Ohio State Opens Big Ten Tournament Play vs. Indiana – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 9, 2004
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Date March 7, 2004
Opponent Indiana
Site Conseco Fieldhouse (18,500)
Game Time Noon (EST)
TV ESPN
Local TV None
TV Talent Dave Barnett (Play-by-Play), Tim McCormick (Analyst), Steve Lavin (Analyst)
Radio OSU Radio Network (59 stations)
Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Color)
No. 9 Seed Ohio State Buckeyes
Probable Starters (14-15, 6-10)
G 2 – Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, 6-1, Jr.
G 15 – Ricardo Billings, 6-3, So.
G 10 – Tony Stockman, 6-1, Jr.
C 14 – Velimir Radinovic, 7-0, Sr.
F 34 – Terence Dials, 6-9, So.
No. 8 Seed Indiana Hoosiers
Probable Starters (13-14, 7-9)
G 4 – Bracey Wright, 6-3, So.
G 12 – Donald Perry, 6-2, Jr.
G 22 – Marshall Strickland, 6-2, So.
C 5 – George Leach, 6-11, Sr.
F 2 – A.J. Moye, 6-3, Sr.
Radinovic Earns 3rd Team Honors
Velimir Radinovic was selected 2004 Third Team All-Big Ten by the Big Ten men’s basketball coaches and as a member of the honorable mention squad by the league’s media.
Radinovic, a 7-foot senior center for the Buckeyes, led the Big Ten in field goal shooting percentage, connecting on 65.2 percent of his shots (107-164) this year. In league play, he connected on 64.4 percent (65-101) to lead the conference.
As a rebounder, Radinovic, a native of Oakville, Ontario near Toronto, was No. 10 in the league with an average of 6.1 a contest. In Big Ten play, he rated No. 6 in overall rebounds with 6.8 a game. On the offensive end, he averaged 2.86 rebounds in all games to rank No. 3 in the league and in Big Ten games grabbed 3.0 offensive rebounds to hold down the No. 2 spot.
For his career, Radinovic has scored 749 (6.8 ppg.) points with 471 (4.3 rpg.) rebounds in 110 career appearances, which includes 81 starts.
With 61 career blocked shots, he rates No. 8 all time at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes at the Big Ten Tournament
Ohio State enters the 2004 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 9 seed after a 14-15 overall record in the regular season and a 6-10 mark in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have made consecutive appearances in the championship game of the Big Ten tourney. Ohio State defeated Iowa for the 2002 title and fell to Illinois last season in the championship game. The Buckeyes are 7-5 overall at the tournament. The No. 9 seed at the event is 5-6 overall. The winner of the Ohio State vs. Indiana game will meet No. 1-seed Illinois at noon Friday. That game will be televised by ESPN.
State of Indiana Kind to Buckeyes
Ohio State has enjoyed success in the state of Indiana in recent years. The Buckeyes began their trek to the 1999 Final Four by winning first and second round NCAA tournament games at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes defeated Murray State and Detroit that year. This season, the Buckeyes won at both Purdue and Indiana during the Big Ten season. It was in Indianapolis in 2002 that Ohio State captured the university’s first Big Ten tournament title with a win over Iowa. Since the 1998-99 season, Ohio State has a combined record of 14-5 against Purdue (8-1) and IU (6-4). The Buckeyes are 13-3 overall in the state of Indiana during that same span, which includes a 5-0 record in postseason play.
Ohio State to Retire Havlicek’s No. 5 During 2004-05 Season
The No. 5, worn by legendary Buckeye John Havlicek from 1960-62, will be retired during the 2004-05 season. A date has not been determined. Havlicek helped the Buckeyes to a 78-6 record during his career, which included three trips to the NCAA Final Four, three appearances in the NCAA title game and an NCAA title in 1960. Havlicek, who later starred for the Boston Celtics in the NBA, is the fourth men’s basketball player to have his number retired at Ohio State. He joins Jerry Lucas (No. 11), Gary Bradds (No. 35) and Jim Jackson (No. 22).
