Ohio State Hosts Purdue For Outright Big Ten Title – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 3, 2006
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Date: March 5, 2006
Opponent: Purdue (9-17, 3-12)
Site: Value City Arena (18,500)
Game Time: Noon EST
Television: ESPN Regional
Local TV: WBNS 10 TV
TV Talent: Jim Barbar (P-by-P), Bill Hosket (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)
FOUR SENIORS MAKE FINAL APPEARNANCE IN UNIFORM AT VCA
Terence Dials, Matt Sylvester, J.J. Sullinger and Je’Kel Foster will be playing in their final home game as Buckeyes today at Value City Arena. Dials and Sylvester have spent five years in the OSU program while Sullinger, who transferred from Arkansas after his freshman season, has been on the OSU campus four years. Foster completes two years in Columbus after spending two years in the junior college ranks. Dials will leave Ohio State as one of the top scorers and rebounders in OSU history. He is among the Top 16 in scoring and Top 6 in rebounding while also rating as one of the Top 3 field goal shooters by percentage. Dials has been a part of three 20-win seasons as a Buckeye and has been a part of 83 Ohio State victories. Sylvester has two 20-win campaigns to his credit and 73 victories. His clutch late-game shooting, which helped the Buckeyes knock off No. 1 Illinois as a junior and LSU this season, will long be remembered at Ohio State. Sullinger, a Columbus native, chose the No. 0 upon arrival at OSU to represent the first “O” in Ohio. His dream of playing for the Buckeyes came true to the tune of 56 career wins. Foster is the senior with the shortest tenure, though his contributions of the last two years are equally as memorable. Foster will leave Ohio State as one of its most prolific 3-point shooters both in number and by percentage. He holds several 3-point shooting records and will be remembered as one of the best and hardest-playing defenders. In the two seasons as a Buckeye, Foster helped Ohio State win 42 games … to date.
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 last Wednesday. 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 is a candidate for the same honor in the Big Ten this season.
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 PLAY FOR OUTRIGHT BIG TEN TITLE
Ohio State can secure the outright 2006 regular season Big Ten title with a victory vs. Purdue in the season finale Sunday. The Buckeyes have won 18 league championships in school history. The 2006 championship is the first since 2002. Ohio State has won 10 outright league titles with 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 30-3 record in Columbus in two seasons as head coach of the Buckeyes. He is 29-3 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 29-3 mark at VCA (12-3 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 have one remaining home game this season and could set the building record with 16 victories. 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 recent win vs. Michigan (64-54) Feb. 25 upped the Buckeyes’ Big Ten record to 10-4. Ohio State (11-4 in league play after the win at Northwestern) 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. The Buckeyes clinched a share of the 2006 title with the 56-53 win at Northwestern last Wednesday.
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 last week. 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 last vs. Northwestern (2/18/06) and then scored 19 points with 10 boards in the road win vs. Michigan State and 22 points and 11 rebounds vs. Michigan last week. He averaged 19.5 points and 12.5 rebounds during the double-double run. Dials has 16 career double-doubles and six 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.
BUCKEYES OWN 4-GAME WIN STREAK VS. TOP 25 TEAMS
Ohio State has defeated the last four ranked opponents it has faced. Since the double overtime loss to No. 14 Michigan State Jan. 15 in Columbus, Ohio State has defeated No. 15 Wisconsin (77-67) Jan. 18, No. 22 Michigan (94-85) in Ann Arbor, No. 10 Illinois (69-53) and No. 18 Michigan State (79-68) in East Lansing. The last time Ohio State won four-consecutive games vs. ranked teams was during the 2001 and 2002 Big Ten seasons. Ohio State downed No. 3 Illinois, 63-61, Feb. 22, 2001 and then won three games vs. No. 9 Iowa (72-62, Jan. 5), No. 25 Indiana (73-67, Jan. 19) and No. 12 Illinois (78-67, Jan. 29) during the 2002 Big Ten campaign. The last time Ohio State won four-consecutive games vs. ranked teams in the same season was during the 1998-99 campaign when the Buckeyes won six in a row vs. ranked foes, four vs. Big Ten teams (at Purdue, at Iowa, at Indiana and Wisconsin) and two during NCAA tournament play (Auburn, St. John’s).
