Men’s Basketball Prepares For The 2001 NCAA Postseason – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 13, 2001
Game Facts:
2001 NCAA Tournament
East Regional First and Second Rounds
Thursday, March 15, 2001
12:25 p.m. (EST)
Greensboro Coliseum (23,500)
Greensboro, N.C.
Ohio State is playing in its 21st NCAA Tournament and is 36-19 (.655) all-time in the event. The Buckeyes won the title in 1960 and have participated in the Final Four nine times.
Advancing
A First Round win would place the Buckeyes in a Second Round contest against either No. 4 UCLA or No. 13 Hofstra Saturday at about 3:30 p.m.
The Broadcast
Television – The game against Utah State will be televised by CBS.
Radio – Sports Radio 1460 (AM) The Fan will broadcast all the Ohio State games during the NCAA Tournament.
Game Times – Ohio State and Utah State will tip at 12:25 p.m. Thursday, March 15 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner will face the winner of the UCLA vs. Hofstra contest Saturday at about 3:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the 1:10 p.m. game.
OSU on the Road
Ohio State will travel Tuesday afternoon, March 13 to Greensboro, N.C.
The Opener
Ohio State and Utah State have met four times in the all-time series history with each team winning twice. The Aggies traveled to Columbus Dec. 1, 1962 to open the series but fell to the Buckeyes, 62-50. Ohio State returned the game Dec. 28, 1963 and fell to the Aggies, 79-66. The Buckeyes returned to Logan, Utah Dec. 1, 1970 and lost again, 95-89, but evened the series Dec. 6, 1971 in Columbus, 71-60.
The NCAA Tournament and OSU
Ohio State is playing in its 21st NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes are 36-19 all time in NCAA Tournament games with one NCAA Championship (1960) and nine trips to the Final Four. Ohio State first advanced to the Final Four in 1939, the first NCAA Tournament, and most recently in 1999. The Buckeyes have advanced to three-consecutive Final Fours, twice (1944-46 and 1960-62). Ohio State is playing in its third-consecutive NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1990-92.
Ohio State at the NCAA Tournament Year Region Seed Rcd. 1939* Eastern — 2-1 1944* Eastern — 1-1 1945* Eastern — 1-1 1946* Eastern — 2-1 1950 Eastern — 1-1 1960* Mideast — 4-0 1961* Mideast — 3-1 1962* Mideast — 3-1 1968* Mideast — 3-1 1971 Mideast — 1-1 1980 West No. 4 1-1 1982 East No. 8 0-1 1983 East No. 3 1-1 1985 Midwest No. 4 1-1 1987 Southwest No. 9 1-1 1990 West No. 8 1-1 1991 Midwest No. 1 2-1 1992 Southwest No. 1 3-1 1999* South No. 4 4-1 2000 South No. 3 1-1 2001 East No. 5 — * NCAA Final Four (9). Note: NCAA Tournament teams were not seeded prior to 1979.
The No. 5 Seed
The No. 5 seed is the highest since a No. 8 seed in the West Region in 1990. A No. 5 seed has never won the NCAA Championship but has advanced as far as the Championship game once (Florida, 2000). Teams seeded No. 5 have an overall record of 46-18 in First Round games, 21-25 in Second Round games, 3-18 in regional semifinals, 2-1 in regional finals, 1-1 in national semifinals and 0-1 in title games. The Buckeyes have never been a No. 5 seed in NCAA Tournament play.
NCAA Experience
Seven Buckeyes on the current roster have played in at least two games during the NCAA Tournament. This will be the third appearance for senior Ken Johnson and juniors Brian Brown and Boban Savovic. All three appeared in the 1999 Final Four and advanced to the second round last season. Junior Will Dudley played in his first NCAA event last year. He did not play in 1999 because of a foot injury. Junior Doylan Robinson was not eligible in 1999. He played in two games last year. Sophomores Cobe Ocokoljic and Brent Darby are making their second trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Opponent Utah State
Site Greensboro Coliseum (23,500)
Game Time 12:25 p.m. (EST)
TV CBS
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent TBA (Play-by-Play)
TBA (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)
No. 5 seed Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (20-10, 11-5)
G 4-Brent Darby, 6-1, 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.
