Men’s Basketball Plays Host to Great Danes – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2001
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%^$Opponent Albany
%^$Site Value City Arena (19,200)
%^$Game Time 8 p.m. (EST)
%^$TV ESPN Plus
%^$Local TV WBNS 10 TV
%^$TV Talent Mike Gleason (Play-by-Play), Bill Hosket (Color)
%^$Radio OSU Radio Network (64 stations)
%^$Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
%^$Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Color)
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%^$Ohio State Buckeyes
%^$Probable Starters (1-0)
%^$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.
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%^$Albany Great Danes
%^$Probable Starters (0-1)
%^$G 12 – Earv Opong, 5-7, Jr.
%^$G 4 – Antoine Johnson, 6-1, Jr.
%^$G 21 – E.J. Gallup, 6-4, So.
%^$C 40 – Joe Vukovic, 6-7, Jr.
%^$F 44 – Will Brand, 6-5, Sr.
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%^$Buckeyes Play Host to Great Danes
%^$Ohio State plays its second game in three days Tuesday in Value City Arena against the Albany Great Danes. It is the first meeting between the two schools. Ohio State won its season opener Sunday vs. Winthrop (78-54). Albany comes in 0-1 following an 80-72 loss to visiting Lafayette Saturday.%^$
%^$Five Reach Double Figures in OSU Win
%^$The Buckeyes opened the season with a balanced scoring attack in the win over Winthrop. Senior Brian Brown paced Ohio State with 15 points. Classmate Boban Savovic scored 14 followed by juniors Brent Darby and Sean Connolly with 11 and senior Will Dudley with 10. The Buckeyes connected on 53 percent (27-51) of their shots from the field while holding Winthrop to 38 percent (19-50).%^$
%^$Noting the win over Winthrop
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Ohio State is 81-22 in season-opening games. The Buckeyes are85-18 in home openers.%^$
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Ohio State has compiled a 44-6 at Value City Arena since itopened for the 1998-99 season.%^$
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Senior center Will Dudley earned his first career start againstWinthrop.%^$
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Junior guard Brent Darby extended his double-digit scoringstreak to 10 with his 11-point performance. He ended last seasonwith nine-consecutive games in double digits. He has reached doublefigures 19 times as a Buckeye. Ohio State has won 15 of the 19games in which Darby has scored 10 or more points.%^$
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Three of four freshmen recorded points in their first careergame. Guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham recorded four points in 11minutes of play. Forwards Matt Sylvester and Terence Dials eachfinished the game with two points. Sylvester played six minutes,while Dials logged seven. Center Matt Marinchick also saw twominutes of action.%^$
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Five Buckeyes finished the game in double figures. Brian Brownhad 15, Boban Savovic finished the game with 14, Sean Connolly andBrent Darby each had 11, and Will Dudley recorded 10. It is thefirst time five players have been in double figures since the 93-87win over Penn State (March 3, 2001) last season.%^$
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Boban Savovic extended the Ohio State 3-point streak at 16:55in the first half. The Buckeyes have scored at least one 3-pointbasket in 282-consecutive games.%^$
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Ohio State built a 16-point lead at the half after a 14-1 runduring the final 4:46 of the first half.%^$
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The game was the first between Ohio State and Winthrop. Intheir only other match-up with a Big Ten team, the Eagles fell toMinnesota, 68-59, during the 1998-99 season in Williams Arena.%^$
%^$Albany Drops Opener to Lafayette
%^$Senior Brian Burke scored 20 points to pace four players in double figures as Lafayette rallied in the second half for an 80-72 non-conference victory over Albany in the season opener for both teams last Saturday. Lafayette overcame a 39-38 halftime deficit with a 20-7 run to begin the final period. Albany rallied to within one point on two occasions in the final three minutes. Will Brand, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, converted a follow shot off a missed 3-pointer to close the gap to 73-72 with 2:23 to play. However, the Leopards, who have made NCAA tournament appearances in two of the last three seasons, stayed ahead by connecting on 7-of-10 free throws over the last two minutes. Sophomore E.J. Gallup scored 15 of his game-high 26 points in the opening period, as the Great Danes built a 22-17 advantage. The Leopards, who shot 61.2 percent from the field in the contest, regrouped with an 11-2 outburst. Antione Johnson and Rhasheed Peterson each scored 11 for the Great Danes.%^$
%^$Albany Wins Exhibition Contest
