Buckeyes Hit The Road To Face St. Joseph’s – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2005
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Date Dec. 10, 2005
Opponent St. Joseph’s (4-1)
Site Palestra (8,722)
Game Time 2 p.m.
Television ESPN
Local TV None
TV Talent Sean McDonough (P-by-P), Jay Bilas (Expert Analysis), Bill Raftery (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)
OHIO STATE AT THE PALESTRA
Ohio State has played six games all-time at the University of Pennsylvania’s Palestra in Philadelphia dating back to the 1927-28 season. The Buckeyes, who have not previously faced St. Joseph’s at the venue, fell to Penn 33-28 Jan. 2, 1928 and again Jan. 1, 1930, 31-25. The Buckeyes won for the first time in the storied venue Jan. 25, 1935, again vs. Penn, 41-37. Ohio State then met Wake Forest in the 1939 NCAA Eastern Regionals on March 17, a 64-52 victory that set up a Final Four battle with Villanova the next day on the Penn campus. The Buckeyes won that game as well, 53-36, sending Ohio State to the title game that year in Evanston, Ill., where the Buckeyes fell to Oregon, 46-33. After the 1939 Villanova game, Ohio State did not return to the Palestra until Dec. 3, 1994. The Buckeyes fell in that game to the Quakers, 91-71, to even Ohio State’s record at 3-3 all-time at the Palestra.
BUCKEYE OFFENSE CLICKS EARLY
Ohio State is averaging 76.3 points in the first three games of the season, including a 79-69 overtime win over Butler (11/22). Opponents average 59.0 ppg. The Buckeyes have made 53 percent of their field goals (83-158), while allowing opponents to make just 40 percent (71-177). From the foul line, Ohio State has taken 64 shots, making 43 (.672), while foes have gone to the line 28 times in three games, making 16 (.571). The Buckeyes own the rebound advantage (35.7-28.7).
THREE BUCKEYES TOP BIG TEN LISTS
Senior J.J. Sullinger leads the Big Ten with an average of 11.3 rebounds a game while also leading all league players with an average of 8.67 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 3.0 steals a game and his 6-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (12 asts./2 TOs) lead the league. Senior Je’Kel Foster is the top field goal shooter in the conference to date, connecting on 17 of 24 field goal attempts (.708), which is sixth-best nationally. He also is tied for third with Mayes in 3-point shooting percentage, making 57.1 percent of his long-range shots, good for the No. 14 spot in the country. Foster has made 8 of 14 3-pointers while Mayes has made 4 of 7.
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 (9.33 spg.) and scoring margin (+17.3 ppg.). Ohio State is No. 2 in field goal percentage (.525/7th in the country), defensive rebounds (27.0 drpg.), rebounding defense (28.7 opp. rpg.) and field goal percentage defense (.401).
HOT-HANDED GUARDS
Terence Dials may be the leading scorer for the Buckeyes from his center position at 15.3 points a game, but the overall play of the four-man guard rotation has been just as consistent. Je’Kel Foster, Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler and Sylvester Mayes have made 43 of 73 shots from the field (.589) and 50 percent of their 3-point attempts (18-36). Foster leads the way making 71 percent of his field goals (17-24) and 57 percent from long range (8-14). Lewis also is shooting well at a 60 percent clip (12-20) from the field. The group also accounts for 32 of 48 assists and 21 of 28 steals to date.
OHIO STATE IS 50-55 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 50-55 (.476). The Buckeyes did not play a road game in 1900-01. Ohio State is 88-19 (.822) in home openers.
DIALS CLIMBING SCORING CHART
Senior Terence Dials has 1,124 career points, good for the No. 31 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 474 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 640 boards and will become one of just 12 Buckeyes to reach the 700 mark with 60 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 1,124 points scored to date, good for 31st on the all-time list at OSU. Senior J.J. Sullinger has scored 915 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 916, which includes 39 scored as a Buckeye.
