Buckeyes Travel to Clemson for Big Ten/ACC Challenge – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2004
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Opponent Clemson (2-1)
Site Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000)
Game Time 7:35 p.m. (EST)
TV ESPN2
Local TV None
TV Talent Mark Jones, Play-by-Play, Fran Fraschilla, Expert Analysis, Heather Cox, Sideline Reporter
Radio OSU Radio Network (59 stations)
Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Color)
Buckeyes Look to Even Record in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Ohio State is playing in its fourth Big Ten/ACC Challenge this year and for the second time away from home. The Buckeyes first played in the event in the 2001-02 season, a home win over N.C. State (64-50). The Buckeyes played a neutral game against No. 4 Duke in 2002-03 in Greensboro, N.C., a 91-76 defeat to the Blue Devils. Ohio State played host to No. 13 Georgia Tech last season but dropped a 73-53 decision to the Yellow Jackets. Ohio State never has faced Clemson in program history.
OSU Returns to St. John, Sets Records in Win Over Mocs
J.J. Sullinger scored 21 points and Ohio State set school records for 3-pointers made (17) and attempted (35) in an 84-67 win over Chattanooga Nov. 27. The previous school marks were 13 3-pointers made and 30 attempted. Ivan Harris added 17 points – hitting all five of his 3-pointers in the second half – with Tony Stockman scoring 16 points and Terence Dials 11. Chris Brown had 12 points and Mindaugas Katelynas and Matt Malone each scored 10 for the Mocs. Chattanooga started the game double-teaming Ohio State’s Dials every time he touched the ball down low, giving the Buckeyes’ perimeter shooters a clear window to shoot. Sullinger hit 4 of 5 shots behind the arc in the opening half as Ohio State opened up a 43-33 lead. The Buckeyes built the lead to 64-43 midway through the second half, thanks in part to 3s on consecutive possessions by Stockman, Harris and Je’Kel Foster early in the half. The Mocs drew as close as 67-54 on Brown’s tip-in with 7:43 left, but then Ohio State pulled away again with its outside shooting. The game was played in St. John Arena, Ohio State’s home court from 1956 to 1998.
Noting the Chattanooga Game
Ohio State returned to St. John Arena for the first time sinceFeb. 28, 1998, an 89-85 overtime loss to Penn State. It was thefinal game in St. John Arena, the longtime home of the Buckeyesbefore the squad moved to the Jerome Schottenstein Center in thefall of 1998. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series againstChattanooga, 4-1. The Buckeyes have a 427-151 all-time record inSt. John Arena for a winning percentage of .730. Notably, OhioState is 80-20 (.800) all-time in Value City Arena. Ohio State is11-4 all-time against teams in the Southern Conference. A TonyStockman bucket with 19:03 in the first half was the first basketin St. John Arena since Feb. 28, 1998, when Carlos Davis hit alayup with seven seconds left in the overtime contest against PennState. J.J. Sullinger recorded the last Ohio State bucket in St.John Arena with 1:37 left in the contest. Ivan Harris hit theBuckeyes’ 14th 3-pointer of the game with 6:25 left in the contestto set the team school single-game record. Ohio State finished with17 treys in the game to surpass the previous record of 13, whichthe Buckeyes did three times: against Purdue (2/23/02), Santa Clara(12/12/01) and Oakland (11/13/98). Ohio State’s 35 attempts alsoset a school mark. The previous record was 30, set Dec. 12, 2001against Santa Clara. The last time Ohio State sank 13 3-point fieldgoals was Feb. 23, 2002, against Purdue in Value City Arena. TheBuckeyes were 13-of-23 (.560) against the Boilermakers. Ohio Stateis 5-0 this year when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.OSU’s 84 points are the most in any game this season. The last timeOhio State scored at least 84 points was in a win over IllinoisMarch 9, 2002, when the Buckeyes netted 94 points. Ivan Harris went5-of-7 from beyond the arc to set a career high mark. Harris’previous best was two 3-point field goals against Illinois(3/7/04). Harris finished with 17 points against the Mocs.Sullinger set a season high with 21 points and also tied a careerhigh with four (of five) 3-pointers. His previous season high was16 against Creighton in the title game of the Guardians ClassicNov. 24. The Buckeyes have led at halftime in all six contests thisseason. Ohio State is 5-0 this season when scoring 70 or morepoints.
