Ohio State Faces Davidson in NCAA First Round Action – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 14, 2006
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NCAA First Round
No. 2 Ohio State (25-5) vs. No. 15 Davidson (20-10)
Friday, March 17, 12:15 p.m.
University of Dayton
THE BROADCASTS
Opponents Davidson, First Round/Georgetown or Northern Iowa (2nd Rnd.)
Site Univ. of Dayton Arena (12,945)
Game Times 12:15 p.m. (Rd. 1)/2:20 p.m. (Rd. 2)
Television CBS
Local TV WBNS Ch. 10
TV Talent Gus Johnson (P-by-P), Len Elmore (Expert Analysis)
Radio OSU Radio Network (61 stations)
Local Radio WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent Paul Keels (P-by-P), Ron Stokes (Expert Analysis)
NCAA TOURNAMENT FACTS
Ohio State has appeared in 19 NCAA Tournaments since 1939. TheBuckeyes have played the opening rounds in Ohio in each of the lastthree appearances: Dayton in 1991, Cincinnati in 1992 and Dayton in2006. The Buckeyes are 2-3 vs. Davidson in the all-time series and8-4 vs. current members of the Southern Conference. Ohio State lastfaced Georgetown in 1990, a 71-60 victory in Las Vegas. TheBuckeyes are 2-1 vs. the Hoyas all-time. Ohio State is 68-49all-time vs. current members of the Big East Conference. TheBuckeyes and Panthers of Northern Iowa have never competed on thehardwood. Ohio State is 13-5 all-time vs. current members of theMissouri Valley Conference. Ohio State has been among the Top 4seeds six times since the seeding process began in 1979. Six BigTen teams were selected to participate in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Indianawill compete. Ohio State was 4-5 vs. those teams in the regularseason and league tournament. The Buckeyes have faced seven teamsthis season that qualified for the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Inaddition to the Big Ten teams, Ohio State defeated LSU and Belmontduring the 2005-06 non-conference season in Columbus. Ohio Statehas played 42 of the 64 possible opponents in the 65-team fieldthis year with an all-time record of 453-401 vs. those teams. Byregional, the Buckeyes are 101-103 vs. the teams in the AtlantaRegional, 112-132 vs. the Oakland Regional, 138-91 vs. theWashington, D.C., Regional and 102-75 vs. the teams in theMinneapolis Regional.
THE 2006 OPENER
Ohio State, the outright 2006 Big Ten Champions, enter NCAA tournament play with a 25-5 overall record after a 12-4 regular season mark in Big Ten Conference play. Thad Matta, the league’s coach-of-the-year, along with player-of-the-year Terence Dials, a 6-foot-9-inch senior center from Youngstown, Ohio, will lead the Buckeyes against First Round opponent Davidson (20-10). Ohio State is the No. 2 seed in the Minneapolis Region. Davidson is the No. 15 seed. The winner of the game between the Buckeyes and Wildcats will take on the winner of the game between Georgetown, the No. 7 seed, and Northern Iowa, the No. 10 seed, game. The Ohio State opener tips at 12:15 p.m. Friday. The Hoyas and Panthers tip 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Ohio State game. The winners meet at 2:20 p.m. Sunday with a chance to advance to regional competition in Minneapolis March 24 and 26.
OHIO STATE VS. DAVIDSON
Davidson is 3-2 all-time vs. the Buckeyes. The series dates to the 1963 season. The Wildcats won the first three games with Ohio State winning the last two in 1975 and 1976. An Ohio State victory during the 2002 NCAA Tournament was vacated.
THE DAVIDSON SERIES
| Year | W/L | Location | Score |
| 12/11/63 | L | Columbus | 73-95 |
| 12/19/64 | L | Davidson | 64-87 |
| 12/7/74 | L | Charlotte, N.C. | 80-88 |
| 12/20/75 | W | Columbus | 94-65 |
| 12/21/76 | W | Columbus | 64-57 |
THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Ohio State is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA tournament and first since 1992. The Buckeyes participated in the 1999-2002 events but those appearances have been vacated by the NCAA. Overall, Ohio State has a 31-17 record all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Buckeyes have advanced to play in eight Final Fours, have finished as the runner up three times (1939, 1961, 1962) and own one title (1960). Ohio State has finished third four times (1944, 1945, 1946, 1968).