DIALS CLIMBING GMS. PLAYED CHART
Senior Terence Dials has played in 126 career games at Ohio State, good for the No. 5 (tie) spot all-time. He tied Perry Carter (126/1988-91) and Curtis Wilson (126/1984, `86-88) at Northwestern. The Buckeyes have a minimum of two games remaining. Dials, with appearances in both, will play at least 128 career games in an OSU uniform, good for the No. 3 spot all time. Brian Brown (1999-2002) is No. 2 with 129 games played and Jerry Francis is No. 1 with 133 appearances from 1986-89. Ken Johnson (127/1998-01) and Jamaal Brown (127/1989-92) are tied for the No. 3 spot. Dials will catch that duo with an appearance vs. the Boilermakers.
FOSTER NO. 6 NATIONALLY IN 3-POINT SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
Ohio State senior Je’Kel Foster is No. 6 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage (as of Feb. 27) with a minimum of 2.5 made per game. He averages 2.69 a contest with 70 makes in 150 attempts (.467). As a team, the Buckeyes are No. 11 in scoring margin (+12.2 ppg.), No. 14 in 3-pointers made per game (8.73) and No. 12 in 3-point FG pct. (.398).
OHIO STATE VS. THE BOILERMAKERS
Ohio State has won 10 of the last 11 meetings vs. Purdue. The Buckeyes trail in the all-time series 78-74. The Boilermakers are 51-25 on their home court vs. OSU with the Buckeyes owning the advantage in Columbus (49-27). When the Buckeyes are ranked in the AP Top 25, Ohio State is 20-4 vs. the Boilermakers. Ohio State has won its last six games when ranked vs. Purdue and nine of the last 10 overall.
FOUR BUCKEYES AVERAGE DOUBLE DIGITS VS. PURDUE
Four Ohio State players have averaged 10 or more points vs. the Boilermakers during their careers. Terence Dials (12.6 ppg vs. PU) has the most experience with a total of five games played vs. the Boilermakers. Matt Sylvester is next with four games and a 11.5 ppg. average. J.J. Sullinger has faced PU three times (13.3 ppg.) and Je’Kel Foster has scored 25 points in his two opportunities (12.5 ppg.) vs. the Boilermakers. Dials leads OSU vs. Purdue with 6.0 rebounds a game. Dials has knocked down 72 percent of his field goal attempts (23-32) in games against Purdue while Sylvester shoots at a 59 percent clip (19-32).
BUCKEYES NO. 9 IN AP, NO. 8 IN COACHES POLL
Ohio State improved to No. 9 in the Associated Press (media) and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today (coaches) polls after a pair of Big Ten wins last week. The Buckeyes knocked off No. 18 Michigan State in East Lansing (Feb. 22), 79-68, and then defeated Michigan, 64-54, last Saturday in Columbus. Ohio State is 21-4 overall and 10-4 in the Big Ten. The four losses have come by a combined 15 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 and at Wisconsin (78-73, Feb. 15). The Buckeyes are 325-104 (.758) 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 197-52 (.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 34-5 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 TOP SEVERAL BIG TEN STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
The Buckeyes find themselves leading the Big Ten Conference in several areas heading into the week of Feb. 27. Ohio State is No. 1 in scoring offense (76.5 ppg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.29). In league games only, Ohio State is the leader in scoring offense (73.0 ppg.), scoring margin (+8.6 ppg.), field goal percentage (399-849/.470), 3-pt. FG pct. (129-337/.383), 3-pt. FG pct. defense (77-262/.294), turnover margin (+2.80), 3-pt. FGs made (8.6 pg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.38).
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 nine games this season, all wins. The Buckeyes are 16-3 in the Thad Matta era when making 10 or more 3-pointers in a game. Ohio State is 31-5 (.861) 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 22-4 to date this season. Mark Few of Gonzaga is the other with 20+ in all seven years with the Bulldogs.