HAWKS START SEASON 4-1
St. Joseph’s will play host to the Buckeyes sporting a 4-1 record on the season. The Hawks downed Lafayette at home Nov. 18 70-47 before taking to the road for four-consecutive contests. SJU won at Fairfield 72-41 and then took Davidson to overtime Nov. 28 before falling 100-94. A 69-59 win at Drexel Nov. 29 preceded a 70-67 win vs. Kansas Tuesday at the Jimmy V Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The game with the Buckeyes at the Palestra is one of six scheduled games for the Hawks at the historic venue.
TRIO PACE HAWKS
Chet Stachitas (19.8 ppg.), Abdulia Jalloh (12.8), and Dwayne Lee (12.4) all average double digits offensively for the Hawks. The team has been rebounding by committee to date with seven players averaging between 3.0-5.8 rebounds a game. Jalloh leads the way with 5.8 boards a game.
OHIO STATE ON THIS DATE
The Buckeyes are 16-2 in games played on this date. Ohio State has won its last 12 contests on this date. The last loss was against Ohio Wesleyan in 1932. The Buckeyes last played on this date in 2000, a 54-51 home win against Massachusetts. The last road game on this date was a 73-55 win at West Virginia in 1979.
| Date | W/L | Opponent | Score (AP rank) |
| 12/10/1898 | W | East High | 34-8 |
| 12/10/1921 | L | Cincinnati | 17-33 |
| 12/10/24 | W | Ohio Wesleyan | 41-32 |
| 12/10/26 | W | Ohio Wesleyan | 32-19 |
| 12/10/27 | W | Ohio Wesleyan | 42-36 |
| 12/10/32 | L | Ohio Wesleyan | 38-40 |
| 12/10/38 | W | George Washington | 43-37 |
| 12/10/40 | W | West Virginia | 58-44 |
| 12/10/41 | W | Great Lakes | 38-32 |
| 12/10/49 | W | @Butler | 67-65 |
| 12/10/55 | W | @Loyola (Chicago) | 90(16)-72 |
| 12/10/59 | W | @St. Louis | 81-74 |
| 12/10/60 | W | Army | 103-54 |
| 12/10/66 | W | Washington State | 73-63 |
| 12/10/76 | W | Loyola Marymount | 62-54 |
| 12/10/79 | W | @West Virginia | 72(3)-55 |
| 12/10/88 | W | Lafayette | 84(14)-62 |
| 12/10/2000 | W | Massachusetts | 54-51 |
THE ST. JOSEPH’S SERIES
This will be the fifth meeting all-time between the Buckeyes and Hawks. The series began March 24, 1961 with an Ohio State win (95-69) at the 1961 Final Four. The teams met again March 7, 1979 in the National Invitation Tournament first round in Columbus, an 80-66 Buckeye victory. Ohio State, 4-0 all time in the series, next battled the Hawks at the Cable Car Classic Dec. 19, 1983 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Buckeyes prevailed 64-61. A home-and-home series began last season in Columbus Dec. 31, 2004. Ohio State was the winner 72-61.
OHIO STATE VS. THE ATLANTIC 10
The Buckeyes have met current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference on 43 previous occasions, winning 30 times against 13 defeats. Ohio State has played and won the most games against St. Louis University (11-6). The Buckeyes have faced all but four (UNC-Charlotte, Fordham, Rhode Island and Richmond) of the 14-team league.
OSU vs. The Atlantic 10
| North Carolina Charlotte | 0-0 |
| Dayton | 3-2 |
| Duquesne | 2-0 |
| Fordham | 0-0 |
| George Washington | 2-2 |
| La Salle | 1-1 |
| Massachusetts | 2-0 |
| Rhode Island | 0-0 |
| Richmond | 0-0 |
| St. Bonaventure | 1-0 |
| St. Joseph’s | 4-0 |
| St. Louis | 11-6 |
| Temple | 2-1 |
| Xavier (OH) | 2-1 |
| Totals | 30-13 |
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).
