Buckeyes Welcome the Blue Hens of Delaware to Value City Arena – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2004
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Opponents Delaware (0-0)
Site Value City Arena (19,200)
Game Time 7 p.m.
TV ESPN Plus (WBNS 10 TV)
TV Talent Tom Hamilton, Play by Play, Bill Hosket, Expert Analysis
Radio OSU Radio Network(59 stations)
Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Color)
Sullinger Paces Four Buckeyes in Double Digits in Win over Robert Morris
J.J. Sullinger led a balanced offensive effort Tuesday with 15 points and six rebounds in Ohio State’s 82-50 win over Robert Morris in the Columbus Regional Championship Round of the 2004 Guardians Classic. Sullinger, a junior guard, connected on 7-of-8 shots from the field, added two assists and a block in 26 minutes for the 2-0 Buckeyes. Juniors Matt Sylvester and Je’Kel Foster added 11 points followed by a 10-point effort from junior center Terence Dials, who was named the regional MVP.
Newcomers, Buckeyes Value the Ball
The four first-year Buckeyes on the 2004-05 roster have yet to commit a turnover and as a team Ohio State has just 15 on the year in two games and 400-combined minutes played by the team. Freshmen Jamar Butler (45 minutes), Matt Terwilliger (17) and Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (9) have played a combined 71 minutes without a TO. Je’Kel Foster, a junior college transfer, has played 35 minutes without a miscue. Ohio State has 15 more assists (33-18) and 17 fewer turnovers (15-32) than the two opponents to date.
Matta Era Underway
The 13th head coach in Ohio State history, Thad Matta took over the Ohio State men’s basketball program July 7. The new staff begins with a roster of 13 players for the 2004-05 campaign, nine of which are returning letterwinners from a 14-16 squad in 2003-04. That Buckeyes team finished ninth in the Big Ten with a 6-10 league mark and a first round exit in the Big Ten tournament.
Nonetheless, Matta’s staff is optimistic about the opportunity for success with three of the top four double-figure scorers returning. Matta, who coached for the last three seasons at Xavier and spent time during two stints as an assistant at Miami (Ohio), knows Ohio. He attempted to recruit several members of the current Ohio State squad.
Matta Unbeaten in Debuts
Ohio State is the third stop as a head coach for Thad Matta. In his two previous debuts, Matta defeated Eastern Illinois (90-73) in his first game at Butler in 2000. In his first game as Xavier head coach in 2001, Matta’s squad downed Coastal Carolina 72-41. He also guided the Musketeers to season-opening wins in 2003, an 87-48 win over St. Peters in the preseason NIT, and in 2003, a 62-37 victory over Coppin State. His first Ohio State squad downed Towson 74-53 in the season opener Nov. 15.
Duo Reaches 600 Points
Terence Dials reached 600 points for his career after scoring 10 against Robert Morris. He has averaged 8.6 points a game as a Buckeye, connecting on 224 of 407 career shots from the field (.550). He enters the game against Delaware with 602 points and 376 rebounds as a Buckeye.
J.J. Sullinger also eclipsed the 600 career-point mark against Robert Morris. He scored 273 as a freshman at Arkansas in 2001-02. He tallied 304 a year ago as a sophomore Buckeye and now has 604 career points (9.9 ppg.) after a 15-point effort Tuesday.