Stockman Returns to Face Tigers
Ohio State senior guard Tony Stockman returns to Clemson to face his former school when he suits up for the game against the Tigers Wednesday. Stockman played for two seasons at Clemson before joining the Ohio State program in 2002-03. He sat out that season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules before beginning his Ohio State playing career in 2003-04. Stockman averaged 12.1 points in 59 games as a Tiger.
Top Six Buckeyes Fare Well from Field
As a team, Ohio State is scoring on 52 percent of its shots taken from the field this year. The top six scorers all are making better than 50 percent of their shots after six games. J.J. Sullinger leads the starters, making 73 percent of his shots (32-44). He is followed by Ivan Harris (.591/26-44), Terence Dials (.568/.25-44), Tony Stockman (.530/36-66), Matt Sylvester (.524/11-21) and Je’Kel Foster (.514/18-35). Sullinger (.778/7-9), Sylvester (.625/5-8) and Foster (.536/15-28) all are scoring well from 3-point range as well.
Harris, Sullinger Pace Buckeyes in Guardians Event
Ivan Harris led three players in double figures in the two games played in Kansas City in the Guardians Classic. Harris averaged 15.0 points followed by Tony Stockman (13.5 ppg.) and J.J. Sullinger (11.5 ppg.). Terence Dials grabbed 9.5 rebounds during the semifinals and finals. In the four games played in the Guardians Classic, Sullinger was the top scorer with 12.5 points a game. Dials was second with 12.3 ppg. followed by Stockman (11.5) and Harris (10.0). Dials averaged 7.3 rebounds in the four games.
Clemson Drops Road Contest to B.C.
Craig Smith scored 23 points and Jared Dudley 17, lifting Boston College to a 79-70 win over future ACC foe Clemson Nov. 26. Sharrod Ford led Clemson with 15 points. Shawan Robinson, the team’s leading scorer at 22 points per game, was held to 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. The Tigers opened the second half by scoring the initial nine points, slicing an 11-point deficit to 41-39, before BC answered with a 15-5 run. Louis Hinnant sparked the run with a 3-pointer and Marshall capped it with a four-point play. Clemson cut it to 56-49 on a Hamilton short jumper with 10:38 to play. BC then took control with a quick 6-0 run, opening a 62-49 lead on Dudley’s layup with 8 1/2 minutes left. Smith’s 3-pointer made it 78-63 with 1:59 to go. Clemson had 16 steals in the game and forced BC into 22 turnovers. But BC solved the Clemson press late in the first half and led 41-30 at halftime. Sean Marshall added 16 points for Boston College.
Buckeyes in the Big Ten
Brandon Fuss-Cheatham’s 5.4/1 assist to turnover ratio (27/5) is third among all Big Ten players. Fuss-Cheatham averages 4.5 assists a game and just under one turnover a contest. As a team, the Buckeyes have a +6.17 turnover margin over opponents (10.7-16.8), good for the No. 2 spot in the league. The team’s assist to turnover ratio (+1.64) also is second among league schools. Ohio State’s 3-point field goal percentage defense is No. 3 in the league (.271) as is the overall field goal percentage defense (.370).
