Buckeyes Face Penn State in First Round of Big Ten Tourney – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 7, 2005
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Date March 10, 2005
Opponent Penn State (7-22, 1-15)
Site United Center, Chicago
Game Time 5:05 p.m. EST
TV ESPN2
Local TV None
TV Talent Brent Musburger, (P-by-P), Steve Lavin, Expert Analysis, Erin Andrews, 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 (Expert Analysis)
Buckeyes Open Big Ten Tournament as No. 6 Seed, Face Nittany Lions
Ohio State’s 65-64 win over No. 1 Illinois Sunday secured the No. 6 seed for the Buckeyes in the 2005 Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State will face No. 11 in the opening round at 5 p.m. EST Thursday in Chicago. The winner will take on No. 3 seed Wisconsin at 9:10 p.m. Friday. Ohio State is 2-0 on the season against the Nittany Lions (7-22, 1-15).
Ohio State at the Big Ten Tournament
The Buckeyes are 7-6 all-time in Big Ten Tournament play since the event began in 1998. Ohio State has one tournament title (2002) and one second-place finish (2003). The Buckeyes will be the No. 6 seed in 2005. The No. 6 seed has the second best record in the tournament at 11-5 overall. The No. 2 seed is 14-3.
Year (seed) W/L Opp. (seed) Score 1998 (11) L Indiana (6) 78-71 1999 (2) W Michigan(10) 87-69 L Illinois (11) 79-77 2000 (1) L Penn State (9) 71-66 2001 (3) L Iowa (6) 75-66 2002 (2) W Michigan (10) 75-68 W Illinois (3) 94-88 W Iowa (9) 81-64 2003 (8) W Iowa (9) 66-64 W Wisconsin (1) 58-50 W Mich. St. (5) 55-54 L Illinois (2) 72-59 2004 (9) L Indiana (8) 83-69
Dials Climbing OSU Career Scoring Chart
Ohio State junior center Terence Dials passed the 1,000 career point plateau with 20 points against Wisconsin Feb. 27. He has 1,060 points for his career after a 21-point effort vs. Illinois Sunday. He became the 42nd player in Ohio State history to score 1,000 career points in an OSU uniform. The last player to reach 1,000 points was Brent Darby during the 2002-03 campaign. He finished his career with 1,368 career points, good for the No. 20 spot in OSU career scoring history. Dials is 37th on the career scoring list behind Carter Scott (1978-81) with 1,073.
Matta Among Best 1st-Year OSU Coaches
The victory over No. 1 Illinois Sunday gave the Buckeyes 19 on the season, the first for rookie head coach Thad Matta. Gary Williams, who coached at Ohio State from 1987-89, owns the record with 20 wins for a first-year coach at Ohio State. Matta, the 13th head coach in Ohio State history, is in sole possession of second place for wins by a first-year coach at OSU.
Yr. 1 Big Coach Yrs. Rcd. Ten Gary Williams 1987-89 20-13 9-9 Thad Matta 2005- 19-11 8-8 Randy Ayers 1990-97 17-13 10-8 G.M. Trautman 1920-22 17-10 3-9 Fred R. Taylor 1959-76 11-11 7-7 Thomas Kibler 1909-10 11-1 NA Jim O’Brien 1998-2004 8-22 1-15 Eldon Miller 1977-86 8-18 4-14 W.H.H. Dye 1947-50 7-13 5-7 L. W. St. John 1912-19 7-5 NA Floyd S. Stahl 1951-58 6-16 3-11 D.C. Huddleson 1903-04 5-2 NA Harold G. Olsen 1923-46 4-11 1-11
Ohio State Tops 2004 Big Ten Win Total
Ohio State’s home win over Illinois Sunday gave Ohio State eight wins in Big Ten Conference play. Ohio State finished the 2004 Big Ten season with a 6-10 record after a 7-9 finish in 2003.
Buckeyes Drive Toward 20th 20-Win Season
Ohio State last had a 20-win season in 2001-02 with a 24-8 mark. The Buckeyes recorded 17 and 14 wins the following two seasons, respectively, and are 19-11 to date this year with at least one game remaining. The Buckeyes have had 19 seasons with 20 or more wins in the history of the program. Thad Matta could become just the second head coach in Ohio State history to record a 20-win campaign in his first season on the job. Current Maryland head coach Gary Williams was 20-13 in his first year at Ohio State in 1987.