Noting the Robert Morris Game
Ohio State opened Game Two of the Guardians Classic with a 16-4run in the first 11:29 of play. During the run, the Buckeyes shot57 percent from the field, hitting 8-of-14 field goals. TheBuckeyes closed the first half with a 15-2 run en route to a 40-16halftime advantage. The Buckeyes finished the game 33-of-62 fromthe field for 53 percent. The Buckeyes shot 50 percent (27-54) inthe win Monday over Morgan State. The last time Ohio State shotbetter than 50 percent from the field in consecutive games was Jan.31, 2004 at Purdue (.511) and Feb. 4, 2004 vs. Northwestern (.574).In the first half, Ohio State shot 60 percent from the field(17-28). After shooting 50 percent or better in each of the firsttwo games of the Guardians Classic, Ohio State improved to 40-1 atValue City Arena when shooting 50 percent or better. The 82-50final over Robert Morris Tuesday marked the first time Ohio Statehas knocked off an opponent by more than 30 points since downingSanta Clara, 88-41, Dec. 12, 2001 at VCA, a span of 90 games. The82-50 victory over Robert Morris Tuesday coupled with the 74-53 winover Morgan State Monday marked the first time Ohio State has wonconsecutive games by 20 or more points since defeating Albany(87-62) and Winthrop (78-54) in 2001-02. With the win Tuesday, theBuckeyes opened the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2001-02season, when the Buckeyes recorded a 78-54 victory over Winthrop(Nov. 18) in the opener and an 87-62 triumph over Albany (Nov. 20).With the win, head coach Thad Matta improved his record at OhioState to 2-0. Junior J.J. Sullinger opened the first half with 11points to lead the team at halftime. Sullinger’s double-digit pointtotal marked the second-consecutive game he has scored indouble-figures in a half. Sullinger had 10 points in the first halfof Ohio State’s first contest in the Guardians Classic againstMorgan State Monday. With the win, Ohio State improved to 2-0 thisseason and will travel to Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 23 to compete inthe championship rounds of the 2004 Guardians Classic. Ohio Statenow is 79-20 in its seventh season in Value City Arena. With thewin, Ohio State improved to 8-0 against Northeast Conferenceopponents.
Noting the Buckeyes
Junior J.J. Sullinger has connected on 79 percent of his shots from the field (11-14) in two games this season.
Senior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham has made 56 percent of his attempts from the field (5-9) in two games. He connected on 39 percent a year ago and is a 33 percent shooter for his career. He played just six minutes in the win over Robert Morris after turning an ankle early in the first half.
Sophomore Ivan Harris has started two games this year after making two all of last year.
Senior Tony Stockman averages just shy of 10 points a game this season in 25 minutes a game. He tallied 13.6 points a game a year ago in 33.5 minutes a contest.
Freshman Jamar Butler has played the most minutes of the freshman class to date (45/22.5 per game). He has not committed a turnover yet this season and has five assists, second most on the team.
Junior Je’Kel Foster has made the most of his court time off the bench this season. In two games he has averaged 10 points a game in 17.5 minutes a contest. He also has not made a turnover and leads the team in 3-pointers made (5). He is shooting 56 percent from long range.
Junior Terence Dials is shooting 71 percent from the field (12-17), helping the team to a 52 percent shooting percentage on the year. Dials has made 55 percent of his shots for his career (224-407).
Junior Matt Sylvester has made 100 career field goals as a Buckeye (100-240/.417). He leads the team with six assists this season and is shooting 71 percent from the field in the early going (5-7), including a 2-4 effort from 3-point range.
Buckeyes Own 21-9 Record vs. 2004 Guardians Classic Field
Ohio State began the 2004 Guardians Classic with a 19-9 record vs. the other 11 teams in the field and a 6-0 record vs. the teams in the Ohio State Regional. Those records improved with the win over Robert Morris Tuesday to 21-9 and 8-0, respectively. The Buckeyes are 2-0 vs. Towson, 5-0 vs. Robert Morris and 1-0 vs. Morgan State. The Buckeyes are 8-6 vs. the teams in the Missouri Regional (3-0 vs. Houston, 4-6 vs. Missouri and 1-0 vs. Brown) and 5-3 against Creighton Regional teams (0-1 vs. Iona and 5-2 vs. Creighton).
Buckeyes Play Often in Early Going
In a span of 10 days Ohio State will play five games after the season tipped off Monday in the opening round of the Guardians Classic. After the Buckeyes play Delaware at Value City Arena the squad will travel to Kansas City, Mo., for two games Nov. 23 and 24 in the Guardians event. The Buckeyes will open against Houston Nov. 23 and then play either Missouri or Creighton Nov. 24. Ohio State then plays at home, this time at St. John Arena, Nov. 27 against Chattanooga. Tickets for that game are still available by calling 1-800-GO BUCKS or on-line at www.hangonsloopy.com.