No. 12 seed Utah State Aggies
Probable Starters (27-5, 13-3)
G 31-Tony Brown, 6-3, Jr.
G 10-Bernard Rock, 5-10, Sr.
C 14-Dimitri Jorssen, 7-0, Sr.
F 22-Curtis Bobb, 6-5, Sr.
F 5-Shawn Daniels, 6-6, Sr.
Big Ten well represented in 2001 NCAA Tournament
Seven Big Ten Conference teams were selected to participate in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Illinois (Midwest) and Michigan State (South) were granted No. 1 seeds. Ohio State earned a No. 5 seed in the East. Indiana is the No. 4 seed in the West. Wisconsin is a No. 6 seed in the West. Iowa, the 2001 Big Ten Tournament Champion, is a No. 7 seed in the East while Penn State is a No. 7 seed in the South.
Savovic brothers both make 2001 NCAA Tournament
Ohio State junior Boban Savovic will play in his third NCAA Tournament when the Buckeyes open with Utah State Thursday. His brother Predrag Savovic, also a junior, will be making his first NCAA Tournament appearance following Hawaii’s 78-72 overtime win over Tulsa in the Eastern Athletic Conference final. Predrag began his career at Alabama-Birmingham before a transfer to Hawaii. The No. 12 seed Rainbows open with No. 5 seed Syracuse in the Midwest Region Friday. Predrag, a first team All-WAC performer, averages 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. He also is second with 103 assists while leading the team in steals with 39. Boban is scoring 8.9 points a game with 3.8 rebounds, 104 assists and 32 steals.
Brothers–Part Two
Ohio State freshman Zach Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) also has a brother playing in the NCAA Tournament-the Division II Championship. Eddie Williams, a junior at Adelphi (N.Y.) is the second leading scorer on the nation’s only undefeated team (31-0). Adelphi, following a 78-64 win over St. Michael’s Saturday will play in the Division II Elite Eight March 21 against Tampa (24-6) in Bakersfield, Calif.
Ohio State 480-478 vs. 2001 NCAA Tournament Teams
Ohio State has an overall record of 480-478 against the 64 teams in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes are 182-163 vs. the West Region, 92-95 vs. the South, 112-119 vs. the Midwest and 94-101 vs. the East. In Ohio State’s half of the East bracket, OSU is 12-15, which includes a 2-2 mark vs. Utah State and a 4-5 record vs. UCLA. OSU has never faced Hofstra.
Buckeyes 5-8 vs. 2001 NCAA field in 2000-01
Ohio State faced eight of the 64 teams that make up the 2001 NCAA Tournament field. Of the 30 games played this season by Ohio State, 13 were against teams that made the NCAA field. The Buckeyes were 5-8 in those 13 games, which included wins over Illinois and Michigan State, both No. 1 seeds, Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin. The Buckeyes fell to each of the six other Big Ten teams in the tournament in addition to Syracuse and Kansas.
Ohio State vs. Utah State
Ohio State and Utah State have met four times with each team winning twice. The Aggies traveled to Columbus Dec. 1, 1962 to open the series but fell to the Buckeyes, 62-50. Ohio State returned the game Dec. 28, 1963 and fell to the Aggies 79-66. The Buckeyes returned to Logan, Utah Dec. 1, 1970 and lost again 95-89 but evened the series Dec. 6, 1971 in Columbus, 71-60.
OSU vs. the Big West Conference
Ohio State has a 6-3 record over teams representing the Big West Conference, including a 2-2 mark vs. Utah State. The last meeting vs. a Big West school came Dec. 29, 1997 when the Buckeyes fell to New Mexico State 73-46 at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu during Jim O’Brien’s first year at Ohio State.