Ohio State Rated 12th Best Program in College Basketball by Street & Smith’s
In a recent special edition of Street & Smith’s, the magazine rates Ohio State as the 12th best NCAA college basketball program of all-time. Several categories were used to rate programs across the country. The Buckeyes’ NCAA tournament appearances (22), Final Four appearances (9), NCAA tournament wins (37), conference championships (17, 10 outright) and NBA first-round draft picks (14) all were factored in, among other criteria. Ohio State was second only to Indiana (rated No. 6) among the eight Big Ten teams among the Top 100 programs. None of the listed league schools was rated lower than No. 55 by the magazine.
TD Doing a Double Take
Ohio State opponents have watched junior Terence Dials score in double figures in 22 of the last 25 games this season and in 24 of 30 games on the year. The 6-foot-9-inch center from Youngstown, Ohio, also has eight games with 10 or more rebounds on the year. In his career, Dials has 10 career games with 10 or more points and rebounds, with seven of the double-doubles recorded this season. Dials is the first player since Shaun Stonerook (eight in 1996-97) to record seven double-doubles in the same season. Dials also is the first since Stonerook to post eight or more career double-doubles. Stonerook had 11 career double-doubles.
Buckeyes Stay in the Game, Avoid DQs
Five Ohio State players have fouled out of the 30 games to date this season and none more than once. A year ago, a total of 22 players were disqualified with five fouls in a game. J.J. Sullinger was DQ’d eight times as a sophomore while Terence Dials found himself on the bench four times. Both have reached the maximum of five fouls in a game just once this year to date. As a team, Ohio State averages 16.4 fouls a game this year. The squad was whistled for an average of 19.6 fouls a contest in 2003-04.
Shock and Awe!
Buckeyes Down Undefeated Illini
Ohio State forward Matt Sylvester hit a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left to hand the top-ranked Illini their first defeat, 65-64. The Illini were trying to cap the Big Ten’s first unbeaten season in 29 years. Instead, they let a 12-point lead in the second half slip away and didn’t score over the final 3 minutes. Sylvester scored a career-high 25 points – eight more than his previous best. First-year coach Thad Matta drew up a play in which center Terence Dials set a pick and rolled to the basket and guard Tony Stockman was used as a decoy. The Illini bit on the deception. Ohio State didn’t have a turnover in the second half. The Illini, who had hurdled tough games in loud environments all season, had seven turnovers after halftime. It was the second straight season a team coached by Matta ended a run at perfection. Matta’s Xavier team handed Saint Joseph’s its first loss last season in the Atlantic 10 tournament. The Illini led 64-58 after James Augustine’s layup with 3:23 left – but didn’t score again. The Buckeyes ran off the next seven points, with Dials, who had 21 points, scoring on a half-hook before Sylvester drove the lane for a left-handed scoop to cut the lead to 64-62 with 1:40 remaining. With just over a minute left, Illinois’ Deron Williams drove the lane and wrapped a pass around a defender to Roger Powell, but Dials swatted the shot away to teammate Je’Kel Foster. Sylvester missed a 15-footer for the Buckeyes and then Illinois’ Luther Head misfired on a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left. Ohio State called a timeout with 12 seconds left. Foster inbounded to Brandon Fuss-Cheatham who passed to Sylvester on the right wing, in front of the Ohio State bench. His quick shot seemed to surprise the Illini, nestling in the net while a capacity crowd at Value City Arena roared. After a timeout, a pass was tipped out of bounds in front of the Illinois bench. The Illini had one last chance with 2.2 seconds left. Williams passed to Powell, but his hurried 3-pointer from the top of the circle was well short and of the mark.
