Men’s Basketball Travel to Williams Arena to Battle the Gophers – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2001
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Game Notes in .PDF format%^$
%^$Opponent: Minnesota
%^$Site: Williams Arena (14,625)
%^$Game Time: 8 p.m. (EST)
%^$TV: ESPN Plus
%^$Local TV: WBNS 10 TV
%^$TV Talent: Craig Coshun (P-by-P)
%^$ Bill Hosket (Color)
%^$Radio: OSU Radio Network (63 stations)
%^$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 (13-8, 4-5)
%^$G 3-Sean Connolly, 6-5, So.
%^$G 21-Boban Savovic, 6-5, Jr.
%^$G 13-Brian Brown, 6-4, Jr.
%^$C 32-Ken Johnson, 6-11, Sr.
%^$F 33-Zach Williams, 6-7, Fr.
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%^$Minnesota Golden Gophers
%^$Probable Starters (15-6, 3-5)
%^$G 23-Terrance Simmons, 6-3, Sr.
%^$G 34-Shane Schilling, 6-6, So.
%^$C 33-Ryan Wildenborg, 6-11, So.
%^$F 45-Dusty Rychart, 6-7, Jr.
%^$F 1-John-Blair Bickerstaff, 6-6, Sr.
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%^$Haston, Hoosiers win first game at VCA
%^$Kirk Haston scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and made two key defensive plays in the final 36 seconds as Indiana defeated Ohio State 70-67. Haston stole Boban Savovic’s inbounds pass at midcourt and scored on a layup to give the Hoosiers a 67-64 lead. Then, he deflected a shot by Ohio State’s Brian Brown, and Kyle Hornsby made two free throws to put the Hoosiers ahead 69-64 with 15.8 seconds left. Brown made a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds to play to make it 69-67, but Tom Coverdale hit one of two free throws and Haston intercepted Savovic’s long inbounds pass as time expired. Coverdale scored 18 points Jared Jeffries 16 for Indiana. Brown led Ohio State with 17 points, while Savovic added nine. Ken Johnson had eight points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Buckeyes. The game was decided in a tense second half that saw three ties and seven lead changes. Indiana trailed 32-31 at halftime, but surged ahead with an 11-4 run to open the second half. Haston scored seven during the run. After Jeffries hit one of two free throws to give Indiana a 54-44 lead. Ohio State responded with a 13-2 run to go ahead 57-54 with 5:55 left. Reserve Tim Martin, who averaged just 2.8 points per game, keyed the run with eight points. Coverdale tied it at 57 with a 3-pointer, and the Hoosiers took the lead moments later when Jeffries knocked a long rebound away from Martin to Coverdale, who hit a 3 to put Indiana up 62-59 with 3:06 left. A back door layup and a spinning bank shot by Savovic helped Ohio State pull within 65-64 with 1:15 left%^$
%^$Noting the Indiana game
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Ohio State is now 41-6 all-time and 12-3 this season at ValueCity Arena. All six losses have come by three points or less.%^$Value City Arena was sold out for the second-consecutive game andthe third time this season.%^$ Tim Martin hit for a career-bestnine points, topping his previous high of eight, set earlier thisseason vs. Morehead State (12/16/00). Martin scored five of hispoints from the charity stripe, where he went 5-of-7. He came intothe contest shooting 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from the free-throwline and had attempted just five free throws in Big Ten play.%^$Ohio St. extended its streak of consecutive games with at least one3-point goal made when Cobe Ocokoljic hit a 3-pointer with 6:17remaining in the first half. OSU has connected on at least one3-point goal in 271-consecutive games.%^$ Ken Johnson started his113th career game, leaving him one behind fourth-place HerbWilliams (114, 1978-81) on the all-time OSU career starts chart.Johnson is one of eight players in Ohio State history to start 100or more games in his Buckeye career.%^$ Johnson blocked five shots,giving him 408 for his career – 20 behind former Penn State starCalvin Booth, who rejected 428 from 1995-99. Johnson is just thesecond player in Big Ten Conference history to block 400 or moreshots in a career.