Buckeyes Return Home to Face Norfolk State – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2005
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Date Dec. 12, 2005
Opponent Norfolk State (2-4)
Site Value City Arena (18,500)
Game Time 8 p.m.
Television ESPN Plus/ESPNU
Local TV WBNS TV
TV Talent Tom Hamilton (P-by-P), 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 (Expert Analysis)
BUCKEYE OFFENSE CLICKS EARLY, FIVE AVERAGE DOUBLE DIGITS
Ohio State is averaging 77.5 points in the first four games of the season, including the most recent win, an 81-74 win at St. Joseph’s. Opponents average 62.8 ppg. The Buckeyes have made 53 percent of their field goals (106-202), while allowing opponents to make just 39 percent (95-242). From the foul line, Ohio State has taken 97 shots, making 67 (.691), while foes have gone to the line 51 times in four games, making 34 (.567). The Buckeyes own the rebound advantage (36.5-29.5). Balance has been the norm with five players averaging 10 or more points a game. Je’Kel Foster, fresh from a career-high 24 points at St. Joseph’s, leads the team with 16.5 points a game. Ron Lewis (13.3 ppg.), Terence Dials (12.8 ppg.), Jamar Butler (10.7 ppg.) and J.J. Sullinger (10.0 ppg.) all follow. Sullinger averages a double-double with 10.8 rebounds a game as well.
OHIO STATE LOOKS TO MOVE TO 5-0
The Buckeyes, off to a 4-0 start for the second-consecutive year, face Norfolk State with the chance to move to 5-0 for the first time since the 2001-02 season when the Buckeyes started the season 6-0 before a loss at Louisville (12/15). Ohio State has been 5-0 on 21 occasions all-time and 13 times since 1950.
THREE BUCKEYES TOP BIG TEN LISTS
Senior J.J. Sullinger leads the Big Ten with an average of 10.8 rebounds a game while also leading all league players with an average of 7.75 defensive boards a game. His 14 rebounds in the win over Butler (11/22) also ties for the league lead for rebounds in a single game. Sullinger ranks 11th nationally in total rebounds per game. Junior Sylvester Mayes also tops a pair of league categories. His average of 2.5 steals a game and his 2.8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (14 asts./5 TOs) lead the league. Senior Je’Kel Foster is the top field goal shooter in the conference to date, connecting on 24 of 33 field goal attempts (.727), sixth-best nationally. He also leads in 3-point shooting percentage, making 61.1 percent of his long-range shots, good for the No. 14 spot in the country. Foster has made 11 of 18 3-pointers.
As a team, Ohio State rates among the Top 2 teams in the Big Ten in several statistical categories. The Buckeyes lead the league in steals (8.24 spg.) and scoring margin (+14.7 ppg.). Ohio State is No. 2 in field goal percentage (.525/7th in the country), defensive rebounds (27.5 drpg.), rebounding defense (29.5 opp. rpg.) and field goal percentage defense (.393).
HOT-HANDED GUARDS
The overall play of the four-man guard rotation has been consistent throughout the early going for the Buckeyes. Je’Kel Foster, Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler and Sylvester Mayes have made 58 of 97 shots from the field (.598) and 53 percent of their 3-point attempts (26-49). Foster leads the way making 73 percent of his field goals (24-33) and 61 percent from long range (11-18). Lewis also is shooting well at a 57 percent clip (16-28) from the field. The group also accounts for 38 of 63 assists and 24 of 33 steals to date.
OHIO STATE IS 51-55 IN 1ST ROAD CONTEST OF THE SEASON
Ohio State opened its 107th season of men’s basketball against Chicago State Nov. 20. The Buckeyes are 84-23 (.785) all-time in season openers. In the first road game of the year, Ohio State is 51-55 (.481). The Buckeyes did not play a road game in 1900-01. Ohio State is 88-19 (.822) in home openers. The win at St. Joe’s was the first true road win since a 92-87 victory at George Mason in 1995 (12/9).