Noting the Illinois Game
Value City Arena sold out for the second time this season(Michigan) and for the 29th time in its history. Overall, OSU is23-6 in VCA sellouts. The win over Illinois gives the Buckeyes a14-2 record in Value City Arena on the season. Ohio State finishesthe season 15-2 overall in games played in Columbus this season.The game against Illinois marked the first time a No. 1 team hasplayed in VCA. Previously the highest-ranked teams to play at VCAwere No. 3 Illinois and No. 3 Michigan State in 2001. Ohio Stateimproved to 19-4 in sellout games at VCA against conferenceopponents. The win also moves the Buckeyes to 9-0 against rankedBig Ten teams when VCA is sold out. The Buckeyes now are 4-1against Illinois at VCA, and 3-1 vs. ranked Illini squads in VCA.Ohio State is 91-22 all-time in VCA. Illinois leads the all-timeseries with Ohio State 100-60 and holds a 39-38 advantage inColumbus. The 2004-05 series is split at one win apiece. Indefeating Illinois Sunday, the Buckeyes are now 131-212 all-timeagainst ranked foes and 55-106 against Top-10 teams. This seasonOhio State is 2-3 against Top-25 squads. Ohio State ends the 2005regular season at 19-11 including an 8-8 record in conference play.Their 19 wins are the second-most for an Ohio State first yearcoach. Gary Williams posted a record of 20-13 during his firstseason at Ohio State in 1987-88. Thad Matta improves his record to2-0 against No. 1 teams. Ohio State is 66-57 all-time in gamesdecided by one point or less including a 33-24 mark at home. OhioState’s 19 wins also are the most since 2001-02 when the Buckeyesposted a mark of 24-8. With the win, Ohio State earned its eighthBig Ten win of the season, surpassing its six victories during the2003-04 season. Ohio State is awarded the No. 6 seed in the 2005Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes will meet No. 11-seed Penn StateThursday in Chicago. Sunday’s game marked the 16th time in itshistory Ohio State has met the No. 1 team. Ohio State improves to7-9 against No. 1 teams, including wins in five of the last sixmeetings vs. No. 1. Prior to defeating Illinois Sunday, Ohio Statelast beat the No. 1 team Feb. 23, 1993 in a 81-77 decision overthen-No. 1 Indiana. Ohio State trailed 38-27 in the first half butused a scoring run of 20-9 to end the game and seal the victory.The Buckeye defense held the Illini to 9-of-27 shooting. Ohio Stateheld Illinois to only one field goal over the last 3:24 of play.The Buckeye bench outscored the Illini by a 32-16 count. The 32bench points are the second-highest of the season, four shy of the38 scored against Robert Morris Nov. 16, 2004. Ohio State did notturn the ball over in the second half. Junior Matt Sylvester cashedin a career-high 25 points against Illinois. Sylvester also grabbedfive rebounds and dished out three assists in a career high 34minutes. With his 21 points against the Illini, junior TerenceDials finished the regular season scoring in double figures in 22of Ohio State’s last 25 contests. Dials also increased his careerpoints to 1,060 to move into 37th place on Ohio State’s all-timecareer points list. Dials and Sylvester’s 20 point outings mark thefirst time two different players scored 20 or more points sinceIvan Harris and Foster both scored 20 against LSU on Jan. 15.Junior guard Je’Kel Foster scored in double figures for the 10thtime this season, with 10. The Buckeyes are now 9-1 when Fosterscores in double figures.
Dials Leads Team With 14 Career Games with 20 or More Points
Tony Stockman’s 22 points in the win against No. 14 Iowa (1/8/05) gave him 10 games with 20 or more points as a Buckeye. He trails Terence Dials, who scored 21 points vs. Illinois (3/6/05) for his 14th career 20-point game. Dials has scored 20 or more points in 12 games this season, including the last three vs. Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
Ohio State vs. Ranked Foes
Overall, Ohio State is 131-212 all-time against ranked opponents and 55-106 against Top 10 teams after defeating No. 1 Illinois (3/6/05). The Buckeyes improved to 7-9 vs. No. 1 teams with the win over the Illini. No. 14 Iowa fell in Columbus at Value City Arena Jan. 8 (81-69) and the Buckeyes dropped games to No. 13 Michigan State (Feb. 9) and to No. 20 Wisconsin (Feb. 27).