%^$ With 89 blocked shots this season, Johnsonstands sixth on the OSU single-season chart – one behindfourth-place Brad Sellers and Herb Williams, who are tied with 90.Johnson holds the top two spots on the list with 161 last seasonand 100 in 1998-99.%^$ Ohio State hit 75 percent (21-of-28) of itsfree throws, marking the sixth-consecutive game the Buckeyes havehit 70 percent or higher from the charity stripe.%^$ Sean Connollyhit both of his free-throw attempts, extending his streak ofconsecutive free throws made to 18. He has not missed a shot fromthe line since (12/13/00).%^$ Brian Brown continued to be an ironman, playing 39 minutes in the contest. Brown played 40 minutes ineach of the two previous games and is averaging nearly 36 minutesper game in Big Ten play.%^$ The loss is just the second thisseason for the Buckeyes after they were leading at halftime. TheBuckeyes, who led 32-31 at the break, are 13-2 when leading athalftime.%^$ Doylan Robinson dressed for the first time sincesuffering injuries as a passenger in an automobile accident Dec. 3.He did not see action in the game.%^$
%^$Brown enjoys best season as a Buckeye
%^$Junior Brian Brown is having his most productive season as a Buckeye. In this his third year, he has single season highs in field goals (107), 3-pointers made (27), free throws made (69), assists (84), steals (34), points (310) and scoring average (14.8). His career scoring average is 8.3 ppg.%^$
%^$Jackson last to be honored in 2000-01
%^$Gary Bradds (1962-64), Jim Jackson (1990-92) and Katie Smith (1993-96) will be honored by having their OSU jersey numbers retired during the 2001 Big Ten Conference men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Bradds’ No. 35 was retired during ceremonies at halftime of the Ohio State men’s game against No. 3 Michigan State Saturday Jan. 27. Jackson’s No. 22 will be honored at the half of the OSU men’s game against No. 17 Wisconsin Saturday Feb. 10 and Smith’s No. 30 was officially removed from future rosters Jan. 21 at the women’s game against Michigan. Ohio State great Jerry Lucas’ No. 11 is the only other basketball player to have a number retired. Smith is the first women’s basketball player to have a number retired. Three Buckeye football players have been honored beginning with Archie Griffin’s No. 45 in 1999. Vic Janowicz (No. 31) and Howard Cassady (No. 40) had their numbers retired during the 2000 football season.%^$
%^$Several Buckeyes increase production in Big Ten Conference play
%^$Point production has increased during the Big Ten Conference portion of the schedule for four regulars. Junior Brian Brown is consistent with his offensive output with 14.8 ppg. overall and 15.6 ppg. in conference games. Senior Ken Johnson averages 12.3 points in league games and 11.6 ppg. overall. Junior Boban Savovic averages 9.2 in the league and 8.8 ppg. on the season. Johnson averages 7.9 rebounds a game in the league and 7.0 rpg. overall.%^$
%^$Brown, Johnson account for majority of Ohio State’s double figure scoring games
%^$Buckeye players have 63 individual double-figure scoring efforts in 21 games this season. Brian Brown leads with 19 with Ken Johnson close behind with 16. Brown has a streak of 11-consecutive games with 10 or more points.%^$
%^$Buckeyes earn 7th win over a defending national champion
%^$Ohio State has met the defending national champion 29 times in history with a 7-22 record in those games following the win over Michigan State last week. The Buckeyes have a 23-52 record against teams who participated in the Final Four the previous year. The Buckeyes just finished a stretch of three games against 2000 Final Four teams, including defending national champion Michigan State, twice, and 2000 Final Four participant Wisconsin. Ohio State had never played three-consecutive games against teams who participated in the Final Four the previous season. Before the recent win over the Spartans, the last time OSU downed a defending national champion was during the 1989-90 season when the Buckeyes won 64-61 over No. 5 Michigan (2/18/90). Michigan won the 1989 national title.%^$
%^$Buckeyes pay back road games after run of home contests
%^$Before traveling to Michigan State (1/21/01), Ohio State enjoyed 12 home games in a stretch of 13 contests. Ohio State will now travel for six of the final eight games of the season.%^$