OHIO STATE RECORDS 21st 20
With a 22-4 record this year to date, Ohio State reached its 21st season with 20 or more victories. The first year with a 20+ win record came in 1949-50 (22-4). The Buckeyes have participated in the NCAA tournament in 17 of the 20 previous seasons with 20 or more wins and have gone to postseason play 18 times (NIT in 1988). Ohio State was not eligible for postseason in 2004 (20-12) and did not participate in postseason play in 1963 (20-4).
BUCKEYES WIN 100th GAME AT VALUE CITY ARENA
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 106 of 129 games (.822).
OHIO STATE VS. RANKED TEAMS AT VALUE CITY ARENA
Following the win vs. No. 10 Illinois Feb. 12, Ohio State is 17-8 overall vs. ranked teams at Value City Arena. When ranked Big Ten teams take the court at VCA, Ohio State is 17-5.
THE BUCKEYES AT SOLD-OUT VCA
Ohio State is 26-7 in sold-out games at Value City Arena, which includes a 22-5 record vs. Big Ten opponents and a 10-1 record vs. ranked conference foes in sold-out games. Games vs. Michigan State (1/15), Illinois (2/12), Northwestern (2/18), Michigan (2/25) and Purdue (3/5) have been soldout this season.
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 46.7 percent of his treys this season (70-150). His career 3-point shooting percentage is 44.7 percent (132-295). His career and season shooting percentage this year are Ohio State records.
BUTLER STEADY AT THE POINT
Sophomore guard Jamar Butler is No. 1 in the Big Ten with a +2.76 assist-to-turnover ratio in all games. In league games only, Butler has handed out 66 assists with just 24 turnovers in 15 games for a +2.75 ratio, which ranks No. 1. Butler averages 4.4 assists and 1.6 turnovers a game in league play. In all games, Butler is sixth with an average of 4.6 assists a game. In league games, he is fifth.
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 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 129 games at VCA, a total of 2,096,160 fans, 16,249 per game, have helped the Buckeyes to a record of 106-23 at the facility. Ohio State exceeded the 2 million mark in home attendance at VCA vs. Wisconsin (16,127) Jan. 18. 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.
NOTING THE BUCKEYES…
* Sophomore Jamar Butler is shooting 46 percent from the field (75-165), up from 33 percent (36-108) as a freshman … has made 39 of 86 (.453) 3-pointers this year–(14-61/.230 a year ago) … rates No. 4 among Big Ten players in 3FG pct. and is No. 3 in league games only (23-50/.460) … averages 4.6 assists per game and has seven or more in seven games … scoring average up to 9.9 ppg. from 3.6 ppg. as a freshman … 66 assists and just 24 turnovers in Big Ten play (+2.75 ast./TO ratio) … three games vs. Big Ten with 0 turnovers … just one TO for every 19.3 minutes played this season (811 minutes/42 TOs) … overall +2.8 ast./TO ratio is best in Big Ten … nearly 3-to-1 ratio for career (190 asts./73 TOs, +2.6) … leads OSU from the FT line hitting 83.1 pct. (59-71).
* Senior Terence Dials scored 19 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in home win vs. No. 10 Illinois Feb. 12 … notched fifth-consecutive double-double and sixth of the season, with 22 points and 11 rebounds vs. Michigan last Saturday … 19 points vs. Michigan State Jan. 15 passed Clark Kellogg on the all-time scoring list … Kellogg was the expert analyst in the game vs. the Spartans … career field goal shooting percentage rates No. 4 all-time at OSU (568-1,009/.5629) … scored in double figures in 16 of last 20 games … leads team offensively with 15.2 ppg overall and with 16.1 ppg. in Big Ten games … has connected on 50 percent or better from the field in 21 of 26 games and in 17 of the last 20 contests … 16 career double-doubles … his 8.1 rebound average rates No. 4 among league players, .577 FG pct. rates No. 3.
