Ohio State Returns Home To Face Eastern Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2003
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Date Dec. 23, 2003
Opponent Eastern Illinois
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 8 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Plus
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent Tom Hamilton (P-by-P), Bill Hosket (Color)
Radio OSU Radio Network (59 stations)
Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Color)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (5-4)
G 2 – Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, 6-1, Jr.
G 15 – Ricardo Billings, 6-3, So.
G 0 – J.J. Sullinger, 6-5, So.
C 14 – Velimir Radinovic, 7-0, Sr.
F 34 – Terence Dials, 6-8, So.
Eastern Illinois Panthers
Probable Starters (1-6)
G 25 – Derik Hollyfield, 6-3, Jr.
G 3 – Emanuel Dildy, 6-1, Jr.
G 21 – Jason Wright, 5-10, Fr.
C 55 – Jesse Mackinson, 6-8, Sr.
F 34 – Andy Gobczynski, 6-7, Jr.
Buckeyes Back Home After Loss to Seton Hall
Ohio State’s bench made a valiant effort in the final seven minutes of the Buckeyes’ road game at Seton Hall but it was not enough as Ohio State fell 75-59 in East Rutherford, N.J., last Saturday. All 12 Buckeye players scored in the game, led by junior Tony Stockman, who managed 10 points off the bench. The Buckeye bench tallied 36 of Ohio State’s 59 points. The reserves orchestrated a 17-3 run to end the game. Nick Dials scored a career high seven points in just seven minutes while senior guard Shaun Smith tied a career high with three assists and had two steals in his short stint. Senior Velimir Radinovic led the Buckeyes with nine rebounds before fouling out. O’Brien Win Percentage Soars When 70 Points Reached
In Jim O’Brien’s seven seasons in Columbus the Buckeyes have won nearly 82 percent of their games when scoring 70 or more points. Ohio State is 3-0 this season when the 70-point mark is reached. The Buckeyes were 4-7 when scoring 70 points in O’Brien’s first year in 1997-98. Since that season, Ohio State has been successful 87 percent of the time when scoring 70 or more points.
Rcd. when Win Year Scoring 70+ Pct. 1997-98 4-7 .364 1998-99 21-5 .808 1999-2000 15-2 .882 2000-01 12-1 .923 2001-02 19-3 .864 2002-03 10-1 .909 2003-04 3-0 1.00 Totals 84-19 .816
Stockman, Sullinger Pace Buckeyes
Junior Tony Stockman leads Ohio State with an average of 15.6 points a game. He has connected on 87 percent of his foul shots (20-23). With a total of 17 steals, Stockman is among Big Ten players with an average of 1.89 thefts a game. Sophomore J.J. Sullinger averages 12.7 points a game, second on the team, and is the squad leader from 3-point range with a .385 shooting percentage (10-26). He also is connecting on 54 percent of his field goal attempts (44-81).
T. Dials Playing Well Inside at Both Ends
Sophomore center/forward Terence Dials, who missed the majority of 2002-03 with a back injury, is the team’s leading rebounder and third leading scorer. He is averaging 8.8 points and 7.7 rebounds, including a career-high 14-rebound effort in Ohio State’s 77-71 win over Central Michigan at the Maui Invitational. Dials also has been consistent at the foul line, making 31-of-41 attempts (.756).
Noting the Seton Hall Game
Ohio State Player Notes
* Freshman Nick Dials scored a career high 7 on 2-of-3 field goal attempts. He also made his first career 3-pointer.
* Junior Ugo Nwankwo saw the most significant playing time of his two-year career. He scored his first bucket at the buzzer and played a total of nine minutes.
* Senior Shaun Smith tied a career high with 3 assists and set another with two steals.
* Junior Matt Marinchick added five points and got to the foul line six times, a career best. He also recorded his first career block.
Noting the Buckeyes
Sophomore Ricardo Billings has been making the most of his opportunities at the foul line this season. He is playing just over 16 minutes a game and has stepped to the foul line 26 times, connecting on 20 shots for a 77 percent accuracy rating. Redshirt sophomore Terence Dials has been known for his scoring touch around the basket. In 47 career games, he has made 125 of 224 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of .558. He has improved his foul shooting this year as well, hitting on 76 percent (31-41) of his shots. Junior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham’s playing time is up over 29 minutes a game this year. He has set career highs in scoring twice this season with 11 and 13 points, respectively, vs. Samford and Furman. Senior captain Velimir Radinovic reached 500 career points (522) for his Buckeye career with a game-high 19 points vs. Samford. He’s averaged 5.8 points a game in 90 games at Ohio State. From the field, Radinovic has been much improved though he has not been getting many shots per game. As a senior, he is connecting on 69 percent of his shots (24-35). For his career, he has connected on 180-332 shots (.542). Junior Tony Stockman is closing on 1,000 career points (856). He eclipsed the 800-point mark with 14 against Virginia Tech. He came to Ohio State with 716 points after two years at Clemson. Stockman has proven to be a dependable scorer at the foul line, hitting 20-23 shots (.870) in the early going this year. He’s made 78 percent of his free throw attempts for his career (101-129). Sophomore J.J. Sullinger’s move from Arkansas to Ohio State has gone well to date, especially upon examination of his field goal and 3-point shooting. He’s made 54 percent (44-81) of his field goals as a Buckeye and 38 percent (10-26) of his 3-point attempts. He was a 42 percent shooter, 20 percent from long range, at Arkansas as a freshman. Matt Sylvester, a redshirt sophomore, reached double figures with 10 points for the first time this season against Samford.