%^$Buckeyes start same four all season
%^$Four of the five OSU starters have remained constant all season with senior Ken Johnson, juniors Brian Brown and Boban Savovic and freshman Zach Williams starting all 21 contests this season. Sophomores Brent Darby (15 starts) and Sean Connolly (6 starts) have been the only changes to the lineup this season.%^$
%^$Ohio State vs. ranked opponents
%^$The Buckeyes played the fifth ranked opponent of the season and the third in a week vs. No. 3 Michigan State last Saturday. The Buckeyes are 120-191 vs. teams in the AP Top 25. Four of the five ranked teams OSU has faced this year have been in the AP Top 10. Ohio State has played No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 3 Kansas, No. 6 Illinois and No. 5 Michigan State, twice, this season. No. 8 Syracuse was not in the Top 25 when OSU played the Orangemen at the great Alaska Shootout earlier this year.%^$
%^$Brown has quality week, Buckeyes in tough stretch
%^$Junior Brian Brown led the Buckeyes to a win over No. 3 Michigan State with a career high 25 points Saturday in Columbus. For the week, Brown averaged 19.5 points against a pair of 2000 Final Four squads. He also added an average of 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while playing the entire 80 minutes in the two games. On defense, Brown helped hold the Michigan State guards to just 5-of-21 shooting and a 2-of-11 effort from 3-point range. Brown scored on 8-of-11 of his field goal attempts (.615), 2-of-4 shots from 3-point range (.500) and 78 percent of his foul shots (7-9) in the win over the Spartans. He also added 6 assists vs. Michigan State.%^$
%^$Visitors struggle to win at VCA
%^$Ohio State has lost just six home games in the 3-year history of Value City Arena. The Buckeyes have a combined record of 41-6 all time at the VCA. In the six home losses, no team has won by more than three points. The Buckeyes have lost by an average of 2.5 points in the six games.%^$
%^$O’Brien reaches career win No. 300
%^$Jim O’Brien earned career win No. 300 as a collegiate head coach with the 93-62 win over Morehead St. (12/16/00). O’Brien is 306-263 in 19 seasons as a head coach. He has a record of 71-46, including a record of 63-24 over the last three seasons with the Buckeyes. O’Brien spent 11 seasons at his alma mater, Boston College. His teams compiled a record of 168-166 record with six postseason appearances, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament in his last four years. O’Brien started his career at St. Bonaventure, where in four seasons, his teams posted a record of 67-51 (.568). His 100th career win came against Maine Dec. 6, 1988 (87-59) with No. 200 coming against Hartford Dec. 23, 1995 (106-67). O’Brien won both those games at Boston College.%^$
%^$Ohio State to host NCAA Tournament 1st, 2nd rounds in 2004
%^$The Ohio State Department of Athletics, along with Nationwide Arena and the Greater Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau, has been selected to host the 2004 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds, the NCAA announced Dec. 7. Ohio State will serve as the host institution for the 2004 Midwest Region early round contests. The games will be played at Nationwide Arena March 19 and 21, 2004.%^$
%^$Johnson, No. 1 in Big Ten
%^$Ohio State senior Ken Johnson holds the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten with an average of 4.24 blocks a game (89).%^$
%^$Robinson back in uniform
%^$Doylan Robinson (Akron, Ohio/Buchtel), a junior guard, has been out of action recovering from injuries sustained as a passenger in a traffic accident Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000. Robinson suffered several lacerations to his face and right hand. He is expected to recover fully. Robinson has played in five games to date for the Buckeyes. He is averaging 2.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.4 minutes a game. He has resumed practicing and was dressed for the Ohio State vs. Indiana contest Jan. 31.%^$
%^$Johnson No. 1 on OSU career swat chart
