Men’s Basketball Hosts Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/31/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2003
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Opponent Northwestern
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 12:15 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Regional
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent Wayne Larrivee (P-by-P), 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 (9-9, 2-5)
G 4 – Brent Darby, 6-1, Sr.
G 3 – Sean Connolly, 6-5, Sr.
G 2 – Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, 6-1, So.
C 14 – Velimir Radinovic, 7-0, Jr.
F 50 – Shun Jenkins, 6-6, Jr.
Northwestern Wildcats
Probable Starters (8-8, 0-5)
F 20 – Jimmy Maley, 6-7, Fr.
F 30 – Jason Burke, 6-6, Sr.
C 55 – Aaron Jennings, 6-11, Sr.
G 1 – T.J. Parker, 6-1, Fr.
G 25 – Jitim Young, 6-1, Jr.
Ohio State Wildcats 101-44 in Series
Ohio State has won 101 of the 145 games played in the Northwestern series, including the last seven overall and the last 23 in Columbus. Northwestern has not won in Columbus since an 83-72 victory Feb. 24, 1977. The last Wildcat win in the series was a 70-62 triumph Feb. 21, 1998 in Evanston. The Buckeyes survived the last meeting 58-57 Feb. 2, 2002 in Columbus. Ohio State won 55-48 last year in Evanston.
Wildcats Start Strong, Struggle in League Play
Northwestern started the season with an 8-3 record but has since fallen to 8-9 with an 0-6 start in Big Ten Conference play. The Wildcats fell in home league games to Iowa and Michigan and on the road to Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Badgers Handle Wildcats in Madison
Kirk Penney scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Wisconsin to a 69-50 Big Ten victory over Northwestern Wednesday. The Badgers, returning after a week off between games, shot 80 percent during the first 10 minutes to take control quickly, but they led by only 10, 35-25 at halftime. Wisconsin opened the second half with a 10-4 run to pull away, but Northwestern stayed within striking distance as the Badgers’ shooting percentage dropped. They finished the game shooting 46 percent from the floor, while Northwestern shot 38 percent. Jitim Young scored 17 points – including 14 of the Wildcats’ 25 first-half points – to lead Northwestern. Aaron Jennings added 13 points, two blocked shots and three steals before fouling out. Alando Tucker added 14 points, Mike Wilkinson had 12 and Freddie Owens had 10 for Wisconsin.
Three in Double Figures for Wildcats
A trio of players average right around the 12-point mark for Northwestern this season. Freshman guard T.J. Parker is the team leader with 12.2 ppg. He is followed by senior center Aaron Jennings (12.1) and junior guard Jitim Young (11.9). Jennings owns the team’s best rebounding average with 5.2 caroms a contest.
Carmody in 3rd year at Northwestern
Bill Carmody left Princeton three seasons ago to take over the Northwestern men’s basketball program. He has compiled a career record of 127-66 in seven seasons as a head coach. He has a 35-41 mark as the head coach of the Wildcats.
Darby Top Buckeye vs. Wildcats
Senior Brent Darby has the highest scoring average of any current Buckeye in games played against Northwestern. In six career meetings, Darby has average 11.1 points per game with a total of 67 points. Senior Sean Connolly is next with 6.0 points a game in four career games against the Wildcats. Junior Zach Williams averages a team-high 5.5 rebounds in four career meetings vs. the Wildcats.
Williams Reaches 400 Rebounds, 700 Pts.
Junior Zach Williams, a 6-foot-7-inch forward, reached the 700-point mark (701) for his career with 13 points off the bench at Purdue. In 81 career games, Williams as averaged 8.7 points a contest. Against the Boilermakers, Williams gathered three rebounds to reach 400 for his career (401). He has averaged 5.0 rebounds a game despite battling bigger players in the front court his entire career. He is averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a game this season.
Radinovic Turns in Career Night at Purdue
Junior center Velimir Radinovic scored a career-high 20 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field against Purdue. He also tied a career best with nine rebounds and grabbed a career-high six defensive boards in a 70-65 loss to the Boilermakers. With his nine rebounds, he reached 200 for his career (208). He has averages just over 3.0 a contest but is up to 5.4 rebounds a game this season. he also has nearly doubled his career scoring average of 4.8 points a game this season with 8.8 points a game. He has scored 10 or more points in the last three games and in seven this year.
Buckeyes Battle to Stay Close to Foes
Ohio State is even with opponents in both the wins and losses columns this season at 9-9. Ohio State is nearly as close in several other statistical categories heading into the game against Northwestern. Ohio State is 395 of 944 from the field for a shooting percentage of .418. Opponents have made 397 of 945 shots for a .420 shooting percentage. Ohio State has made 33.8 percent of its 3-point attempts (88-260). Opponents are shooting 34.0 percent (121-356). Ohio State owns the rebounding edge by a just 2.4 a game (33.8-31.4) and averages just a single point more than opponents on the season (67.1-66.1).
Darby Moves Up Scoring Chart, Connolly Closing on 1,000 Points
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 1,107 career points and is tied at No. 32 all-time on the Ohio State scoring chart with Ron Sepic (1965-67). Curtis Wilson (1,120/1984-88) is next on the all-time scoring list at No. 31. Sean Connolly has scored 975 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 (35th/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 113 of 297 (.380) career 3-pointers in three seasons as a Buckeye. He is No. 4 all-time in 3-point shooting percentage among players with more than 200 career attempts. He is No. 7 in 3-pointers made and No. 7 in attempts as well. Senior Brent Darby is No. 7 in 3-point shooting percentage (.375) and is No. 4 in made (134) and No. 5 in attempted (357) 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 a team-high 37.8 minutes a game. Darby plays 37.5 minutes a contest. Darby has played 40 or more minutes in eight games, including three of the last six contests. Connolly has not come out of five games and has played 39 in two others. He played a season-low 31 minutes at Iowa Jan. 25.