FOUR REACH DOUBLE DIGITS IN CHALLENGE WIN VS. HOKIES
Ron Lewis scored seven points in a 10-0 game-closing run to lead Ohio State to a 69-56 victory over Virginia Tech in the opening game of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Nov. 28. J.J. Sullinger scored 14 points, Sylvester Mayes 13, Terence Dials 11 and Lewis had 10 for the Buckeyes. Zabian Dowdell scored 15 points and Coleman Collins had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Hokies. Ohio State led by as many as 21 points in the first half after shooting 61 percent from the field in building a 46-25 halftime lead. The Hokies pulled to 59-56 on Jamon Gordon’s short jumper with 2:39 left but the rest of the game belonged to Ohio State. The Buckeyes were deliberate at the other end before Je’Kel Foster’s quick pass set up Lewis’ long 3-pointer for a 62-56 lead with 2:09 left. Dowdell’s jumper was short at the other end, with Matt Sylvester rebounding for the Buckeyes and throwing a long pass to Lewis who was streaking toward the basket. As he released his shot, he was pushed by Dowdell, who was called for an intentional foul. Lewis hit one of the two free throws and then Sylvester scored on a follow to make it 65-56 with just over a minute remaining. After the Hokies missed two more shots, Lewis added a three-point play and Dials hit a foul shot.
NOTING THE VIRGINIA TECH GAME
With the win, Ohio State is 2-4 all-time against Virginia Tech.Monday marked the fourth meeting in Columbus vs. the Hokies, wherethe Buckeyes are 2-2. Ohio State improved to 36-25 all-time againstteams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. With the win, Ohio State is2-3 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and 2-1 at home. OhioState improved to 94-22 all-time in games played in Value CityArena. With the win, Ohio State remained a perfect 12-0 innonconference home games under Matta, and 15-4 overall innonconference contests. Ohio State played its third differentstarting lineup in as many games. Jamar Butler earned his firststart of the year and 13th of his career. Sylvester Mayes scored acareer-high 13 points, with 11 in the first half. Matt Terwilligertied a career-high with 16 minutes, set Nov. 19, 2004 againstDelaware. With 14 points, Sullinger scored in double-figures forthe first time this season, and the 32nd time at Ohio State.Sullinger led all Ohio State scorers for the 22nd time in hiscareer and tied a career high with two blocks. With 11 points,Terence Dials passed Curtis Wilson (1,120) and Brad Sellers (1,122)to No. 31 on the all-time Ohio State career scoring list at 1,124.Ohio State’s 46 first-half points were a season high and its21-point halftime lead tied a season high set against Chicago State(40-19). In the first half Ohio State assisted on 12-of-19 fieldgoals and committed only two turnovers. Ohio State went on a 19-4run covering the last 6:53 of the first half.
MATTA WELCOMES ONE OF NATION’S TOP CLASSES TO COLUMBUS FOR `06
Thad Matta, Ohio State’s second year head coach, announced the addition of five student-athletes to the Ohio State program for the 2006-07 season. Greg Oden, a 7-foot center from Indianapolis, is considered to be the best high school player in the country this year. He heads a class of four prep players ranked by various recruiting analysts to be among the Top 30 players nationally. Mike Conley, a 6-1 point guard and Oden’s teammate at Lawrence North High School, also signed on with the Buckeyes. Two Ohio natives, Dayton Dunbar’s Daequan Cook, a 6-4 guard, and Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s David Lighty, a 6-5 guard, also will start their academic and athletic careers in the fall of 2006. The fifth member of the class is a junior college transfer from Tampa, Fla. Othello Hunter, a 6-9 forward from Winston-Salem, N.C., will be a junior at Ohio State next season after spending two years at Hillsborough Community College.
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. He will likely be a candidate for All-Big Ten recognition as one of the league’s top returning post players this year.
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.
