Ohio State Opens Conference Play On The Road – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Date Jan. 7, 2004
Opponent No. 19 Illinois
Site Assembly Hall (16,500)
Game Time 9 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN Plus
Local TV WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent Mike Gleason (Play-by-Play), Doug Altenberger (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 (8-5)
G 10 – Tony Stockman, 6-1, Jr.
G 0 – J.J. Sullinger, 6-5, So.
G 12 – Nick Dials, 6-1, Fr.
C 14 – Velimir Radinovic, 7-0, Sr.
F 34 – Terence Dials, 6-9, So.
No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini
Probable Starters (9-2)
G 11 – Dee Brown, 6-0, So.
G 5 – Deron Williams, 6-3, So.
C 40 – James Augustine, 6-10, So.
F 43 – Roger Powell, 6-6, Jr.
F 42 – Brian Randle, 6-8, Fr.
Buckeyes Play 105th Hoops Season, 91st in Big Ten Conference
This is the 91st season of Big Ten membership in men’s basketball for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 50-40 (.556) in conference openers, 61-29 (.678) in league home openers and 34-56 (.378) in the first road game of the season in Big Ten play. Ohio State has a record of 82-23 (.781) in season-opening games over the 105 years of men’s basketball at OSU. The Buckeyes are 86-19 (.819) in home openers and 49-54 (.476) in road/neutral openers. Ohio State did not play a road game in 1900-01.
Ohio State Falls Short vs. Texas Tech
Andre Emmett had 27 points and Texas Tech, despite giving up 26 more shots from the field, beat Ohio State 80-72 in coach Bob Knight’s return to his alma mater. Devonne Giles added 17 points, Ronald Ross had 15 points and seven assists and Robert Tomaszek chipped in with 10 points for the Red Raiders. Emmett hit 10 of 19 shots from the field and 7 of 9 free throws and added 11 rebounds. Nick Dials led Ohio State with 15 points. J.J. Sullinger added 12 and Tony Stockman 10. Ohio State was 26 of 79 from the field to the Red Raiders’ 32 of 53. Tech took its first lead on Emmett’s 14-foot jumper at 18:01 of the second half, part of a 6-0 run. A 3-pointer by Nick Dials with 10 minutes left gave Ohio State a 52-47 lead but Tech countered with a 10-0 run. Ross started things with a 3-pointer, Giles made two free throws and then a bucket and Emmett scored the final three points – hitting the front end of a bonus situation and then following his miss on the second shot with a putback that made it 57-52. The Buckeyes drew as close as 61-60 on Ugo Nwankwo’s baseline jumper with 4:33 left, but Tomaszek followed with a 15-footer, Ross hit a layup off a backdoor pass from Tomaszek, Emmett scored on a drive and Jarrius Jackson made a layup to make it 69-60 with 2 minutes left.
Radinovic One of Big Ten’s Most Consistent Shooters
Senior Velimir Radinovic leads the Big Ten in field goal shooting percentage, knocking down 66.7 percent of his shots (42-63). He made 4 of 8 shots against Texas Tech. He has made 55 percent of his shots for his career (198-360) in 94 games. Against Illinois, Radinovic will battle two others among the Top 5 in field goal percentage. Forward Roger Powell is third among Big Ten players (.639) and center James Augustine is No. 4 (.633).
O’Brien Win Percentage Soars When 70 Points Reached
In Jim O’Brien’s seven seasons in Columbus the Buckeyes have won nearly 81 percent of their games when scoring 70 or more points. Ohio State is 4-1 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 86 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 4-1 .800 Totals 85-20 .810
Stockman, Sullinger Pace Buckeyes
Junior Tony Stockman leads Ohio State with an average of 14.1 points a game. He has connected on 88 percent of his foul shots (22-25). With a total of 25 steals, Stockman is among Big Ten leaders (4th) with an average of 1.92 thefts a game. Sophomore J.J. Sullinger averages 11.0 points a game, second on the team. He also is connecting on 50 percent of his field goal attempts (54-108).
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 fourth leading scorer. He is averaging 8.2 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.
Noting the Texas Tech Game
* Sunday marked the first meeting between Texas Tech and Ohio State in men’s basketball. With the loss Sunday, Ohio State falls to 19-22 all-time against teams from the Big 12 conference.
* The Buckeyes’ five-game winning streak as a home team and four-game win streak at Value City Arena also came to an end with the loss. The Buckeyes defeated Virginia Tech at Nationwide Arena in Columbus Dec. 6 and had followed with four-consecutive wins at VCA.
* The Buckeyes scored 70 points in the contest Sunday, marking the fifth time this season Ohio State has scored at least 70 points in a game. With the 80-72 loss, Ohio State dropped to 4-1 when scoring 70-plus. The loss also dropped Ohio State’s record to 85-20 under head coach Jim O’Brien when scoring at least 70 points.