OHIO STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
| Year | Region | Seed | Rcd |
| 1939 | Eastern | * | 2-1# |
| 1944 | Eastern | * | 1-1# |
| 1945 | Eastern | * | 1-1# |
| 1946 | Eastern | * | 2-1# |
| 1950 | Eastern | * | 1-1 |
| 1960 | Mideast | * | 4-0# |
| 1961 | Mideast | * | 3-1# |
| 1962 | Mideast | * | 3-1# |
| 1968 | Mideast | * | 3-1# |
| 1971 | Mideast | * | 1-1 |
| 1980 | West | No. 4 | 1-1 |
| 1982 | East | No. 8 | 0-1 |
| 1983 | East | No. 3 | 1-1 |
| 1985 | Midwest | No. 4 | 1-1 |
| 1987 | Southwest | No. 9 | 1-1 |
| 1990 | West | No. 8 | 1-1 |
| 1991 | Midwest | No. 1 | 2-1 |
| 1992 | Southwest | No. 1 | 3-1 |
| 2006 | Minneapolis | No. 2 | |
| Totals | 31-17 (.646) |
* Teams were not seeded prior to 1979.
# Final Four Appearance
MATTA NO STRANGER TO NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta has qualified all five teams eligible to participate in NCAA tournament play as a collegiate coach. This will be his first appearance as the Buckeye head coach. The Buckeyes were not eligible for postseason NCAA competition during his rookie campaign in Columbus a year ago. In the four seasons before taking over at Ohio State, Matta’s teams have not lost in first round action. His 2001 Butler squad defeated Wake Forest and was eliminated by Arizona in the second round. Matta spent 2002-04 at Xavier, where he advanced to the second round in both 2002 and 2003 before taking the Musketeers within an eyelash of making the Final Four in 2004. Matta is 6-4 in NCAA tournament play.
| Matta at Butler (No. 7 seed) | |||
| 3/16/01 | W | 79-63 | vs. No. 23 Wake Forest (10) |
| 3/18/01 | L | 52-73 | vs. No. 4 Arizona (2) |
| at Kemper Arena, (Kansas City, Mo.) |
| Matta at Xavier (No. 7 seed) | ||
| 3/15/02 | W | 70-58 vs. No. 25 Hawaii (10) |
| 3/17/02 | L | 65-78 vs. No. 3 Oklahoma (2) |
| at American Airlines Arena (Dallas, Texas) |
| Matta at Xavier (No. 3 seed) | ||
| 3/21/03 | W | 71-59 Troy State (14) |
| 3/23/03 | L | 64-77 vs. No. 17 Maryland (6) |
| at Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tenn.) |
| Matta at Xavier (No. 7 seed) | |||
| 3/19/04 | 1-W | 80-70 | Louisville (10) |
| 3/21/04 | 1-W | 89-74 | vs. No. 8 Mississippi St. (2) |
| 3/26/04 | 2-W | 79-71 | vs. No. 12 Texas (3) |
| 3/28/04 | 2-L | 63-66 | vs. No. 6 Duke (1) |
| 1-at TD Waterhouse Centre (Orlando, Fla.) | |||
| 2-at Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Ga.) |
SYLVESTER FAMILIAR NAME TO BOTH DAYTON, OHIO STATE FOLLOWERS
Senior Matt Sylvester is the son of former Dayton great Mike Sylvester, who lettered for the Flyers from 1971-74. Mike scored 36 points in one of the more memorable games in Dayton basketball lore, a triple overtime loss to a Bill Walton-led UCLA squad in NCAA regional play (111-100, 3/14/74). Mike went on to play professionally in Italy for 17 seasons. He was a member of the silver-medal-winning Italian national team in the 1980 Olympics. With dual citizenship, Mike was the only American to earn a medal at the 1980 Games. The United States boycotted the event that year. Sylvester, a fifth-year senior on the current OSU squad has made a number of game-changing shots for Ohio State over the years. The most memorable of which was his 3-pointer with five seconds left that gave the Buckeyes their 65-64 victory over No. 1-ranked and previously unbeaten Illinois a year ago in Columbus in the regular season finale.
