Men’s Basketball Opens The Regular Season at Home vs. Coppin State – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2002
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Opponent Coppin State
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 8 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Plus
Local TV WBNS Ch. 10 (CBS)
TV Talent Mike Gleason (Play-by-Play), 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)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (0-0)
G 4 – Brent Darby, 6-1, Sr.
G 3 – Sean Connolly, 6-5, Sr.
G 40 – Matt Sylvester, 6-7, Fr.
OR
G 20 – Emonte Jernigan, 6-3, Jr.
C 14 – Velimir Radinovic, 7-0, Jr.
F 33 – Zach Williams, 6-7, Jr.
Coppin State College
Probable Starters (0-2)
G Deke Thompson, 6-0, So.
G Raheem Scott, 6-2, Fr.
C Darron Bradley, 6-5, Fr.
F Larry Tucker, 6-4, Sr.
F Jimmy Boykin, 6-7, Jr.
Globetrotters Fall To Buckeyes
Ohio State handed the Globetrotters their sixth-consecutive loss with 106-82 win in the final exhibition contest for both teams. Brent Darby led Ohio State with 25 points and 11 assists. He also made all 11 of his foul shots and added three steals in 34 minutes. Four other Buckeyes contributed double digits offensively led by Sean Connolly’s 16 points and followed by 14 from Terrence Dials, 11 from Emonte Jernigan and 10 from Matt Sylvester. Ohio State shot 58 percent from the field (39-67) and 88 percent from the foul line (21-24). Zach Williams led Ohio State with eight rebounds. Darby Paces Buckeyes in Preseason
Senior guard Brent Darby averaged 23 points and 6.5 assists in two Ohio State exhibition wins. He also connected on all 15 foul shots while making 67 percent of his field goal attempts (14-21). Senior Sean Connolly averaged 13 points and four rebounds while hitting 50 percent from the field (9-18). Sophomore Terrence Dials also averaged double figures with 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds. Junior Zach Williams was the leading rebounder with 7.5 a game. As a team, the Buckeyes connected on 51 percent of their shots from the field (68-133) and 77 percent of their foul shots (34-44). The Buckeyes outrebounded their preseason foes by an average of 14 (40-26).
Coppin State Drops Pair at Tournament
With just seven scholarship players, Coppin State College opened the season last Friday at No. 16 Marquette, who downed the Eagles 64-46 in the opening round of the Pepsi Blue and Cold Classic in Milwaukee. Coppin State trailed just 36-30 at the half behind Jimmy Boykin’s 18 first half points. Boykin did not score in the second half as the Eagles were held to just 16 points in the final 20 minutes in the loss. Idaho State then beat CSC 63-55 in the second day of the Pepsi Classic with freshman Raheem Scott leading the way with 16 points for the Eagles.
Coppin St. Makes 2nd Trip to Columbus
Coppin State is making its second trip to Columbus in the last three seasons to battle the Buckeyes. In the only other meeting between the two schools, Ohio State defeated the Eagles 80-42 Dec. 30, 2000. Ohio State has played seven members of the Mid-Eastern Conference over the years and have posted a 7-0 record in those games. The Buckeyes have wins over Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Howard, Morgan State, North Carolina A&T and Coppin State.
Coach “Fang” Mitchell Leads the Eagles
Coppin State has been led by head coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell for the last 16 seasons. In that span, Mitchell has produced an overall record of 275-197. His career record, which includes eight seasons at the junior college level, is 502-242. The Eagles were 6-25 overall in 2001-02 with a 3-10 mark in the Mid-Eastern Conference.
Johnson Paces Buckeyes in Last Meeting Against Coppin State
Ken Johnson blocked Coppin State’s first two shots and then opened the second half by scoring the first eight points as Ohio State beat Coppin State 80-42 in the 2000 meeting with the Eagles. The 6-foot-11 center, who recently made the Miami Heat, finished with 12 points and seven rebounds to go with his seven blocks – in just 16 minutes. Brian Brown had 10 points and eight assists and Sean Connolly also had 10 points for the Buckeyes, who hit half of their 58 shots from the field. Ohio State used a 26-0 run in the heart of the game to pull away.
This Date In History
Ohio State is just 2-5 all time in games played on Nov. 25. The Buckeyes suffered a tough loss (67-64) to Valparaiso at the Great Alaska Shootout in the last game played on this date.
