Buckeyes Host LSU on New Year’s Eve – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Date Dec. 31, 2005
Opponent Louisiana State (7-3)
Site Value City Arena (18,500)
Game Time 1 p.m. EST
Television ESPN Plus/ESPNU
Local TV WBNS 10 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 Marty Bannister (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Expert Analysis)
BUCKEYES AMONG 10 UNBEATEN
No. 21 Ohio State (9-0) remains one of 10 teams nationally with unblemished records. Illinois leads the way with a 13-0 record followed by Duke and Florida (11-0), Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Washington (10-0), Texas A&M (9-0) and George Washington and Villanova (8-0).
MATTA OUT TO TOP 3 START AT OHIO STATE
Thad Matta will coach his 50th game of his OSU career Jan. 30 against Florida A&M with a chance to be one of the top three coaches all-time at OSU in winning percentage after the first 50 games at Ohio State. Matta has 41 games under his belt with a 29-12 record to date (.707). The Buckeyes will need to win eight of the next nine games for Matta take over the top spot from Fred Taylor (1959-76) and Randy Ayers (1990-97), who both won 36 of their first 50 contests at Ohio State for a winning percentage of .720. Seven victories in the next nine games would tie Matta with Taylor and Ayers. Matta is out to a 9-0 start in this his second season with the Buckeyes. Ayers started 17-0 in year two (1990-91). Taylor guided the Buckeyes to a national title in his second season with a 25-3 record (1959-60).
| 1st 50 Gms at OSU | |||
| Coach (Yrs. at OSU) | W | L | Pct. |
| Fred R. Taylor (1959-76) | 36 | 14 | .720 |
| Randy Ayers (1990-97) | 36 | 14 | .720 |
| Thad Matta (2005- present) | 29 | 12 | .707 |
| Harold G. Olsen (1923-46) | 32 | 18 | .640 |
| Lynn W. St. John (1912-19) | 31 | 19 | .620 |
| Gary Williams (1987-89) | 30 | 20 | .600 |
| Floyd S. Stahl (1951-58) | 17 | 33 | .515 |
| George M. Trautman (1920-22) | 24 | 26 | .480 |
| William H.H. Dye (1947-50) | 24 | 26 | .480 |
| Jim O’Brien (1998-2004) | 23 | 27 | .460 |
| Eldon Miller (1977-86) | 21 | 29 | .420 |
BUCKEYES LOOK FOR 8TH NON-CONFERENCE HOME WIN
Since Value City Arena opened for the 1998-99 season, Ohio State has won at least seven home games vs. non-conference teams in seven of eight seasons, which includes the Buckeyes’ 7-0 record vs. non-Big Ten foes at VCA this year with two games remaining on the non-conference schedule. LSU visits VCA Saturday. Florida A&M travels to Columbus Jan. 30, 2006. The Buckeyes have been undefeated in home non-conference games at VCA twice. OSU was 7-0 in 1998-99 and 8-0 a year ago. The Buckeyes were 8-1 for three-consecutive seasons starting with 1999-2000 through 2001-02. Ohio State is 58-6 overall vs. non-conference foes at VCA. Thad Matta is 15-0 as a Buckeye head coach against non-league foes at VCA.
FOSTER LEADS ALL GUARDS NATIONALLY IN SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
Senior Je’Kel Foster is connecting on 68.0 percent of his shots from the field to rate No. 6 nationally in field goal shooting percentage. He is the only guard listed among the Top 26 players in the country in field goal shooting percentage as of the Dec. 19 NCAA statistics report. Foster also rates No. 3 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage, knocking down 59.6 (28-47) percent from long range. Foster is second in the Big Ten in both shooting categories and also is the league leader in steals (2.56) and 3-pointers made per game (3.11).