Big West Series Records OSU/Opp. Eastern Division Boise State 0-0 Idaho 0-0 Nevada 0-0 New Mexico State 1-1 North Texas 0-0 Utah State 2-2 Western Division UC Irvine 0-0 UC Santa Barbara 2-0 Cal Poly 0-0 Cal St. Fullerton 0-0 Long Beach State 1-0 Pacific (Calif.) 0-0 Totals 6-3
Four players lead balanced attack for 27-5 Aggies
Four players average between 10.3 and 11.9 points a game for Utah State this season. Senior Shawn Daniels, a forward from Bakersfield, Calif., leads the pack with 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. Junior guard Tony Brown of Hyrum, Utah, averages 11.7 points. Seniors Bernard Rock, a guard from New York, and Curtis Bobb, a forward from Aurora, Colo, follow with 10.4 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.
Morrill in third year with Aggies
Gonzaga graduate (1974) Stew Morrill has a 70-24 overall record in three seasons in Logan, Utah. Overall, in 15 seasons as a head coach, Morrill has compiled a record of 288-162. He was 97-52 in five years at Montana and 121-86 in seven years at Colorado State.
Aggies boast senior experience
Utah State’s senior class is made up of five players, four of whom start. The 27 wins this season is the second most in school history, behind the 28 posted last season. All 16 wins vs. Big West opponents this year (13-3 regular season, 3-0 in league tournament) were by at least 10 points.
Ohio State 19-1 in NCAA Openers
Ohio State has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 19-of-20 previous appearances. The only first round loss was to James Madison (55-48) March 11, 1982. The Buckeyes have won two or more nine times. Ohio State has won three or more six times and four games, twice, including the national title (4-0) in 1960 and a 4-1 record in 1999.
Buckeyes fall to Iowa in quarterfinals of Big Ten Tournament
With Ken Johnson on the bench for most of the game, No. 24 Ohio State fell in the Big Ten Conference Tournament to Iowa. Johnson, a two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year and the league’s career leader in blocked shots, had to sit with foul problems and Iowa made the most of his absence. Glen Worley scored 18 points, and Iowa rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half to beat the Buckeyes 75-66 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Dean Oliver added 16 points for Iowa, and Brian Brown led Ohio State with 18 in a foul-filled game that featured 31-of-45 free-throw shooting by the Hawkeyes and 27-of-39 by the Buckeyes. Johnson played a total of 16 minutes, scoring 12 points, but he never did pick up his fifth foul.
O’Brien earns 2nd Big Ten Coach of the Year in 4 years at Ohio State
The Big Ten media selected Jim O’Brien as the 2001 Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second time in his four years at Ohio State. O’Brien was selected for the same honor in 1999. O’Brien has four coach of the year honors in three NCAA Division I conferences. He was the 1983 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year while at St. Bonaventure and was the BIG EAST co-Coach of the Year in 1995-96 at Boston College. The Buckeyes finished the 2000-01 regular season with a 20-9 overall record and an 11-5 mark in Big Ten. Ohio State lost its top three scorers from its Big Ten Championship team in 1999-00 and did not return a double-digit scorer in 2000-01.
Johnson tabbed First Team All-Big Ten by coaches, media
Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson earned a spot on coaches’ and media All-Big Ten First teams following his best season as a Buckeye. Johnson averaged career-highs with 12.4 points a game and 7.1 rebounds a contest. He also had his best season on the offensive end of the court. In the regular season he shot 58 percent from the field (139-241) and 70 percent from the free throw line (81-117). His 25 assists and 12 steals also were career bests for a single season. Defensively, Johnson blocked 118 shots to become the Big Ten career leader in blocked shots. His current total (439) ranks No. 4 all-time in NCAA history. He also became the 39th player in OSU history to reach 1,000 career points.