MATTA 7th OSU COACH TO TAKE OSU TO NCAA TOURNAMENT
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta is the seventh head coach at Ohio State to guide his team to NCAA tournament play. Matta follows Harold Olsen (1939, ’44, ’45, ’46), William “Tippy” Dye (1950), Fred Taylor (1960, ’61, ’62, ’68, ’71), Eldon Miller (1980, ’82, ’83, ’85), Gary Williams (1987) and Randy Ayers (1990, ’91, ’92).
SULLINGER, BUTLER NAMED TO BIG TEN ALL-TOURNAMENT SQUAD
Senior J.J. Sullinger and sophomore Jamar Butler earned spots on the 2006 All-Big Ten Tournament team. Sullinger led the Buckeyes to a 2-1 record at the annual postseason event. Four Buckeyes averaged double figures offensively with Sullinger topping the list with 14.3 points a game. He also was the team’s top rebounder with 9.3 a game. Sullinger shot 52 percent for the tournament, knocking down 17 of 33 shots. Butler averaged 11.3 points, five assists in 37.7 minutes a game.
DIALS, FOSTER, MATTA HONROED BY USBWA IN DISTRICT V
Seniors Terence Dials and Je’Kel Foster were voted to the All-District V squad by members of the United State Basketball Writers Association. District V includes student-athletes from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach, also was honored with coach of the year accolades in District V.
BUCKEYES 16-2 IN NCAA OPENERS
Ohio State has won at least one game in 17 of the previous 18 NCAA tournaments in which the men’s basketball team has appeared. Ohio State is 16-2 in tournament openers. Ohio State received a bye to the 1950 regional semifinals and lost to City College of New York 56-55. Ohio State then defeated Holy Cross in the regional third place game. The only other loss in an NCAA opener was in 1982, a first round loss to James Madison 55-48.
DIALS, MATTA ADD HARDWARE TO COLLECTION
Ohio State senior Terence Dials was selected as the 2006 Big Ten Player of the Year by the league coaches and media, the league office announced March 7. Thad Matta, second-year head coach of the Buckeyes, was named the league’s coach of the year. The conference media vote for that award. In addition to taking both top honors this season, the Buckeyes also were represented on all-league teams by senior Je’Kel Foster, second team by the coaches and third team by the media, and sophomore Jamar Butler, a third-team media selection. Butler was an honorable mention honoree by the conference coaches. Foster earned a spot on the coaches’ all-defensive team and was a sportsmanship award honoree.
BUCKEYES ADVANCE TO BIG TEN TOURNAMENT FINAL FOR THIRD TIME
Ohio State secured the outright Big Ten Title for 2006 with a 76-57 victory March 5 against Purdue in Columbus. The Buckeyes faced No. 8 seed Penn State in the conference tournament opener March 10. The Buckeyes advanced with a 63-56 victory at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Ohio State the defeated No. 5 seed Indiana 52-51 before losing to No. 2 Iowa 67-60 in the title game Sunday. The Buckeyes entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the second time and was among the Top 3 seeds for the fifth time in program history.