OSU on Nov. 25 11/25/77 W California-Hayward 99-82 11/25/78 L @Butler 86-87 11/25/88 L vs Oklahoma 93(16)-97(5) 11/25/90 W Bethune-Cookman 111(10)-72 11/25/00 L vs. Valparaiso 64-67
Buckeyes Travel for Two After CSC
After Ohio State opens the 2002-03 regular season at home against Coppin State College (8 p.m., Monday), the Buckeyes will travel for a pair of neutral-site games against. Alabama takes on the Buckeyes at the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic in Springfield, Mass., and Duke will meet OSU at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Greensboro, N.C. Both the Crimson Tide and Blue Devils are ranked among the Associated Press Top 10.
Ohio State 81-22 in Season Openers
Ohio State opens its 104th season of men’s basketball with Coppin State. The Buckeyes are 81-22 (.786) all time in season openers and 85-18 (.825) in the first game of the season played in Columbus.
O’Brien Names Captains
Seniors Brent Darby and Sean Connolly along with junior Zach Williams will serve as tri-captains for Ohio State in 2002-03. All three will be serving their first full seasons as captains.
Fuss-Cheatham Day-to-Day
Sophomore point guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham suffered a hyperextended left knee in the first half of the exhibition contest with the Harlem Globetrotters Nov. 22. He had an MRI Sunday. His immediate status will be evaluated Monday pending the outcome of the MRI.
Darby on Preseason All-League Squad
Both the Big Ten Conference men’s basketball coaches and the league’s media selected Brent Darby to the Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team. Darby joins Brian Cook (Illinois), Tom Coverdale (Indiana), Kirk Penney (Wisconsin) and Rick Rickert (Minnesota) on the preseason squad. The Buckeyes have had a preseason first team member in each of the last four seasons. Michael Redd made the team in 1998, Scoonie Penn and Redd in 1999, Ken Johnson in 2000 and Brian Brown in 2001.
Darby Closing on 1,000 Pts., 100 3s
Senior guard Brent Darby is 10th all-time in career 3-pointers made with 98. He has averaged 41 made 3-pointers the last two seasons, which if he were to connect on 41 again as a senior, would put him fourth all time with 139 behind Scoonie Penn (153/1998-00), Neshaun Coleman (147/1996-99) and Jamie Skelton (144/1991-94). Darby also has 782 career points over three seasons. He has averaged 353 the last two years with a career high of 409 as a junior. He is on pace to become Ohio State’s 41st player all-time to reach 1,000 career points. At least one player has reached 1,000 points in each of the last four years. Michael Redd (5th/1,879) and Jason Singleton (39th/1,022) reached 1,000 in 1999 followed by Scoonie Penn (34th/1,076) in 2000, Ken Johnson (36th/1,055) in 2001 and Brian Brown (19th/1,384) in 2002.
Buckeyes Seek 20th 20-Win Season
Jim O’Brien has guided the Buckeyes to 20-win seasons in each of the last four years. Another 20-victory campaign in 2002-03 would set an Ohio State record for consecutive seasons (5) with 20 or more wins. Only the 1960-1963 teams won more games over a four-year period (98) than O’Brien’s last four squads, which finished with 94 victories. Ohio State teams have won 20 or more games 19 times in 103 years of basketball.
Buckeyes Also On Big Ten Win Streak
Ohio State has won 11 or more games in Big Ten Conference play in each of the last four years, winning co-championships in 2000 and 2002, finishing second in 1999 and third in 2001. Only the 1960-64 teams, which won or shared a record five-consecutive Big Ten titles, had a more successful stretch in league play.
Opponent Experience Prevalent
The Buckeyes will play a total of 15 regular-season games against teams that participated in postseason competition in 2002. Ten games will be against NCAA tournament teams with the remaining five against National Invitation Tournament participants. Alabama and Duke provide tournament-tested opponents in two of the first three games of the season. When January rolls around, the Buckeyes will face a stretch of seven games against six opponents with 2002 postseason tournament experience. Three of those battles are against 2002 Big Ten Champions Indiana, twice, and Wisconsin. Another is against Michigan State, the 2002-03 preseason favorite win with the league title.
Sylvester Back Sooner Than Expected
When redshirt freshman Matt Sylvester underwent successful back surgery Aug. 7, he was expected to miss significant practice time while recuperating. He has progressed ahead of schedule and is participating in full practices with the Buckeyes. The 6-7 guard missed the majority of his freshman season with calf and back injuries. He was granted a medical redshirt year by the NCAA and will retain four years of eligibility at Ohio State.
