Buckeyes Face Badgers for Big Ten Tournament Title – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2007
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OHIO STATE, WISCONSIN SERIES
Ohio State and Wisconsin split the regular-season series with each team winning on its home court. The Buckeyes made a late rally and missed a shot at the buzzer that would have extended the game to overtime in Madison in a 72-69 Badger victory Jan 9. Wisconsin then traveled to Columbus as the No. 1 team nationally in the Associated Press Poll while the Buckeyes held down the No. 1 spot in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll Feb. 25. Ohio State prevailed 49-48 to improved to 8-9 overall vs. No. 1 teams all-time and securing the 2007 outright Big Ten Title. Overall, Ohio State leads the all-time series 78-61. The squads each own a win on a neutral court. Ohio State is 18-8 as a ranked team (AP) in the series. The Buckeyes are 5-7 vs. ranked Wisconsin teams and when both teams are ranked nationally, Ohio State is 3-1 vs. the Badgers.
LEWIS, ODEN LEAD BUCKEYES IN WISCONSIN SERIES
Senior Ron Lewis has faced Wisconsin five times in his two-year Buckeye career. He leads Ohio State with an average of 11.8 points a game in the UW series. Freshman Greg Oden averages 10.5 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds in his two meetings with the Badgers. Rookie Mike Conley Jr., who hit the game winner in Columbus vs. the Badgers, averaged 9.0 points this year vs. Wisconsin. ODEN TOPS BUCKEYES LEAGUE TOURNAMENT GAMES
Freshman Greg Oden leads the Buckeyes with an average of 19.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in Ohio State’s two league tournament games. He’s shooting 64 percent from the field (16-25) and has blocked eight shots. Senior Ron Lewis is the team’s second leading scorer (14.5 ppg.) and top foul shooter (.800/8-10). Rookie point guard Mike Conley Jr. chips in with 12.0 points per game with 10 assists and four steals.
BUCKEYES IMPROVE LEAGUE TOURNAMENT RECORD
Ohio State is 8-6 all-time in the annual postseason conference tournament after the victory over Purdue Saturday. Ohio State has advanced to the conference tournament finals for the second-consecutive season and for the third time overall. The Buckeyes lost to Illinois (72-59) in the finals in 2003 and to Iowa (67-60) last year.
WIN STREAK EXTENDED
The Buckeyes have won 16-consecutive games and the last 15 games against Big Ten opponents. Ohio State last won 17-consecutive games in 1990-91 to start the year. The Buckeyes finished 27-4 that season.
OHIO STATE SETS RECORD FOR SINGLE SEASON WINS
The win over Michigan (72-62) in the quarterfinal round of the 2007 Big Ten Tournament Friday established an Ohio State record for wins in a season. The Purdue win in the semifinals Saturday gives the Buckeyes 29 wins on the year. Ohio State won 27 games in both 1961 and 1991.
CONLEY CLOSE TO SINGLE SEASON STEALS RECORD
Freshman Mike Conley Jr. was credited with a steal Saturday against Purdue to move him into sole possession of the No. 2 spot all-time at Ohio State in single season steals with 73. Curtis Wilson owns the Ohio State recorded with 74 steals in 1986-87.
OHIO STATE 7-1 ON CBS
The Buckeyes have appeared on CBS television eight times this season heading into the Big Ten tournament final Sunday on CBS vs. Wisconsin. Ohio State is 7-1 this season on CBS. The Buckeyes have appeared on national television (CBS, ESPN, ESPN2) 17 times on the year and have a 14-3 record in those games.
MATTA LOOKING FOR FIRST BIG TEN LEAGUE TITLE
Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, has won regular-season league titles in three NCAA Division I conferences (Midwestern Collegiate, Atlantic 10, Big Ten) has three league tournament titles (MCC, A-10) and has earned four coach of the year awards (MCC, A-10, Big Ten). He will be looking for his first postseason league title Sunday. He guided the Buckeyes to the title game a season ago vs. Iowa (L, 67-60).
CONLEY MOVES TOWARD FIRST 200-ASSIST SEASON IN OSU HISTORY
With four assists in the semifinals Saturday of the 2007 Big Ten Tournament, freshman Mike Conley Jr. improved his Ohio State single season record assist total to 201. He became the first Ohio State player in history to crack the 200-assist mark.
BUCKEYES IMPROVE RECORD AS NO. 1 TEAM NATIONALLY
Ohio State is 54-4 all-time when ranked No. 1 nationally in one of the two weekly men’s college basketball polls. Ohio State is 52-3 as the No. 1 ranked team in the Associated Press Poll and 5-1 when ranked in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. Ohio State has spent the last two weeks as No. 1 in both polls. Ohio State has spent 29 weeks as the No. 1 ranked team (AP) all-time. As a team ranked in the Top 25, Ohio State is 323-94 all time with a record of 48-9 in the last 57 games when ranked. As a Top 10 team, the Buckeyes are 224-54 and 34-5 in the last 39 games as a Top 10 squad.
NOTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State is 27-1 this season when leading at the half and 27-0 when leading with 5:00 minutes to play … opponents are 0-28 when held under 70 points by the Buckeyes this season … senior Ron Lewis grabbed five rebounds against Purdue Saturday to reach 500 career rebounds (504) … his 11 points vs. the Boilermakers gives him 1,605 for his career … Lewis has reached double figures in six of the last seven games and in 20 of 32 games this season … junior Jamar Butler has handed out 21 assists with just six turnovers in the last six games … Ohio State is 34-7 when Butler hands out four or more assists (4 vs. Purdue) … freshman Greg Oden set a personal career high with 19 rebounds in the Purdue game … he also added 17 points to record his 10th double double of the season … Ohio State is 516-246 all-time in games when at least one Buckeye records a double double … Oden’s 19 rebounds is an Ohio State Big Ten Tournament record and set the overall Big Ten Tournament record for rebounds in a game.