BUCKEYES ENTER BOTH AP AND COACHES POLLS
Ohio State cracked the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time (Dec. 19) since March of 2002 when the Buckeyes finished the season rated No. 14. The Buckeyes are currently No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 20 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll. The Buckeyes are 312-100 (.757) when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll. Ohio State has cracked the poll at least once in 28 seasons since its first appearance in 1948-49. The Buckeyes are 30-4 overall and 10-1 vs. non-conference foes at Value City Arena when ranked by AP. The only non-conference loss was a 59-54 setback to Notre Dame in the opening round of the 1999 preseason National Invitation Tournament. OSU was No. 4 in that Nov. 16 game vs. the Fighting Irish.
FOSTER EARNS NATIONAL, LEAGUE HONOR AFTER 3-0 WEEK FOR OSU
Senior Je’Kel Foster averaged 18 points over three wins over Norfolk State (12/12), Belmont (12/14) and Iowa State (12/17) to earn Sporting News national player of the week honors (Dec. 11-17). Foster also was the Big Ten player of the week after knocking down 63 percent of his field goals (17-27) and 58 percent (11-19) of his 3-point FG tries for the week. His 28 points, on 9 of 12 shooting from the field and 6 of 8 from 3-point range, set a career high vs. Iowa State in a neutral-site contest vs. the Cyclones in Des Moines, Iowa. Foster leads Ohio State with 17.0 points a game. Foster leads the Buckeyes with 23 steals and has made a team-best 82 percent of his foul shots (23-28).
BUCKEYES SET 3-POINT SHOOTING RECORD IN WIN VS. IOWA STATE
Ohio State connected on 10 of 22 3-point attempts vs. Iowa State Dec. 17 to give the team 10 or more made 3-pointers in four-consecutive games, a first for the Buckeyes. Ohio State made 10 of 19 vs. Belmont (Dec. 14), 11 of 19 treys at St. Joe’s (Dec. 10) to start the streak and then knocked down 14 of 32 against Norfolk State Dec. 12. Ohio State has made 10 or more from beyond the arc in back-to-back games just six times dating back to the 1986-87 season, the first campaign for the 3-point shot. Opponents have connected on 10+ treys in three-consecutive games or more twice, with both streaks coming during the 1997-98 season. USC (13 of 33), Chattanooga (11 of 25), Kansas (10 of 25) and New Mexico State (16 of 39) set the record with four-consecutive games with 10+ 3-pointers vs. the Buckeyes between Dec. 20 and Dec. 29, 1997. Michigan (10 of 21), Iowa (10 of 24) and Penn State (10 of 22) turned in a streak of three games later that season between Feb. 11 and Feb. 16, 1998. Ohio State and opponents have hit 10 or more 3s in the same game on four occasions. Belmont connected on 10 of 18 in the loss to the Buckeyes Dec. 14. Ohio State is 3-1 in those games. In all, the Buckeyes are 26-5 in the 31 games when scoring on 10 or more 3s while opponents are 29-28 in 57 games with double digits treys made.
OSU 3-pt. Shooting Streak
| Opp. | 3 FG-A | Pct. | W/L, Score | Date |
| St. Joe’s | 11-19 | .539 | W, 81-74 | 12/10 |
| Norfolk St. | 14-32 | .438 | W, 92-59 | 12/12 |
| Belmont | 10-19 | .526 | W, 85-75 | 12/14 |
| Iowa St. | 10-22 | .455 | W, 70-67 | 12/17 |
| Totals | 45-92 | .489 |
LEWIS GIVES BUCKEYES OFFENSIVE SPARK OFF BENCH
In the first nine games, Ohio State has had 36 double figure games for an average of 4.0 players per game with 10 or more points. Ron Lewis and Je’Kel Foster have scored in double digits in eight of nine games this season to lead the Buckeyes in double-digit outings. Lewis has scored 10 or more off the bench six times this season.