Three Card Monte, LaMonta, Emonte
When Jim O’Brien looks down his bench this season, he’ll have a full compliment of Monte’s with assistant coach LaMonta (la-MON-tay) Stone, Monte (MON-tee) Mathis and junior guard Emonte (e-MON-tee) Jernigan. O’Brien also will have a trio of players, who use the same pronunciation but different spellings of the first name (SHAWN). Seniors Sean Connolly and Shaun Smith along with junior Shun Jenkins all pronounce their names the same.
Sylvester Begins Buckeye Career-Take 2
Matt Sylvester opens the 2002-03 season with the hopes of playing a more significant role for the Buckeyes after sitting out the majority of his true-freshman season. Sylvester played in three early games in 2001-02 before back and calf injuries forced him to the sidelines for the remainder of his freshman year. He received a medical redshirt to retain four years of eligibility.
O’Brien Selected for NCAA Committee
Jim O’Brien will serve as one of four NCAA Division I men’s basketball coaches on the NCAA Basketball Issues Committee. O’Brien will serve for one year. Coaches and administrators on this committee will meet to discuss NCAA Division I men’s basketball issues.
Stockman, Sullinger Wait for 2003-04
A pair of Ohio natives will be on the bench during home games this season but will not dress, travel or play this season. Sophomore J.J. Sullinger and junior Tony Stockman transferred to Ohio State from Arkansas and Clemson, respectively, following the 2001-02 season. Both will practice with the Buckeyes this year and will begin their eligibility in 2003-04. Sullinger will have three years of eligibility with the Buckeyes. Stockman will have two.
Jernigan Familiar with Adjusting
Junior guard Emonte Jernigan knows how to adjust to new challenges as a student-athlete. He began his career as a junior college player before signing to play NCAA Division I basketball with Oregon State. After one season with the Beavers, Jernigan left to attend another junior college for the 2001-02 campaign. He did not play organized basketball last year and will have two seasons of eligibility at Ohio State. His season out of basketball last year allows him to play immediately at Ohio State without having to sit out following his transfer.
Nwankwo, Sherman Added to Roster
Jim O’Brien added a pair of walkons to the Ohio State men’s basketball roster in early November. Sophomore Ugo Nwankwo (OO-go WAN-kwo) and junior Nick Sherman, both guards, are eligible to practice and play for the Buckeyes this season. Nwankwo (6-2, 185) is a native of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Sherman (6-3, 190) is a Dayton, Ohio, native.
O’Brien Welcomes Changes in Staff
Paul Biancardi, a longtime assistant to Jim O’Brien both at Boston College and Ohio State, was promoted to associate head coach in the offseason. Bruce Parkhill, who held the spot for two seasons, returned to his native State College, Pa., to spend more time with his family. In addition to Biancardi’s new role, a couple other positions were filled over the summer. LaMonta Stone, who last coached at Eastern Michigan, accepted one of the assistant positions on O’Brien’s staff. Monte Mathis, who was a full-time assistant on an interim basis in 2001-02 was made a full-time assistant as well. Andy Murphy, who had been a volunteer helping with the video needs of the OSU program, took over that spot on a full-time basis this year.
Four Top 10 Opponents on Schedule
Ohio State is scheduled to play four teams currently in the Associated Press Top 10, a total of six in the Top 25 and another two who are receiving votes for Top 25 consideration. No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Pittsburgh, No. 6 Duke and No. 9 Michigan State all face the Buckeyes early in the season. Ohio State will face Alabama in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic Nov. 29 in Springfield, Mass. The Buckeyes then travel to Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 3 to battle Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Buckeyes then travel to take on Pittsburgh Dec. 18 and Michigan State plays host to the Buckeyes Jan. 9 to open the Big Ten season. No. 22 Indiana and the Buckeyes play twice in a span of 11 days beginning with a home game Jan. 11 and ending with a road contest Jan. 21. No. 24 Minnesota makes a visit to Columbus Feb. 5 for the only meeting of the year. Wisconsin and Louisville are receiving votes and both travel to Columbus this season. The Badgers visit Ohio State Jan. 18 and Louisville comes in Jan. 4.
Value City Arena Serves Buckeyes Well
The Buckeyes begin their fifth season in Value City Arena in the home opener against Coppin State. Ohio State is 58-8 in games played on the home floor since the building opened for the start of the 1998-99 campaign. Ohio State is 3-1 in VCA home openers. Notre Dame beat the Buckeyes 57-54 on a buzzer beater to open the 1999-00 in the first round of the 1999 Preseason NIT.