Buckeyes Nearly Pull Upset vs. Illinois
Deron Williams’ free throw with 16.5 seconds left provided the final margin in No. 18 Illinois’ 64-63 win over Ohio State, securing the Illini’s first outright Big Ten title in 52 years. The Illini dominated most of the game, leading by as many as 16 points in the first half and 17 in the second, before a furious Ohio State comeback in the final nine minutes. Williams hit a free throw to give the Illini a 64-60 lead. Ohio State countered on a 3-pointer by Tony Stockman with 6.2 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Illini inbounded to Williams, an 86 percent free-throw shooter, who was fouled with 5.2 seconds left. Williams missed the first of a one-and-one situation, however, and Ohio State’s Terence Dials rebounded. Brandon Fuss-Cheatham brought the ball the length of the floor as time slipped away. He tried to slide past Illinois center James Augustine, but ran into his right side, the ball squirting loose as the final buzzer sounded. Dee Brown led the Illini with 18 points, Williams had 14 and Luther Head 13. Dials scored a career-high 22 points for Ohio State. Stockman added 13.
Stockman Eclipses 1,000 Career Points
Junior guard Tony Stockman scored 16 points against Iowa (2/18/04) to reach 1,000 for his career. A transfer from Clemson, Stockman scored 716 during his two years with the Tigers. He has 372 points as a Buckeye for a career total of 1,088 (12.7 ppg.). He reached 200 career assists with two at Wisconsin (2/14/04). Against Michigan State Feb. 7, Stockman knocked down five 3-pointers to push his career total over the 200 (223) mark.
The Buckeyes vs. Indiana
The teams split the regular season series with each team winning on the opponent’s court. Indiana leads the all-time series 96-69. Ohio State is 47-34 in Columbus. The Hoosiers are 58-22 in Bloomington. The teams have met four times on neutral courts with the Hoosiers winning each matchup. The last neutral meeting was a 78-71 Indiana win in the inaugural Big Ten tournament in 1998. Ohio State has played the Hoosiers three times in a season on three previous occasions, the last in 1997-98.
Dials, Radinovic Lead OSU in Season Series vs. Indiana
Velimir Radinovic averaged 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in the two games vs. Indiana this season. The senior center scored a career-high 24 points in Bloomington Feb. 21. Terence Dials scored 19 to lead the Buckeyes against IU Jan. 20. Dials averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds against the Hoosiers this year. The duo combined to connect on 29-of-50 shots (.580) from the floor. Radinovic was 15-of-22 (.682).
Radinovic Atop Big Ten in FG Percentage
Senior Velimir Radinovic finished the regular season No. 1 in the Big Ten in field goal shooting percentage, knocking down 65.2 percent of his shots (107-164). He has made 57 percent of his shots for his career (263-461) in 110 games. He made 65-of-101 (.644) shots in Big Ten play this season.
O’Brien 4th All-Time in OSU Career Wins
Jim O’Brien has won 133 career games at Ohio State in his seven seasons in Columbus. That total is the fourth-most in Ohio State history. Fred Taylor is the career leader with 297 career wins from 1959-1976 (18 yrs.). Harold G. Olsen is No. 2 (260, 1923-46/24) and Eldon Miller is No. 3 with 174 wins from 1977-86 in 10 seasons.
O’Brien 2nd All-Time in Average Wins Per Season at Ohio State
Jim O’Brien has averaged 19.0 wins per year in his seven years at Ohio State, the second-highest average all-time behind the 19.7 wins a year reached by Gary Williams in his three seasons in Columbus from 1987-89. Williams was 59-41 and made the NCAA Tournament once and the National Invitation Tournament twice. O’Brien has taken four teams to the NCAA Tournament and one to the NIT and has one Final Four (1999) appearance to his credit. Following the 8-22 1997-98 season, his first at Ohio State, O’Brien has averaged 20.8 victories a season in Columbus.
O’Brien Win Percentage Soars When 70 Points Reached
In Jim O’Brien’s seven seasons in Columbus the Buckeyes have won 81 percent of their games when scoring 70 or more points. Ohio State is 8-2 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 8-2 .800 Totals 89-21 .809
Stockman Paces Buckeyes
Junior Tony Stockman leads Ohio State with an average of 13.8 points a game. With a total of 61 steals, Stockman is among Big Ten leaders (2nd) with an average of 2.18 thefts a game. Senior Velimir Radinovic is the team’s second leading scorer with an average of 10.2 ppg. Stockman leads Ohio State vs. Big Ten competition with 13.5 ppg. Terence Dials is second at 11.6 ppg.