DIALS CLIMBING SCORING CHART
Senior Terence Dials has 1,129 career points, good for a tie at the No. 30 spot all-time in scoring at Ohio State. He scored 509 points a season ago and with a similar season in 2005-06, Dials has a chance to crack the Top 10 all-time in career scoring. Robin Freeman (1954-56) scored 1,597 career points during his Ohio State career and is 10th all-time in OSU scoring annals. Dials needs 469 or more points to reach the Top 10. The most recent Buckeye to crack the Top 10 was Michael Redd, who currently plays for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. He finished his OSU career in 2000 with 1,879 career points.
DIALS CLOSE TO 700 CLUB
Senior Terence Dials is on track to become one of Ohio State’s Top 10 rebounders of all time. He has 645 boards and will become one of just 12 Buckeyes to reach the 700 mark with 55 more rebounds this season. If he reached the 253 total rebounds he grabbed as a junior, he will tie for the No. 5 spot all time with Clark Kellogg (1980-82) with 872. There are four players with 900 or more rebounds in Ohio State history led by Jerry Lucas (1960-62) with 1,411, a total reached in just three seasons. Herb Williams (1978-81) is No. 2 with 1,111. Perry Carter (989, 1988-91) and Bill Hosket (910, 1966-68) are the only other two players to record 900 or more career rebounds. Hosket’s total also was recorded in three years.
1,000 X 3
Ohio State’s roster could soon contain three players who have scored 1,000 or more points in their collegiate careers. Terence Dials already has accomplished the feat. His total stands at 1,129 points scored to date, good for 30th (T) on the all-time list at OSU. Senior J.J. Sullinger has scored 926 career points. He played one season at Arkansas, scoring 273 points in 2001-02, and is now in his third year at Ohio State. Junior Ron Lewis, who transferred to Ohio State with 877 points to his credit after two seasons at Bowling Green, has a career total of 930, which includes 53 scored as a Buckeye.
NORFOLK STATE 2-4 IN EARLY GOING
The Spartans of Norfolk State University travel to Columbus on a two-game win streak after starting the season 0-4. NSU dropped three games to Wisconsin, Eastern Kentucky and Fordham at the 2005 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas Nov. 18-21. The Spartans then played a George Washington Nov. 26 and dropped an 80-69 decision. Norfolk State played host to Towson Nov. 30 and won 78-49 before taking to the road for a 57-43 win at Hampton Dec. 3.
SOPHOMORE GUARD LEADS SPARTANS
Tony Murphy, a sophomore guard from Paterson, N.J., leads the Spartans with an average of 16.8 points a game in six starts. Junior Calvin Brown, a junior center from Mitchellville, Md., is the only other player to average in double digits offensively with 11.0 points a game. He has connected on 73 percent of his field goals to date (24-33) and is the team leader with five blocks. Brown also is the team’s top rebounder with 6.5 boards a contest. Keith Young, a senior guard from Lanham, Md., is the top threat from 3-point range, connecting on 54 percent of his trey attempts (7-13).
OHIO STATE ON THIS DATE
The Buckeyes are 11-4 in games played on this date. Ohio State is 3-1 in its last four games contested on this date. The last win was an 88-41 triumph vs. Santa Clara in 2001.
| Date | W/L | Opponent | Score |
| 12/12/03 | W | Columbus YMCA | 42-23 |
| 12/12/25 | W | Ohio University | 33-27 |
| 12/12/31 | W | Missouri | 30-17 |
| 12/12/34 | W | Marietta | 32-21 |
| 12/12/35 | W | George Washington | 36-27 |
| 12/12/42 | L | Great Lakes | 46-49 |
| 12/12/53 | W | Oklahoma | 73-64 |
| 12/12/55 | W | Oklahoma | 89(16)-68 |
| 12/12/70 | L | Pennsylvania | 64-71(8) |
| 12/12/78 | W | Louisville | 85-69(4) |
| 12/12/81 | L | @West Virginia | 68-73 |
| 12/12/90 | W | Wright State | 90(8)-60 |
| 12/12/92 | W | Bowling Green | 80-54 |
| 12/12/93 | L | @Marquette | 66-86 |
| 12/12/01 | W | Santa Clara | 88-41 |
THE NORFOLK STATE SERIES
This will be the first meeting against the NSU Spartans for Ohio State.
