Men’s Basketball Plays Host to Seahawks – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2001
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Opponent UNC Wilmington
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 5 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Plus
Local TV WBNS TV 10
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)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (3-0)
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.
UNC Wilmington Seahawks
Probable Starters (2-2)
G 22 – Tim Burnette, 6-2, So.
G 11 – Brent Blizzard, 6-4, Jr.
C 54 – Craig Callahan, 6-8, Jr.
F 40 – Stewart Hare, 6-7, Sr.
F 21 – Ed Williams, 6-6, Sr.
Buckeyes Play Host to Seahawks
Ohio State is facing the second of three teams from North Carolina today against the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. The Buckeyes defeated North Carolina State last Tuesday (64-50) and will play host to UNC Greensboro Dec. 29. Ohio State will be facing the Seahawks for the first time. The Buckeyes have a 4-1 record all-time vs. teams representing the Colonial Athletic Conference. OSU is 3-0 vs. George Mason, 1-0 vs. Old Dominion and 0-1 against James Madison. Buckeyes Finish Strong
Ohio State has outscored its opponents by an average of 3.7 points in the opening 20 minutes this season. The second half is a different story. In three games, the Buckeyes have managed a 21.0 point margin of victory behind strong play in the second half. The Buckeyes have outscored opponents 127-75 in the second half for a 17.3 advantage per game over the final 20 minutes.
Leading Scorer Changes in Early Going
Three different Buckeyes have led Ohio State in the scoring department over the first three games of the season. Brian Brown scored 15 in the opener against Winthrop, Zach Williams led with 24 vs. Albany and Brent Darby tallied 22 in the win over N.C. State.
Darby Posts Career Day Against Wolfpack
Brent Darby scored a career-high 22 points and Brian Brown added 18 as Ohio State used a late 12-2 run to beat North Carolina State 64-50 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Buckeyes led 43-40 with 10:32 remaining after two foul shots by the Wolfpack’s Julius Hodge. Over the next 8:40, however, the Wolfpack hit just 1-of-15 shots from the field with five turnovers. North Carolina State ended up hitting just 27.3 percent (15 of 55) of its shots from the field. Will Dudley added 12 points. Zach Williams and Boban Savovic each had eight rebounds for Ohio State.
Noting the Win Over N.C. State
The Buckeyes are 46-6, 3-0 this season, in Value City Arenasince it opened for the 1998-99 season. Ohio State won its firstgame in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. This is the third-consecutiveyear the event has been played and the first time Ohio State hasparticipated. This was the third meeting between N.C. State andOhio State. The Buckeyes are now 2-1 over the Wolfpack. OSU is32-14 against ACC teams. Boban Savovic kept the 3-point streakalive with his field goal at the 6:34 mark in the first half. OhioState has made at least one 3-point basket in 284-consecutivegames. Brian Brown played in his 100th career game and has made69-consecutive starts. With his 18-point performance against N.C.State, Brian Brown now has 919 career points. Brown is on track tobecome the 40th player in Ohio State history to reach 1,000 points.Brent Darby continued his double-digit scoring streak by scoring 22points. He has scored in double figures in the past 12 games,including nine to end his sophomore season. The Buckeyes have won17 of the 21 games in which Darby has scored 10 or more points.With 22 points, Brent Darby set a new career high. His old high was21 against Northwestern (1/3/01). This is only the second time hehas scored 20 or more points. With eight rebounds, Boban Savovictied his career high. The last time he had eight rebounds wasagainst UMass (12/10/00). With an attendance of 15,901, theBuckeyes and the Value City Arena topped the 900,000-fan mark. Atotal of 908,552 fans have seen a men’s basketball game in ValueCity Arena. The 6,539th fan that entered tonight was the 900,000thfan. After trailing by eight points in the first half, Ohio Statewent ahead with 4:32 remaining in the first and never trailedagain. The Buckeyes were able to hold three of the five N.C. Statestarters under five points. Coming into the game all five wereaveraging double-figures. The Buckeyes have played eight games onNov. 27 in the history of the program. Ohio State has come out ontop seven times. Iona handed the Buckeyes their only loss on thisdate in 1981 in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Brown Leads Trio in Double Digits
Senior co-captain Brian Brown leads three Buckeyes in double-digit scoring with 18.3 points a game this season. Junior Brent Darby follows with 16.0 ppg., with sophomore co-captain Zach Williams adding 11.3 ppg. Seniors Boban Savovic (9.3 ppg) and Will Dudley (8.0) also have been consistent contributors offensively. Williams is the team’s leading rebounder with 5.7 rpg.
