Men’s Basketball Travels to Iowa – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Opponent Iowa
Site Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500)
Game Time 2:30 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Regional
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent Larry Morgan (P-by-P), Eddie Fogler (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 (8-8, 1-4)
G 4 – Brent Darby, 6-1, Sr.
G 3 – Sean Connolly, 6-5, Sr.
C 14 – Velimir Radinovic, 7-0, Jr.
F 50 – Shun Jenkins, 6-6, Jr.
F 33 – Zach Williams, 6-7, Jr.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Probable Starters (11-4, 3-1)
G 2 – Jeff Horner, 6-3, Fr.
G 1 – Chauncey Leslie, 6-0, Sr.
C 5 – Jared Reiner, 6-11, Jr.
F 44 – Greg Brunner, 6-7, Fr.
F 4 – Glen Worley, 6-7, Jr.
Buckeyes Cutting Gap In Hawkeye Series Lead
Iowa is just five games up in the all-time series between the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes. Iowa leads 68-63 all time but have lost four of the last five meetings against Ohio State, including all three matchups last year. The Buckeyes downed Iowa 81-64 in the 2002 Big Ten Tournament Championship in addition to both campus meetings. Each squad has played host to the other 64 times with three meetings at neutral sites. Ohio State is 40-24 in games played in Columbus. Iowa holds a 43-21 edge in Iowa City. The Buckeyes are 2-1 in neutral site games. Ohio State is on a three-game winning streak in Iowa City. Ohio State has won 3-consecutive games in Iowa City just once before from 1979-1981.
Iowa Plays Host to Ohio State with 11-4 Record
Iowa has a 3-1 record in Big Ten play after building an 8-3 record in non-conference action. Losses have come to Florida State on the road and a pair of home setbacks to Iowa State and Missouri.
Iowa Holds off Wisconsin
After shooting 31 percent from the floor in the first half, Wisconsin entered the locker room down 26-25. However, an inspired Badger squad took the floor after the break and responded with a 74-61 victory Wednesday in Madison, Wis. Alando Tucker started the scoring in the second half making the score 27-26, a lead Wisconsin would not give up for the rest of the game. Kirk Penney found his touch after the break. Penney followed the Tucker basket with his first 3-pointer of the game. Devin Harris continued the Badger streak by sinking a trey of his own, giving the Badgers a 33-26 advantage. Iowa finally stopped the Badger rally at the 18:22 mark on a Jared Reiner basket. After a second Penney 3-pointer, Harris picked off a Hawkeye pass and took it coast to coast for a dunk. The Harris jam capped off a 13-2 UW streak to start the second frame. Harris led the Badgers with 17 points. Wisconsin shot 65 percent in the second half including a 6-11 mark from beyond the 3-point line. Battling a distinct Iowa size advantage, Wisconsin limited the Hawkeyes to a season low 61 points. Jared Brunner led the Hawkeyes with 14 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Leslie Tops Hawkeyes Offensively
The Hawkeyes are led by senior guard Chauncey Leslie’s 15.9 points per game. He is one of two Hawkeyes to average in double figures offensively. Junior forward Glen Worley averages 12.6 ppg. Junior center Jared Reiner is the team’s leading rebounder with 8.7 boards per game.
Alford In Fourth Year at Iowa
Iowa head coach Steve Alford is in his fourth season in Iowa City and his 12th as a collegiate head coach. At Iowa, he has an overall record of 66-48, which includes an 11-4 mark this season.
Darby Top Scorer vs. Hawkeyes
Senior Brent Darby averages nearly 11 points a game when facing Iowa. In six career meetings, Darby has scored 65 points (10.8 ppg.) in 26.5 minutes a game. Junior Zach Williams leads the Buckeyes with 4.6 rebounds against the Hawkeyes. Sean Connolly averages 7.6 points vs. Iowa.
Darby Reaches 1,000 Points vs. Indiana, Connolly Closing
Senior guard Brent Darby became the 41st player at Ohio State to score 1,000 career points during his 28-point effort against Indiana (1/11). Darby has 1,067 career points and is No. 36 all-time on the Ohio State scoring chart. Sean Connolly has scored 954 career points, which includes 330 while a freshman at Providence. At least one player has reached 1,000 points in each of the last five years at Ohio State. Michael Redd (5th/1,879) and Jason Singleton (40th/1,022) reached 1,000 in 1999 followed by Scoonie Penn (34th/1,076) in 2000, Ken Johnson (37th/1,055) in 2001 and Brian Brown (19th/1,384) in 2002.