* Senior Je’Kel Foster is one of just four Buckeyes all-time to record six or more steals in a single game … Troy Taylor (1982-85), Curtis Wilson (1984-88) and Scoonie Penn (1999-2000) are the others … Foster recorded six thefts vs. both Gardner-Webb (12/28/05) and at Purdue (1/11/06) this season … a career 48 percent shooter from the field (198-416) … foul shooting pct. has improved from 65 pct. as a junior (17-26) to 80 pct. this year (47-59) … connected on 7 of 8 (.875) 3-pointers vs. Minnesota Feb. 4 and followed that effort hitting 5 of 6 (.833) treys at Michigan (2/9) and 6 of 8 vs. Illinois (2/12) … has made 132-295 (.447) treys during his career … career pct. from long range rates best in OSU history, as does his average for this season (70-150/.467) … the 70 made treys this year ranks fourth all-time for single season makes at OSU … the seven made treys and .875 long range shooting percentage vs. Minnesota rate No. 3 all-time for single game 3-point shooting and the effort vs. Michigan is tied for the No. 5 spot (.833/5-6) … two-time Big Ten Player of the Week, latest following wins vs. Florida A&M (Jan. 30) and Minnesota (Feb. 4) … Big Ten leader in steals per game (2.35 spg.).
* Senior J.J. Sullinger tied a career high with 24 points vs. Florida A&M Jan. 30 … reached 500 career rebounds (566) with six vs. Wisconsin Jan. 18 … reached 100 career steals (108) with one theft vs. MSU Jan. 15 … working on a third-consecutive 300-point season at Ohio State, (246 pts./9.5 ppg.) this year.
* Senior Matt Sylvester has made a last second 3-pointer to win games in each of the last two seasons … his trey with 5 seconds left gave OSU a stunning 65-64 win vs. then No. 1 Illinois last March … another triple at the 5 second mark gave the Buckeyes the come-from-behind win vs. LSU earlier this season … reached 600 points as a Buckeye (678/6.3 ppg.) with 12 at Penn State Jan. 21 … has 10+ points in seven of last 13 games … game high five assists in win vs. Illinois Feb. 12 … tied career high with six assists at Wisconsin (Feb. 15) and then again at Michigan State (2/22/06) … + 2.09 assist-to-turnover ratio in league games rates No. 4 (46 asts./22 TOs).
* Junior Ron Lewis gives the Buckeyes 11.7 points a game … third leading scorer this season, his first as a Buckeye … team’s third-best foul shooter (.790/94-119) … his .451 FG pct. (88-195) is best of his career … shot .396 (145-366) as a sophomore at Bowling Green in 2003-04 … reached 300 career FGs with 6 of 11 effort at Iowa (1/28/06) … has shot 326-784/.416 for his career.
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 70 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 42-16 (.724) 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 22-4 in this his second season. 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 32-5 in the 37 games when scoring on 10 or more 3s while opponents are 30-28 in 58 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 |
2005-06 BUCKEYES CRACK TOP 10 IN 3-POINTERS MADE
As a team, Ohio State has cracked the OSU Top 3 in 3-pointers made and attempted this season. The Buckeyes have made 227 of 571 3-point attempts on the season to date. The 227 made rates No. 3 all-time at OSU. The current team is on pace to make 244 3s this year, which would rank No. 2 all time ahead of the 2004-05 team. That group made 259 3s in 32 games a year ago. Ohio State currently averages 8.7 3-pointers a game and has a minimum of two games remaining this season. The 571 3s attempted this season is No. 3 all-time by an OSU team.
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 last year 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 20 times and have a 17-3 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 76.5 points after 26 games this season. Opponents average 64.4 ppg. The Buckeyes have made 48 percent of their field goals (699-1,454), while allowing opponents to make 43 percent (647-1,515). From the foul line, Ohio State has taken 506 shots, making 365 (.721), while foes have gone to the line 348 times, making 236 (.678). Balance has been the norm with five players averaging 9.5 or more points a game. Terence Dials leads the team with 15.2 ppg. with Je’Kel Foster close behind at 13.5 ppg. Ron Lewis (11.7 ppg.), Jamar Butler (9.9 ppg.) and J.J. Sullinger (9.5 ppg.) follow. Dials averages 8.1 rebounds a game to pace the squad.