Johnson repeats as Big Ten’s best defensive player
In the eyes of the Big Ten coaches, Ken Johnson is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson also earned the distinction last year as a junior, when he blocked a Big Ten and Ohio State single season record 161 shots and led the nation with a 5.37 blocks per game average. As a senior, Johnson has blocked 120 shots to up his Big Ten record total to 439.
Brown selected to All-Big Ten Third Team, honorable mention squad
Junior Brian Brown has his most productive season as a Buckeye to earn Third Team All-Big Ten accolades as selected by the Big Ten media. League coaches placed Brown on the honorable mention squad. Brown led the Buckeyes in scoring with 14.5 points a contest. In the regular season, he led Ohio State in field goals made (149), free throws made (86), assists (120), steals (43) and minutes played (975). He shot 46 percent from the field and 72 percent from the foul line while averaging 4.4 rebounds a contest.
Buckeyes crack Top 25 for first time this season
The Associated Press voters rated the Buckeyes the No. 24 team nationally following the completion of the regular season in which the Buckeyes finished 20-9 overall with an 11-5 Big Ten record. The Buckeyes received 158 votes for Top 25 consideration. Ohio State spent the final 10 weeks of the 1998-99 season and all 20 weeks of 1999-00 ranked among the Top 25 teams nationally in the Associated Press Poll. The Buckeyes finished 1998-99 No. 14 and were No. 8 in the AP Poll in 1999-00.
Fifth-consecutive road win in Big Ten a first since 1971
Ohio State started the Big Ten season with a 4-5 record but finished 7-0, including five-consecutive road wins in the league. Ohio State had not won five-consecutive road games in Big Ten play since the 1970-71 season when OSU won all seven of its road contests on the way to a 13-1 record in the league. Ohio State finished 20-6 that year and won the Big Ten title.
Johnson selected to NABC District 10 First Team
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the NABC/Chevrolet Division I All-District Teams, recognizing the country’s best men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes. Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson (6-11, Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford) is a first-team selection in District 10. He is joined on the District 10 First Team by Troy Murphy (Notre Dame), David West (Xavier), Kirk Haston (Indiana) and Tony Stanley (Dayton).
Buckeyes reach 11 wins in Big Ten for 3rd-consecutive season
The win over Penn State (3/3/01) gave the Buckeyes their 11th win in the Big Ten for the third-consecutive year after a stretch of six-consecutive years without reaching nine wins in the league. Ohio State had not put together three-consecutive years with 11 or more wins in the league since the 1962-64 seasons. The Buckeyes were in the final three seasons of a five-year stretch of winning the Big Ten Conference title. Ohio State is playing in its 21st NCAA Tournament and third-consecutive. OSU last went to the NCAA Tournament three-consecutive years from 1990-92. The Big Ten victory over Northwestern (2/24/01) gave the Buckeyes their 26th campaign with 10 or more wins in Big Ten play.
Johnson reaches milestone in win over Northwestern
Ohio State’s Ken Johnson claimed the Big Ten record for career blocks in the 69-57 win over Northwestern (2/24/01). He passed Calvin Booth of Penn State (1995-99) to claim the record. Johnson also passed Booth for the No. 5 spot all time in NCAA history for career blocks. Johnson is currently No. 4 with 439 career blocks.
Buckeyes show balance from long range, free throw line
Four Buckeye regulars have each connected on at least 38 3-point shots this season. Sophomore Sean Connolly leads the pack with 42 made treys and is tops in 3-point shooting percentage (.404). Sophomore Brent Darby is second in made treys (39-108, .361) while junior Brian Brown is second in 3-point shooting percentage (.400, 38-95). Junior Boban Savovic also has 38 made 3-pointers (38-198, .388). Add Ken Johnson to the above four and the Buckeyes have five players hitting 70 percent or better from the foul line. Connolly again is the leader by percentage (42-50, .840). He has made 36 of his last 37 attempts. Savovic (65-87, .747), Darby (57-75, .760), Brown (93-131, .710) and Johnson (90-127, .709) all have performed well at the charity stripe.