MATTA’S BUCKEYES ALREADY TAKING OVER 3-POINT SHOOTING RECORDS
In less than two full seasons as head coach of the Buckeyes, Thad Matta has put his mark in the OSU record book. Six of the Top 10 team 3-point shooting performances have been established in the last two years, including the Top 4 performances. Ohio State knocked down 18 treys in a double overtime loss at LSU last year to set the record for 3s made in a game at Ohio State. The Buckeyes made 17 vs. Chattanooga last November and then knocked down 15 at Clemson in early December a year ago. The No. 4 effort was put in the books Dec. 12 vs. Norfolk St. when the Buckeyes connected on 14 of 32 3-point attempts. Ohio State made a dozen 3s vs. Iowa last year, the eighth most made in a game and the 11 made at St. Joe’s (Dec. 10) ranks 10th. The 32 attempts vs. Norfolk State rank No. 3 all time for 3-pointers attempted by the Buckeyes in a game. Matta’s teams own eight of the Top 10 spots for 3-pointers attempted in a game at OSU. His teams have made 10 or more 3s in a game 13 times and have a 10-3 record in those games. Matta’s opponents at Ohio State have made 10 or more just three times and are 1-2 in those games.
BUCKEYE OFFENSE CLICKS EARLY, FOUR AVERAGE DOUBLE DIGITS
Ohio State is averaging 79.8 points in the first nine games of the season, including the most recent win, an 87-58 win vs. Gardner-Webb. Opponents average 63.9 ppg. The Buckeyes have made nearly 50 percent of their field goals (238-481), while allowing opponents to make just 41 percent (222-537). From the foul line, Ohio State has taken 227 shots, making 164 (.722), while foes have gone to the line 108 times, making 71 (.657). The Buckeyes own the rebound advantage (35.4-31.6). Balance has been the norm with four players averaging 10 or more points a game. Je’Kel Foster leads the team with 17.0 points a game. Ron Lewis (12.2 ppg.), Terence Dials (13.7 ppg.) and J.J. Sullinger (10.2 ppg.) all follow. Sullinger averages 8.1 rebounds a game to pace the squad.
MATTA IMPROVES TO 20-3 IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES AT OSU
Ohio State won 11 of 14 non-Big Ten Conference games in 2004-05, the first season at OSU for head coach Thad Matta. With the 9-0 start to date in non-conference action in 2005-06, Matta improved to 20-3 against non-league foes. The Buckeyes are 16-0 in Columbus and 15-0 in Value City Arena under Matta’s direction. Ohio State defeated Chattanooga 84-67 in St. John Arena, the former home of the Buckeyes on the OSU campus, a year ago. Ohio State is 8-1 in the month of November with Matta at the helm and 12-1 in December.
OHIO STATE LOOKS TO MOVE TO 10-0
The Buckeyes, off to a 9-0 start, face LSU with the chance to move to 10-0 for the first time since the 1990-91 season when the Buckeyes started the season 17-0 before a loss at Michigan State (1/31/91). Ohio State has been 10-0 on three previous occasions all-time.
DIALS CLIMBING SCORING CHART
Senior Terence Dials has 1,201 career points, good for the No. 27 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 396 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 682 boards and will become one of just 12 Buckeyes to reach the 700 mark with 18 more rebounds this season. If he reaches 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 1,201 points scored to date, good for 27th on the all-time list at OSU. Senior J.J. Sullinger has scored 978 career points. He played one season at Arkansas, scoring 273 points in 2001-02, and now is 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 987, which includes 110 scored as a Buckeye.
LSU DROPS TWO OF THREE GAMES IN LAS VEGAS EVENT
Louisiana State fell 54-50 in the opening round of the Las Vegas Classic Dec. 19 to Northern Iowa (54-50). LSU dropped to 7-3 overall with the loss to Cincinnati (75-72) Dec. 23 following a win vs. Arkansas-Monticello (75-48) Dec. 22. The game with UNI was played in Baton Rouge, La., prior to the team traveling to Las Vegas to complete play in the event. The Tigers own wins vs. Southern, Nicholls State, West Virginia, McNeese State, New Orleans and Louisiana-Lafayette with a 1-point loss to Houston (84-83).