OHIO STATE VS. THE MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Buckeyes have met current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on nine previous occasions, all Ohio State wins. The Buckeyes last played a MEAC representative Dec. 30, 2002, a 70-62 win over Hampton in Columbus.
OSU vs. The Mid-Eastern Athletic
| Bethune-Cookman | 1-0 |
| Coppin State | 2-0 |
| Delaware State | 1-0 |
| Florida A&M | 1-0 |
| Hampton | 1-0 |
| Howard | 1-0 |
| Maryland Eastern Shore | 0-0 |
| Morgan State | 1-0 |
| Norfolk State | 0-0 |
| North Carolina A&T | 1-0 |
| South Carolina St. | 0-0 |
| Totals | 9-0 |
SEVEN ESPN PLUS OHIO STATE GAMES TO APPEAR ON ESPNU
ESPNU, an ESPN cable property which televises a variety of college sporting events, will carry seven Ohio State men’s basketball games this season, the Big Ten announced Nov. 22. The games will be produced by ESPN Regional Television and will be carried locally in Columbus on WBNS 10 TV as an originally scheduled ESPN Plus telecast. ESPN Plus games are typically carried by WOIO (CBS) or WAOH (independent) in Cleveland, Ohio; WHIO (CBS) or UPN 17 in Dayton, Ohio; and WYTV in Youngstown, Ohio, in addition to WBNS (CBS) in Columbus. The Buckeyes’ games added to ESPNU will be Norfolk State (Dec. 12), Belmont (Dec. 14), Tennessee State (Dec. 23), Louisiana State (Dec. 31), at Penn State (Jan. 21), Florida A&M (Jan. 30) and Purdue (March 5).
FOSTER LEADS OHIO STATE WITH CAREER HIGH 24 AT ST. JOSEPH’S
Ohio State hit its first seven 3-pointers and survived a second-half rally by Saint Joseph’s to beat the Hawks 81-74 at the Palestra. Je’Kel Foster scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed career-best 10 rebounds for Ohio State, which built a 25-10 lead less than 10 minutes into the game on a 3-pointer by Jamar Butler. The OSU lead reached 43-25 on a 3-pointer by Foster early in the second half, before Saint Joseph’s rallied. The Hawks pulled within 51-46 on a 3-pointer by Dwayne Lee with 9:16 left. But the Buckeyes answered, as Ron Lewis nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing and J.J. Sullinger leaped high in the air for an offensive rebound, was fouled on the putback, and converted a 3-point play to restore the OSU lead to 57-46. Ohio State remained ahead the rest of the way, though the Hawks pulled to within 70-66 on Abdulai Jalloh’s layup with 1:03 left. But Matt Sylvester hit Ron Lewis with a length of the court pass after the ensuing timeout and Lewis converted a three-point play to keep Saint Joseph’s at bay. Lewis finished with 14 points – all in the second half.
NOTING THE ST. JOSEPH’S GAME
* The Buckeyes are 51-55 all-time in the first road game of the season … Ohio State improved to 4-3 in games played at the Palestra … the Buckeyes are 5-0 vs. St. Joe’s all-time and 31-13 vs. teams representing the Atlantic 10 Conference … Thad Matta has a 4-1 record vs. SJU.
* Je’Kel Foster scored a career high 24 points … he made 7 of 9 FGs, 3 of 4 3-pointers and 7 of 9 FTs … he also recorded his first career double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds vs. the Hawks.
* Matt Sylvester set a career high with a game-best six assists … Jamar Butler had a career-high 6 rebounds in the win vs. the Hawks.
* The Buckeyes went to the foul line just twice in the first half, making both … OSU finished 24 of 33 from the charity stripe after making 22 of 31 attempts in the second half.
* The Ohio State bench, led by Ron Lewis’ 14 second-half points, outscored the SJU reserves 20-3 … Ohio State’s reserves have outscored the opponent’s bench in each of the four games this season.
* Ohio State, with senior Terence Dials jumping center, has won all four opening tips this season.
* The Buckeyes have outrebounded all four opponents this season and have led at the half in all four victories to date.
* The Buckeyes never trailed in the game and led by has many as 18 points in the second half … St. Joe’s cut the lead to four (70-66) with 1:03 to play but could get no closer down the stretch.