Noting the Iowa game
Junior Will Dudley was forced into early action with seniorcenter Ken Johnson in foul trouble. Dudley responded with eightpoints in a career-high 26 minutes of action. Sophomore Brent Darbypitched in 10 points to give him seven-consecutive games in doublefigures. He has scored 10 or more points 17 times in his OSUcareer. Ohio State is 14-3 in those contests. Johnson is No. 36 alltime at Ohio State in career scoring. He scored 12 vs. the Hawkeyesto give him 1,041 career points. He trails No. 35 Jamie Skelton(1991-94), who finished his career with 1,055 points. Ohio Stateextended its streak of consecutive games with at least one 3-pointfield goal to 280. Brent Darby extended the streak with 12:27 toplay in the first half. Johnson blocked a pair of Iowa shots tobring his career total to 439. He is now No. 4 all time in NCAAhistory. Alonzo Mourning of Georgetown is No. 3 with 453 careerblocks. The No. 24 Buckeyes fell to 300-95 all-time when ranked inthe Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Johnson 2nd in league to reach 400 blocks
Buckeye senior Ken Johnson has 439 blocks in his career after swatting two vs. Iowa (3/9/01). Johnson is the career leader in Big Ten history in career blocks. Johnson cracked the Top 10 in Big Ten single-season block records for the third time at Iowa (2/7/01). He already owns the No. 1 spot with 161 in 1999-00 and the No. 9 spot with 100 in 1998-99. His 120 this season rates No. 5.
Big Ten Career Blocked Shots leaders 1. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998- 439 2. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-99 428 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. Ken Johnson, OSU 2000-01 120 6. Acie Earl, Iowa 1990-91 106 7. Joe Barry Carroll, PUR 1977-78 105 8. Calvin Booth, PSU 1995-96 101 9. Ken Johnson, OSU 1998-99 100 10.Dean Garrett, IND 1987-88 99
Unranked Buckeyes win 4 vs. ranked teams for 1st time since 1989-90
Ohio State, unranked in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls defeated four of the last five ranked opponents faced. The last time the Buckeyes defeated four ranked teams as an unranked squad was during the 1989-90 season when OSU downed six ranked teams.
Johnson owns Top 3 spots in single season blocks
With 120 blocks this year, senior Ken Johnson has his name listed at the Top 3 positions 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 third highest single season total. His senior total rates No. 2.
Johnson in Top 10 in NCAA career blocks
Ken Johnson sits atop the OSU and Big Ten career lists and is in the Top 10 in career blocks in NCAA history. His current total of 439 ranks No. 4 all-time in NCAA career blocks. Johnson is one of only 11 players in the history of college basketball to block 400 or more shots. Johnson reached the 400 mark with six blocks at Michigan State (1/21/01). Johnson has averaged 3.5 blocks a game over his career. That average rates among the Top 20 all time in NCAA history at No. 17.
NCAA Career Blocks No. Name Gms. Blks. 1. Adonal Foyle, Colgate 87 492 2. Tim Duncan, Wake Forest 128 481 3. Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown 120 453 4. Ken Johnson, Ohio St. 126 439 5. Lorenzo Coleman, Tenn. Tech 113 437 6. Calvin Booth, Penn St. 114 428 7. Theo Ratliff, Wyoming 111 425 8. Etan Thomas, Syracuse 122 424 9. Rodney Blake, St. Joseph’s 116 419 10. Shaquille O’Neal, LSU 90 412
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 (154), 3-pointers made (38), free throws made (93), assists (122), steals (43), points (439) and scoring average (14.6). His career scoring average is 8.9 ppg.
Brown could join 500-pt. club
Junior Brian Brown could could become the 21st Buckeye in history to reach 500 points in a season with a successful run in the NCAA Tournament. Brown has 439 points this season.
Brown, Johnson account for majority of Ohio State’s double figure scoring games
Buckeye players have 96 individual double-figure scoring efforts in 30 games this season. Brian Brown leads with 25 with Ken Johnson close behind with 23.