Ohio State Owns 32-17 Record vs. the Atlantic Coast Conference
Ohio State has played 49 games against teams representing the ACC. The Buckeyes have faced every league school except Clemson with winning records against all except Duke (2-3) and North Carolina (2-7). Ohio State is 1-2 to date in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Ohio State vs. the ACC Clemson First Meeting Duke 2-3 Florida State 4-0 Georgia Tech 10-3 Maryland 3-2 North Carolina 2-7 North Carolina State 2-1 Virginia 3-1 Wake Forest 6-0 Totals 32-17
Ohio State on Dec. 1
Ohio State has not played a Dec. 1 game since 1996, a home win over Southwestern Louisiana. Overall, Ohio State is 18-3 on this date with the last loss coming against N.C. State in 1989 (68-54) at the Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, N.C.
12/1/54 W @Pittsburgh, 98-87 12/1/56 W Butler, 98-82 12/1/59 W Wake Forest, 77-69 12/1/60 W @Ohio University, 85-64 12/1/62 W Utah State, 62-50 12/1/65 W @Missouri, 76-74 12/1/66 W Butler, 74-67 12/1/67 W California-Davis, 95-52 12/1/69 W @Wake Forest, 96(18)-92 12/1/70 L @Utah State, 89-95(12) 12/1/71 W @Georgia Tech, 63(5)-55 12/1/72 L @Washington, 63(10)-67 12/1/76 W @Evansville, 74-62 12/1/79 W Ohio University, 78(4)-51 12/1/83 W vs Maryland, 72-68(8) 12/1/84 W Arkansas, 85-84(17) 12/1/87 W Western Michigan, 94-79 12/1/89 L vs N.C. St., 54-68(19) 12/1/90 W Y’town State, 112(11)-67 12/1/92 W Ohio University, 77-61 12/1/96 W Southwestern La, 94-88
Purnell in Second Season at Clemson
Oliver Purnell has been the head coach of the Clemson Tigers for two seasons after spending head coaching stints at Radford (1989-91), Old Dominion (1992-94) and Dayton (1995-2003). He has a career record of 268-210 in 17 seasons as a head coach.
Newcomers, Buckeyes Value the Ball
The four first-year Buckeyes on the 2004-05 roster have just eight turnovers and as a team Ohio State has 64 on the year in six games and 1,225-combined minutes played by the team. Freshmen Jamar Butler (111 minutes), Matt Terwilliger (55) and Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (14) have played a combined 180 minutes with four turnovers. Je’Kel Foster, a junior college transfer, has played 132 minutes without four miscues. Ohio State has 30 more assists (105-75) and 37 fewer turnovers (64-101) than the six opponents to date. Ohio State has 41 more assists (105) than turnovers (64) this year. Senior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham leads the Buckeyes with 27 assists and has just five turnovers on the year.
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.
Noting the Buckeyes
Junior J.J. Sullinger has connected on 73 percent of his shots from the field (32-44) in six games this season. He has scored in double figures in five of the six games on the year. He trails Terence Dials (6.8 rpg.) for the team rebounding lead with 4.3 rpg. Sullinger’s five blocks also leads the team. With 21 points against Chattanooga, he upped his career scoring average to 10.2 points a game with 660 career points in 65 career games. Against the Mocs last Saturday, Sullinger tied a career high with four made 3-pointers in five attempts. He is making 78 percent of his long range shots this season (7-9).
Senior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham owns the team lead with 27 assists against just five turnovers from the point guard position. His assist to turnover ratio of 5.4/1 is the best of his career. In 131 minutes, he has averaged one turnover in 26.2 minutes played. He is playing 21.8 minutes a contest to date and has less then one turnover a game.
Sophomore Ivan Harris has started six games this year after making two all of his freshman season. He scored a career high 19 points in the semifinals of the Guardians Classic against Houston and then added 11 points in the overtime loss to Creighton, earning him a spot on the all-tournament team alongside teammate J.J. Sullinger. Harris is connecting on 59 percent of his shots (26-44) from the field as a sophomore and at 50 percent (64-127) for his career. He set a career high with five made 3-pointers in seven attempts against Chattanooga. He made all five attempts in the second half from long range. In his last three games, Harris has made 20 of 29 shots from the field (.690).