Ohio State Tops Big Ten in Several Areas
Ohio State is among the top two Big Ten teams in several league statistical categories. The Buckeyes are No. 1 in scoring margin (+21.0), scoring defense (55.3) and 3-point field goal pct. defense (.217). OSU is second in field goal percentage (.510), 3-point field goal pct. (.432), field goal percentage defense (.386), rebounding defense (29.7) and turnover margin (+6.0). Individually, Brian Brown is second in scoring (18.3 ppg.) and Brent Darby is 10th (16.0). Zach Williams is tied for fourth in the field goal percentage category (14-21, .667).
Ohio State Shooting Over .500 From Field
The Buckeyes have made 74-of-145 shots from the field this season for a shooting percentage of .510. Ohio State shot 53 pct. (27-51) vs. Winthrop and 51 pct. (28-55) vs. Albany. Ohio State nearly reached the .500 mark vs. North Carolina State but fell just shy following a 19-of-39 shooting effort (.487) from the field.
Buckeyes Eclipse 900,000 in Attendance
In the fourth season of play in Value City Arena, the Buckeye men’s basketball team has drawn an average of 17, 472 per game for a total of 908,552. The 6,539th fan that entered the building vs. N.C. State was fan No. 900,000 to attend a men’s basketball game at Ohio State.
Value City Arena Serves Buckeyes Well
Ohio State has played 52 home games at Value City Arena since the facility opened for the 1998-99 season. Those fans have been instrumental in the Buckeyes’ 46-6 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.
Junior Leads UNC-Wilmington
Brett Blizzard, a junior guard from Tallahassee, Fla, is averaging a team-high 24.8 points a game, which is nearly twice the 13.3 ppg. scoring average of junior forward Craig Callahan and senior forward Ed Williams (12.5). Senior Steward Hare also is in double figures (10.3 ppg.) offensively for the Seahawks (2-2). Blizzard is shooting 47 percent (30-64) from the field and 56 percent (14-25) from 3-point range this season. He also leads the team in assists (16), steals (13) and blocks (3).
Seahawks Nearly Score Upset
Senior forward Darius Songaila made a driving layup with 2.7 seconds left to lift Wake Forest to a 79-78 come-from-behind victory over UNC Wilmington in the first-round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament. Junior guard Brett Blizzard, Preseason Player-of-the-Year in the Colonial Athletic Association, lived up to his accolades, pouring in 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-6 behind the arc. Senior forward Ed Williams chipped in 19 points and six boards. The Seahawks erased a 13-point deficit in the second half to take a 78-74 lead. Blizzard keyed a 29-14 run, scoring 13 of his game-high 26 points, as UNCW rallied down the stretch. After Craig Dawson nailed a 3-pointer to pull the Demon Deacons to within one with 47.4 seconds left, Stewart Hare missed a shot and after a steal, Williams missed the front end of a one-and-one with 8.4 ticks showing. Following back-to-back timeouts, Ervin Murray fired the ball to Songaila for the clincher.
Seahawks lose to Radford
Radford extended its home winning streak to 16 games with an 85-72 victory over UNC Wilmington last Monday. The Highlanders closed out the first half with an 18-8 run to build a 38-27 cushion and never looked back to cruise to the victory. Senior guard Mike Hornbuckle scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Highlanders as Radford improved to 2-3. UNCW Junior guard Brett Blizzard poured in a season-high 27 points to pace the Seahawks. Junior forward Craig Callahan added 17 in a losing effort for the Seahawks.
Wainwright in 8th Season at UNC Wilmington
Jerry Wainwright, now in his eighth season at the helm of the Seahawk program, has a career record of 115-94 heading into the game with the Buckeyes. His teams have advanced to postseason play in three of the last four years. The Seahawks qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2000 and were National Invitation Tournament participant in 1998 and 2001. Before taking the position with UNC Wilmington, Wainwright was a longtime assistant at Wake Forest (1986-1994). He also spent one season as an assistant at Xavier (1985).
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 21 games as a Buckeye, including 15 as a sophomore. He scored a career-high 22 vs. N.C. State (11/27). Ohio State has won 17 of the 21 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 73 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.
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 919 points in 100 career games for an average of 9.2 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 100 games 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.
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.
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.
Ohio State Successful on This Date in History
The Buckeyes have played 10 games on Dec. 2 in the history of the program. Ohio State has come out on top nine times. Oklahoma State beat the Buckeyes 81-59 in 1995 in the Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, N.C.