SENIOR GUARD LEADS LSU
Darrell Mitchell, a 5-11 guard from St. Martinville, La., is the top scorer for the Tigers with an average of 18.8 ppg. Glen Davis, a 6-9, 310-pound sophomore forward from Baton Rouge, La., averages a double-double for the Tigers with 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds. LSU averages 80 points a game, connecting on 50 percent from the field (314-629). The Tigers own a rebound advantage over opponents of nearly 20 boards a game (46.9-28.2).
HAPPY NEW YEAR, OHIO STATE PLAYS DEC. 31 GAME AGAIN
Ohio State faced St. Joseph’s a year ago today to break a streak of 39 years without playing a game on New Year’s Eve. Prior to the game vs. the Hawks in 2004 on this date, the Buckeyes last played a Dec. 31 game against West Texas, a 78-53 OSU victory during the 1965-66 season. Ohio State has an overall record of 14-4 on this date, including victories in eight of the last nine opportunities. The loss in that stretch was a double-overtime affair at St. Louis in which the Buckeyes fell 91-89 in 1963.
| Date | W/L | Opponent | Score |
| 12/31/12 | W | @Toledo St. Johns | 36-27 |
| 12/31/15 | L | @Detroit YMCA | 11-20 |
| 12/31/19 | W | @Toledo | 33-20 |
| 12/31/20 | W | Cornell | 33-22 |
| 12/31/23 | W | Yale | 43-30 |
| 12/31/24 | W | Butler | 34-25 |
| 12/31/26 | W | Cornell | 41-20 |
| 12/31/27 | L | @Pittsburgh | 32-50 |
| 12/31/29 | L | @Pittsburgh (ot) | 33-38 |
| 12/31/30 | W | Cornell | 38-24 |
| 12/31/34 | W | @Xavierv31-28 | |
| 12/31/36 | W | @UCLA | 48-39 |
| 12/31/42 | W | @Pittsburgh | 48-44 |
| 12/31/60 | W | !vs St. Bonaventure | 84(1)-82 |
| 12/31/62 | W | BYU | 97(2)-91 |
| 12/31/63 | L | @St. Louis (2ot) | 89-91 |
| 12/31/65 | W | West Texas | 78-53 |
| 12/31/04 | W | St. Joseph’s | 72-61 |
THE LSU SERIES
Ohio State and LSU met for the first time a season ago in Baton Rouge, La., a 113-101 double-overtime thriller played Jan. 15, 2005. Brandon Bass, who left after the season for the NBA, scored 29 points for LSU, including 12 in the overtime periods. The combined 214 points tied for the second most combined points in an Ohio State game all-time. The record is 217 points in a 121-96 Ohio State win over George Mason Jan. 8, 1995. Indiana and the Buckeyes combined for 214 points Feb. 2, 1959 in a 122-92 Hoosiers victory at St. John Arena in Columbus. Ohio State last played in double overtime during the 1991 Big Ten season, a 97-95 victory over Indiana in Columbus. Ohio State had six players in double digits offensively. Ivan Harris and Je’Kel Foster led Ohio State with 20 points each. Foster shot 6-of-7 on 3-point attempts, including one that tied the score at 93 with three seconds left in the first OT. Terence Dials and Tony Stockman each had 17 points, J.J. Sullinger scored 13 and Brandon Fuss-Cheatham scored 10. Ohio State shot 55.7 percent from the field, while LSU made 52.1 percent. The Buckeyes made a school record 18 of 34 3-point attempts. The 34 attempts is the second most in OSU history.
NOTING THE 2004 LSU GAME
* OSU last played in a double overtime game in 1991, a 97-95 win over Indiana at St. John Arena.
* Je’Kel Foster scored a then-career high 20 points, all coming in the second half. He made a career best six 3-pointers on seven attempts. The six makes is tied for the 4th most in a game at OSU.
* Ivan Harris scored a career high 20 points.
