien earned his 51st win as the Buckeye mentor with the victory over the Wolverines. He has a record of 43-12 (.782) in the last two years.
– Columbus, Ohio natives George Reese and Michael Redd combined to score 50 points, the highest combined point total of the season for two players. Redd’s 25 points tied his season high and for Reese, his 25 points established a career high in scoring.
– The margin of victory (21) was the largest since a 33-point win Jan. 20, 1968 in Columbus when the Buckeyes won 103-70. It was also the largest margin of victory in Ann Arbor since a 22-point victory (80-58) Feb. 4, 1961. OSU was ranked No. 1 in that contest.
– Michael Redd climbed toward sixth place on the all-time Ohio State scoring chart after his 25-point performance. With 1,656 career points, Redd now is looking toward sixth-place Jay Burson, who scored 1,756 career points from 1986-89.
– Redd is now tied for No. 10 with Carter Scott in career steals with 129.
– With his five blocked shots, Ken Johnson set another OSU record for blocks in a season. He set the record with 100 last season as a junior. He moved to 103 on the year this season vs. the Wolverines.
– Ohio State now has a streak of 239-consecutive games with at least one 3-point goal made. Michael Redd extended the streak with a trey early in the first half.
2-year home record rates high in OSU history
Ohio State has compiled a 26-2 (.929) 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 12-1 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 26-2 .926 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 1,656 career points after a 25 point effort against Michigan (2/6/00). Redd trails No. 6 Jay Burson (1986-89) by 100 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 189-48 (.797) 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. Redd is the current leader with 15.5 points per game. Penn is close at 15.3 ppg. Redd has scored 295 points followed by Penn with 290.
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.
OSU guards successful at foul line
The OSU guard rotation of Michael Redd, Scoonie Penn, Brian Brown and Brent Darby has been deadly from the foul line this season. Redd has made 42 of 49 shots (.857) followed by Brown (37-44, .841), Penn (67-86, .779) and Darby (12-17, .706). Combined, the four have made 158 of 196 for 80.6 percent accuracy.
Johnson records 200th career block, now 6th on Big Ten list
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 261 blocks in his career after swatting five against Michigan (2/6). 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 261 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- 261 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 5.42 shots per game with 103 blocks on the year. As a team, the Buckeyes are first among Big Ten teams in field goal percentage defense (.357) and blocked shots (6.89). The Buckeyes are second in scoring defense (58.1) and turnover margin (+3.05).
Penn will equal 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 55 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 10 games, including the 25-point effort vs. Michigan (2/6/00)
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 (256) at Ohio State in career blocks. Johnson trails the 328 recorded blocks by Buckeye great Herb Williams (1978-81) by 67. Johnson averaged 1.9 bpg (58/30 gms.) as a sophomore, 2.8 bpg. (100/36 gms.) as a junior and 5.42 bpg. (103/19 gms.) so far this season. If he keeps up his current pace he could still reach Williams’ record. Ohio State has at least nine games remaining (eight regular season, one in the Big Ten Tournament). Johnson could reach the record on his current pace in 13 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 1,656 career points, good for seventh on the OSU career list. Penn, who spent two seasons at Boston College, has scored 1,636 career points. Penn tallied 737 while at BC and has 899 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 101 more this season. Penn scored 609 as an OSU junior and has 290 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 56 games (0 vs. Penn State, 2/28/98)-Ken Johnson has started the last 55 games…an OSU player has scored in double figures 68 times this season…Michael Redd has 18, Scoonie Penn 17 and George Reese 11…four different players have reached the 20-point plateau with Redd leading the way with three 20+ games followed by Penn with two…six times a player has reached double digits in rebouding led by Ken Johnson with four followed by Redd with two…Ohio State has outscored opponents by an average of 7.2 points at the half…the Buckeyes are 11-1 when leading at the half and have come back to win five of seven games when trailing at the break…when the OSU bench outscores the opponent bench, the Buckeyes are 13-2 but are still 3-1 when the opposing bench holds the advantage…the Buckeyes are 7-2 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 55 at Ohio State…Penn has played 30 or more minutes in 16 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 18-consecutive contests…he has 198 thefts in his career, 110 at Ohio State…a small but mighty rebounder, Penn is averaging 4.4 boards a contest…he has 410 career rebounds (3.7 rpg.).
– Michael Redd: Redd has started all 85 games in his career…he claimed 7th on the OSU career scoring list with 14 points vs. Wisconsin (2/2)…Redd has 1,656 career points…Redd is 42 of 49 (.857) 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 15 of 19 games this season…Redd reached 300 career free throws and 500 career rebounds in the win over St. John’s…he has 519 career rebounds for an average of 6.1 rpg.