* The Buckeyes improved to 17-2 overall in games played on Dec. 10. Ohio State’s winning streak is 12 games following the win over the Hawks.
BUCKEYES CLOSE ON 100 Ws AT VCA
Ohio State is playing in its eighth season at Value City Arena in 2005-06. Since the facility opened for the 1998-99 campaign, the squad has won 94 of 116 games for a winning percentage of .810.
NEW FLOOR INSTALLED AT VCA
The Ohio State basketball teams will play on a new floor in 2005-06. The previous court served seven seasons. The new hardwood has an updated Ohio State logo at center court as well as new Value City logos. Ohio State’s scarlet color has been updated after a change was made in 2003. Another change is the removal of the painted areas in the free throw lanes.
DON’T TOUCH THAT DIALS
Senior center Terence Dials is the top returning scorer for the Buckeyes. He led the team with nearly 16 points and eight rebounds a game a season ago. He was able to post those numbers despite Ohio State setting numerous Top 10 individual and team 3-point shooting records. Dials has improved his scoring and rebounding numbers in each of his seasons at Ohio State. He reached 500 points and 250 rebounds for the season as a junior and eclipsed 1,000 points and 600 boards for his career.
A JOLT TO THE OFFENSE
Ohio State lost 12.0 points a game with the graduation (sociology) of Tony Stockman. In his roster spot enters Ron Lewis, a transfer from Bowling Green, who led the Falcons with an average of 17.0 points a contest as a sophomore. He will have two years of eligibility with the Buckeyes.
Lewis scored 877 points in two years at BGSU. He was a prolific foul shooter during his tenure at Bowling Green, knocking down 81 percent (340-420) of his free throws in his two-year career. Despite his ability to score, Lewis set up his teammates with 164 assists while recording 60 steals in 60 games as a Falcon.
ADDED “O” PART II
Ron Lewis is expected to add a threat offensively but he is not the only addition known to put the ball in the cylinder. Sylvester Mayes averaged 19.6 points at Redlands (Okla.) Community College a year ago. The 6-foot guard from South Bend, Ind., scored 609 points, 17th nationally in the junior college ranks, as a sophomore. His teams won 59 games with just six losses the last two seasons. Mayes also added 88 assists, 96 rebounds and 91 steals (22nd nationally) last year. Mayes scored 11 points and dished out nine assists in his Ohio State debut vs. Chicago State Nov. 20.
Brayden Bell, a freshman from Salt Lake City, Utah, also is expected to give the Buckeyes a lift offensively. Despite his 6-foot-8-inch, 255-pound frame, Bell has demonstrated an ability to step away from the basket to knock down the 3-pointer and mid-range jumper. He averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds as a Brighton High School senior a year ago.
A PAIR OF FIRST TEAMERS
Sylvester Mayes was a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) First Team All-American for Redlands Community College as a sophomore. He shot 51 percent from the field (201-397), 42 percent from 3-point range (68-164) and 77 percent from the foul line (139-181) in leading Redlands to a 27-4 record in 2004-05. He is one of two first team NJCAA All-Americans on the Ohio State roster. Je’Kel Foster earned the same recognition before joining the Buckeyes a year ago. Foster played at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College. Last year, Foster averaged 7.7 points a game for Ohio State while knocking down 43 percent of his 3-point attempts (62-145). He added 78 assists and 43 steals as well. He also grabbed 104 rebounds. His all-around effort earned him a starting spot the final 12 games of the season, helping Ohio State to a 20-12 overall record.
TOP 5 OF 6
Though Matta is looking forward to the newcomers and their possible contributions, he has not overlooked the return of five of the top six scorers from last season. Senior Terence Dials, a candidate for first team All-Big Ten honors this year, is the top returning scorer at 15.9 points a game. The 6-9 center also is the team’s top returning rebounder with an average of 7.9 a contest. Also back are senior guard J.J. Sullinger (9.7 ppg./5.4 rpg.), senior wing Matt Sylvester (8.0 ppg.), senior guard Je’Kel Foster (7.7 ppg.) and junior wing Ivan Harris (7.3 ppg.). In all, Ohio State returns 74 percent of its offense and 81 percent of its rebounding.