* O’Brien has sent different starting lineups to the court in five-consecutive games. For the year, the combination of Terence Dials, Velimir Radinovic, Tony Stockman, Nick Dials and J.J. Sullinger is the seventh different Buckeye starting lineup used this season.
* Ohio State pulled down a season-best 26 offensive rebounds against Texas Tech, leading to a 23-8 advantage in second-chance points. The Buckeyes out-rebounded TTU 26-8 on the offensive end. The previous high for Ohio State in the offensive rebound category was 15 set against Seton Hall Dec. 20.
* Despite a 45-40 advantage in rebounds Sunday, Ohio State fell to 7-3 when out-rebounding opponents this season. The 45 rebounds served as a season high by Ohio State. The Buckeyes pulled down 43 rebounds against Virginia Tech Dec. 6.
* The Buckeyes also held a decided edge in turnovers (13-7) and points off turnovers with a 16-6 advantage.
* Ohio State fired a season-high 79 field goal attempts Sunday, including a season-most 23 3-point field goal attempts. The previous high for Ohio State in field goal attempt was 57 against Furman, while the prior high in 3-point attempts was 18 against Virginia Tech.
* The Buckeyes converted 8-of-23 3-point field goals attempts, which tied a season best for made treys and established a new season high for attempts. OSU previously hit eight 3-point baskets against Dartmouth Dec. 28. Ohio State connected on five 3-point field goals in the first half, with four Buckeyes accounting for the five makes. The effort marked the second time this season four Buckeyes have made 3-point field goals in a game.
* Texas Tech’s one 3-point make on three attempts both served as season lows for an opponent against Ohio State. The previous low was posted by UMBC with three makes in Ohio State’s last game Dec. 30. Over the last two games, Ohio State has held its opponents to just four 3-point baskets on 11 attempts.
* Ohio State held a 37-33 advantage at halftime, marking the fourth-consecutive game the Buckeyes entered the intermission owning the lead. With the loss, Ohio State suffered its first loss in eight contests when leading at the half (7-1) this season.
Ohio State Player Notes
* Ohio State freshman guard Nick Dials scored nine points in the first half, tying his career high set against Eastern Illinois. Dials ended the game with a career-best 15 points. Dials converted on 4-of-4 free throw attempts in the game, extending his current streak of 11-consecutive made free throws. Dials also recorded his third straight game with three assists and the third game in the last four where he has connected on at least three 3-point attempts. Dials upped his assist-to-turnover ratio to 14-4. The freshman guard also grabbed a career-best five rebounds in a career-high 34 minutes vs. TTU.
* Senior center Velimir Radinovic grabbed a season-high six offensive rebounds Sunday as a part of a season-best overall rebounding effort with eight total caroms.
* Five other Buckeyes had at least three offensive rebounds as Terence Dials and Shun Jenkins grabbed four, while J.J. Sullinger, Nick Dials and Ugo Nwankwo each collected three. The three offensive boards for Nwankwo were the first of his career.
* T. Dials also tied Radinovic for a game-best eight rebounds, while Jenkins pulled down seven. Radinovic scored eight points in the game, all coming in the second half.
* Ohio State guard Ugo Nwankwo scored a career-high nine points Sunday, topping his previous best of six set in Ohio State’s outing against UMBC Dec. 30, 2003. Nwankwo also set career bests in field goals with four and field goal attempts (7) and rebounds with four.
* Ohio State junior guard Tony Stockman recorded 10 points Sunday night, marking his 11th game this season scoring double figures in points.
Noting the Buckeyes
* Sophomore Ricardo Billings has been making the most of his opportunities at the foul line this season. He is playing 13.6 minutes a game and has stepped to the foul line 34 times, connecting on 25 shots for a 74 percent accuracy rating. He also has made 5 of his last 6 shots in wins over Eastern Illinois, Dartmouth and UMBC.
* Redshirt sophomore Terence Dials has been known for his scoring touch around the basket. In 51 career games, he has made 135 of 249 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of .542. He has improved his foul shooting this year as well, hitting on 70 percent (38-54) of his shots. He has grabbed five or more rebounds in 12 of 13 games this year.
* Junior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham’s playing time is up to 25 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. He has 99 career assists, which includes 35 this season, a season best total.
* Senior captain Velimir Radinovic reached 500 career points (571) for his Buckeye career with a game-high 19 points vs. Samford. He’s averaged 6.1 points a game in 94 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 67 percent of his shots (42-63). For his career, he has connected on 198-360 shots (.550).
* Junior Tony Stockman is closing on 1,000 career points (899). 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 22-25 shots (.880) in the early going this year. He’s made 79 percent of his free throw attempts for his career (103-131). With five field goals vs. UMBC, Stockman reached 300 made for his career. Of his 305 made shots for his career, 186 have come from 3-point range (61 percent).