* Six players, including all five starters, scored in double figures for the Buckeyes.
* Ohio State is 6-4 all-time in double overtime games.
* Ohio State is 63-1 all-time when scoring 100 or more points. The Buckeyes are 15-1 when scoring 100 or more on the road.
* Opponents are 19-0 when scoring 100 or more vs. the Buckeyes and 14-0 on their home courts.
* The last opponent to score 100 or more against Ohio State was Purdue Feb. 7, 1998. The Boilermakers won that game 107-75 in Columbus.
* Kentucky is the last non-Big Ten team to score 100 or more vs. the Buckeyes. The Wildcats won 100-88 at the Maui Invitational Dec. 22, 1994.
OHIO STATE VS. SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Ohio State faces LSU for the second time in men’s basketball Dec. 31. Overall, the Buckeyes have faced every other team representing the Southeastern Conference at least once. Ohio State has victories against all SEC teams except Georgia (0-1). The last SEC team to face the Buckeyes was LSU a season ago. The Buckeyes last defeated an SEC member March 18, 1999 in Knoxville, Tenn. Ohio State downed No. 4 Auburn 71-64 in the South Regional Semifinals of the NCAA tournament. Ohio State also downed Mississippi in the title game of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic that year 67-62 Dec. 23, 1998 and handled Alabama 78-70 that same season at Value City Arena in the second game played in the venue Nov. 15, 1998, 78-70.
OSU vs. The SEC
| EASTERN | |
| Florida | 5-2 |
| Georgia | 0-1 |
| Kentucky | 9-10 |
| South Carolina | 1-1 |
| Tennessee | 2-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 3-4 |
| WESTERN | |
| Alabama | 3-3 |
| Arkansas | 1-2 |
| Auburn | 1-0 |
| LSU | 0-1 |
| Mississippi | 1-0 |
| Mississippi State | 1-0 |
| Totals | 27-25 |
DIALS POWERS WAY TO 23 PTS., 9 REBOUNDS VS. GARDNER-WEBB
Terence Dials had his way inside with 23 points as No. 21 Ohio State remained unbeaten with an 87-58 victory over Gardner-Webb. He was expected to be challenged physically by the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-9 center, Simon Conn. Instead, Dials continually muscled his way over or around Conn, who led Gardner-Webb with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Je’Kel Foster had 14 points, six steals and three assists to key Ohio State’s defense, which forced 20 turnovers. Ron Lewis came off the bench for 14 points. Ohio State had just five turnovers and hit 49 percent of its shots from the field while holding Gardner-Webb to 36-percent shooting. The Buckeyes never trailed after Foster hit a 3-pointer barely 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Holding onto a 9-8 lead, they scored on consecutive trips down the floor on Matt Sylvester passes to Dials, good for a backdoor dunk and a three-point play. That was the start of a burst which saw the Buckeyes go on a 16-2 run. Foster added a 3-pointer and Lewis hit two baskets during the surge as Ohio State built a 25-10 lead.
NOTING THE GARDNER-WEBB GAME
* Ohio State is 7-0 in non-conference home games this season. The Buckeyes have won 7 or more home non-Big Ten games in 7 of 8 seasons since Value City Arena opened for the 1998-99 campaign.
* Head coach Thad Matta is 14-0 vs. non-conference foes in Value City Arena while coaching the Buckeyes the last two seasons. Overall, Ohio State is 58-6 vs. non-Big Ten teams at VCA since it opened in 1998. Matta is 20-3 overall in all games vs. non-conference opponents.
* Ohio State is 10-0 against members of the Atlantic Sun Conference all-time and 1-0 vs. Gardner-Webb.
* The Buckeyes have won the last 5 games played on Dec. 28 and eight of the last nine. Ohio State is 22-16 all-time on this date.
* With 23 points, Terence Dials moved to the No. 27 spot all time in career scoring with 1,201 career points. He passed Lawrence Funderburke (1992-94), who completed his tenure with 1,179 career points. No. 26 Luke Witte (1971-73) is up next with 1,211.