OSU BIG TEN TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Buckeyes are 10-8 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).
| 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 |
| 2005 (6) | W | Penn State (11) | 72-69 |
| L | Wisconsin (3) | 49-60 | |
| 2006 (1) | W | Penn State (8) | 63-56 |
| W | Indiana (5) | 52-51 | |
| L | Iowa (2) | 60-67 |
BUCKEYES ENTER POSTSEASON PLAY 11-2 IN LAST 13
Ohio State surged down the stretch in Big Ten Conference play, winning eight of the last nine league games and nine of 10 overall before going 2-1 in the league tournament last weekend. Senior Terence Dials averaged 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds over the final 10 games of the regular season, which included five double-doubles, all in league play. He connected on 62 percent of his field goals (70-113), blocked 10 shots and was credited with 12 steals. Senior Je’Kel Foster averaged 12.4 points with 26 steals down the stretch. He knocked down 14 of 15 foul shots and played a team-high 35 minutes per game. Sophomore Jamar Butler averaged 12.0 points, handed out 46 assists and shot 91 percent from the foul line (29-32) down the stretch.
MATTA GRABS 4TH LEAGUE TITLE IN THIRD DIVISION I CONFERENCE
Head coach Thad Matta guided the Buckeyes to at least a share of the 2006 Big Ten Conference regular-season title with the team’s 56-53 win at Northwestern March 1. Matta’s Buckeyes claimed the title outright with a 76-57 win vs. Purdue in Columbus March 5. The championship this year gives Matta four league regular season titles in his third Division I conference. Matta won both the regular season and conference tournament titles in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 2001 while coaching his lone season at Butler, his alma mater. He then won both the regular season and tournament Atlantic 10 titles in his first year at Xavier in 2002. The Musketeers won the regular season title again in 2003 and the tournament championship in 2004. Matta was the coach of the year in both the MCC (2001) and A-10 (2002). He was tabbed the Big Ten’s coach of the year earlier this week, his third honor in as many leagues in his six years as a collegiate coach.
Thad Matta Coaching Resumé
| Year | School | League Title |
Postseason Title |
Coach of Year |
Conf. |
| 2001 | Butler | * | * | * | MCC |
| 2002 | Xavier | * | * | * | A-10 |
| 2003 | Xavier | * | — | — | A-10 |
| 2004 | Xavier | — | * | — | A-10 |
| 2005 | Ohio St. | — | — | — | Big Ten |
| 2006 | Ohio St. | * | — | * | Big Ten |
BUCKEYES LOCK DOWN 18th TITLE
Ohio State secured the outright 2006 regular season Big Ten title with the win vs. Purdue in the season finale March 5. The Buckeyes have won 18 league championships in school history. The 2006 championship is the first since 2002. Ohio State has won 11 outright league titles and seven shared championships. The last outright title was achieved in 1992.
BUCKEYES TOUGH TO BEAT AT HOME UNDER MATTA, COULD SET RECORD
Thad Matta has directed the Buckeyes to a 31-3 record in Columbus in two seasons as head coach of the Buckeyes. He is 30-3 overall at Value City Arena, which includes a 17-0 record vs. non-conference foes. Ohio State defeated Chattanooga last year at St. John Arena on the OSU campus. The 30-3 mark at VCA (13-3 vs. the Big Ten) is the best two-year record in the facility since Ohio State teams were 29-3 in the first two years the building was open (14-1 in 1998-99, 15-2 in 1999-00). The Buckeyes set the building record with 16 victories this year. Ohio State won 15 games in both 1999-2000 and 2001-02 at VCA.
DIALS EARNS BIG TEN PLAYER OF WEEK HONORS, HIS THIRD CAREER AWARD
Senior Terence Dials was honored Feb. 27 by the Big Ten Conference as its player of the week. It was the first of the year for Dials and third of his OSU career. Buckeyes have earned the honor four times this season. Senior Je’Kel Foster (twice) and sophomore Jamar Butler claimed the award earlier this year. Dials averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in wins at No. 18 Michigan State and vs. Michigan to earn the award. He also knocked down 18 of 28 field goals (.643) in helping the Buckeyes move to the No. 1 spot in the regular season conference standings heading into the final week of the season.
