Buckeyes Welcome Big Green Into Value City Arena – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2003
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Date Dec. 28, 2003
Opponent Dartmouth
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 2 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Plus
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent Tom Hamilton (Play-by-Play), 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 (6-4)
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.
Dartmouth Big Green
Probable Starters (2-6)
G 20 – Steve Callahan, 6-3, Jr.
G 22 – Michael Lang, 6-3, So.
C 43 – David Gardner, 6-10, Jr.
F 21 – Michael McLaren, 6-3, Jr.
F 40 – Calvin Arnold, 6-9, So.
Radinovic Leads Big Ten in Field Goal Shooting Percentage
Following his 6-of-7 shooting night vs. Eastern Illinois last Tuesday, senior Velimir Radinovic improved his field goal shooting to 71.4 percent (30-42). He leads all Big Ten Conference players in that category. He has made the league minimum of 3.0 field goals per game to qualify for inclusion in the statistical category.
Three Non-Conference Games Remain Before Start of Big Ten Season
Ohio State entertains three more non-conference opponents prior to the start of the 2004 Big Ten Conference season, which starts for the Buckeyes Jan. 7 on the road at Illinois. Dartmouth (Dec. 28), Maryland-Baltimore County (Dec. 30) and Texas Tech (Jan. 4) round out the non-league portion of Ohio State’s schedule this year.
Buckeyes Take a Holiday Following Win Against Eastern Illinois
Jim O’Brien sent his squad home for the holidays on a winning note following a 69-50 victory over visiting Eastern Illinois Dec. 23. All 14 team members played against the Panthers with 12 players seeing 12 or more minutes of action. Several players who normally handle reserve roles, started for O’Brien against EIU. Freshman guard Nick Dials took advantage of the additional playing time with nine points, a couple assists and a steal in 19 minutes of court time. Walkon Ugo Nwankwo played a career-best 12 minutes and scored five points while handing out three assists. The Buckeyes led 36-21 at the half and won the game behind 16 points from senior captain Velimir Radinovic.
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 14.6 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 leaders with an average of 1.89 thefts a game. Sophomore J.J. Sullinger averages 11.7 points a game, second on the team. He also is connecting on 54 percent of his field goal attempts (45-84).
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 8.6 points and 7.4 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 Eastern Illinois Game
* The starting lineup combination of Nick Dials, Ugo Nwankwo, Velimir Radinovic, Shaun Smith and Matt Marinchick made its first appearance this season against Eastern Illinois. For Dials, Nwankwo, Smith and Marinchick, the game marked their first career starts.
* Ohio State held Eastern Illinois to 50 points in the game, which marks the fewest points OSU has allowed an opponent this season.
* Ohio State held Eastern Illinois to 21 points in the first half, which marked the fewest points the Buckeyes have allowed in the first half this season. The previous low of 24 points was scored by Villanova (Nov. 26) and Virginia Tech (Dec. 6).
* The 19-point win was Ohio State’s largest margin victory this season.
* The Buckeyes continue to have a perfect record, 5-0, when they lead their opponents at the half. OSU also is 5-0 when it leads with five minutes remaining in the game.
* The Buckeyes shutout Eastern Illinois’ leading scorer Josh Gomes in the game Tuesday night. Gomes was averaging 10.0 ppg. The lowest points Gomes posted this season previously was seven.
* Ohio State outscored Eastern Illinois in the paint 32-20.
* The Buckeyes also held a 24-4 advantage in points off turnovers. Ohio State turned the ball over 10 times, which tied a season-low, while forcing 18 by the Panthers, which marked the most turnovers caused by the Buckeyes this season. The previous high by an opponent was 16 by Central Michigan (Nov. 25), Samford (Dec. 13) and Furman (Dec. 17).
* With the victory, Ohio State improved to 2-0 against Eastern Illinois. The first Buckeye win was Dec. 22, 2001 at Value City Arena in which OSU defeated EIU, 72-59. In addition, Ohio State improved its perfect record to 15-0 against teams representing the Ohio Valley Conference.
* In their sixth season in Value City Arena, the Buckeyes now own a 72-14 (.837) record. The Buckeyes now are 3-1 at home this season.
Ohio State Player Notes
* Senior captain Velimir Radinovic led all scorers with 16 points. It is the third time this season he scored in double figures as well as the third time he has led the team in points.
* Freshman Nick Dials surpassed his previous career-high of seven points (Seton Hall, Dec. 20) with nine points against Eastern Illinois. In addition to his first career start, Dials played a career-high 19 minutes and tied a career-high with two assists. His previous high was seven minutes against Seton Hall.
* In addition to his first career start, junior guard Ugo Nwankwo set several career-highs against Eastern Illinois – points (5), assist (3) and 3-pointers (1-1). Nwankwo played 12 minutes, which marks the most minutes he has played in his Buckeye career. Nwankwo’s previous highs were points (2), assists (0), minutes (9).
* Senior guard Shaun Smith played a career-high 13 minutes against Eastern Illinois. His previous high of eight minutes was set against Robert Morris Dec. 12, 2000.