DIALS CLIMBING SCORING CHART
Senior Terence Dials has 1,472 career points, good for the No. 16 spot all-time in scoring at Ohio State. Dials has a chance to crack the Top 15 all-time in career scoring. Jerry Francis (1986-89) scored 1,486 career points during his Ohio State career and is 15th all-time in OSU scoring annals. Dials needs 14 points to reach the Top 15.
DIALS JOINS 800 CLUB, TOP 10
Senior Terence Dials notched career rebound No. 800 with 15 vs. Northwestern (Feb. 18). He has 830 boards to become one of seven Buckeyes to reach the 800 mark all-time. He is on pace to reach 846 career rebounds. 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 1,472 points scored to date, good for the No. 16 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 1,180, which includes 303 scored as a Buckeye. Senior J.J. Sullinger has scored 1,132 career points. He played one season at Arkansas, scoring 273 points in 2001-02, and now is in his third year at Ohio State.
ON THIS DATE
Ohio State is 12-10 on this date. The Buckeyes have won the the last two games on this date.
| Date | W/L | Opponent | Score |
| 3/5/04 | L | @Kenyon | 20-37 |
| 3/5/10 | W | Michigan Ags | 34-13 |
| 3/5/18 | W | Columbus AC | 43-18 |
| 3/5/21 | L | Michigan | 25-36 |
| 3/5/23 | L | @Illinois | 21-36 |
| 3/5/27 | W | Iowa | 30-28 |
| 3/5/28 | L | @Northwestern | 21-43 |
| 3/5/34 | W | @Western Reserve | 36-33 |
| 3/5/38 | W | Chicago | 41-29 |
| 3/5/49 | W | @DePaul | 63(19)-51 |
| 3/5/55 | L | @Indiana | 66-84 |
| 3/5/56 | L | @Minnesota | 89-95 |
| 3/5/60 | W | @Minnesota | 75(2)-66 |
| 3/5/66 | W | Minnesota | 94-89 |
| 3/5/77 | L | @Indiana | 69-75 |
| 3/5/81 | W | Purdue (3ot) | 93-92 |
| 3/5/83 | W | Purdue | 76(14)-65(20) |
| 3/5/88 | L | @Indiana | 77-85 |
| 3/5/97 | L | @Illinois | 83-90(24) |
| 3/5/98 | L | vs. Indiana | 71-78 |
| 3/5/99 | W | vs. Michigan | 87(12)-69 |
| 3/5/03 | W | @Northwestern | 52-48 |
PURDUE DROPS FINAL HOME GAME TO HOOSIERS, 70-59
Marshall Strickland scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half to help Indiana beat Purdue 70-59 last Wednesday. Robert Vaden added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Indiana. Gary Ware led Purdue with 16 points and Matt Kiefer added 13. Indiana shot 71 percent in the second half after shooting 27 percent in the first. A late 3-point barrage by Indiana doomed the Boilermakers. Indiana led 51-48 with 5:30 left, but two 3-pointers by Vaden sandwiched around an NBA-range three by Strickland gave Indiana a 62-53 lead with 1:45 remaining. The Hoosiers went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc in the second half. Purdue led 27-25 in the closing seconds of the first half, but Bryant Dillon carried. Marco Killingsworth, who was held to 10 points and three rebounds, then missed a 3-pointer as time expired, allowing Purdue to take its lead into the break. Indiana shot 9-for-31 from the field in the first half – Vaden was 1-for-9 – and the Hoosiers made 3-of-15 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
KIEFER TOPS PURDUE SCORING, REBOUNDING LISTS
Purdue senior center Matt Kiefer leads the Boilermakers with 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. He also leads the team with 27 blocks and 24 steals. In Big Ten play, Kiefer averages a team-leading 13.4 points and 8.6 rebounds in 15 games to date.