OHIO STATE REACHES 10+ LEAGUE WINS FOR 28th TIME
The win vs. Michigan (64-54) Feb. 25 upped the Buckeyes’ Big Ten record to 10-4. Ohio State (12-4 in league play after the win vs. Purdue March 5) has reached the 10-win plateau 28 times in school history. The last time Ohio State reached double digits in regular season conference wins was in 2002 (11-5/T1st). When reaching 10 or more wins, Ohio State has won or shared the regular season title 18 times and finished second on five occasions.
DIALS ON DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK
Senior Terence Dials recorded 10+ points and rebounds in each of the five games leading up to the contest at Northwestern March 1. The streak was the longest double-double run of his career. The string ended in Evanston, where Dials tallied 18 points and seven boards. Dials scored 19 points and grabbed a career-high 16 boards vs. Illinois (2/12/06) to start the streak. He tallied 24 points and 11 boards at Wisconsin (2/15/06), had 14 points and 15 boards vs. Northwestern (2/18/06) and then scored 19 points with 10 boards in the road win vs. Michigan State (2/22/06) and 22 points and 11 rebounds vs. Michigan (2/25/06). He averaged 19.5 points and 12.5 rebounds during the double-double run. Dials has 17 career double-doubles and seven this season. The last time an Ohio State player put together a streak of five or more consecutive double-doubles was during the 1985-86 season when Brad Sellers had a streak of nine-consecutive games with 10 or more points and rebounds.
DIALS CLIMBING GMS. PLAYED CHART
Senior Terence Dials has played in 130 career games at Ohio State, good for the No. 2 spot all-time. He passed Brian Brown (1999-2002) with 129 games played with three appearances in Indianapolis last week. Jerry Francis is No. 1 with 133 appearances from 1986-89.
BUCKEYES ENTER BIG TEN TOURNAMENT AMONG NATION’S TOP 10
Ohio State improved to No. 6 in the Associated Press (media) and ESPN/USA Today (coaches) polls after a pair of Big Ten wins last week in the league tournament. The Buckeyes knocked off Penn State 63-56 March 10 and then survived a one-point battle with Indiana (52-51) in the tournament semifinals. Iowa was the tournament champion with a 67-60 victory over the Buckeyes last Sunday. Ohio State is 25-5 overall and 12-4 in the Big Ten. The five losses have come by a combined 22 points to then-No. 16 Indiana (81-79, Jan. 7) in Bloomington, to then-No. 14 Michigan State in double overtime (62-59, Jan. 15) in Columbus, to Iowa (67-62, Jan. 28) in Iowa City, at Wisconsin (78-73, Feb. 15) and to then-No. 20 Iowa (67-60) at the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes are 328-105 (.756) when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll. Ohio State was last ranked among the Top 10 nationally at the end of the 2000 season. The Buckeyes were ranked as high as No. 4 that year. Overall, Ohio State is 200-53 (.791) when playing with a Top 10 AP ranking. Ohio State has cracked the poll at least once in 28 seasons since its first appearance in 1948-49. The Buckeyes are 35-5 overall, 22-4 vs. Big Ten teams and 12-1 vs. non-conference foes at Value City Arena when ranked by the 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.
OHIO STATE EARNS BACK-TO-BACK BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Ohio State student-athletes earned player of the week honors in men’s basketball for consecutive weeks earlier this season. Sophomore Jamar Butler earned the award Feb. 13 after leading the Buckeyes to a pair of victories vs. ranked opponents. His 20 points at No. 22 Michigan (2/9/06) set up a 22-point effort in a home win vs. No. 10 Illinois (2/12/06). In the two games he made 15-of-21 field goals (.714) and 7-of-8 (.875) 3-pointers. He also handed out nine assists and made all five foul shots. Butler’s honor came on the heels of Je’Kel Foster taking the honor Feb. 6, his second. The last time an Ohio State player earned league POW honors in back-to-back weeks was in December 2004 when Terence Dials won in consecutive weeks (12/20, 12/27). The last time different OSU players won in back-to-back weeks was during the 1992 Big Ten season when Jim Jackson (2/3/92) and Chris Jent (2/10/92) were honored.