* 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 50 percent (54-108) of his field goals as a Buckeye and 40 percent (13-32) of his 3-point attempts. He was a 42 percent shooter, 20 percent from long range, at Arkansas as a freshman. With 10 points against Dartmouth, Sullinger reached 400 career points, which includes 273 scored as a freshman at Arkansas.
* Nick Dials has made the most of his minutes this season. The New Haven, Ohio, native has 14 assists and 12 steals in 134 minutes with just four turnovers. He averages just one turnover for every 33.5 minutes played. Of his 14 field goals, 10 have been from 3-point range. Since missing his first attempt from the foul line against San Diego State Nov. 24, Dials has made 11-consecutive free throw attempts. He has connected on 92 percent of his foul shots this year (11-12).
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. 10 at 14.1 ppg. Stockman is No. 4 in 3-pointers made per game (2.38). Terence Dials rates as the No. 5 rebounder in the Big Ten with 7.4 a game. He also is No. 8 in defensive rebounds (4.77) and No. 9 in offensive rebounds (2.62). Velimir Radinovic leads the conference in field goal percentage (.667) and is No. 7 in offensive rebounds (2.69).
Illinois Enters Big Ten Schedule on 5-Game Win Streak
Illinois built a 9-2 record during the non-conference schedule with wins in its last five outings, including an 80-73 overtime win over Illinois State last Saturday.
Five Illini Score 10 or More Points a Game
Five players average in double figures for an offense that is posting nearly 80 points a game vs. non-conference foes. Sophomore Deron Williams tops the Illini with 13.8 points a game. He is followed by Roger Powell (13.5 ppg.), Dee Brown (12.1 ppg.), James Augustine (11.6 ppg.) and Luther Head (10.0 ppg.). Augustine is the team’s leading rebounder with 9.3 boards a contest.
Webber in 1st Year on Illinois Sidelines
Bruce Webber began his tenure at Illinois this season after five years at Southern Illinois. As the Saluki mentor, Webber compiled a 103-54 record. Webber, a longtime Purdue assistant, is 9-2 at Illinois.
The Buckeyes vs. Illinois
The Illini hold a 97-59 advantage in games played against Ohio State since the schools began competition in 1915. The Buckeyes are 21-57 in Champaign, 37-38 in Columbus and 1-2 at neutral sites. The Buckeyes are 10-31 against Illinois teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Buckeyes have won four of the last seven games against Illinois with the last victory in Champaign being a 64-61 victory Jan. 30, 1999.
Ohio State vs. the Ranked
The Buckeyes face their second foe ranked among the Top 25 in the Associated Press Poll this year when Ohio State travels to No. 19 Illinois. The Buckeyes fell to then-No. 13 Georgia Tech in Columbus Dec. 3 (73-53). The Buckeyes are 128-205 all-time vs. ranked opponents.
Ohio State vs. the Big Ten Conference
Ohio State is playing its 91st season of Big Ten basketball in 2004. The Buckeyes own 17 regular season titles and one postseason tournament championship (2002). Ohio State’s last regular season title came in 2002 as well. The Buckeyes last won an outright title in 1992.
Ohio State vs. the Big Ten Illinois 59-97 Indiana 68-95 Iowa 65-69 Michigan 82-69 Michigan State 46-56 Minnesota 72-51 Northwestern 103-44 Penn State 14-12 Purdue 71-78 Wisconsin 80-56 Totals 660-627
On This Date, OSU 17-8
Ohio State is 17-8 in games played on Jan. 7. The Buckeyes are looking to extend a two-game winning streak on this date.
1/7/99 W Otterbein 25-2 1/7/05 W Wittenberg 65-8 1/7/11 W Otterbein 42-20 1/7/20 W Oberlin 33-20 1/7/22 L @Chicago 14-25 1/7/28 L Wisconsin 13-30 1/7/29 W @Northwestern 31-28 1/7/30 L @Heidelberg 23-25 1/7/33 W Indiana 35-28 1/7/35 W @Michigan (ot) 33-30 1/7/39 W Indiana 45-38 1/7/42 L @Minnesota 33-63 1/7/50 W Illinois 83-62 1/7/52 W Indiana 73-72(5) 1/7/57 W Purdue 75-68 1/7/61 W Illinois 91(1)-65 1/7/63 L @Illinois 78(4)-90(3) 1/7/67 W @Minnesota 78-65 1/7/74 W Georgia Tech 89-71 1/7/78 L Iowa 75-87 1/7/82 W Minnesota 49-47(6) 1/7/84 L Indiana 62-73 1/7/88 L @Purdue 77-84(10) 1/7/89 W Wisconsin 73(14)-70 1/7/92 W Michigan State 62(7)-46(9)
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 74-15 (.831) 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 21-6 record over the last six 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.
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 7.3 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.
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.
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.