MATTA GOES FOR 6TH 20
Thad Matta doesn’t know what it’s like to end a season with fewer than 20 wins during his head coaching career. The second year Ohio State coach came to the Buckeyes with a streak of four 20+ win seasons at Butler (24 wins in 2001) and Xavier (26 in all three years from 2002-04). With 20 victories a year ago at Ohio State, Matta is one of two coaches nationally to record 20 or more wins in the first five seasons of his coaching career. Mark Few of Gonzaga is the other with 20+ in all six years with the Bulldogs.
CLOSING ON 2 MILLION
For the seventh-consecutive season, all of which played at Value City Arena, Ohio State finished among the Top 18 teams nationally in average attendance in 2004-05. The Buckeyes averaged 13,850 fans in 16 home games at VCA. Overall, in 116 games at VCA, a total of 1,891,233 fans, 16,303 per game, have helped the Buckeyes to a record of 94-22 at the facility. Ohio State will exceed the 2 million mark in home attendance at VCA during the 2005-06 season when fan No. 146,962 enters the building. The Buckeyes have won 14 or more home games in five of the seven years at VCA and 11 or more in six of seven.
OHIO NATIVES DOMINATE BUCKEYE ROSTER
Eight of the 11 players on the roster this year chose to stay in state, play for the Buckeyes and pursue their education in Columbus. Seniors Terence Dials (Youngstown), Matt Sylvester (Cincinnati), J.J. Sullinger (Columbus); juniors Ron Lewis (Columbus) and Ivan Harris (Springfield); sophomores Jamar Butler (Lima) and Matt Terwilliger (Troy) and freshman Samuel Payne (Columbus) all played high school basketball for their hometown teams in Ohio.
RANKED TEAMS ABUNDANT ON OSU SCHEDULE IN 2005-06
The Buckeyes are scheduled to face several teams ranked in the USA Today/ESPN and the Associated Press polls this season. Michigan State (No. 14 in USA Today/No. 14 in AP), Illinois (11/11), Iowa (13/12) and Indiana (16/18) will face the Buckeyes, who are just outside the Top 25 rankings in 30th place (USA Today) with 29 votes and 30th in the AP with 54. Other teams receiving votes in the preseason polls scheduled to face Ohio State this year are: Wisconsin, Michigan, LSU and Iowa State. The Buckeyes play 11 games against the eight teams on the 2005-06 schedule in the Top 25 or receiving preseason votes.
BUCKEYES LOOK TO ELDERS
Terence Dials, J.J. Sullinger and Matt Sylvester are the Top 3 returning scorers for Ohio State. The three have been in Columbus a combined total of 14 years entering the 2005-06 season. All were fifth-year seniors when school started in September. Both Dials and Sylvester have spent all five years at Ohio State with each missing a season with injury. Dials sat out most of the 2002-03 season with a back ailment while Sylvester missed the majority of 2001-02 with leg and back injuries. Sullinger played one year at Arkansas before leaving for Ohio State. He sat out the 2002-03 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. In addition to these three, Je’Kel Foster again will be a significant contributor in 2005-06. He too is a senior with three years playing experience, two at the junior college level and one season in Columbus.
UNDERCLASSMEN WILL GET A SHOT
With experience throughout the roster this year, Ohio State’s returning underclassmen still will get opportunities to perform. Sophomore Jamar Butler started the final 12 games of the season at the point position and is the early leader to run the Ohio State offense this year. Matt Terwilliger, a reserve post player a year ago, has bulked up in the offseason. He will work with newcomer Brayden Bell to add depth in the post behind Dials.
PAYNE ADDED TO ROSTER
Columbus native and Linden McKinley graduate Samuel Payne was added to the Ohio State roster in early November. The 6-foot-2-inch freshman guard averaged 22 points, six rebounds and four assists for LMHS as a senior. The Panthers were Ohio Division II sectional and regional champions and advanced to the Division II Final Four, played at Value City Arena. He made his Ohio State debut vs. Chicago State Nov. 20. He scored one point and recorded a steal in the Buckeyes’ 81-52 victory.
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 2004. Ohio State played host to the first and second rounds in March 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.