Hoops Coaches 10-3 In First Games at OSU
The 13 all-time men’s basketball head coaches at Ohio State have a combined record of 10-3 in their first games as Buckeye head coaches. Thad Matta, coach No. 13 in Ohio State history, won his opener vs. Towson, 74-53, Nov. 15.
Ohio State is 83-23 in Season Openers
Ohio State opened its 106th season of men’s basketball against Towson in the first round of the Guardians Classic in Columbus Monday. The Buckeyes are 83-23 (.783) all time in season openers after the win over the Tigers. In the first road game of the year, Ohio State is 49-55 (.476). The Buckeyes did not play a road game in 1900-01. Ohio State is 87-19 (.821) in home openers.
A look at the 2004-05 Buckeyes
Tony Stockman, a senior guard and the squad’s leading scorer from a year ago, contributed a solid campaign statistically during his first year in Columbus. The transfer from Clemson led the Buckeyes with 13.6 points per game, 74 assists and 61 steals. He knocked down 73 3-pointers and played the most minutes (972). His gambling defensive style and abilities to knock down long-range shots on the break could mesh well with Matta’s plans for an up-tempo style of play.
To compliment the outside game, junior captain Terence Dials returns to shore up the Ohio State front court, depleted by the loss of 7-foot center Velimir Radinovic (10.3 ppg./6.0 rpg.). Dials was steady throughout the season, making 51 percent (111-220) of his shots from the field and nearly 72 percent of his foul shots (91-127). With a scoring average of 10.4 points and a rebounding mark of 6.6 rpg., the coaches will have a solid interior presence with Dials in the paint. He excelled at the end of last season, making 14-of-17 shots from the floor and 16-of-22 foul shots over the final two games of the season vs. Illinois and Indiana.
J.J. Sullinger also contributed double digits offensively with 10.1 points a game in his first year at Ohio State following a transfer from Arkansas after his freshman campaign.
A number of student-athletes will have an opportunity to fill out the starting lineup. Senior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham will be challenged by incoming freshman Jamar Butler, the 2004 Ohio Mr. Basketball honoree, at the point guard spot. Stockman also spent significant time quarterbacking the Buckeyes last year.
Guards Je’Kel Foster, a junior college transfer, and Ricardo Billings, a junior from Detroit, also will get opportunities with Sullinger at the wing position.
Sophomore Ivan Harris, junior Matt Sylvester, and freshman Jermyl Jackson-Wilson will vie for playing time at forward with freshman Matt Terwilliger battling for time inside with Dials and senior Matt Marinchick.
Stockman Puts Name in Record Book
Tony Stockman made 73 3-point field goals as a junior, the third most by an OSU player in a single season. His 61 steals total for 2003-04 tied him for the No. 7 spot with Michael Redd (1998) for single season steals at OSU. Stockman also attempted 202 3-pointers a year ago, good for the No. 3 spot all-time for single season long range attempts.
Ohio State Plays Game No. 100 at VCA
The Buckeyes began season No. 7 at Value City Arena Monday against Towson in the opening round of the Guardians Classic.. The facility opened for the start of the 1998-99 season and since the Buckeyes have built a record of 79-20 in 99 home games. The Buckeyes have not had a home losing season in the VCA’s existence and have 11 or more wins in five of the six years to date, including 15 victories in 1999-2000 and 2001-02 and 14 wins in both 1998-99 and 2000-01.
A Return to St. John
Ohio State will face Chattanooga the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) at St. John Arena, the longtime home of the Buckeyes prior to the opening of the Jerome Schottenstein Center in the fall of 1998. A scheduling conflict at Value City Arena and the desire to play a game in Columbus that weekend provided the opportunity for the game to be played at St. John. Ohio State last played at St. John Arena Feb. 28, 1998, an overtime loss to Penn State (89-85). Ohio State is 426-151 in 577 games played from 1956-1998 at St. John for a winning percentage of .738.