LEWIS’ LATE BUCKET EARNS OSU SHARE OF TITLE
Nothing was easy about Ohio State’s victory that meant at least a share of the Big Ten regular season championship. The ninth-ranked Buckeyes needed just about every second and every ounce of energy to escape with a 56-53 win over Northwestern. Ron Lewis drove for a layup in the closing seconds and Terence Dials scored 18 points to lift Ohio State to its first championship since 2002. Following a timeout with 30 seconds left, Lewis recovered a loose ball after teammate Jamar Butler lost his dribble. Lewis eventually drove along the left side for a layup that made it 54-53 with 7 seconds left. Northwestern decided not to call a timeout, and Sterling Williams missed a driving layup. Lewis missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 1.5 seconds left. The Wildcats grabbed the rebound and called time out, but a long inbounds pass from Tim Doyle to Vedran Vukusic sailed wide and out of bounds along the sideline. Foster hit two free throws with one-tenth of a second left. Dials was 9-of-12 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals, and Foster added 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Lewis had six points.
NOTING THE NORTHWESTERN GAME
* Thad Matta has earned conference titles in three Division I conferences in his six-year coaching career after clinching a least a share of the 2006 Big Ten title at Northwestern. Matta won the Midwestern Collegiate title as a rookie head coach in 2001 and then the Atlantic 10 title in both 2002 and 2003.
* The Buckeyes now have 18 Big Ten titles to their credit, which includes 10 outright championships. Ohio State will be playing for the opportunity to with the 2006 title outright vs. Purdue Sunday. Ohio State’s last title was a shared championship in 2002. The last outright title was in 1992.
* Ohio State became the first Big Ten team in history to win league championships in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball in the same year.
* When Ohio State wins 10 or more games in Big Ten play during a season, the Buckeyes have won or shared the regular season league title 18 times and have finished No. 2 five times. The Buckeyes have 11 league wins with a game to play (Purdue).
* Senior Terence Dials scored 18 points vs. the Wildcats to give him 1,472 for his career. He needs 15 points to break into the Top 15 all-time in scoring at Ohio State. Jerry Francis scored 1,486 from 1986-89.
* With seven rebounds, Dials now has 830 career boards at OSU. He had a streak of five-consecutive double-doubles snapped in win vs. NU.
* The game vs. the Wildcats was the 126th career appearance for Dials in an OSU uniform. He is currently tied for fifth all-time with Perry Carter (1988-91) and Curtis Wilson (1984, `86-88).
* Ohio State posted a 5-3 road record in the Big Ten, the most league road wins since the 2001 Big Ten season.
* Ohio State is 107-44 all-time vs. Northwestern. Ohio State, ranked No. 9 this week in the Associated Press poll, is 30-2 all-time vs. NU when rated among the Top 25.
* The Buckeyes have won their last 13 games vs. Northwestern, including the last six in Evanston, which sets an OSU record for consecutive road wins vs. the Wildcats.
* Ohio State is 325-104 when ranked by the AP. The Buckeyes are 197-52 in games while rated among the Top 10 nationally.
* On the season, Ohio State is 18-2 when leading at the half, 20-1 when leading with 5:00 left in the game, 20-4 when it holds its opponents to less than 50 percent shooting and 18-2 when the opponent scores less than 70 points.
* Senior Je’Kel Foster tied his career high with six assists. He did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action while scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds vs. the Wildcats.
OHIO STATE VS. THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Ohio State is 686-651 vs. the current members of the Big Ten Conference.
OSU vs. The Big Ten
| Illinois | 61-100 |
| Indiana | 70-99 |
| Iowa | 66-73 |
| Michigan | 85-70 |
| Michigan State | 47-59 |
| Minnesota | 75-53 |
| Northwestern | 107-44 |
| Penn State | 20-13 |
| Purdue | 74-78 |
| Wisconsin | 81-62 |
| Totals | 686-651 |
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.