Noting the Buckeyes
Sophomore Ricardo Billings has been making the most of his opportunities at the foul line this season. He is playing just under 16 minutes a game and has stepped to the foul line 30 times, connecting on 23 shots for a 77 percent accuracy rating. Redshirt sophomore Terence Dials has been known for his scoring touch around the basket. In 48 career games, he has made 128 of 229 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of .559. 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 to 28 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 (538) for his Buckeye career with a game-high 19 points vs. Samford. He’s averaged 5.9 points a game in 91 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 71 percent of his shots (30-42). For his career, he has connected on 186-339 shots (.549). Junior Tony Stockman is closing on 1,000 career points (862). 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 (45-84) 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. 9 at 14.6 ppg. J.J. Sullinger is No. 7 in field goal percentage (.536). Stockman is No. 3 in 3-pointers made per game (2.40), No. 11 in steals along with Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (17/1.70) and No. 3 in foul shooting (20-23/.870). Terence Dials rates as the No. 6 rebounder in the Big Ten with 7.4 a game. He also is No. 6 in defensive rebounds (4.90) and No. 10 in offensive rebounds (2.50).
Ohio State Returns Following Short Back
Dartmouth travels to Ohio State after a week off to battle the Buckeyes with a 2-6 record. The Big Green opened the season with four losses away from home to Stony Brook (56-53), Hawaii-Hilo (50-48), Quinnipiac (65-64) and Rider (68-64). Dartmouth won its home opener against Tufts (95-60) and then fell to New Hampshire (56-45) before an overtime win over Maine (68-65). Lehigh beat the Big Green Dec. 20, 60-57, before their break for the holidays. Six of eight Big Green games this season have been decided by four points or less.
Dartmouth Relies on Duo for Offense
Sophomore guard Michael Lang is the top scorer for the Big Green with 11.8 points a game this season. He is followed by junior forward Michael McLaren with 10.4 ppg. Leon Pattman comes off the bench to add 9.9 ppg. Sophomore forward Calvin Arnold is the top rebounder for the Big Green with 5.5 rpg.
Faucher in Year 13 at Dartmouth
Dave Faucher has a record of 135-189 in 13 seasons at the helm of the Big Green men’s basketball program. A 1972 graduate of New Hampshire, Faucher began as an assistant at his alma mater from 1973-75. He then went on to work as a high school coach and Division II assistant at Merrimack.
The Buckeyes vs. Dartmouth
Ohio State is 3-1 all time against Dartmouth but have not played the Big Green since 1973, an 85-80 Ohio State win at the Kentucky Invitational in Lexington, Ky. The series dates back to the 1921-22 campaign when Ohio State won a 24-23 battle with the Big Green in Columbus Dec. 30, 1921. Dartmouth evened the series at one game all with a 60-53 win at the 1944 Final Four in New York. The Buckeyes then welcomed the Big Green to Columbus Dec. 28, 1964 and won 90-59.
Ohio State vs. the Ivy League
Ohio State owns a 33-18 record all-time against teams representing the Ivy League and have played all eight members of the league over the last 105 years of Buckeye basketball. The Buckeyes are 1-0 vs. Brown, 0-1 vs. Columbia, 5-3 against Cornell, 3-1 over Dartmouth, 5-0 against Harvard, 5-5 vs. Pennsylvania, 7-6 against Princeton and 7-2 against Yale.
On This Date, OSU 19-17
Ohio State is 19-17 in games played on Dec. 28, which includes victories in five of the last seven games played on this date.
12/28/16 W vs Westinghouse 38-18 12/28/19 W @Youngstown Duq. 35-18 12/28/29 W Notre Dame 29-22 12/28/32 W Notre Dame 30-24 12/28/34 L @Temple 24-28 12/28/36 W @California 30-28 12/28/40 L Princeton 31-40 12/28/41 L @California 38-50 12/28/43 W @Norfolk Navy 62-54 12/28/44 W @Michigan State 67-31 12/28/46 L @California 32-48 12/28/49 W vs Cornell 43-42 12/28/51 L @Washington 43-78(3) 12/28/55 W DePaul 83(15)-72 12/28/56 L vs Manhattan 67-82 12/28/57 L vs UCLA 78-98 12/28/59 L @Kentucky 93(3)-96(13) 12/28/61 W vs UCLA 105(1)-84 12/28/63 L @Utah State 66-79 12/28/64 W Dartmouth 90-59 12/28/65 W Wake Forest 88-81 12/28/70 L vs Stanford (ot) 74-78 12/28/74 L vs Indiana 71-102(2) 12/28/75 L vs Tulane 65-80 12/28/76 L vs Princeton 62-67 12/28/77 L vs Georgia(ot) 80-84 12/28/82 W Eastern Michigan 58-54 12/28/84 W vs Stetson 73-67 12/28/86 L vs Arkansas 94-97 12/28/89 W vs New Orleans 74-66 12/28/90 W vs Miami (Ohio) 85(6)-67 12/28/92 W vs Oregon State 85-77 12/28/95 W vs Eastern Kentucky 92-88 12/28/96 L vs Kentucky 65-81(3) 12/28/97 L vs Kansas 56-69(2) 12/28/02 W Tennessee State 94-73
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 72-14 (.837) 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 7.4 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.