%^$Ken Johnson has 89 blocks on the season for a career total of 408, which places him first all-time at Ohio State in career rejections. Johnson passed Herb Williams (1978-81) at the Great Alaska Shootout in November. Johnson averaged 1.9 bpg. (58/30 gms.) as a freshman, 2.8 bpg. (100/36 gms.) as a sophomore and 5.37 bpg. (161/30 gms.) in 1999-00. He has an average of 4.24 blocks a game this season.%^$
%^$1,000 career points on horizon for Johnson
%^$In 117 career games, senior Ken Johnson is closing on career point No. 1,000 as a Buckeye. He has scored 912 for a career scoring average of 7.8 a contest in his four seasons at Ohio State. With 88 more points this year, he will become the 39th player in OSU history to reach 1,000 career points. He is averaging 11.6 points this season, the highest single-season scoring average of his career.%^$
%^$Johnson paces Buckeyes in the Big Ten
%^$Among Big Ten players, senior Ken Johnson rates among the Top 10 in four statistical categories. He is the league’s best shot blocker with 4.24 rejections a game. With a .558 field goal shooting percentage, he rates No. 7. He also is fifth in defensive rebounds (4.95) and seventh in overall rebounds per game (7.0). Sophomore Sean Connolly is the No. 2 3-point shooter in the conference with a .451 shooting percentage. Junior Brian Brown is No. 4 in steals (1.62).%^$
%^$Johnson moving up career starts list
%^$Ken Johnson has started 113 career games as a Buckeye since the 1997-98 season. He is one of only eight Buckeyes to reach 100 or more career starts. Currently No. 5 all-time, Johnson will next overtake No. 4 Herb Williams (1978-81) with 114 career starts.%^$
%^$Evans leads Iowa over Minnesota
%^$Reggie Evans had 19 points and 15 rebounds as the Hawkeyes beat Minnesota 64-55 Wednesday despite having Recker and fellow starter Duez Henderson sit out with injuries. Ryan Hogan finished with 12 points while filling in for Recker, who missed his third game this year because of a sore right knee, as Iowa won its third straight. Bickerstaff scored 21 points for Minnesota, which lost its third straight. The Golden Gophers trailed 43-28 with 12:37 to play but went on a 19-7 run, capped by Terrance Simmons’ 3-pointer, to trail by three with 5:40 remaining. Simmons finished with nine points.%^$
%^$Four Gophers in double figures, Bauer out for season with broken arm
%^$Junior forward Dusty Rychart leads the Golden Gophers in scoring with an average of 15.1 points a game. He is followed by senior guard Terrance Simmons (12.4 ppg.), senior forward John Blair Bickerstaff (11.7 ppg.), and freshman forward Michael Bauer (11.4 ppg.). Rychart is the leading rebounder with 7.6 rebounds a contest. Bauer was lost for the season after breaking his left forearm last week.%^$
%^$Monson in second season
%^$Golden Gopher head coach Dan Monson is in his second season at Minnesota. He has a record of 27-22 at the helm of the Gophers. He has led Minnesota to a 15-6 record this season. In four seasons as a collegiate head coach, including two at Gonzaga, Monson has a career record of 79-39.%^$
%^$The Minnesota series
%^$The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with Minnesota 70-50. Ohio State is 44-17 in Columbus while the Golden Gophers own the edge in Minneapolis 33-26. The Buckeyes have won the last four meetings after suffering through a five-game losing streak to Minnesota. Ohio State clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship last season at Minnesota with an 82-72 victory.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes vs. Minnesota
%^$Senior Ken Johnson, in four career games vs. the Golden Gophers, has scored an average of 8.8 points a contest while grabbing 4.8 rebounds. He has connected on 10-of-21 shots from the field (.476) vs. Minnesota.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes vs. Minnesota
%^$Senior Ken Johnson, in five career games vs. the Golden Gophers, has scored an average of 9.6 points a contest while grabbing 5.0 rebounds. He has connected on 14-of-26 shots from the field (.538) vs. Minnesota. Sophomore Sean Connolly had one of his better games as a Buckeye earlier this season with 15 points on 5-10 shooting from the field, which includes a 5-of-7 effort from 3-point range.%^$
