Men’s Basketball Continues Road Trip at Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2004
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Date Jan. 10, 2004
Opponent Penn State
Site Bryce Jordan Center (15,261)
Game Time 12:15 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 (8-6, 0-1)
G 2 – Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, 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.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Probable Starters (7-5, 1-0)
G 20 – Marlon Smith, 6-0, Fr.
G 3 – Ben Luber, 6-0, Fr.
F 44 – Ndu Egekeze, 6-6, Sr.
F 22 – Jan Jagla, 7-0, Jr.
F 21 – Robert Summers, 6-11, So.
Seven Buckeyes Set for 1st Meeting vs. PSU
Six players on the Ohio State 13-man roster have competed in games against Penn State. Senior Velimir Radinovic has the most experience with three games played but Matt Sylvester (30 minutes) and Shun Jenkins (29 mins.) have the most court time against the Nittany Lions. Radinovic has played just 21 minutes in his three meetings with PSU. Sylvester scored nine points in his only meeting with the Nittany Lions last year. Jenkins scored eight points and grabbed a career high 17 rebounds a year ago in State College.
Illini Start Fast, Hold Off Buckeyes
Reserve Nick Smith scored a career-high 22 points without missing a shot and No. 19 Illinois opened its Big Ten season with an 85-63 win over Ohio State. Smith, a 7-foot-2 center, was 6-for-6 from the field, including one 3-pointer, and went 9-for-9 from the free throw line. He grabbed nine rebounds. Dee Brown scored 16 points for Illinois. Richard McBride and Roger Powell each scored 11 points each for the Illini. Terence Dials had 11 points for Ohio State, while Tony Stockman added 10. The Buckeyes never recovered from a first half in which they went 6-of-21 from the field. The Illini outscored the Buckeyes 30-8 over a 12-minute span of the first half to go up 37-13. Ohio State went on a 27-14 run and trimmed the Illini lead to 53-42 with 12:47 to go in the game. But McBride’s 3-pointer started a 9-0 run that put the Illini up 62-42 with 9:51 remaining. The Buckeyes went without a field goal over a 7:39 stretch. They scored seven of their last 11 points of the half from the foul line and trailed 39-22 at halftime.
Radinovic One of Big Ten’s Most Consistent Shooters
Senior Velimir Radinovic leads the Big Ten in field goal shooting percentage, knocking down 67.7 percent of his shots (44-65). He made 6 of 10 shots against Texas Tech (4-8) and Illinois (2-2). He has made 55 percent of his shots for his career (200-362) in 95 games. Against Penn State, Radinovic will go up against the No. 7 field goal percentage shooter in the Big Ten. Nittany Lion Jan Jagla has made 53 percent of his shots this year (81-154). He posted a double-double with 28 points, a career high, and 10 rebounds in Penn State’s 75-72 win over Minnesota Wednesday in State College, Pa.
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 50-41 (.549) in conference openers, 61-29 (.678) in league home openers and 34-57 (.374) 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.
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 13.8 points a game. He has connected on 85 percent of his foul shots (23-27). With a total of 27 steals, Stockman is among Big Ten leaders (5th) with an average of 1.86 thefts a game. Sophomore J.J. Sullinger averages 10.6 points a game, second on the team. He also is connecting on 48 percent of his field goal attempts (56-117).
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 8.4 points and 7.0 rebounds, including a career-high 14-rebound effort in Ohio State’s 77-71 win over Central Michigan at the Maui Invitational.
Noting the Illinois Game
* The Buckeyes fell to 59-98 against Illinois in the all-time series, which includes a 21-58 record in Champaign. Ohio State is 10-32 against Illinois teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Illini were ranked No. 19.
* O’Brien has sent different starting lineups to the court in six-consecutive games. For the year, the combination of Terence Dials, Velimir Radinovic, Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, Nick Dials and J.J. Sullinger is the eighth different Buckeye starting lineup used this season.
Ohio State Player Notes
* Ohio State freshman guard Nick Dials set a career high with four steals in the game vs. Illinois. Dials converted on 3-of-4 free throw attempts in the game … his streak of consecutive foul shots made was snapped at 12 after a miss in the first half. Dials upped his assist-to-turnover ratio to 3.6-1 with four assists and just one turnover in the loss.
* Senior center Velimir Radinovic made both field goals he attempted in the game to up his league-leading shooting percentage to 67.7 percent (44-65).
* Sophomore Ricardo Billings made 2-of-3 3-pointers needed to set a career-high for treys made in a game.
* Ohio State junior guard Tony Stockman recorded 10 points off the bench, marking his 12th game this season scoring double figures.