Darby, Connolly Among Best 3-Point Shooters in Buckeye History
Sean Connolly has made 111 of 288 (.385) career 3-pointers in three seasons as a Buckeye. He is No. 3 all-time in 3-point shooting percentage among players with more than 200 career attempts. He is No. 8 in 3-pointers made and attempted as well. Senior Brent Darby is No. 7 in 3-point shooting percentage (.376) and is No. 4 in made (130) and No. 5 in attempted (346) 3-pointers.
Darby, Connolly Get Little Pine Time
Senior guards Brent Darby and Sean Connolly have little experience watching game action this season. Connolly averages 38.3 minutes a game. Darby plays 37.9 minutes a contest. Darby has played 40 or more minutes in eight games, including three of the last four contests. Connolly has not come out of five games and has played 39 in two others. He played a season low 33 minutes at Indiana Tuesday.
Three Buckeyes Playing More than 34 Minutes Per Game
Jim O’Brien has not had three players log more than 34 minutes per game until this season. Seniors Sean Connolly (38.3) and Brent Darby (37.9) along with junior Zach Williams (34.4) all have trouble finding time to rest this season. The Buckeyes have used eight different starting lineups because of injuries but Darby, Connolly and Williams remain the anchors of the Buckeye lineup. No Buckeye in O’Brien’s six years has averaged as many minutes as Connolly or Darby since Michael Redd played 37.9 minutes a game as a freshman in 1997-98. Three other players averaged 30 or more minutes that season, but not more than 34 a contest.
Darby Leading Ohio State to Team Foul Shooting Mark of 73 percent
Brent Darby has been to the foul line 10 or more times in five games this season. In those games, he has made 51 of 60 free throws (.850). He leads Ohio State in free throws made (95) and attempted (115). As a team, Ohio State has connected on 285 of 388 free throws for a .735 accuracy rating.
Buckeye Success at Foul Line Best Since 1990-91 Season
Ohio State has not shot a better percentage from the free throw line since the 1991-92 season when the Buckeyes connected on 506-702 foul shots for a .721 shooting percentage. Ohio State has made 285-388 (.735) free throws this year. The last time the Buckeyes finished the season above .700 at the foul line was in 1999-00 when the Buckeyes knocked down 443-629 free throws (.704). Ohio State is on pace to make over 500 foul shots for the second-consecutive season. The last time an Ohio State team made 500 or more foul shots in back-to-back seasons came in 1990-91 (551-778/.708) and 1991-92 (506-702/.721).
Ohio State vs. the Big Ten Conference
Ohio State has a winning record against the Big Ten Conference overall and has a winning mark all-time against five league members. This is the 91st season Ohio State has been affiliated with the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes have won or shared 17 league titles, including the 2001-02 co-championship.
OSU vs. The Big Ten Illinois 59-95 Indiana 68-95 Iowa 63-68 Michigan 82-68 Michigan State 45-55 Minnesota 71-51 Northwestern 101-44 Penn State 13-12 Purdue 70-77 Wisconsin 79-56 Totals 651-621
This Date In History
Ohio State is 8-9 in games played on Jan. 25. the Buckeyes have not played on this date since 1997, a loss at Northwestern. The last win was against Purdue in Columbus in 1986.
OSU on Jan. 25 1/25/13 W Indiana 34-22 1/25/16 L @Northwestern 12-39 1/25/19 W Denison 27-25 1/25/21 L Chicago 21-32 1/25/24 L @Indiana 29-31 1/25/30 W Minnesota 30-19 1/25/36 W @Penn. 41-37 1/25/41 L @Wisconsin 31-46 1/25/43 L @Purdue 38-56 1/25/64 W Purdue 98-87 1/25/72 W @Minnesota 50(6)-44(17) 1/25/75 L Illinois 62-66 1/25/79 W Northwestern 73(10)-61 1/25/81 L @Virginia 73-89(2) 1/25/86 W Purdue 73-66(15) 1/25/90 L Purdue 66-78(13) 1/25/97 L @Northwestern 47-78
Indiana Evens Series in Bloomington
Relying on tough defense and 15 points from Marshall Strickland, No. 14 Indiana beat Ohio State 69-51 to earn a split in the season series. The Hoosiers won their third straight game, all without leading scorer Bracey Wright, and their 10th in a row at home. Wright sat out because of a nerve injury in his back. Ohio State was led by Brent Darby, who scored all 18 of his points in the second half after missing his first eight shots. The Buckeyes scored a season-low 17 points in the first half, shooting 6-of-25 to fall behind 27-17. Ohio State shot just 26.8 percent for the game. Indiana rebuilt a 43-31 lead on Strickland’s 17-footer with 9:33 to go, but Ohio State used a 9-2 run to get to 50-45. The Hoosiers put the game away with a late 12-2 spurt.