Noting the Illinois Game
* Ohio State will be the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten tournament next weekend and will face Indiana in the first round at noon Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
* Ohio State’s starting lineup of junior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, sophomore Ricardo Billings, junior Tony Stockman, senior Velimir Radinovic and sophomore Terence Dials made its second-consecutive appearance overall against the Illini.
* The Buckeye bench outscored the Illinois bench, 8-0 in the first half and 16-2 for the game.
* Ohio State kept the game close by shooting 15-of-23 (.652) in the second half.
* The Buckeyes fell to 9-10 in games played March 7.
* With the victory, Illinois claimed its first outright Big Ten title since 1952. The win also solidified the No. 1 seed for the Illini in the Big Ten tournament.
* The win Sunday by Illinois marked the first time it has won in Value City Arena since it opened for the 1998-99 season.
Ohio State Player Notes
* Terence Dials set a career high with 22 points, with 17 scored in the second half. His previous high of 19 was set vs. Indiana earlier this season (1/20/04). Dials was 7-of-9 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
* Nick Dials set a career high with five assists against the Illini.
* Tony Stockman moved into a tie for seventh place on the single-season steals list with 61. He is tied with Michael Redd who set the mark in 1998. Stockman needs three more steals to move up to sixth place with Jason Singleton (1999).
* Velimir Radinovic recorded two blocks against Illinois, which moves him into eighth place on the OSU career block shot chart with 61. He moved past Clark Kellogg (1980-82) who recorded 60 in his Buckeye career.
Noting the Buckeyes
Redshirt sophomore Terence Dials has been known for his scoring touch around the basket. In 66 career games, he has made 205-of-382 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of .537. He has improved his foul shooting this year as well, hitting on 72 percent (83-115) of his shots. He has grabbed five or more rebounds in 19 of 29 games this year. His 19 points vs. Indiana in January pushed him over the 400 mark and his 16 points Feb. 21 eclipsed the 500-point plateau for his career (547). He enters the Big Ten tournament after a 7-for-7 effort against Illinois in the second half. He finished with a career-high 22 points.
Junior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham’s playing time is up to 24 minutes a game this year. He has set career highs in scoring three times this season with 11 and 13 points, respectively, vs. Samford and Furman and then a 17-point effort at Iowa. He has 132 career assists, which includes 68 this year.
Senior captain Velimir Radinovic reached 700 career points (749) for his Buckeye career. He’s averaged 6.8 points in 110 games at Ohio State. From the field, Radinovic has been much improved. As a senior, he is connecting on 65 percent of his shots (107-164). For his career, he has connected on 263-461 shots (.570). He could reach 500 career rebounds with 29 more this season. Radinovic is in the No. 8 spot in career blocks with 61.
Junior Tony Stockman scored his 1,000th career point (1,101) with 16 vs. Iowa Feb. 18. He eclipsed the 900-point mark with 10 at Illinois and the 1,100 plateau with 13 vs. Illinois in March. He came to Ohio State with 716 points after two years at Clemson. With five field goals vs. UMBC, Stockman reached 300 for his career. Of his 374 made shots for his career, 226 have come from 3-point range (60 percent). With 71 made 3-pointers this year, Stockman now is No. 3 in the Ohio State record book in single season made 3-point attempts. Stockman also holds down the No. 3 spot in made 3-pointers in a game with seven vs. Penn State March 3. His 61 steals this year are a career high for a single season. He had 84 steals in two years at Clemson. Stockman moved to the No. 8 position at OSU with two vs. PSU. He is tied with Michael Redd’s 61 in 1998. Stockman’s six steals vs. Northwestern is tied for third for the most steals in a game at Ohio State. Several Buckeyes have recorded six steals in one contest. The last was Brent Darby against Iowa Jan. 25, 2003.
With 14 points at Wisconsin, sophomore J.J. Sullinger reached 500 career points, which includes 273 scored as a Razorback. He has scored 559 career points, including 286 at Ohio State. His career scoring average is 9.6 points per game in 58 career appearances. He is averaging 9.9 points in 29 contests at Ohio State. Sullinger has made 16-of-21 (.762) foul shots in the last four games but has struggled for most of the year at the line (60-115/.522).