Noting the Buckeyes
* Sophomore Ricardo Billings has been making the most of his opportunities. He is playing 14.4 minutes a game. He played 24 minutes against Illinois, the most since a 28-minute outing vs. Georgia Tech Dec. 3. Billings has made seven of his last 11 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers at Illinois.
* Redshirt sophomore Terence Dials has been known for his scoring touch around the basket. In 52 career games, he has made 138-of-255 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of .541. He has improved his foul shooting this year as well, hitting on 71 percent (43-61) of his shots. He has grabbed five or more rebounds in 12 of 14 games this year. With 27 points, he will reach 400 for his career. With 23 minutes vs. Illinois, Dials eclipsed the 1,000-minute mark as a Buckeye (1,007).
* Junior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham’s playing time is up to 24 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 (578) for his Buckeye career with a game-high 19 points vs. Samford. He’s averaged 6.1 points a game in 95 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 68 percent of his shots (44-65). For his career, he has connected on 200-362 shots (.552).
* Junior Tony Stockman is closing on 1,000 career points (909). 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 23-27 shots (.852) this year. He’s made 78 percent of his free throw attempts for his career (104-133). With five field goals vs. UMBC, Stockman reached 300 made for his career. Of his 309 made shots for his career, 187 have come from 3-point range (61 percent).
* Sophomore J.J. Sullinger is 17 minutes shy of 1,000 played in his career, which includes 616 as a freshman at Arkansas in 2001-02. With 10 points against Dartmouth, Sullinger reached 400 career points, which includes 273 scored as a Razorback.
* Nick Dials has made the most of his minutes this season. The New Haven, Ohio, native has 18 assists and 13 steals in 164 minutes with just five turnovers. He averages just one turnover for every 32.8 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 12-consecutive free throw attempts before a miss at Illinois. He has connected on 88 percent of his foul shots this year (14-16).
The Bucks in the Big Ten
Terence Dials rates as the No. 6 rebounder in the Big Ten with 7.0 a game. Velimir Radinovic leads the conference in field goal percentage (.677) and is No. 7 in offensive rebounds (2.71). Tony Stockman is No. 4 in 3-pointers made per game (2.29) and No. 5 in steals (1.86).
Penn State Wins Conference Opener
The Nittany Lions open with back-to-back home games in conference play this year. Penn State downed Minnesota 75-72 in its conference opener before hosting the Buckeyes. PSU is 7-5 on the year and has won four of the last five games.
Jagla Tops Offensive Charts for PSU
Junior center Jan Jagla leads Penn State with 17.8 points a game. He scored a career-high 28 points in the Nittany Lions’ most recent win over Minnesota (75-72). Freshman guard Marlon Smith is second in scoring with 10.0 points a game. Jagla also is the squad’s top rebounder with an average of 8.8 a contest.
DeChellis in 1st Year at State College
Ed DeChellis is in his first season at Penn State. His seven-year career at East Tennessee State produced a record of 105-93 prior to his first year as the Nittany Lion mentor. He is 7-5 and 1-0 in Big Ten play to date at PSU.
The Buckeyes vs. Penn State
Ohio State has taken a 14-12 series lead against Penn State with three-consecutive wins in the series. The Buckeyes have won each of their last two games at Penn State, including a 76-67 victory last season. Ohio State is 5-6 at Penn State and 9-4 in Columbus. The Nittany Lions have won both games on neutral courts.
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 59-98 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 660-628
On This Date, OSU 7-14
Ohio State is 7-14 in games played on Jan. 10. The Buckeyes are looking to break a three-game losing streak on this date.
1/10/06 W Ohio Medical Univ. 29-8 1/10/14 W Akron 44-10 1/10/20 L Indiana 11-21 1/10/25 W Indiana 30-22 1/10/27 L @Wisconsin 16-25 1/10/31 W Wisconsin 29-19 1/10/38 L @Michigan 28-38 1/10/42 L @Purdue 32-45 1/10/48 L @Illinois 58-61 1/10/49 L Illinois 63-64 1/10/53 W @Purdue 67-65 1/10/59 L @Michigan 74-78 1/10/70 L @Illinois 59-77 1/10/76 L @Michigan State 82-92 1/10/80 W @Iowa 77(5)-71(12) 1/10/81 L @Purdue 65-73 1/10/86 L @Michigan State 80-90 1/10/91 W @Northwestern 102(4)-62 1/10/96 L @Iowa 53-81(11) 1/10/98 L @Indiana 66-83 1/10/01 L Penn State 75-78
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 7.0 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.