%^$Leading the Buckeyes
%^$Junior Brian Brown leads the Buckeyes offensively with a scoring average of 14.8 points per game. He leads the team in minutes played (33.6 mpg.). Sophomore Sean Connolly leads in 3-point shooting (32-71, .451) just ahead of junior Boban Savovic (27-65, .415). Connolly is the team’s leading free throw shooter (24-31, .774). Ken Johnson is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.0 a game. He is the most accurate Buckeye from the field as well hitting 56 percent of his shots (92-165). Brown leads in assists with 84 and steals, 34.%^$
%^$OSU opponents fare well in polls
%^$Seven 2000-01 Buckeye opponents are rated among the Top 25 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. Another two are receiving votes. Kansas (3/3), Michigan State (5/5), Illinois (6/6), Wisconsin (10/16), Syracuse (12/8), Alabama (17/15) and Iowa (18/17) are rated in the Top 25. Purdue and Minnesota are receiving votes in one or both polls.%^$
%^$Johnson’s name appears 3 times in OSU single season blocks chart
%^$With 89 blocks this year, senior Ken Johnson has his name listed three times on the Ohio State single-season blocked shots chart. His 161 blocks as a junior is an OSU single season record. He swatted 100 as a sophomore, the second highest single season total. His senior total rates No. 6 behind the 90 Herb Williams rejected in 1979 and the 90 blocked by Brad Sellers in 1985%^$
%^$Johnson 2nd in Big Ten to 400 career blocks
%^$Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 408 blocks in his career after swatting five against Indiana. Johnson is second in Big Ten history in career blocks. Calvin Booth of Penn State (1995-99) is the next target at No. 1 with 428 career blocks.%^$
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Big Ten Career Blocked Shots leaders%^$1. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-99 428%^$2. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 408%^$3. Acie Earl, IOWA 1989-93 365%^$4. Joe Barry Carroll, PUR 1977-80 349%^$5. Herb Williams, OSU 1977-81 328%^$
%^$Big Ten Season Blocked Shot leaders%^$1. Ken Johnson, OSU 1999-00 161%^$2. Calvin Booth, PSU 1997-98 140%^$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%^$
%^$Johnson led nation in blocks, average fifth in NCAA
%^$Ohio State center Ken Johnson led the Big Ten and the nation in blocks in 1999-00. Johnson sent back 5.37 shots per game with 161 blocks on the year. Johnson has the fifth highest block per game average in NCAA history. His total of 161 is the seventh most in a single season in NCAA history.%^$
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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%^$5. #Ken Johnson, OSU 2000 5.37%^$# Led nation in blocks.%^$
%^$Big Ten coaches, media select Johnson preseason First Team All-Big Ten
%^$The Big Ten men’s basketball coaches and league media chose Ken Johnson (Sr., Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford) as a preseason First Team All-Big Ten selection. The announcement was made Oct. 30 at the annual Big Ten Men’s Basketball media day. Johnson joins Cory Bradford (Illinois), Charlie Bell (Michigan State), Kirk Haston (Indiana) and LaVell Blanchard (Michigan) on the squad selected by the coaches. The media selected the same squad with the exception of Haston. Joe Crispin of Penn State filled that spot. Johnson, who averaged nearly eight points, over six rebounds and 5.4 blocks a game last year as a junior, is the only senior on Ohio State’s squad this season.%^$
%^$A change in lineup
%^$Ohio State used its second starting lineup of the season with sophomore Sean Connolly starting in place of sophomore Brent Darby against Eastern Kentucky. Darby had a slight knee sprain but did play vs. the Colonels. According to STATS Inc., Ohio State was among just six schools to use just one or two different starting lineups in 1999-00. Hawaii used the same starters all season. Ohio State, Southern Illinois, St. John’s, Vermont and Wofford used just two lineups in 1999-00.%^$
%^$2-year home record rates high at OSU