* With nine rebounds, Dials now is No. 12 all-time in career rebounds (682), passing Brad Sellers (1985-86) who finished with 680 for his career. No. 11 Gary Bradds (1962-64) is up next with 706.
* Ohio State is 9-0 for the first time since the 1990-91 season when that squad started the year 17-0. Ohio State has been 9-0 on just four occasions all-time.
* The Buckeyes are 18-1 when Je’Kel Foster, a senior guard, scores 10 or more points (14 vs. Gardner-Webb) and 17-2 when he connects on 3 or more 3-pointers in a contest. He hit for 3 of 4 3s vs. the Bulldogs.
* Foster has reached double figures in scoring in 7 of 8 games this season. He scored 10 or more in 11 games as a junior.
* Je’Kel Foster had a career-best six steals against Gardner-Webb. His previous best was four, set against Portland State Dec. 11, 2004. It marked an OSU season high, topping the four Sylvester Mayes had against Chicago State. Foster leads the Big Ten with 2.56 steals a game.
* Foster’s six steals tied the Value City Arena record, set four times previously. The last was by Tony Stockman against Northwestern Feb. 4, 2004. Scoonie Penn had six steals in a game twice (vs. Vermont Nov. 29, 1999 and vs. Indiana Jan. 9, 1999) and Boban Savovic had six vs. UNC-Wilmington Dec. 2, 2001.
* Foster’s six steals vs. Gardner-Webb is tied for third-best in program history. A player had six steals in a game 14 times previously, the last was Stockman vs. Northwestern (Feb. 4, 2004).
* Senior J.J. Sullinger played in his 100th career game and his 71st as a Buckeye. He played in 29 games as a freshman at Arkansas in 2000-01.
* Sullinger and junior Ron Lewis both entered the game with 973 career points. Sullinger (978) played one year at Arkansas and is in his third season at OSU. Lewis (987) played for two years at Bowling Green and is in his first year at Ohio State.
* Lewis scored 14 points to give him double figures in 8 of 9 games this season.
* Jamar Butler has dished out 4 or more assists (4 vs. Gardner-Webb) in each of the last five games (30 total) while only being charged with 6 turnovers during that span. Ohio State is 11-2 when Butler is credited with 4 or more assists in a game.
* On the season, Ohio State is 8-0 when leading at the half (42-25), when leading at the 5-minute mark of the second half and when scoring 70 or more. OSU is 9-0 when the opponent shoots less than 50 pct. (.361).
* With the win, the Buckeyes improved to 312-100 when played as a ranked team in the AP Poll, including a 10-1 mark against non-conference teams in Value City Arena.
* The Buckeyes’ 42 points in the first half marked the fourth time this season the squad had 40 or more in the first half. Ohio State scored 40 against Chicago State and Tennessee State and 46 vs. Virginia Tech.
* The Buckeyes had a team season-low five turnovers vs. the Runnin’ Bulldogs. The team’s previous low was 10 vs. Tennessee State.
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 98 of 120 games (.817).
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 are Norfolk State (W 92-59, Dec. 12), Belmont (W 85-75, Dec. 14), Tennessee State (W, 74-65, Dec. 23), Louisiana State (Dec. 31), at Penn State (Jan. 21), Florida A&M (Jan. 30) and Purdue (March 5).
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. 9 in USA Today/No. 9 in AP), Illinois (6/6), Wisconsin (22/24 and Indiana (17/17) will face the Buckeyes, who are in the Top 25 rankings in 20th place (USA Today) and No. 21 in the AP Top 25. Other teams receiving votes in the polls scheduled to face Ohio State this year are: Michigan, Iowa and Iowa State.
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.
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 120 games at VCA, a total of 1,944,105 fans, 16,201 per game, have helped the Buckeyes to a record of 98-22 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.
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.
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, as it will in 2007. Games were played at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus, which will again be the site of the event in 2007.