The Bucks in the Big Ten
Ohio State guard Tony Stockman rates among the Top 10 Big Ten players in scoring during the early going this season. Stockman is No. 7 at 15.6 ppg. J.J. Sullinger is No. 8 in field goal percentage (.543). Stockman is No. 3 in 3-pointers made per game (2.44), No. 4 in steals (17/1.89) and No. 2 in foul shooting (20-23/.870). Terence Dials rates as the No. 5 rebounder in the Big Ten with 7.7 a game. He also is No. 5 in defensive rebounds (5.11) and No. 9 in offensive rebounds (2.56). Velimir Radinovic is tied with Dials in the offensive rebounding category and is No. 9 in blocked shots with 11 for 1.22 a contest.
Buckeyes Back Home vs. 1-6 Panthers
Ohio State faces Eastern Illinois in the final game before the Christmas holiday. The Panthers are 1-6 after a road loss at Western Illinois last Saturday (84-79). EIU losses have come against Northern Illinois (83-76), Wisconsin (81-47), Illinois Chicago (77-60), Indiana State (71-56) and Evansville (86-76). EIU downed St. Francis at home 80-57 for its lone victory.
Sophomore Guard Lone Panther in Double Digits
Eastern Illinois sophomore guard Josh Gomez leads the Panthers with 10.0 points a game. Junior guard Derik Hollyfield is next at 9.1 ppg. Junior Jason Wright contributes 8.7 ppg. for EIU. Andy Gobczynski is the team’s top rebounder with 4.4 rpg.
Samuels Enjoys Longevity at EIU
Rick Samuels has been at Eastern Illinois for the last 24 years. He trails only Jim Boeheim of Syracuse on the list of current active NCAA Division I coaches who have remained at a single institution the longest. Boeheim has been with the Orange for 28 consecutive seasons. Samuels is next at 24, which is tied with Gene Keady at Purdue. The dean of coaches in the Ohio Valley Conference, Samuels has 343 victories to his credit, which ranks 34th among active coaches at the Division I level. He is the all-time victories leader at Eastern Illinois and has taken two teams to the NCAA Tournament during his career, which started as an assistant at Eastern Washington and then Iowa State.
The Buckeyes vs. Eastern Illinois
Ohio State and EIU have met just once previously, a 72-59 win for the Buckeyes Dec. 22, 2001 at Value City Arena.
Ohio State vs. the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio State is a perfect 14-0 against teams representing the Ohio Valley Conference. The Buckeyes downed first-year OVC member Samford earlier this month. Ohio State is 1-0 vs. EIU and has met each OVC member except Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri State. Other OVC schools include Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State, Tennessee Martin, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.
On This Date, OSU 12-8
Ohio State is 12-8 in games played on Dec. 23, which includes victories in seven of the last nine games played on this date.
12/23/99 W Central High 34-4 12/23/16 L @Miami (O) 23-24 12/23/38 L @Washington 37-51 12/23/44 L @Kentucky (ot) 48-53 12/23/46 L @Washington 46-52 12/23/49 W California 78-67 12/23/50 W St. Louis 65-55 12/23/57 L @Oklahoma 55-64 12/23/61 W Penn State 92(1)-49 12/23/63 W Houston 79-62 12/23/65 L Kansas 68-81 12/23/66 W Army 61-59 12/23/71 W Wis.-Milwaukee 78(6)-63 12/23/74 W Georgia Tech 75-66 12/23/80 W Princeton 72-46 12/23/93 W vs Boston Col. 69-67(18) 12/23/96 L @ San Diego State 75-81 12/23/98 W Mississippi 67-62 12/23/00 L Kansas 68-69(9) 12/23/02 W Radford 96-80
The Buckeyes at the VCA
Nov. 5, 2003 marked the five-year anniversary of the opening of Value City Arena. The 2003-04 campaign is the sixth season of basketball in the facility. Ohio State has a record of 71-14 (.835) at the VCA and has ranked among the Top 10 nationally in attendance each year. When all 19,200 seats are occupied, the Buckeyes have responded with a 21-5 record over the last five seasons. The nation’s best teams have also had their troubles with the Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Seventeen teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 have battled the Buckeyes at VCA. Ohio State has turned away 13 of those squads.