Ohio State Wins No. 1,400 in Program History
In 106 years of basketball since 1898, the men’s basketball program at Ohio State has an overall record of 1,410-985 with a 19-11 record this season.
Penn State Enters Big Ten Event as No. 11 Seed
Penn State faces Ohio State as the No. 11 seed in the 2005 Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions have gone 0-11 after a 65-62 win over Northwestern Jan. 22 in State College. The losing streak was started by the Buckeyes in Columbus 86-62 Jan. 26. Ohio State posted its second of the season vs. PSU Feb. 12 in State College, 66-56. Penn State is 7-22 overall, finishing the 2005 Big Ten Conference season with a 1-15 record.
Stockman, Foster Pace OSU vs. Lions
Tony Stockman has averaged 13.5 points a game in four career meetings vs. the Nittany Lions. First-year Buckeye Je’Kel Foster also has a 13.5 ppg. scoring average in his two meeting vs. PSU. He also is the team leader with 6.5 rebounds a game vs. the Nittany Lions. Three players have played five career games vs. PSU-seniors Brandon Fuss-Cheatham and Matt Marinchick and junior Terence Dials.
Four Average in Double Digits vs. PSU in 2005 Big Ten Season
Led by junior Je’Kel Foster’s 13.5 points a game vs. PSU, Ohio State placed four players in double digits offensively vs. Penn State in two meetings this year. Tony Stockman (12.5 ppg.), Matt Sylvester (11.0 ppg.) and Brandon Fuss-Cheatham (10.0 ppg.) helped the Buckeyes own a 67.0-59.0 scoring advantage over PSU this year. Foster’s 6.5 rebounds per game also led the team this year. Ohio State connected on 20 of 55 3-pointers vs. PSU with Foster hitting 7 of 11 (.636) long range shots. Penn State owned the rebounding advantage 42.0-36.5.
The Penn State Series
Ohio State is 17-13 all-time in games vs. Penn State after a pair of victories this year. Ohio State and the Nittany Lions have met twice on neutral courts with PSU winning both previous meetings, a 71-66 win at the 2000 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago and 67-58 victory in the first game of the overall series Dec. 30, 1950 at the MSU Holiday Classic in East Lansing, Mich.
Ohio State vs. The Big Ten Illinois 60-100 Indiana 70-98 Iowa 66-72 Michigan 83-70 Michigan State 46-58 Minnesota 74-53 Northwestern 105-44 Penn State 17-13 Purdue 73-78 Wisconsin 80-60 Totals 674-646
Matta Coaching 3rd Game vs. PSU
First-year Buckeye head coach Thad Matta is coaching in his first Big Ten Conference season. The Buckeyes finished the league regular season 8-8. He has competed against Wisconsin (2-2), Purdue (2-1), Illinois (1-1), Indiana (1-2), Iowa (1-0), Minnesota (0-2), Penn State (2-0), Northwestern (1-0), Michigan (1-0) and Michigan State (0-1) during his years at Butler, Xavier and Ohio State.
Buckeyes 9-3 on This Date Ohio State has split the last four games on this date, including a 71-66 loss to Penn State at the 2000 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. The last OSU win on this date was an 81-64 victory over Iowa in the 2002 Big Ten Tournament title game in Indianapolis.
3/10/99 W @Circleville, 21-1 3/10/05 W Western Reserve, 58-3 3/10/17 W @Oberlin, 29-10 3/10/20 W @Ohio Wesleyan, 38-20 3/10/62 W Indiana, 90(1)-65 3/10/73 W @Michigan, 102-86 3/10/84 L @Indiana, 49-53 3/10/90 W Minnesota, 93-83(19) 3/10/91 L @Iowa, 69(2)-80 3/10/93 W Minnesota, 69-58 3/10/00 L vs. Penn State, 66(4)-71 3/10/02 W vs. Iowa, 81 (21)-64
Buckeyes Establish 3-point Shooting Records
Ohio State has set several 3-point shooting records to date this season in 30 games played. The 2004-05 squad owns the top three spots in single game 3-pointers made after a school record 18 makes from long range at LSU (1/15/05). The effort at LSU also is a Big Ten record for made 3s in a single game. The 17 makes at St. John Arena earlier this year (11/27/04) is second ahead of the 15 made at Clemson (12/1/04). The current squad also tied the No. 7 spot with 12 made vs. Iowa (1/8/05) and the No. 9 position with 11 made vs. Penn State (2/12/05) and Morehead State (12/19/04). The 35 attempted vs. Chattanooga is a school record and the 34 tries at LSU is second. In all, the current roster of Buckeyes owns eight of the Top 10 single game spots in attempted 3-pointers in school history.