Senior Tony Stockman averages 14.7 points a game this season in 28.3 minutes a game. He tallied 13.6 points a game a year ago in 33.5 minutes a contest. Against Delaware (11/19) he scored 26 points, his career-high effort as a Buckeye. He also knocked down six 3-pointers against the Blue Hens. Stockman has connected on 6 or more 3 pointers three times as a Buckeye. Stockman leads Ohio State with 12 steals. His shooting percentage of .530 (35-66) is the best of his career.
Freshman Jamar Butler has played the most minutes of the freshman class to date (111/18.5 per game). He has just two turnovers to go with 14 assists. Butler has gone to the line six times and has yet to miss a charity toss. Butler has at least one assist in all six games. The only game in which he did not score this season is the only loss for the Buckeyes to date, an overtime setback against Creighton (11/24).
Junior Je’Kel Foster has made the most of his court time off the bench this season. In six games he has averaged 8.7 points a game in 22.0 minutes a contest. He is shooting 54 percent from long range (15-28) and is second on the team with 10 steals. His 11 assists are tied for third on the squad. Foster has made a 3 pointer in all six games and as many as three in four contests, including the last three.
Junior Terence Dials is shooting 57 percent from the field (25-44), helping the team to a 52 percent shooting percentage on the year. Dials has made 55 percent of his shots for his career (237-434). With a 10.3 points per game scoring average, he is No. 3 this season behind Stockman (14.7 ppg.) and Sullinger (13.8).
Junior Matt Sylvester has made 52 percent of his shots this year in six games (11-21). He has connected on 5 of 8 3-point attempts for a .625 shooting percentage. He has made three of his last four long range shots and has a block in each of the last three games with at least one assist in five of six contests this year.
Ohio State Shooting Percentage Improves
Seven of Ohio State’s 10 players who log 10 or more minutes a game are shooting 50 percent or better from the field after five games this year. The team averages a shooting percentage of .521 on the season and has shot 50 percent or better in four of the five games. A year ago, after five games, nine players averaged 10 or more minutes. Two of those, Velimir Radinovic (9-10/.900) and J.J. Sullinger (23-42/.561) were connecting on 50 percent or better from the field in 2003-04. The Buckeyes are averaging 74.2 points while allowing 55.6 a game this year. The Buckeyes averaged 64.6 points after five games last year while allowing 73.8 a year ago.
Buckeyes Play Often in Early Going
In a span of 17 days Ohio State will play seven games after the season tipped off Nov. 15 in the opening round of the Guardians Classic. The Buckeyes played Houston and Creighton in Kansas City, Mo., last Tuesday and Wednesday in the semifinals and finals of the Guardians event. Ohio State played at home, this time at St. John Arena, Saturday against Chattanooga and will conclude the run of games when they hit the road for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge game against Clemson Wednesday. Ohio State then gets a nine-day break for final exams before a home game against Portland State Dec. 11.
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 50-55 in Away Openers
Ohio State opened its 106th season of men’s basketball against Towson in the first round of the Guardians Classic in Columbus Nov. 15. 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 50-55 (.476). The Buckeyes did not play a road game in 1900-01. Ohio State is 87-19 (.821) in home openers.
Buckeyes Win No. 103 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 103-58 (.640) 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 Enjoy 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 74 November games with a record of 56-18, for a winning percentage of .757 after a 5-1 November in 2004.
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 playing rotation. Senior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham will be challenged by 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 80-20 at VCA
The Buckeyes began season No. 7 at Value City Arena Nov. 15 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 80-20 in 100 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.
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.
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 Nov. 15 at home in the first of two rounds in the Guardians Classic. The Buckeyes advanced in the event to Kansas City against Houston (Nov. 23) and Creighton Nov. 24. Other non-conference highlights included 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.