The game at St. John marks the second-consecutive season in which the Buckeyes will play a game in Columbus away from Value City Arena. Ohio State faced Virginia Tech Dec. 6, 2003 at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus. That game was played as a preview of the 2004 NCAA First and Second round games, which were contested in Columbus last March at Nationwide.
2007 NCAA Tournament Returns to Columbus
The NCAA tournament will return to Columbus for the opening rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the organization announced in July. Ohio State played host to the first and second rounds in 2004. Games were played at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus, which will again be the site of the event in 2007. Ohio State will act as the host institution for the event.
Clemson, LSU last to Face OSU
Entering the 2004-05 season, the Buckeyes had played every team from both the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences except for one member school from each league. With both Clemson (ACC) and Louisiana State (SEC) on the schedule this year, Ohio State will finish the year with at least one meeting against every member of the ACC and SEC.
Buckeyes Win No. 100 this Decade
Ohio State’s record in the first decade of the 21st century is shaping up to be one of the best in the history of the program. Ohio State is 100-57 (.637) since the beginning of the 1999-2000 season. The winning percentage is the second highest since 1910-19. The Buckeyes were 188-69 (.732) from 1960-69.
Buckeyes Seek Continued Nov. Success
The fall portion of the men’s basketball season at Ohio State typically goes well for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has played 70 November games with a record of 53-17, for a winning percentage of .757 heading into the game against Delaware. The Buckeyes will play six games in November this year.
Marinchick represents Buckeyes in Italy
After a one-year absence, the Big Ten Basketball Foreign Tour teams returned to play this summer. Penn State’s Kurt Kanaskie served as the head coach for the men’s team. The squad played games in Italy from Aug. 10-20. The Big Ten squad last played in Europe in the summer of 2002 and went 4-1 during travels through Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Matt Marinchick, a fifth-year senior center for the Buckeyes, averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds as the Big Ten team compiled a 3-2 record on the trip.
5th Ohio Mr. Basketball Joins Buckeyes
Jamar Butler is the 17th overall and fifth Ohio Mr. Basketball Award winner to play for Ohio State. Butler joins Tony Stockman (2000), Damon Stringer (1995), Greg Simpson (1991, 1992) and Jim Jackson (1988, 1989) as former Ohio Mr. Basketball award winners who went on to play for the Buckeyes.
Attendance in Top 20 for 6th-consecutive Year Attendance at Ohio State men’s basketball games remained in the Top 20 nationally in 2003-04 and has ranked among the national leaders in all six seasons at Value City Arena. Attendance averaged 14,521 in 15 home games a year ago to rank No. 18 nationally. A total of 1,631,437 have crossed the turnstiles at VCA for an average of 16,819 over 97 total home games since the facility opened for the 1998-99 season. The average is 3,543 more than the capacity (13,276) at St. John Arena, the former home of the Buckeyes (1956-1998).
NCAA Attendance in VCA Era Division I Home Attendance Leaders Year Gms. Total Avg. NCAA Rk 1999 15 258,348 17,223 7 2000 17 317,936 18,702 5 2001 17 298,172 17,540 4 2002 17 282,250 16,603 5 2003 16 256,914 16,057 10 2004 15 217,817 14,521 18 Totals 97 1,631,437 16,819
The Schedule
Ohio State opened the season Monday at home in the first of two rounds in the Guardians Classic. The Buckeyes advanced in the event to Kansas City to play Nov. 23-24 against Houston (Nov. 23) and either Missouri or Creighton Nov. 24. Other non-conference highlights include the game at St. John Arena against Chattanooga, a road game at Clemson Dec. 1 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and additional road games at Texas Tech in Dallas Dec. 16 and at Louisiana State Jan. 15. The Texas Tech game concludes a home-and-home with the Red Raiders. The contests vs. St. Joseph’s and LSU begin home-and-home series with each school. St. Joseph’s, which spent time ranked No. 1 a year ago, will visit Value City Arena Dec. 31. Thad Matta, Ohio State’s first-year head coach, is familiar with the Hawks, having knocked off No. 1 St. Joseph’s 87-67 in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament last March in Dayton.