More From Long Range
As a team, the Buckeyes have taken 665 3-pointers this season, making 246. Both are single season team records. The 1998-99 Ohio State team made 218 in 36 games. The 2004-05 record for makes was set with an 11 of 27 effort at Penn State Feb. 12 from long range. The Buckeyes are on pace to make 267 3-pointers this season, which would rank No. 2 in Big Ten history for a single season. Penn State owns the single season team record for made 3-pointers with 278 in 2000-01. Ohio State is on pace for 687 attempts as well. The Big Ten record is 757 held by Penn State in 2000-01.
Buckeyes in the Big Ten
Terence Dials is the No. 3 rebounder in the Big Ten with an average of 7.9 rebounds a game. He is No. 4 in defensive rebounds (5.07) and in offensive rebounds (2.83). Tony Stockman is No. 8 in 3-pointers made per game (2.07). Brandon Fuss-Cheatham is No. 2 in assist to turnover ratio (2.69) and No. 10 in assists (3.23). Dials is No. 6 in scoring (16.4 ppg.) and No. 3 in field goal shooting by percentage (.584). Ivan Harris is No. 5 (.427) and Je’Kel Foster is No. 7 (.420) in 3-point shooting percentage.
The Matta Era
The 13th head coach in Ohio State history, Thad Matta took over the Ohio State men’s basketball program July 7. The new staff are working with a roster of 11 players for the 2004-05 campaign, seven 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 54 percent of his shots from the field (107-199) in 30 games this season. He has scored in double figures in 13 games. The Buckeyes are 11-2 when Sullinger scores 10 or more points this season. He trails Terence Dials (7.9 rpg.) for the team rebounding lead with 5.5 rpg. Sullinger has upped his career scoring average to 9.7 points a game with 864 career points in 89 career games. Against Chattanooga Nov. 27, Sullinger tied a career high with four made 3-pointers in five attempts. Sullinger has at least one assist in 25 games this year and at least one steal in 21 outings. In two seasons in Columbus, Sullinger has scored 591 points with 302 rebounds. Sullinger has fouled out of a game just once this season after being disqualified eight times as a sophomore. With 11 rebounds vs. Minnesota (1/19), he recorded his third career game with 10 or more boards. In the first 13 games of the season, Sullinger connected on 23 of 43 foul shots (.534) but has upped his shooting percentage from the line to .642 after going 29 of 38 from the stripe in the last 17 games (.763).
Senior Brandon Fuss-Cheatham owns the team lead with 97 assists, a personal single-season high, against just 36 turnovers from the point guard position. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.7/1 is the best of his career and rates No. 2 in the Big Ten. In 670 minutes, he has averaged one turnover per 18.0 minutes played. He is playing 22.3 minutes a contest to date. He set a career high with four made 3-pointers at Clemson while scoring 14 points against the Tigers. His 15 points vs. Penn State (1/26) is a season high. He reached 300 career points (392) as a Buckeye with five vs. Mercer (12/22). He reached 200 career assists (233) with seven at LSU (1/15/05). He reached 100 career games played as a Buckeye at Indiana (1/22).
Sophomore Ivan Harris has started 30 games this year after making two starts all of his freshman season. He scored a career-high 20 points in the double overtime game at LSU (1/15/05), including 15 first-half points. He tallied 19 points in the semifinals of the Guardians Classic against Houston and then added 11 points in the overtime loss to Creighton, earning a spot on the all-tournament team alongside teammate J.J. Sullinger. Harris is connecting on 48 percent of his shots (90-189) from the field as a sophomore. He scored five 3-pointers in seven attempts against Chattanooga and then made 5 of 9 treys at Clemson. He made all five attempts in the second half from long range vs. Chattanooga and 4 of 7 in the final 20 minutes at Clemson. He has reached 10 or more points 12 times in his career. He connected on 5 of 8 shots and 4 of 5 3-pointers at Illinois (Jan. 5) and made 4 of 8 treys at LSU. Against Penn State Feb. 12, he grabbed a career high eight rebounds, including a career best seven on the defensive end.
