Men’s Basketball Opens Regular Season Play at Home vs. Winthrop – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2001
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Game Day Program Features
At Center Court With: The Coaching Staff
A Man with Many Talents
Opponent Winthrop
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 5 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Plus
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent Tom Hamilton (Play-by-Play), Bill Hosket (Color)
Radio OSU Radio Network (64 stations)
Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Color)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (0-0)
G 4 – Brent Darby, 6-1, Jr.
G 21 – Boban Savovic, 6-5, Sr.
G 13 – Brian Brown, 6-4, Sr.
C 43 – Will Dudley, 6-8, Sr.
F 33 – Zach Williams, 6-7, So.
Winthrop Eagles
Probable Starters (0-0)
F 4 – Derrick Knox, 6-4, Sr.
G 10 – Pierre Wooten, 6-3, Jr.
C 50 – Marcus Stewart, 6-6, Sr.
F 30 – Greg Lewis, 6-6, Sr.
F 32 – Tyrone Walker, 6-6, So.
Brown Tops All Scorers in Exhibition Season
Brian Brown lead the Buckeyes in the two exhibition games with a 16.0 scoring average and with 7.0 rebounds a contest. He shot 54 percent from the field (13-24) and averaged 26.5 minutes. Brent Darby averaged 14.5 points and shot 52.2 percent from the field (12-23) and 57 percent (4-7) from 3-point range. Zach Williams led the team in minutes (28.0 mpg.) and connected on 73 percent of his shots from the field (8-11).
Buckeyes Enter 103rd Season
Ohio State has a record of 80-22 (.784) in season-opening games over the 102 years of men’s basketball at OSU. The Buckeyes are 84-18 (.824) in home openers and 49-52 (.485) in road openers. Ohio State did not play a road game in 1900-01. This is the 90th season of Big Ten membership in men’s basketball for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 49-40 (.551) in conference openers, 60-29 (.674) in league home openers and 33-56 (.371) in the first road game of the season in Big Ten play.
2001-02 Opener One of Earliest at OSU
The Buckeyes have taken to the court just six times before Nov. 20 in the history of the program. Ohio State’s earliest opener was played Nov. 13, 1998 in the first regular-season game played in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes downed Oakland University 89-61 in that contest. Ohio State has played just one previous game on Nov. 18. That game was against Robert Morris in 1998, a 61-49 OSU victory.
Buckeyes Turn in Elite Effort vs. Nike Squad
Five Buckeyes reached double figures offensively in the final exhibition tuneup against Nike Elite. Ohio State never trailed on the way to a 102-86 win over the traveling squad. Brent Darby, Brian Brown and Boban Savovic scored 15 points ahead of Will Dudley (12) and Sean Connolly (10). Brown and Dudley each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Brown, Darby Generate Offense vs. One World
Ohio State defeated the One World All-Stars 82-60 in the exhibition opener for the Buckeyes Nov. 7 in Value City Arena. Brian Brown scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. He also collected a team-high seven rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Brent Darby scored 14 points to go with four assists in 23 minutes. All 14 players saw action for Jim O’Brien’s Buckeyes. Freshmen Brandon Fuss-Cheatham and Matt Sylvester combined for 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 15 points in their debuts.
Darby on Scoring Streak
Junior Brent Darby ended his sophomore campaign scoring in double digits over his last nine games. He has reached double digits in 18 games as a Buckeye, including 15 as a sophomore. Ohio State has won 14 of the 18 games in which Darby has scored 10 or more points.
Foul Line Familiar, Comfortable for Connolly
Junior Sean Connolly has made 85 percent (102-120) of his foul shots in two seasons of college basketball. He was 60-of-70 (.857) as a freshman at Providence in 1998-99. As a Buckeye sophomore last year, he drilled 42-of-50 free throws (.840) and was a remarkable 27-of-28 (.964) in Big Ten games. He had a stretch of 25-consecutive made foul shots in the conference season a year ago.
Robinson Ends Basketball Career
Senior guard Doylan Robinson left the men’s basketball program Oct. 29 to concentrate on his academic career. The family resource management major played in 31 games as a Buckeye while battling injuries and academic difficulties. He sat out his freshman season because he did not qualify academically to participate out of Akron Buchtel High School. He would have missed a significant portion of his senior season while working on regaining his eligibility for the 2002 Big Ten Conference season, which starts in early January.
Winthrop Drops Exhibition Opener
Winthrop fell in its exhibition opener to Queens College Nov. 3. The Eagles lead 27-25 in the first half but lost the lead over the final 20 minutes in a 59-57 loss. Winthrop connected on just 2-of-15 3-point attempts. Queens College had just one player in double figures. The Eagles were led by Pierre Wooten, a junior guard from Cincinnati. He finished with 15 points. Sophomore forward Tyrone Walker posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Eagles opened the regular season Friday at home vs. Lander.