Lewis to play for hometown Buckeyes
Ron Lewis, who played his first two seasons of college basketball at Bowling Green State University, transferred to his native Columbus to join Thad Matta at Ohio State. Lewis, a 2002 Brookhaven High School graduate, averaged 14.6 points and scored 877 points in his two seasons with the Falcons. He averaged 17.0 points and earned second team All-Mid American Conference honors as a sophomore before his transfer to Ohio State. Lewis started 55 of 60 career games at BGSU and was an 81 percent foul shooter (340-420) for his career. He will have two years of eligibility at Ohio State beginning with the 2005-06 campaign and becomes the first player to join the Buckeyes under Matta’s direction.
Majority of Buckeye Roster from Ohio
Nine of the 14 student athletes on the 2004-05 Buckeyes roster hail from their home state of Ohio. Seniors Matt Marinchick (Hudson) and Tony Stockman (Medina), juniors J.J. Sullinger (Columbus), Ron Lewis (Columbus), Terence Dials (Youngstown) and Matt Sylvester (Cincinnati), sophomore Ivan Harris (Springfield) and freshmen Jamar Butler (Lima) and Matt Terwilliger (Troy) all found their way home to play for Ohio State.
7 Buckeyes Spend Year in Residence
A total of seven student-athletes on the 2004-05 roster have spent a year on the Ohio State campus without playing in games for the Buckeyes. Junior Ricardo Billings sat out 2002-03 to satisfy academic requirements for eligibility last season. Juniors 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 Matt Marinchick (2000-01) decided to redshirt his first year in Columbus to gain strength and experience. Finally, senior Tony Stockman and junior 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. Ron Lewis, a junior transfer from Bowling Green, is sitting out the 2004-05 season and will become eligible to play for the Buckeyes in 2005-06. He will have two years of eligibility.
Blue Hens Reach Century Mark in Exhibition Victory over Widener
Junior college transfer Andrew Washington erupted for a game-high 31 points and added seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals, as the University of Delaware men’s basketball team opened its 2004-05 exhibition season with a 100-62 victory over NCAA Division III Widener Nov. 5 at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del.
Washington, a transfer from Allen (Kan.) Community College and native of Washington, DC, hit on 13 of 17 shots from the field, including two 3-pointers, to lead the Blue Hens. The Blue Hens shot 56.5 percent from the field (39 of 69) and held a 50-34 rebounding advantage.
Five Blue Hens scored in double figures as Washington was joined by Raphael Madera with 15 points and seven rebounds, Mike Slattery added 12 points and seven assists, Calvin Smith added 13 points and four blocks, and Lebo Maepa came off the bench to score 11 points and pull nine rebounds. Robin Wentt led all rebounders with 12 and added seven points.
Delaware posted a 16-12 record and tied for fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association standings a year ago. Head coach David Henderson’s squad return four starters to lineup this season, including Slattery, a senior point guard and preseason first team All-CAA selection.
Ohio State Owns 7-1 Record vs. CAA
The Buckeyes have met members of the Colonial Athletic Association eight times overall with a 7-1 record in those games after a win over Towson earlier this week in the opening round of the Guardians Classic in Columbus. Ohio State is 3-0 vs. George Mason, 2-0 vs. Towson, 1-0 vs. N.C.-Wilmington and Old Dominion and 0-1 against James Madison. The Buckeyes have never met Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, Virginia Commonwealth and William and Mary.
Henderson in Year 5 at Delaware
David Henderson succeeded Mike Brey, who resigned to become the head coach at Notre Dame, in July of 2000. Henderson is the 22nd men’s basketball coach as the program enters its 100th season in 2004-05. The Blue Hens have recorded a record of 65-52 under Henderson’s direction the last four seasons. A Duke graduate, Henderson ranks 20th on the Blue Devils’ all-time scoring list with 1,570 points. He was a co-captain on Duke’s 1986 Final Four squad.