Senior Tony Stockman averages 11.8 points a game this season in 27.6 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 six or more 3-pointers three times as a Buckeye. He led Ohio State to a win over Texas Tech in Dallas (Dec. 16) with 23 points. Stockman trails junior Je’Kel Foster (43) for the team lead with 42 steals. His shooting percentage of .403 (131-325) is the best of his career. He made at least one 3-pointer in 31-consecutive games as a Buckeye before an 0-3 outing vs. Minnesota (1/15/05). He was held scoreless in that contest for the first time since facing N.C. State his freshman season at Clemson, a span of 89 games. His one made 3-pointer vs. Portland State was the 250th of his career. His five made treys vs. Texas Tech gave him 100 as a Buckeye. He has 290 for his career and 135 at OSU. He played his 100th career game vs. New Hampshire (12/28/04) and reached 1,400 career points with 11 vs. Purdue Feb. 2 (1,462). With three steals in the Michigan game Feb. 5, Stockman reached 100 thefts at Ohio State. He recorded 61 as a junior and has 42 this season.
Freshman Jamar Butler made his first career start at Northwestern Jan. 31 and has been in the starting lineup since. He scored a career high with 13 points in the home win over Indiana Feb. 15. He reached double digits with 10 points and added a pair of steals in OSU’s 65-52 victory at Northwestern in his first collegiate start. Butler has played the most minutes of the freshman class to date (568/18.9 per game). He has just 27 turnovers to go with 67 assists for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5-1. Butler has gone to the line 30 times and has made 27 (.900). Butler has at least one assist in 27 games, including a career-high six helpers at Penn State Feb. 12. He has played 10 or more minutes in every game this season, including a career-high 30 minutes against Minnesota (2/19).
Junior Je’Kel Foster has made the most of his court time off the bench and in the last 10 games as a starter this season. In 30 games, he has averaged 7.6 points a game in 25.6 minutes a contest. He scored a career-high 20 points, all after the first half, in the double-overtime loss at LSU (1/15/05). He made 6 of 7 3-pointers in that game, including one to send the game into the second extra session. Foster leads the team with 43 steals. He has made a 3-pointer in 24 games and as many as three in 12 contests after three makes in six attempts against Penn State (2/12). Foster has a steal in 25 games this year. He has scored 10 or more points 10 times. Ohio State is 9-1 in those games.
Junior Terence Dials is shooting 58 percent from the field (191-327). Dials has made 56 percent of his shots for his career (403-717). With a 16.4 points per game scoring average, he took the team scoring lead from Tony Stockman after a 24-point outing vs. New Hampshire (12/28/04). He has scored in double digits 24 times this year, in 22 of the last 25 games and in 49 career contests. His 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. Texas Tech (12/16) gave him his fourth career double-double. His fifth came vs. Mercer (12/22) with 29 points, a career high, and 13 rebounds. No. 6 came against New Hampshire with 24 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds. He added No. 7 with a 20 point, 12 rebound effort vs. Wisconsin (1/19/05). He recorded his third-consecutive double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds vs. St. Joseph’s (12/31/04) marking the first time since 1986 (Dennis Hopson) that an OSU player has recorded a double-double in three-consecutive games. Dials has scored 20 or more points in 11 of the last 20 games, 12 times on the year and in 14 career games. He has been the team’s leading scorer in 16 games this year. He was the squad’s top rebounder for 11-consecutive games before J.J. Sullinger grabbed a team high eight boards at Northwestern Jan. 29, and in 20 on the year. Dials reached 1,000 career points with 20 vs. Wisconsin (2/27/05). He has 1,060 (10.8 ppg.) career points and 603 (6.2) career rebounds. His 18 points and 13 rebounds vs. Indiana (1/22) gave him his ninth career and sixth double double this season. His 10th career and seventh double-double came against Purdue Feb. 2 with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Junior Matt Sylvester scored a career-high 25 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with five seconds left to play in Ohio State’s 65-54 win over No. 1 Illinois (March 6). His seven points came in succession against St. Joseph’s (12/21/04) to help Ohio State hold a second-half advantage. He has at least one assist in 24 contests this year. His tip-in basket late vs. Texas Tech (12/16) broke a 71-all tie and helped the Buckeyes hold off the Red Raiders for a 77-71 win in Dallas. His seven rebounds vs. Indiana (2/15) are a season high. Against Penn State Feb. 12, Sylvester scored a team and game-high 15 points in a 66-56 Ohio State road victory.