Buckeyes Seek 20th 20-Win Season
Jim O’Brien has guided the Buckeyes to 20-win seasons in four of the last five years. Ohio State teams have won 20 or more games 19 times in 104 years of basketball. Ohio State won 20 or more games from 1999-2002 before winning 17 games a year ago. Ohio State has not enjoyed five 20-win seasons during a six-year stretch in the history the program.
Dials Back on Court After Year Layoff
Sophomore center Terence Dials returns to the Ohio State lineup after missing the majority of his true-sophomore season with a back injury. Dials played the first six games in 2002-03 before going down for the remainder of the year with the injury. He was awarded a medical redshirt season a year ago and will retain three years of eligibility. The 6-9, 250-pounder from Youngstown, Ohio, set a freshman record at Ohio State with a .620 field goal shooting percentage (86-138). He leads the team with 7.7 rebounds a game this season.
Wait Over for Stockman, Sullinger, Billings in 2003-04
A trio of Buckeyes tasted their first official action as Buckeyes when the regular season opened Nov. 21 at San Francisco. Sophomores Ricardo Billings and J.J. Sullinger along with junior Tony Stockman all were on the Ohio State campus a year ago but did not play in games for the Buckeyes. Both Sullinger and Stockman practiced with the Buckeyes following transfers from Arkansas and Clemson, respectively. Billings sat out the 2002-03 season to concentrate on academics. He did not practice with the Buckeyes last season. Sullinger and Billings will have three years of eligibility with the Buckeyes. Stockman will have two.
Nwankwo Added to Roster
Jim O’Brien added walkon Ugo Nwankwo (OO-go WAN-kwo) to the Ohio State roster in late October. Nwankwo, a 6-2, 185-pound guard, is a native of Ann Arbor, Mich. His brother Ije is a freshman basketball player at Purdue.
O’Brien Welcomes Changes on Staff
Rick Boyages, who originally was on Jim O’Brien’s staff at Ohio State following their move from Boston College in 1997-98, is back with the Buckeyes as the associate head coach. Boyages spent the last three years as the head coach at William and Mary. After the 1999-2000 season, Boyages left Columbus to take over at William and Mary, where he compiled a record of 35-52. Another former Buckeye also returns in 2003-04. David Egelhoff, a former student manager, returns to take over the video operations of the men’s basketball team. He worked in the same capacity a year ago with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
The Postseason Streak
Ohio State will be looking to qualify for postseason play for the sixth-consecutive season under head coach Jim O’Brien in 2003-04. The Buckeyes made four trips to the NCAA tournament from 1999-2002 before accepting a bid to play in the 2003 National Invitation Tournament a year ago. The current streak is the second longest in school history behind a 12-year stretch (1982-1993) in which Ohio State played in seven NCAA tournaments and made five NIT appearances.
O’Brien is tied with Eldon Miller for the most-consecutive postseason appearances while coaching the Buckeyes. Miller took three teams to NCAA tournament play and two to the NIT from 1982-86.
Ohio Product Joins Buckeye Squad Nick Dials, a 6-foot-1-inch point guard from New Haven, Ohio, turned down several Division I scholarship offers to walk-on with the Buckeyes in 2003-04. Once on campus, Dials was awarded a scholarship for the 2003-04 campaign. He averaged 27 points and 5.9 assists per game as a senior in high school. Dials made 86 percent of his free throws in high school. He was first-team All-Ohio in Division II as a junior and senior. For his career, he averaged 22.2 points and 5.5 assists per game and helped Willard to an 85-14 record. Dials had 52 points and 11 assists in a high-school game as a senior.
7 Buckeyes Spend Year in Residence
A total of seven student-athletes on the 2003-04 roster have spent a year on the Ohio State campus without playing in games for the Buckeyes. Sophomore Ricardo Billings sat out 2002-03 to satisfy academic requirements for eligibility this season. Sophomores Terence Dials (2002-03) and Matt Sylvester (2001-02) each sat out a season with back injuries but received medical redshirt seasons to retain four years of eligibility. Senior Shaun Smith (1999-00) did not play basketball his first season in Columbus before walking on with freshman eligibility for the 2000-01 campaign. Junior Matt Marinchick (2000-01) decided to redshirt his first year in Columbus to gain strength and experience. Finally, junior Tony Stockman and sophomore J.J. Sullinger both sat out the 2002-03 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules after leaving Clemson and Arkansas, respectively, following the 2001-02 season.