Noting the Game at Indiana
Ohio State used its eighth lineup of the season against theHoosiers. A streak of 33 consecutive starts for junior ZachWilliams was snapped vs. Indiana. Ohio State also failed to make a3-pointer for the first time in 33 games. The last time theBuckeyes did not record a 3-point basket was against NorthwesternJan. 12, 2002. Brent Darby took a career high 19 shots in the game… after missing his first eight, he finished with 18 points,which included an 8-8 effort from the foul line. Williams went tothe foul line a career-high 12 times, making eight. He finishedwith 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench in only his secondgame in a reserve roll. The Buckeyes lost for the third-consecutivetime for the first time since 1998. Junior center Velimir Radinovicrecorded a career high four steals against Indiana. With 18 points,Darby moved to the No. 36 spot in career scoring with 1,067 points.Carter Scott is No. 35 (1,073) and Scoonie Penn is No. 34 (1,076).
Six Non-Conference Foes Among Top 20 Teams in Associated Press Poll
Ohio State is scheduled to play six teams and seven games against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Another six games are on tap against teams receiving votes in either the AP or ESPN/USA Today polls. No. 2/2 Pittsburgh, No. 3/3 Duke, No. 9/14) Louisville, No. 14/16 Indiana and No. 15/13 Alabama all have faced the Buckeyes this season. No. 18/15 Illinois awaits Ohio State Feb. 9 in Champaign. Iowa, Purdue and Michigan are receiving votes in one or both polls.
Key Buckeyes Miss 25 Games to Date With Various Injuries
Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (6 games), a sophomore point guard, Shun Jenkins (8), a junior forward, Terence Dials (10), a sophomore center, and senior guard Sean Connolly (1) have missed game action recovering from injuries. Fuss-Cheatham, who started both exhibition contests and then missed the first four regular-season games and two contests in Big Ten play, went down with an injury to his left knee in an exhibition game against the Harlem Globetrotters. The injury, a partially torn lateral meniscus, required arthroscopic surgery Nov. 25. Jenkins suffered a broken little finger on his left hand against the Globetrotters. He had surgery Nov. 27 and missed the first eight games of the season. He had the pins removed Dec. 19 and played for the first time as a Buckeye against Tennessee State. Dials has missed the last eight games with a stress fracture in his lumbar spine (level 2). He is expected to miss up to six weeks. He last played against Pittsburgh Dec. 18. Connolly did not play at Michigan State while recovering from a left ankle sprain sustained Jan. 4 against Louisville.
Darby Among Big Ten Leaders
Senior Brent Darby is among the Big Ten leaders in several categories. He is tied at No. 3 in scoring (17.8 ppg.), No. 7 in assists (4.25), No. 6 in steals (1.56) and No. 10 in 3-point percentage (32-85/.376) and 3-pointers made (2.00). In Big Ten games only, Darby is No. 5 in scoring (16.8 ppg.) and free throw percentage (.872/34-39).
Jenkins Makes Presence Felt in Big Ten
Junior Shun Jenkins has started all five Big Ten games and has responded with 42 total rebounds for an average of 8.4 a contest. That average rates third best in conference play. His 21 offensive rebounds is the second best average (4.20) among league players.
Connolly, Darby Reach 100 Career Games Played
Sean Connolly reached 100 games played against Seton Hall. Connolly played a total of 30 games at Providence and has appeared in 78 at Ohio State. Brent Darby has played in 106 games as a Buckeye with 64 career starts.
Buckeyes Prepare for Road Trips after 8 of 9 Games at Value City Arena
After six games in which Ohio State opened the season with a pair of neutral games, one road contest and three home games, the Buckeyes ended an 8-of-9 game stretch in Columbus against Wisconsin (L 53-52, Jan. 18). Five games, vs. Seton Hall (W 74-51), Radford (W 96-80), Tennessee State (W 94-73), Hampton (W 70-62) and Louisville (L 72-64, ot) were played at home before the Big Ten road opener at Michigan State (Jan. 9). The Buckeyes defeated Indiana (81-69) Jan. 11 and fell to Michigan (61-50) Jan. 15. The Buckeyes hit the road for six of their next eight games, including a pair of three-game road stretches against Indiana (L69-51/Jan. 21), Iowa and Purdue and then vs. Illinois, Penn State and Michigan.