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 (37.8) and Brent Darby (37.5) along with junior Zach Williams (34.2) 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 six games this season. In those games, he has made 62 of 76 free throws (.816). He leads Ohio State in free throws made (113) and attempted (139). As a team, Ohio State has connected on 330 of 453 free throws for a .728 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 330-453 (.728) 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.
Ohio State vs. The Big Ten Illinois 59-95 Indiana 68-95 Iowa 64-68 Michigan 82-68 Michigan State 45-55 Minnesota 71-51 Northwestern 101-44 Penn State 13-12 Purdue 70-78 Wisconsin 79-56 Totals 652-622
This Date In History
Ohio State is just 5-13 in games played on Feb. 1. The Buckeyes defeated Wisconsin in 1997 to record the last win on this date. Ohio State has played Northwestern in three of the four games played on this date. .
OSU on Feb. 1 2/1/19 L @Oberlin 18-20 2/1/30 L @Minnesota 26-29 2/1/36 L Minnesota 21-42 2/1/37 W Chicago 19-16 2/1/41 L @Butler 30-52 2/1/47 L Illinois 58-59 2/1/58 L @Iowa 64-66 2/1/60 W Michigan 99(5)-52 2/1/69 L @Purdue (ot) 85(12)-95(14) 2/1/72 W Iowa 82(9)-77 2/1/75 L Indiana 66-72(1) 2/1/79 L @Michigan St.(ot) 79(7)-84(15) 2/1/86 L @Iowa 75-86 2/1/88 L @Michigan State 64-76 2/1/89 L @Minnesota 73(15)-76 2/1/90 W Northwestern 101-77 2/1/95 L @Northwestern 71-76 2/1/97 W Wisconsin 60-42
Purdue Stops OSU Win Streak in West Lafayette
Willie Deane scored a season-high 27 points and Kenny Lowe added 14 as Purdue beat Ohio State 70-65 last Wednesday for coach Gene Keady’s 250th-career Big Ten victory. The win also snapped a 6-game winning streak for Ohio State in the series, which included three-consecutive wins in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers equaled last year’s total in both overall wins and Big Ten wins. They’re 11-0 at home for the first time since the 1983-84 season. Velimir Radinovic led Ohio State with a career-high 20 points, and Zach Williams and Matt Sylvester each scored 13 off the bench. The Boilermakers, who trailed by eight midway through the second half, took the lead for good when two free throws by Deane made it 64-63 with 2:30 left. Deane made up for an off-night from the field – 4-for-13 – with a strong one from the free-throw line, making 17 of his 19 attempts while scoring more than 20 points for the sixth time this season. He hadn’t made more than eight free throws in a game this year.
Noting the loss at Purdue
With 13 points and three rebounds, junior forward Zach Williamsreach 700 career points and 400 career rebounds. Redshirt freshmanMatt Sylvester scored a career high 13 points off the bench for theBuckeyes. He has scored in double figures in back-to-back games forthe first time in his career. Brent Darby moved into a tie for 32ndplace in career scoring at Ohio State. His 11 points vs. theBoilermakers moved him up to 1,107 career points. Darby has scored10 or more points in the last 12 games, which ties his career-longstreak for games in double figures set in the final nine games in2001 and the first three in 2001-02. Junior Velimir Radinovicrecorded a career high 20 points on 8 of 14 shooting from thefield. He also tied a career best with nine rebounds and sixdefensive caroms.
Six Foes Among Top 25 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 seven games are on tap against teams receiving votes in either the AP or ESPN/USA Today polls. No. 2/2 Pittsburgh, No. 5/5 Duke, No. 8/8 Louisville, No. 19/20 Indiana and No. 23/21 Alabama all have faced the Buckeyes this season. No. 13/14 Illinois awaits Ohio State Feb. 9 in Champaign. Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan are all receiving votes in one or both polls.
Key Buckeyes Miss 27 Games to Date With Various Injuries
Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (6 games), a sophomore point guard, Shun Jenkins (8), a junior forward, Terence Dials (12), 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 out indefinitely. 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.
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 80 at Ohio State. Brent Darby has played in 108 games as a Buckeye with 66 career starts.
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.
Winning Percentage Soars for O’Brien in Last Four Seasons
Jim O’Brien has won 70 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 102-43 (.703) in the 145 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 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.
Darby Among Big Ten Leaders
Senior Brent Darby is tied for second in scoring among Big Ten players with 18.1 points per game behind Illinois’ Brian Cook (21.1). Freshman Bracey Wright of Indiana also averages 18.1 points per game. Darby also is No. 7 in assists (4.22 apg.) and No. 4 in steals (1.72 spg.). In 3-point shooting statistics, Darby rates No. 8 in percentage (.375/36-96) and No. 9 in 3-pointers made per game (2.00). In conference games, Darby is among the Top 10 in several categories.
Radinovic, Jenkins Among Leaders in Big Ten Conference Games
Junior center Velimir Radinovic has connected on 57 percent of his shots from the field in conference games (25-44) to rank No. 4 in the Big Ten. Junior Shun Jenkins is the seventh-best rebounder in league games with an average of 7.0 a game. He also is the No. 2 rated offensive rebound in conference games with an average of 3.43 in seven league games.
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.
