Buckeyes Advance to 2002 Big Ten Tournament Finals vs. Iowa – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2002
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Noting the 94-88 Win Over Illinois
Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien won his 100th career game atOhio State Saturday against Illinois (94-88) in the semifinals ofthe 2002 Big Ten Tournament. O’Brien is 100-56 in his five-yearcareer with the Buckeyes with a 22-7 record this season. O’Brien is335-273 in his 20-year coaching career. He will take his 11th teamto postseason play this year, his seventh to the NCAA tournament.The Buckeyes will set an Ohio State record with itsfourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament this season. OhioState is looking to win three games in three consecutive days forthe first time since downing Alabama-Birmingham, North CarolinaState and Mississippi from Dec. 21-23, 1999 to claim the San JuanShootout. The Buckeyes have won three-consecutive games againstIllinois and four of the last five. The Buckeyes advance to thechampionship game of the Big Ten tournament for the first time inthe five-year history of the event. The Buckeyes are 3-4 all timein the event. Four of the five Ohio State starters reached doublefigures in scoring against the Illini. Senior Brian Brown scored acareer-high 27 points. He connected on 6-of-12 shots from thefield, including a 3-of-5 effort from 3-point range. After missinghis first foul shot of the game, he then knocked down12-consecutive free throws to set a career high for made foul shotsin a game. Brent Darby reached the 20-point mark for the fifth timethis season with 23 against the Illini. He made 8-of-12 shots fromthe field, including a 2-of-4 3-points and 5-of-7 free throws. Thisseason, Ohio State is 19-3 when leading at the half, 20-1 whenleading with 5:00 remaining in the game, 18-3 when outreboundingits opponent, 18-2 when shooting a higher percentage vs. itsopponent, and 18-4 when scoring 70 or more points. Ohio State is18-12 vs. Illinois when the Buckeyes are ranked among the Top 25 inthe Associate Press Poll, including both meetings this season.Individually, sophomore Zach Williams set an OSU record with 13total rebounds and nine defensive caroms in a Big Ten tournamentgame…the 13 rebounds also were a career high for Williams…BrianBrown’s three made 3-pointers tied an OSU Big Ten tournamentrecord…his 12 made and 13 attempted free throws were OSUtournament records. As a team, the 56.6 (30-53) shootingpercentage, 30 (tie) made field goals and 27 (tie) made freethrows, set a OSU Big Ten tournament records. The Buckeyes improvedto 4-1 on the year against ranked opponents. Wins were over No. 9Iowa (72-62, Jan. 5), No. 25 Indiana (73-67, Jan. 19), No. 12Illinois (78-67, Jan. 29) and No. 10 Illinois (94-88, March 9). Theloss was to No. 23 Indiana (63-57, Feb. 20).
Noting the Matchup with Iowa
Ohio State advances to face Iowa, a 62-60 winner over Indiana.The Buckeyes won the two regular season meetings vs. the Hawkeyes.Ohio State down No. 9 Iowa 72-62 Jan. 5 in Columbus and 72-66 Feb.16 in Iowa City. Ohio State last faced Iowa at the Big Tentournament March 9, 2001 in Chicago. The Hawkeyes prevailed in thatcontest, 75-66. The game with Iowa today is the third vs. theHawkeyes at a neutral site. Ohio State is 1-1 in the previous twomeetings. The Buckeyes downed Iowa 85-81 March 12, 1968 in WestLafayette, Ind., in a Big Ten playoff game to decide the Big Ten’sentrant in the NCAA tournament that season. Ohio State went on tothe Final Four that year. Brian Brown (12.0 ppg.) and Brent Darby(10.2 ppg.) lead the Buckeyes in scoring in games vs. the Hawkeyes.This will be the 8th meeting for Brown and the sixth for Darbyagainst the Hawkeyes. Zach Williams is the team’s leading reboundervs. Iowa with 5.0 rebounds a game in four career meetings. No. 21(AP)/No. 17 (ESPN/USA Today) Ohio State is 17-10 in games vs. Iowawhen the Buckeyes are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll,including the 72-66 win over the Iowa earlier this year as the No.20 team nationally.
Noting the Buckeyes
Brian Brown is one of just three players in Ohio State historyto score over 1,300 points (1,323), grab 400 rebounds (440), handout 350 assists (368) and record 11 steals (121)…only KelvinRansey (1977-80) and Jim Jackson (1990-92) are the only others toreach those statistical goals…Brown has scored in double figuresin all but two games this season (27-of-29), including the last24…has played 30 or more minutes in 24-of-29 games…has started95-consecutive games for the Buckeyes…has scored 1,323 points inhis career to rank 20th in all-time scoring at Ohio State…his 126games played ranks sixth all-time at Ohio State. Boban Savovic hasreached double figures offensively in each of his last five gamesand in 18 contests this year…his 119 career 3-pointers made and316 career long-range attempts rank No. 5, respectively, in OhioState history. Brent Darby has reached double figures in 21 gamesthis season…Ohio State is 16-5 in those contests. VelimirRadinovic has connected on all five of his field goal attempts andboth free throws so far in the Big Ten tournament while adding fiverebounds in 24 minutes of action. Zach Williams leads the Buckeyes’starters in field goal shooting percentage (117-202/.579)…uppedhis season scoring average to 10.2 points a game with 16 vs. theIllini. Sean Connolly led the Buckeyes with five assists againstthe Wolverines…he also added nine points on 3-of-4 shooting,hitting both 3-point attempts…he has made at least one 3-pointattempt in 17 games this season, including the eight of the lastnine.