BUCKEYES HEAD TO POSTSEASON LEADING BIG TEN OFFENSIVELY
The Buckeyes find themselves among the Top 2 in the Big Ten Conference in several areas heading into the 2006 NCAA Tournament in Dayton this week. Ohio State is No. 1 among Big Ten teams in scoring offense (74.7 ppg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.29). The Buckeyes are No. 2 in scoring margin (+11.9), 3-point shooting pct. defense (.307), assists (15.70) and 3-point field goals made (8.40).
OHIO STATE SETS 3-POINT SHOOTING RECORD IN WIN AT MICHIGAN
The Buckeyes connected on 12 of 16 first-half 3-pointers at Michigan Feb. 9 to set an OSU record for 3-pointers made in a half. Ohio State finished with 15 makes in 24 attempts in the 94-85 victory. The Buckeyes have made 10 or more 3-pointers in 11 games this season, all wins. The Buckeyes are 18-3 in the Thad Matta era when making 10 or more 3-pointers in a game. Ohio State is 33-5 (.865) all-time when making 10 or more 3s in a game.
BUCKEYES LOOK TO FOSTER FROM LONG RANGE
Senior Je’Kel Foster set an OSU record with 12-consecutive made 3-pointers in wins vs. Minnesota Feb. 4 and at Michigan Feb. 9. Foster missed his first attempt from long range vs. Minnesota (2/4/06) and then hit seven-consecutive treys on his way to 25 points. He then made his first five 3-pointers at Michigan (2/9/06) before a miss in his final attempt in Ann Arbor. He started 5 of 5 from beyond the arc vs. Illinois (2/12/06) and finished the game 6 of 8 (.750).
MATTA REACHES 6th 20-WIN SEASON
Thad Matta does not 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 in both seasons to date at Ohio State, Matta is one of two coaches nationally to record 20 or more wins in the first six seasons of his coaching career. The Buckeyes are 25-5 to date this season. Mark Few of Gonzaga is the other with 20+ in all seven years with the Bulldogs.
FOSTER EARNS 2nd BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Je’Kel Foster made 75 percent of his field goal attempts (15-20) and 77 percent of his 3-point attempts (10-13) in two wins vs. Florida A&M (1/30/06) and Minnesota (2/4/06) to claim co-Big Ten Player of the Week accolades, his second of the season. He shared the most recent award with Iowa’s Jeff Horner. Foster scored a game-high 25 points on 8 of 10 shooting from the field in Ohio State’s 67-53 win vs. Minnesota. He made 7 of 8 3-point attempts in that game. He missed his first long-range attempt and then made the next seven from beyond the arc.
EFFORT VS. MINNESOTA PUTS FOSTER IN RECORDS BOOK
The seven made 3-pointers vs. Minnesota (2/5/06) places Je’Kel Foster No. 3 all-time at Ohio State for treys made in a single game. He also is No. 3 in 3-point shooting percentage in a single game with his 7 of 8 effort (.875) vs. the Gophers. He moved into the top spot in single season 3-point shooting percentage after his outing vs. Minnesota. He is making 39.9 percent of his treys this season (73-183). His career 3-point shooting percentage is 41.2 percent (133-304). His career shooting percentage from long range ranks No. 2 all-time at Ohio State.
BUTLER STEADY AT THE POINT
Sophomore guard Jamar Butler is No. 2 in the Big Ten with a +2.72 assist-to-turnover ratio in all games. Butler has 136 assists and just 50 turnovers on the year.
2005-06 BUCKEYES CONTRIBUTE TO OSU ASSIST RECORDS
The 2005-06 Buckeyes, led by sophomore point guard Jamar Butler, have recorded two of the Top 10 Ohio State team performances in assists this year. The Buckeyes dished out 28 assists vs. Penn State Jan. 5 and were credited with 27 helpers vs. Florida A&M Jan. 30. The 28 assists vs. PSU rank as the No. 6 single-game effort in OSU history while the 27 vs. FAMU rate tied for 7th. The last time Ohio State handed out 27 or more was Dec. 7, 1996 vs. Long Island (27). Butler leads the current team with 114 assists. He recorded a career high nine helpers vs. PSU and eight vs. FAMU. The Buckeyes have recorded 20 or more assists in a game five times this year, all wins.