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.
Buckeyes Win No. 117 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 117-68 (.632) 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.
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.
Dials Earns Back-to-Back Big Ten Player of the Week Accolades
Ohio State junior Terence Dials led the Buckeyes past Mercer 102-77 by netting a career-high 29 points to go with 13 rebounds to earn his second-consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week accolade Dec. 27. He made 12 field goals, a career best, on 15 attempts (.800) from the field, while also hitting 5-of-7 free throws. Dials posted his second double-double in three games and fifth of his career, while also reaching double figures for the eighth time this season. He is now tied for the team lead in scoring (14.9 ppg.) while ranking 10th in the Big Ten Conference. Dials also ranks third in the league with a career-high 7.8 rebounds per game. The Youngstown native becomes the first conference player to earn back-to-back weekly honors since Wisconsin’s Kirk Penney, who was named player of the week on Dec. 24, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2001. He is the first Buckeye to earn consecutive honors since Scoonie Penn in 1999 (2/15, 2/22).
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.
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.
Six Buckeyes Spend Year in Residence
A total of six student-athletes on the 2004-05 roster have spent a year on the Ohio State campus without playing in games for the Buckeyes. 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.
Ohio State Ends 2004-05 Campaign 91-22 at VCA
The Buckeyes completed season No. 7 at Value City Arena Sunday with a thrilling 65-64 win over No. 1 Illinois. The facility opened for the start of the 1998-99 season and since then the Buckeyes have built a record of 91-22 in 113 home games. The Buckeyes have not had a home losing season in 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 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2004-05. Ohio State is 15-2 at home this year, 14-2 at VCA. The team played Chattanooga at St. John Arena earlier this year.
Ohio State Retires Havlicek’s No. 5
John Havlicek, who lettered from 1960-62 for the Ohio State men’s basketball team and later starred for the NBA’s Boston Celtics, was back on campus Feb. 27 to celebrate the retirement of his No. 5 jersey. Havlicek helped the Buckeyes to three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Final Four and three national championship games during his career. The Buckeyes won the 1960 NCAA title and were runners-up in 1961 and 1962. As a Buckeye, Havlicek scored 1,223 points (14.6 ppg.) and grabbed 720 rebounds (8.6 rpg). He ranks 25th all-time in career scoring at Ohio State and is one of just 41 players all-time to score more than 1,000 points. The Buckeyes were 78-6 during his career. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and a first-team All-American as a senior in 1962. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Havlicek made nearly 51 percent of his shots from the field and 73 percent of his free throws at OSU. As a senior, he averaged 17.0 points and almost 10 rebounds a game. Havlicek is the fourth Ohio State men’s basketball player to have his number retired. He joins No. 11 Jerry Lucas (Feb. 23, 2000), No. 35 Gary Bradds (Jan. 27, 2001) and No. 22 Jim Jackson (Feb. 10, 2001).
Buckeyes Excel on Home Court
Ohio State finished 15-2 in Columbus this season and 14-2 at Value City Arena. The other victory was against Chattanooga at St. John Arena, the former home of the Buckeyes, earlier this season. Ohio State’s only home losses were in overtime (60-56) to Minnesota Jan. 19 and then a 64-56 setback to Wisconsin Feb. 27. Ohio State has won 11 or more games at Value City Arena in six of the seven seasons since the facility opened for the 1998-99 campaign.
