O’Brien Earns 2nd Big Ten Coach of the Year Honor – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio–The Big Ten media selected Ohio State’s Jim O’Brien as the 2001 Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second time in his four years at Ohio State. 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.
The Buckeyes have won 20 games for the third-consecutive season and are vying for the program’s third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
O’Brien was selected for the same Big Ten coaching honor in 1999 after guiding the Buckeyes to a second-place finish in the Big Ten following a last place finish in 1998.
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.
Johnson tabbed First Team All-Big Ten by coaches, media
Ohio State senior center Ken Johnson (6-11, Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford) earned a spot on coaches’ and media All-Big Ten First Team 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. 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 with 437. That total also 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 118 shots to up his Big Ten and Ohio State record total to 437.
Brown selected to All-Big Ten Third Team, honorable mention squad
Junior Brian Brown (6-4, G., Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) 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 lead the Buckeyes in scoring with 14.5 points a contest. He also 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.
2000-01 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team
As selected by Big Ten coaches
(players names in ALL CAPS have 2001-02 eligibility)
FIRST TEAM
Joe Crispin, Penn State
KIRK HASTON, Indiana
Ken Johnson, Ohio State
JASON RICHARDSON, Michigan St.
FRANK WILLIAMS, Illinois
SECOND TEAM
Charlie Bell, Michigan State
LAVELL BLANCHARD, Michigan
REGGIE EVANS, Iowa
Andre Hutson, Michigan State
JARED JEFFRIES, Indiana
THIRD TEAM
Roy Boone, Wisconsin
BRIAN COOK, Illinois
Marcus Griffin, Illinois
Titus Ivory, Penn State
Dean Oliver, Iowa
HONORABLE MENTION
JOHN ALLISON, Purdue
BRIAN BROWN, Ohio State
Gyasi Cline-Heard, Penn State
LUKE RECKER, Iowa
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
FRANK WILLIAMS, Illinois
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
JARED JEFFRIES, Indiana
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Ken Johnson, Ohio State
Repeat Performers
First Team: Crispin, Haston, Johnson, Second Team: Bell, Third Team: Oliver. Note: Crispin, Haston and Johnson were named to the coaches’ second-team in2000, Bell was a third-team pick.
As selected by Big Ten media
(players names in ALL CAPS have 2001-02 eligibility)
FIRST TEAM
Charlie Bell, Michigan State
KIRK HASTON, Indiana*
Ken Johnson, Ohio State
JASON RICHARDSON, Michigan St.
FRANK WILLIAMS, Illinois*
SECOND TEAM
LAVELL BLANCHARD, Michigan
BRIAN COOK, Illinois
Joe Crispin, Penn State
REGGIE EVANS, Iowa
Andre Hutson, Michigan State
THIRD TEAM
BRIAN BROWN, Ohio State
Gyasi Cline-Heard, Penn State
JARED JEFFRIES, Indiana
Dean Oliver, Iowa
Titus Ivory, Penn State
HONORABLE MENTION
Roy Boone, Wisconsin
CORY BRADFORD, Illinois
Marcus Griffin, Illinois
Mike Kelley, Wisconsin
LUKE RECKER, Iowa
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
FRANK WILLIAMS, Illinois
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
JARED JEFFRIES, Indiana*
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Jim O’Brien, Ohio State
* unanimous
Repeat Performers
First Team: Bell, Haston, Johnson, Second Team: Blanchard, Crispin, Third Team: Oliver. Note: Haston was named to the coaches’ second-team in 2000, Bell, Blanchard and Johnson were third-team picks, Oliver was an honorable mention selection.