2 MILLION AT VCA
For the eighth-consecutive season, all of which were played at Value City Arena, Ohio State finished among the Top 18 teams nationally in average attendance in 2005-06. The Buckeyes averaged 15,390 fans in 17 home games at VCA. Overall, in 130 games at VCA, a total of 2,114,660 fans, 16,266 per game, have helped the Buckeyes to a record of 107-23 at the facility. Ohio State exceeded the 2 million mark in home attendance at VCA vs. Wisconsin (16,127) Jan. 18, 2006. The Buckeyes have won 14 or more home games in six of the eight years at VCA and 11 or more in seven of eight.
FOSTER SETS OSU 3-POINT SHOOTING RECORDS
Senior Je’Kel Foster became one of just three Buckeyes all-time to knock down 50 or more 3-pointers in a single season twice during their Ohio State careers following his effort vs. Minnesota Feb. 4. He made 7 of 8 long range attempts in that game and now has 73 made this season. Foster made 62 as a junior. Scoonie Penn (1999-2000) made 88 in 1999 and 65 in 2000. Tony Stockman (2004-05) knocked down 73 as a junior and 66 a year ago. Foster is one of just 11 players in school history to make 50 or more in a season. The feat has been accomplished 14 times since 1986-87 when the 3-point shot was introduced in NCAA Division I.
MATTA OWNS 3rd BEST OSU START
Thad Matta coached his 50th game of his OSU career against Florida A&M (1/30/06). He is among the top three coaches all-time at OSU in winning percentage after their first 50 games at Ohio State (35-15). Matta is 45-17 (.726) at OSU. Fred Taylor (1959-76) and Randy Ayers (1990-97) both won 36 of their first 50 contests at Ohio State for a winning percentage of .720. Matta has the Buckeyes at 25-5 with an outright Big Ten title to his credit in his second year at the helm of 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) | 35 | 15 | .700 |
| 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 |
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.
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 seven times dating back to the 1986-87 season, the first campaign for the 3-point shot. The Buckeyes made 15 of 24 treys at Michigan (Feb. 9) and then knocked down 13 of 23 vs. Illinois (Feb. 12). 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 33-5 in the 38 games when scoring on 10 or more 3s while opponents are 30-28 in 58 games with double digit 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 |
2005-06 BUCKEYES CRACK TOP 10 IN 3-POINTERS MADE
As a team, the 2005-06 Ohio State team is No. 2 in 3-pointers made and attempted this season. The Buckeyes have made 252 of 680 3-point attempts on the season to date. The 252 made rates No. 3 all-time at OSU. The 2004-05 team made 259 3s in 32 games a year ago. Ohio State currently averages 8.4 3-pointers a game.
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. The Top 8 3-point shooting performances have been established in the last two years. Ohio State knocked down 18 treys in a double overtime loss at LSU (1/15/05) to set the record for 3s made in a game at Ohio State. The Buckeyes made 17 vs. Chattanooga last November as well. Matta’s teams have made 10 or more 3s in a game 21 times and have an 18-3 record in those games. Matta’s opponents at Ohio State have made 10 or more four times and are 2-2 in those games.
BUCKEYE OFFENSE CLICKS, FOUR AVERAGE DOUBLE DIGITS
Ohio State is averaging a Big Ten-leading 74.7 points after 30 games this season. Opponents average 63.5 ppg. The Buckeyes have made 47 percent of their field goals (788-1,679), while allowing opponents to make 42 percent (743-1,754). From the foul line, Ohio State has taken 574 shots, making 413 (.720), while foes have gone to the line 386 times, making 258 (.668). Balance has been the norm with five players averaging 10.2 or more points a game. Terence Dials leads the team with 15.0 ppg. with Je’Kel Foster close behind at 12.4 ppg. Ron Lewis (11.3 ppg.), Jamar Butler (10.2 ppg.) and J.J. Sullinger (10.2 ppg.) follow. Dials averages 8.0 rebounds a game to pace the squad.