– Ken Johnson: Johnson has started the last 55 games at center…Johnson has 261 career blocks and is averaging 5.42 bpg. (103) this season…he set a single game school record with 11 blocks at St. John’s (1/22)…he set the single season record for blocks with 100 as a junior and broke that mark with five at Michigan…he has 103 this season…Johnson has 23 career games with five or more blocks, he had three as a freshman, seven last year and 13 this season in 19 games…Johnson is a career 52 percent shooter from the field (238-460) and is connecting on 55 percent this season (61-110).
– 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 37-44 (.841)…he has made 67 of 118 field goal attempts (.558) this season after shooting 39 percent as a freshman…Brown has scored in double figures in nine games this season after reaching 10 points just twice as a freshman…OSU is 9-2 when Brown reaches double figures
– Cobe Ocokoljic: Ocokoljic cracked the starting lineup vs. Oakland (12/27)…he has played double-figure minutes in 11 of 19 games and seven of the last 13, 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 11.6 ppg…he connected on 42 percent of his shots as a junior (73-174) but has upped that percentage to 49 percent this year (89-180)…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 games vs. Wisconsin (2/2) and Michigan (2/6) 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 50 percent of his 3-pointers this season (9-18)…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.
Purdue cruises to win over Hawkeyes
Brian Cardinal scored 18 points and Carson Cunningham added 17, including three 3-pointers, to lead Purdue past Iowa 84-58. The Boilermakers opened a 24-point lead late in the first half against a cold-shooting Iowa team that was coming off a 77-69 upset over No. 15 Kansas. Mike Robinson finished with 15 points for Purdue, which won its second straight, while Kyle Galloway scored 14 to lead the Hawkeyes, who lost for the first time in the last three games. Except for a few minutes early in the second half, Iowa looked nothing like the team that shocked the Jayhawks. The Hawkeyes didn’t get their first basket until Ryan Luerhsmann hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 14:49 mark, although Purdue had just eight points at the time. Iowa hit just nine of 28 field goals, or 32 percent, in the first 20 minutes and trailed 40-23 at halftime. Galloway scored eight consecutive points on two 3-pointers and two free throws as the Hawkeyes opened the second half with a 9-4 spurt to cut Purdue’s lead to 44-32 with 16:23 remaining. A driving layup down the lane by Duez Henderson a few minutes later pulled Iowa to within 49-38 at the 12:24 mark. But Cunningham sank a 3-pointer that started a 19-6 run, which included 10-of-10 free throws, that extended Purdue’s lead to 66-44 with 6:56 remaining and the Boilermakers went on to notch their biggest win in the series since a 107-72 victory in 1975.
OSU 15-8 when ranked vs. Iowa
Ohio State has taken an Associated Press Top 25 ranking into 23 games against Iowa since 1950. The Buckeyes have come away with a 15-8 record (.652) in those games. The last time Iowa defeated a ranked OSU team was last season when the 12th-ranked Hawkeyes won 71-68 over the No. 21 Buckeyes in Columbus. That game marked the only time a Big Ten team has been able to win at the VCA and was the only loss for the Buckeyes at home (14-1) last season.
Hawkeyes dip below .500 with loss to Purdue
Iowa enters its road game with Ohio State with a 10-11 overall record after defeating No. 15 Kansas last Thursday in Iowa City and falling to Purdue 84-58. The Hawkeyes opened the season with a stunning victory over No. 1 Connecticut, 70-68. Iowa finished the non-conference schedule with a 6-5 record. Before hosting the Boilermakers, Iowa is 3-6 in the Big Ten with wins over Northwestern, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Oliver Delivers
Junior point guard Dean Oliver leads the Hawkeyes with a 13.6 scoring average. He is followed by senior center Jacob Jaacks’ 12.9 points a contest. Junior Rob Griffin is the only other double-digit scorer at 10.7 points a contest. Jaacks is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.3 rpg.
Alford working magic
First year head coach Steve Alford opened his Iowa career with a 70-68 win over No. 1 Connecticut and recently followed that with a 77-69 win over No. 15 Kansas. As a collegiate head coach, Alford, who led Indiana to the 1987 NCAA Championship, has an overall record of 166-88.
The Iowa Series
Iowa leads the all-time series with Ohio State 66-59. Ohio State won the last meeting between the two teams. The Buckeyes won 73-69 last season in Iowa City. Ohio State leads the series 39-23 in Columbus while the Hawkeyes own the edge in Iowa City, 43-19.
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 59-66
Michigan 78-67
Michigan State 44-50
Minnesota 68-50
Northwestern 96-44
Penn State 9-10
Purdue 67-77
Wisconsin 78-53
Totals 618-602
OSU 3-point field goal streak extended to 239
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 239 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 229-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.
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. 9 vs. Iowa, 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.