Noting the Eagles
Winthrop is coached by Gregg Marshall, who is in his fourth season as head coach of the Big South school. His teams have made three-consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament and have posted a 60-30 overall record over his tenure. No Big South team had been to consecutive NCAA tournaments prior to Marshall’s arrival in Rock Hill, S.C. Winthrop played in the first NCAA play-in game last year vs. Northwestern State, losing 71-68. The Buckeyes are 3-0 vs. members of the Big South Conference. Victories have come against Coastal Carolina, North Carolina-Asheville and Radford.
Two from Buckeye State on Winthrop Roster
A pair of Winthrop Eagles are natives of Ohio. Pierre Wooten, a 6-foot-3-inch junior guard, left Cincinnati, Ohio, to play for the Eagles in Rock Hill, S.C. Wooten attended Winton Woods, H.S. Greg Lewis, a 6-6 forward, is an Akron, Ohio, product. He graduated from Medina First Baptist High School before moving on to the Eagles.
Senior Class Continues Successful Run
Ohio State seniors Brian Brown, Will Dudley and Boban Savovic have been a part of three of the more successful seasons in Ohio State history. As freshmen, the trio helped the squad reach the 1999 Final Four. As sophomores, they were a part of a Big Ten Championship team and another trip to the NCAA tournament. As juniors, they were instrumental in taking Ohio State to its third-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and 20-win season. Combined, these seniors have been a part of 70 wins (27 defeats), three NCAA tournaments, three 20-win seasons, the 1999 Final Four and the 2000 Big Ten Co-Championship. Another senior, Tim Martin, did not play for OSU until the 2000-01 season. Martin, a transfer from Kent State, sat out the 1999-00 to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.
Buckeye Captains Selected
Brooklyn, N.Y., natives Brian Brown and Zach Williams will serve as the 2001-02 Ohio State captains. Brown is the 11th player to serve as captain twice. Williams is the third sophomore captain at Ohio State. No Buckeye has ever served as captain for three seasons.
A 4th-consecutive NCAA trip, 20-win season?
The Buckeyes have been to 21 NCAA Tournaments in the history of the program, including the past three. No Ohio State coach has ever led four-consecutive teams to the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes have made three-consecutive trips four times (1944-46, 1960-62, 1990-92 and 1999-01). Ohio State also has a streak of three-consecutive 20-win seasons. The only time the program enjoyed four-consecutive 20-win campaigns occurred from 1960-63 with 25, 27, 26 and 20 wins, respectively. Ohio State won the national championship in 1960 and won four of five-consecutive Big Ten titles during that span.
Value City Arena Serves Buckeyes Well
Ohio State has played 49 home games at Value City Arena since the facility opened for the 1998-99 season. A total of 865,456 fans have passed through the gates for an average of 17,662 fans per game. Those fans have been instrumental in the Buckeyes’ 43-6 home record at Value City Arena.
Ohio State Among National Leaders in Attendance
The Buckeyes have been among the Top 7 teams nationally in average home attendance in each of the last three years. Ohio State averaged 17,540 fans in 2000-01 to rank No. 4, its highest ranking in team history. The Buckeyes have been a draw on the road as well. Ohio State has been among the Top 10 in NCAA all-games attendance the last three seasons, including a No. 2 ranking in 1999.
New Look and New Faces
The Ohio State men’s team is sporting a new look this season after a redesign of the team uniform. The most noticeable change are the words “Ohio State,” which now appear directly above the jersey number on the front of the uniform. “Ohio” used to be above the jersey number with “State” appearing below the number.
Brown Close to 1,000 Career Points
Ohio State senior guard Brian Brown should reach the 1,000-point mark in his Buckeye career before the Big Ten Conference season gets underway in January. Brown will become the 40th player in Ohio State history to reach 1,000 points. He enters his senior season with 864 points in 97 career games for an average of 8.9 points a contest.
Buckeyes Return Most of Offense, Rebounding From 2000-01
Ohio State will enjoy the majority of its scoring and rebounding from last season when it takes the floor for the 2001-02 campaign. Four starters return as does eight of its top nine offensive contributors. Ken Johnson is the only significant loss from a year ago. The Buckeyes return 80 percent of the offense (1,774-of-2,206 points). On the boards, 75.8 percent of the rebounds return (827-of-1,090) while over 91 percent of the steals (147-of-161) and 93 percent of the assists (440-of-473) are back. With the loss of Johnson, only 35-of-160 blocked shots (21 percent) return.