DIALS CLIMBING SCORING CHART
Senior Terence Dials has 1,528 career points, good for the No. 14 spot all-time in scoring at Ohio State. Dials cracked the Top 15 all-time in career scoring with 20 points vs. Purdue (3/5/06). Dials passed Jerry Francis (1986-89), who scored 1,486 career points during his Ohio State career. Dials is a point behind No. 13 Tony Campbell (1981-84). He ended his career with 1,529 points.
DIALS JOINS 800 CLUB, TOP 10
Senior Terence Dials notched career rebound No. 800 with 15 vs. Northwestern (Feb. 18). He has 859 boards to become one of seven Buckeyes to reach the 800 mark all-time. There are four players with 900 or more boards 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. Dials is sixth all-time behind No. 5 Clark Kellogg (1980-82, 872).
1,000 X 3
Ohio State’s roster contains three players who have scored 1,000 or more points in their collegiate careers. Terence Dials, Ron Lewis and J.J. Sullinger all have reached the 1,000-point plateau. Dials’ total stands at 1,528 points scored to date, good for the No. 14 spot on the all-time list at OSU. Lewis, who transferred to Ohio State with 877 points to his credit after two seasons at Bowling Green, has a career total of 1,215, which includes 338 scored as a Buckeye. Senior J.J. Sullinger has scored 1,191 career points. He played one season at Arkansas, scoring 273 points in 2001-02.
ON THIS DATE
Ohio State is 5-3 on March 17.
| Date | W/L | Opponent | Score |
| 3/17/03 | L | Kenyon | 18-28 |
| 3/17/39 | W | vs. Wake Forest | 64-52 |
| 3/17/61 | W | @Louisville | 56(1)-55 |
| 3/17/62 | W | vs. Kentucky | 74(1)-64(3) |
| 3/17/86 | W | Texas | 71-65 |
| 3/17/90 | L | vs. UNLV | 65-76(2) |
| 3/17/91 | W | vs. Georgia Tech | 65(5)-61 |
| 3/17/93 | L | Miami (Ohio) | 53-56 |
OHIO STATE VS. THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Ohio State is 689-652 vs. the current members of the Big Ten Conference.
OSU vs. The Big Ten
| Illinois | 61-100 |
| Indiana | 71-99 |
| Iowa | 66-74 |
| Michigan | 85-70 |
| Michigan State | 47-59 |
| Minnesota | 75-53 |
| Northwestern | 107-44 |
| Penn State | 21-13 |
| Purdue | 75-78 |
| Wisconsin | 81-62 |
| Totals | 689-652 |
MILLER RECOGNIZED BY ALMA MATER
Brandon Miller, Ohio State’s director of men’s basketball operations, was selected to Butler University’s Team of the Sesquicentennial. He participated in a dinner in recognition of the event Feb. 3 at Butler. The 15-member team was recognized at halftime of the UW-Milwaukee at Butler game Feb. 4 in Indianapolis. Miller is one of just eight players in Butler basketball history to score over 1,000 career points in just three seasons, finishing his career with 1,121 points. He currently ranks third on Butler’s all-time list for 3-point field goals (189) and stands sixth on the school’s all-time list for assists (305).
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.
OHIOIANS DOMINATE OSU 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.
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.
BUCKEYES EARN 9 NON-CONFERENCE HOME WINS
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’ 9-0 record vs. non-Big Ten foes at VCA this year. The Buckeyes have been undefeated in home non-conference games at VCA three times. 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 60-6 overall vs. non-conference foes at VCA. Thad Matta is 17-0 as a Buckeye head coach against non-league foes at VCA.
MATTA IMPROVES TO 22-3 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 11-0 non-conference action in 2005-06, Matta improved to 22-3 against non-league foes. The Buckeyes are 18-0 in Columbus and 17-0 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 13-1 in December.