Nick Dials has made the most of his minutes this season. The New Haven, Ohio, native has 38 assists and 23 steals. Of his 23 field goals, 14 have been from 3-point range. He has connected on 88 percent of his foul shots this year (22-25). He returned to action vs. Penn State March 3 after missing several games with a wrist injury. In the regular season finale vs. Illinois, Dials handed out a career-high five assists in just 12 minutes of action.
Ricardo Billings gives the Buckeyes quickness off the bench, usually in relief of Sullinger at the No. 3 guard spot. Billings averages 15 minutes a game as a reserve and part-time starter (8 gms.). He has demonstrated the ability to get to the basket in traffic with an ability to create shots down low with his slashing abilities along the baseline and in the painted area. He has 10 made 3-pointers, 22 assists and 12 steals on the year.
Ivan Harris is coming along both offensively and defensively for the Buckeyes. The 2003 McDonald’s High School All-American has appeared in 26 games, starting two, for the Buckeyes for an average of just more than 10 minutes a game. He can score in bunches with a soft left-handed jumper from mid- to long-range accuracy. He came off the bench to score eight points on 3-of-5 shooting vs. Illinois Sunday. With added size and an increased attention to rebounding and defense, Harris could be a significant contributor down the stretch and in the future for the Buckeyes.
Shun Jenkins is winding down a career as a significant contributor for Ohio State as a backup center and forward. Jenkins, though undersized for work in the painted area, has managed to give quality minutes with desire and hard work. He has played in 28 games to date during his senior season.
The Bucks in the Big Ten
Terence Dials rates as the No. 6 rebounder in the Big Ten with 6.5 a game. Velimir Radinovic is No. 1 in the conference in field goal percentage (.652), No. 3 in offensive rebounds (2.86) and No. 10 overall in rebounding with 6.1 a game. Dials is No. 7 in offensive rebounds (2.55). Tony Stockman is No. 2 in 3-pointers made per game (2.54) and No. 2 in steals (2.18).
Indiana Travels to Indy with 13-14 Rcd.
Ohio State opens the 2004 Big Ten Tournament against the No. 8 seed Indiana Hoosiers. IU is 13-14 overall after a 7-9 finish in the Big Ten regular season. The Hoosiers are 2-8 in the last 10 Big Ten games, which includes a loss in Bloomington to Ohio State (59-56) Feb. 21.
Guard Tandem Tops IU Scoring Chart
Sophomore guard Bracey Wright leads Indiana with 18.7 points a game, good enough for the No. 3 spot in scoring among conference players. He leads the team in field goals made (152), 3-pointers made (67), foul shots made (133) and is second in rebounds (5.6 rpg.). Marshall Stickland is the second leading scorer with 11.5 ppg. Senior A.J. Moye is the squad’s top rebounder with 6.3 rpg.
Davis in Fourth Year at IU
Mike Davis nears the end of his fourth year at Indiana with an overall record of 80-52. Indiana is 13-14 overall this year.
Radinovic, T. Dials Pace Buckeyes vs. IU
Senior Velimir Radinovic is the most experienced Buckeye in games vs. Indiana with a total of seven played vs. the Hoosiers. Radinovic averages 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in games vs. IU. Sophomore Terence Dials has four games of experience and averages 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds against Indiana.
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 69-96 Iowa 65-71 Michigan 82-70 Michigan State 46-57 Minnesota 72-51 Northwestern 104-44 Penn State 15-13 Purdue 72-78 Wisconsin 80-58 Totals 666-637
On This Date, OSU 7-4
Ohio State is 7-4 in games played on March 11. The last win on this date was the first win in the 1999 NCAA Tournament for the Buckeyes. That game was played at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
3/11/10 – W – @Ohio Wesleyan, 25-15
3/11/11 – L – @Ohio Wesleyan, 16-28
3/11/14 – W – Ohio Wesleyan, 27-18
3/11/16 – W – @Oberlin, 22-20
3/11/60 – W – *vs W. Kentucky, 98(3)-79
3/11/61 – W – @Illinois, 95(1)-66
3/11/82 – L – *vs James Madison, 48-55
3/11/89 – L – Minnesota, 70-78
3/11/92 – W – Illinois, 82(5)-70
3/11/95 – L – Illinois, 63-82
3/11/99 – W – ^vs. Murray State, 72(14)-58
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 77-19 (.802) 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. Eighteen teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 have battled the Buckeyes at VCA. Ohio State has turned away 13 of those squads, including eight of nine ranked league opponents.
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. 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 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.