Buckeyes Deep, Experienced at Guard Positions
Senior Brian Brown has nearly 100 games (97) under his belt in three seasons as a regular for the Buckeyes. He broke into the starting lineup as a freshman at the start of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. He has not missed a game since. He led the Buckeyes in scoring as a junior with 14.5 points a game. Senior Boban Savovic overcame two years of injury-plagued seasons to start all 31 contests as a junior. He averaged nearly nine points a game in 30.0 minutes of playing time. He added 107 assists and 34 steals. Junior Sean Connolly has played an average of 25.3 minutes a game in two seasons, including 30 starts as a freshman at Providence. He is a career 85 percent shooter from the foul line, including 27 made foul shots in 28 attempts during the Big Ten season last year. Brent Darby played nearly 27 minutes a game as a sophomore after putting in just 10 minutes a contest as a freshman. Darby averaged just under 10 points a game in Ohio State’s three-guard offense. He has demonstrated the ability to score points in bunches and could have more freedom this year with less responsibility at the point guard position.
Connolly Recovers From Offseason Surgery
Junior Sean Connolly underwent successful surgery on his right ankle following the 2001 season to repair nagging discomfort. The surgery, to tighten ligaments injured as a result of several ankle turns and sprains, caused Connolly to miss about nine weeks of offseason workouts. He worked out with the Buckeyes in time to travel and play during the team’s trip to Europe in late August.
Dudley Gets His Shot
Senior Will Dudley was in line to take over the center position following his sophomore season. Those plans were put on hold for a year when Ken Johnson received a fourth year of eligibility from the NCAA to play the 2000-01 season. Dudley now has a chance to play the majority of the minutes in the paint for the Buckeyes. Dudley has demonstrated an ability to score around the basket. He has connected on 56 percent of his shots from the floor in his career. One of his biggest improvements came at the foul line. He knocked down 66 percent of his shots as a junior (38-58) after hitting just 38 percent as an underclassman. Sophomore Velimir Radinovic, a 7-footer from Toronto, will get his shot at more playing time as well. With added strength and weight, he could develop a defensive presence to go with his offensive skills. The Buckeyes could get some added help inside from redshirt freshman Matt Marinchick, returning sophomore starter Zach Williams and senior Tim Martin.
Young Players Will See Time at Forward Positions
Zach Williams started every game for the Buckeyes as a freshman forward last season. In 31 games, he averaged 6.6 points while connecting on over 50 percent of his shots from the field (84-167). He will battle redshirt freshman Matt Marinchick, true freshman Terence Dials and veteran Tim Martin at the power forward position. Freshman wing forward Matt Sylvester also could provide an option at the forward position.
The Freshmen
The Buckeyes welcome four new faces to the roster for 2001-02. Freshman point guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham comes in with an impressive resum© from Blackhawk High School in Beaver Falls, Pa. Fuss-Cheatham is a crafty left-hander who is expected to help out with the point guard duties. Ohio Co-Player of the Year Matt Sylvester, a 6-7 forward from Cincinnati Moeller, gives the Buckeyes a threat from the shooting forward position. At power forward, Youngstown Boardman’s Terence Dials, at 6 feet 8 inches, 240 pounds, will provide bulk at the power forward and center positions. JaQuan Hart, a Flint, Mich., native, committed to the Buckeyes late in the summer of 2001. Rated by several recruiting services among the Top 40 players nationally, Hart, a 6-6, 175-pound guard from Flint Northern High School, will sit out the 2001-02 campaign as an NCAA partial qualifier. He will have three-years of eligibility beginning with the 2002-03 season.
Early Start
The 2001-02 class of Ohio State freshmen was granted the opportunity to get in the classroom before the traditional start of fall quarter classes. Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, Matt Sylvester and Terence Dials began their Buckeye academic careers June 18, the first day of the Ohio State summer academic session. The NCAA gave student-athletes the opportunity to attend classes early to get acclimated to college academics.
Summer in Europe
Ohio State spent 16 days (Aug. 20-Sept. 4) traveling through Italy, Switzerland, France and The Netherlands in preparation for the 2001-02 season. The trip offered Ohio State’s big men an opportunity to play competitively while allowing the guards to experiment with lineups during the six-game schedule. Ohio State won all six contests with the guards leading the way. Senior Boban Savovic averaged 17.5 points (105 total) to lead all scorers. Senior Brian Brown and junior Brent Darby each scored 96 points for 16.0 averages. Sean Connolly scored 10.5 points a contest and was the only Buckeye to connected on at least one 3-pointer in each of the six games. Sophomore Zach Williams registered a pair of double-doubles and led the Buckeyes with 7.3 rebounds a game.
The Schedule
Ohio State will compete in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the first time this year when the Buckeyes host North Carolina State, Nov. 27. The Buckeyes will play 17 home games at Value City Arena while taking to the road in non-conference action again UMass and Louisville. The home portion of the non-conference schedule includes Albany, Eastern Illinois, IUPUI, North Carolina-Greensboro, Pittsburgh, Santa Clara and Winthrop. In Big Ten play, Ohio State will face Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State and Minnesota just once in 2002 with Illinois and Penn State traveling to Columbus. The Buckeyes face Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Purdue both home and away.