%^$Ohio State has compiled a 41-6 (.872) record over three seasons in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were 14-1 in the inaugural season in VCA (1998-99) and notched a 15-2 record at home in 1999-00. In back-to-back seasons in which the Buckeyes have won at least 25 combined home games, the OSU record from 1999-00 of 29-3 stands fourth all-time for home record in consecutive seasons. The record over the 2000-01 seasons is 27-5, which rates No. 5 for combined two-year record all-time. The 1962-63 teams posted a 25-0 record during a span of 50 home games in which the Buckeyes were undefeated from 1960-64.%^$
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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%^$2000-01 27-5 .844%^$1985-86 26-5 .839%^$1982-83 25-5 .833%^$1986-87 26-7 .788%^$1985-86 26-5 .781%^$
%^$OSU 3-pt FG streak extended to 271
%^$Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal attempt over the last 271 games. Sophomore Cobe Ocokoljic extended the streak in the first half against Indiana (1/31/01). 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 263-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.%^$
%^$OSU vs. the Big Ten
%^$The Buckeyes opened the Big Ten season Jan. 3 at home against Northwestern. The Buckeyes have more victories over the Wildcats (98) than any other league school. Ohio State has 78 wins each over Michigan and Wisconsin. Illinois has the most wins over the Buckeyes with 95. This is the 89th season of Big Ten play for Ohio State in men’s basketball.%^$
%^$Big Ten Series Records
%^$Illinois 56-95
%^$Indiana 66-93
%^$Iowa 59-67
%^$Michigan 79-67
%^$Michigan State 45-52
%^$Minnesota 70-50
%^$Northwestern 98-44
%^$Penn State 11-12
%^$Purdue 67-77
%^$Wisconsin 78-54
%^$Totals 628-611
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%^$Johnson helps Olympic team prepare for Gold in Sydney
%^$Ken Johnson was selected as one of 12 collegiate players who gathered to practice against the 2000 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team last summer in Maui, Hawaii. Johnson was the only true center on the 2000 USA Basketball Men’s Select team and its tallest player at 6-feet 11-inches. The Select team scrimmaged the Olympic team each day during the week-long camp. The camp ended with a nationally-televised (NBC) contest Sept. 2 at the University of Hawaii Stan Sheriff Center.%^$
%^$Three student-athletes added for 2001-02 season
%^$Jim O’Brien signed one of the best recruiting classes of his coaching tenure Nov. 8, the first day of the fall men’s basketball signing period.%^$
%^$Matt Sylvester (Loveland, Ohio/Moeller), Terence Dials (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) and Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) all signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play for Ohio State.%^$
%^$Sylvester, a 6-foot-7-inch, 200-pound wing forward, is considered to be among the top two players in Ohio. He is ranked by Prep Spotlight Magazine as one of the Top 60 players in the country. Sylvester played for the powerful Cincinnati AAU program. As a junior, he averaged 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. As a sophomore, Sylvester helped guide Carl Kremer’s Moeller squad to a Division I State Championship.%^$
%^$Dials, the second recruit from Ohio to sign with the Buckeyes, is a 6-foot-9-inch, 240-pound power forward/center. He gives the Buckeyes an athletic big man. As a junior, Dials averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4.0 blocks.%^$
%^$Fuss-Cheatham (6-1, 190) is the No. 1-ranked point guard in the Midwest by Vince Baldwin of Midwesthoops.com and the No. 6 nationally-ranked point guard. He also is considered a Top 30 all-around player in the high school class of 2001. He averaged 21.3 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.1 rebounds as a junior. He shot 59 percent from the field (279-476) and 77 percent (123-160) from the free-throw line. He has been Blackhawk’s starting point guard since his freshman season. The Cougars are 85-11 during that time. Over the last two seasons, Blackhawk is 62-4 with two conference championships and a state title.