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 traveled for six of the final eight games of the season, including two of the last three regular-season games. OSU closed the season with eight wins in the final 11 games, including five-consecutive wins on the road in the Big Ten.
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 30 contests this season. Sophomores Brent Darby (15 starts) and Sean Connolly (15 starts) have been the only changes to the lineup this season.
Ohio State vs. ranked opponents
The Buckeyes played the ninth ranked opponent of the season at home vs. No. 3 Illinois. The Buckeyes are 123-192 vs. teams in the AP Top 25. Five of the nine ranked teams OSU has faced this year have been in the AP Top 10. Ohio State has played No. 21 Alabama, No. 16 Wisconsin, twice, No. 14 Iowa, No. 3 Illinois, twice, No. 5 Michigan State, twice, and No. 3 Kansas this season. Syracuse, currently ranked, was not in the Top 25 when OSU played the Orangemen at the great Alaska Shootout earlier this year.
Visitors struggle to win at VCA
Ohio State has lost six home games in the 3-year history of Value City Arena. The Buckeyes have a record of 43-6 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 313-265 in 19 seasons as a head coach. He has a record of 78-48, including a record of 70-26 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 St. 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, 2000. 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.
Robinson back in uniform
Doylan Robinson (Akron, Ohio/Buchtel), a junior guard, was 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 eight games to date for the Buckeyes after playing two minutes vs. Iowa (3/9/01). He is averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 6.0 minutes a game. He resumed practicing and was first dressed for the Ohio State vs. Indiana contest Jan. 31.
Johnson No. 1 on OSU career swat chart
Ken Johnson has 120 blocks on the season for a career total of 439, 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 4.0 blocks a game this season.
Johnson 39th Buckeye to reach 1,000 career points
Ken Johnson reached career point No. 1,000 as a Buckeye with 16 in the home win over Illinois (2/22/01). He has scored 1,041 for a career scoring average of 8.3 a contest in his four seasons at Ohio State. He is averaging 12.4 points this season, the highest single-season scoring average of his career.
Leading the Buckeyes
Junior Brian Brown leads the Buckeyes offensively with a scoring average of 14.6 points per game. He leads the team in minutes played (33.7 mpg.). Sophomore Sean Connolly leads in 3-point shooting (42-104, .402). Connolly is the team’s leading free throw shooter (42-50, .840). Ken Johnson is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.1 a game. He is the most accurate Buckeye from the field as well hitting 58 percent of his shots (141-244). Brown leads in assists with 122 and steals, 43.
OSU opponents fare well in polls
Six 2000-01 Buckeye opponents are rated among the Top 25 in the Associated Press and/or the ESPN/USA Today polls. Michigan State (2/3), Illinois (4/6), Kansas (9/12), Syracuse (17/16), Indiana (RV/21), Wisconsin (23/24) and Iowa (NR/25) are rated in the Top 25. Alabama and St. John’s are received votes.
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. 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.
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.
OSU vs. the Big Ten
Ohio State won its 11th game of the Big Ten season at Penn State to secure three-consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins in league play. Ohio State won its 99th game vs. Northwestern with a sweep of the regular season series, giving the Buckeyes the most wins vs. any other Big Ten foe. Ohio State is in its 89th season of Big Ten play.
Big Ten Series Records OSU/Opp. Illinois 57-95 Indiana 66-93 Iowa 60-68 Michigan 79-67 Michigan State 45-52 Minnesota 71-50 Northwestern 99-44 Penn State 12-12 Purdue 68-77 Wisconsin 79-54 Totals 636-612
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 29-5 .853 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 280
Ohio State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal over the last 280 games. Brent Darby extended the streak in the first half against Iowa (3/9/01). 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 272-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.
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. According to STATS Inc., Ohio State was among just six schools to use just one or two different starting lineups in 1999-00.
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 weeklong camp.