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.
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.
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.
Jernigan Beginning to Make Adjustment to Ohio State
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. He has played in all 15 games with three starts.
Winning Percentage Soars for O’Brien in Last Four Seasons
Jim O’Brien has won 71 percent of the games he’s coached at Ohio State after an 8-22 record in his first season with the Buckeyes. O’Brien is 101-42 (.706) in the 143 games following the 1997-98 campaign, his first in Columbus. The Buckeyes have won 20 or more games and advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of the last four seasons, while finishing in the Top 3 in the Big Ten regular season race all four years, winning a pair of Big Ten regular season titles (2000 and 2002) and a claiming one Big Ten tournament crown (2002).
Ohio State Plays 7th Ranked Foe, 5th Away from Columbus
Ohio State played its seventh ranked opponent of the season when the Buckeyes traveled to No. 14 Indiana. The Buckeyes have played three teams who were ranked No. 4 nationally by the Associated Press at the time they faced the Buckeyes. Two games, vs. Alabama and Duke, were contested on neutral courts. Ohio State then traveled to Pittsburgh Dec. 18 to play the only true road game of the non-conference season. No. 24 Louisville downed the Buckeyes in overtime , 72-64, Jan. 4. Ohio State fell at No. 25 Michigan State, 66-55, Jan. 9. The Buckeyes have split meetings with Indiana, ranked No. 18 during a Hoosier loss in Columbus (81-69) and then most recently in an IU win in Bloomington (69-51).
Ohio State vs. Ranked Opponents
The Buckeyes are 126-199 all-time against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. In the last five years, Ohio State has won 22 of 41 (.537) games against ranked foes.
Buckeyes Fare Well vs. the Ranked at Value City Arena
No. 15 Indiana (W, 81-69) was the 15th opponent to visit Value City Arena with an AP national ranking since the facility opened in 1998. Ohio State has won 12 of 15 previous games against ranked foes at home under head coach Jim O’Brien at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were 4-1 in 1998-99, 1-0 in 1999-00, 3-1 in 2000-01 and 3-0 in 2001-02 against ranked teams at home. No. 9 Kansas (2000), No. 12 Iowa (1999) and No. 24 Louisville (2003) are the only ranked teams to claim victory at VCA.
Fans Boost Buckeye Record in Sellouts
Value City Arena has been sold out for 25 games in the last five years since the building opened in 1998. The Buckeyes have won 21 of those games for a winning percentage of .840 when the VCA is sold out. Iowa, Kansas, Indiana and Michigan State are the only teams to overcome the home crowd and the Buckeyes in sold out games at VCA. Jim O’Brien led Ohio State to a 1-0 record in 1998-99, a 11-1 mark in 1999-00, a 3-2 effort in 2000-01 and a 5-1 record in 2001-02 in sold out games at VCA. Ohio State is 1-0 this season.
Buckeyes Play 104th Hoops Season, 91st in Big Ten Conference
Ohio State has a record of 82-22 (.788) in season-opening games over the 104 years of men’s basketball at OSU. The Buckeyes are 86-18 (.827) in home openers and 49-54 (.476) in road/neutral openers. Ohio State did not play a road game in 1900-01. This is the 91st season of Big Ten membership in men’s basketball for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 50-41 (.549) in conference openers, 62-29 (.681) in league home openers and 34-57 (.374) in the first road game of the season in Big Ten play.
Value City Arena Serves Buckeyes Well
The Buckeyes are in the fifth season at Value City Arena. Ohio State is 66-11 (.857) in games played on the home floor since the building opened for the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Salley Added to Buckeye Roster
Nate Salley, a freshman safety on the Ohio State football team, joined the men’s basketball team Jan. 7. Salley took three days off after helping the football team win the national title before donning basketball practice gear and working out with Jim O’Brien’s squad this week. Salley, a 6-foot-3-inch, 195-pound guard, averaged more than 19 points a game as a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He wore the No. 21 on the football field and will do same as a member of the basketball team. On the gridiron, he played in all 14 games, primarily on special teams, recording six total tackles and three solos. He scored on his only shot from the field in Ohio State’s loss at Michigan State Jan. 9.