%^$The Great Danes earned a 24-point win over the USDBL All-Stars in an exhibition game Nov. 11. E.J. Gallup led five players in double figures with 29 points. He connected on 10-of-18 shots from the field, including 9-of-12 3-pointers. Gallup chipped in with four rebounds, five assists and four steals in 34 minutes in the win. Antoine Johnson scored 26 on 10-of-14 shooting and a 2-of-5 effort from long range.%^$
%^$Noting the Great Danes
%^$Albany is coached by Scott Beeten, who is now in his second season with the Great Danes. He guided Albany to a 6-22 record a year ago. Albany will be playing its first season in an NCAA Division I conference this year. The Great Danes were an independent the last two years. Albany plays in the America East Conference. Ohio State is 2-2 against current members of the America East Conference. Northeastern is 1-0 against the Buckeyes. Vermont is 1-2.%^$
%^$Two from Buckeye State on Albany Roster
%^$A pair of Albany Great Danes are natives of Ohio. Joe Vukovic, a 6-foot-7-inch senior center and senior forward Will Brand (6-5) both played their high school basketball in Ohio. Vukovic is a Marietta, Ohio native. He played at Marietta High School. Brand is from Richmond Heights and played at Charles F. Bush High School.%^$
%^$Buckeyes Enter 103rd Season
%^$Ohio State has a record of 81-22 (.786) in season-opening games over the 103 years of men’s basketball at OSU. The Buckeyes are 85-18 (.825) 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.%^$
%^$Darby on Scoring Streak
%^$Junior Brent Darby ended his sophomore campaign scoring in double digits over his last nine games. He has reached double digits in 19 games as a Buckeye, including 15 as a sophomore. He scored 11 in the opener vs. Winthrop (11/18). Ohio State has won 15 of the 19 games in which Darby has scored 10 or more points.%^$
%^$Foul Line Familiar, Comfortable for Connolly
%^$Junior Sean Connolly has made 84 percent (103-122) of his foul shots in three 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. He made 1-of-2 attempts vs. Winthrop.%^$
%^$Senior Class Continues Successful Run
%^$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 71 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 50 home games at Value City Arena since the facility opened for the 1998-99 season. A total of 879,413 fans have passed through the gates for an average of 17,588 fans per game. Those fans have been instrumental in the Buckeyes’ 44-6 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.%^$
%^$Brown Close to 1,000 Career Points
%^$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 has scored 879 points in 98 career games for an average of 9.0 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 (98) under his belt 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 84 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.%^$
%^$Summer in Europe
%^$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.%^$
%^$Noting the 2002 ACC/Big Ten Challenge
%^$Ohio State will be playing for the first time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. This is the third-consecutive year the event has been played.%^$
%^$The nine games this year will be televised by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television Nov. 27-28.%^$
%^$The Challenge this year will feature three of the 2001 NCAA Final Four teams in Duke, Maryland and Michigan State. The event also features the last two NCAA champions: Duke and Michigan State.%^$
%^$Ohio State will play N.C. State at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27 on ESPN2 at Value City Arena.%^$
%^$ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule
%^$Tuesday, Nov. 27
%^$Illinois at Maryland, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
%^$N.C. State at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
%^$Duke vs. Iowa (United Center), 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
%^$Minnesota at Wake Forest, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
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%^$Wednesday, Nov. 28
%^$Wisconsin at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
%^$Michigan State vs. Virginia (Richmond, Va.), 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
%^$Clemson at Penn State, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN Plus)
%^$Indiana at North Carolina, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
%^$Florida State at Northwestern, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
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%^$Buckeyes to Play in 2003 Maui Invitational
%^$The Maui Invitational, will draw attractive fields for the following three seasons. Chaminade, the NCAA Division II school from Honolulu, will serve as host as it has every year since 1984.%^$
%^$The 2002 field includes: Arizona State, Gonzaga, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Utah and Virginia.%^$
%^$The 2003 participants are: California, Dayton, Florida State, Hawaii, Ohio State, San Diego State and Villanova.%^$
%^$The 2004 field, which could be subject to change pending NCAA legislation regarding early season tournaments, is: Iowa, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas and Stanford.%^$
