Men’s Basketball: Golden Gophers Make First Trip To Columbus Under Smith – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Ohio State (13-6, 4-2)
Date: Jan. 26, 2008
Opp.: Minnesota (12-5, 2-3)
Site: Value City Arena (19,049)
Game Time: 8 p.m. ET
Television: Big Ten Network
TV Talent: Mark Neely (P-by-P), Greg Kelser (Expert Analyst)
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)
Sirius Radio: Ch. 123
Tickets: Limited Availability
Call 1-800-GO BUCKS or online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com
GOLDEN GOPHERS TRAVEL TO COLUMBUS AT 12-5, 2-3 IN LEAGUE PLAY
Tubby Smith, first-year head coach of the Minnesota men’s basketball team, has the Golden Gophers at 12-5 overall and 2-3 in league play. Minnesota is led by Dan Coleman’s 13.9 points a game. He is one of four players averaging 10 or more points for the Gophers. Coleman also is the leading rebounder with 6.4 boards a game. Minnesota started the season 10-1 before a loss to UNLV just prior to the start of league play.
HUNTER TOP SCORER VS. GOPHERS
Othello Hunter scored 15 points in his only meeting with the Golden Gophers last season in Minneapolis, Ohio State’s lone meeting vs. Minnesota. Hunter knocked down 5 of 6 shots from the field and all four foul shots in an 85-67 victory at Williams Arena. Senior Jamar Butler is the most experienced Buckeye in the Minnesota series with four games played. He averages 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds.
THE MINNESOTA SERIES
Thad Matta is 2-2 against Minnesota in his tenure as the Ohio State head coach. The Buckeyes lead the overall series 72-52 with wins in the last two meetings. Ohio State is 44-18 against the Golden Gophers in Columbus and 28-34 in Minneapolis. Minnesota is one of the few Big Ten teams to defeat the Buckeyes in Columbus under Matta’s direction. The Gophers prevailed 60-56 in overtime Jan. 19, 2005 in Matta’s first season. Big Ten teams have won just three games in Value City Arena under Matta’s direction. Wisconsin (2005) and Michigan State (2006) are the others. The Buckeyes are on a 17-game home win streak against league foes. The Spartans are the last team to win in Columbus, a 62-59 double overtime victory Jan. 15, 2006. The Buckeyes won the next six that season, all eight league games in 2007 and the first three this year.
BUTLER LEADS NATION IN FOUL SHOOTING, TEAM DEFENSE IN TOP 10
Senior Jamar Butler has made 96 percent of his foul shots this season (46-48) to lead the nation in that category. He also rates No. 16 nationally in assists per game (6.2 apg./117 total) and is No. 18 in assist/turnover ratio (117/44) at + 2.7. As a team, Ohio State is among the Top 10 defensive teams in the country. Ohio State is No. 10 in field goal percentage defense (.373) and rates No. 9 in fewest personal fouls committed per game (14.5).
BUTLER REACHES 1,000, CONTINUES FREE THROW STREAK
Senior Jamar Butler scored a game-high 21 points at Michigan State Jan. 15 to reach 1,000 career points as a Buckeye (1,031). He became the 43rd Ohio State men’s basketball player to reach the milestone. Brent Darby was the last guard to reach 1,000 points for the Buckeyes. He did so from 2000-03 and stands No. 21 on the all-time scoring list with 1,368 career points. Butler made all six foul shots against the Spartans and knocked down all three at Tennessee last Saturday. He has made 34-consecutive foul shots, which broke the Ohio State record for consecutive makes set by Sean Connolly as a sophomore (25) in 2000-01.
Butler’s Made FT streak
| Coppin State (12/10/07) | 1-2* |
| Presbyterian (12/15/07) | 1-1 |
| Cleveland State (12/18/07) | 0-0 |
| Florida (12/22/07) | 2-2 |
| UMBC (12/29/07) | 9-9 |
| at Illinois (1/3/08) | 8-8 |
| Northwestern (1/6/08) | 0-0 |
| Iowa (1/9/08) | 0-0 |
| at Purdue (1/12/08) | 4-4 |
| at Michigan State (1/15/08) | 6-6 |
| at Tennessee (1/19/08) | 3-3 |
| Illinois (1/22/08) | 0-0 |
*Made second attempt
MATTA CLOSING ON 200 WINS, 100 AT OSU
Thad Matta has guided the Buckeyes to 94 victories in 122 games at Ohio State. In eight seasons as a head coach, Matta has never failed to reach the 20-wins plateau in one season at Butler (24 wins), three at Xavier (26 wins each year) and three at Ohio State (20, 26, 35). He has averaged 26 wins over his career for a total of 195. Another 20-win season would eclipse the 200 mark for his career and the 100-win mark at Ohio State, a total only four previous head coaches have reached at Ohio State of the 13 who have led the men’s basketball program (Fred Taylor/297, Harold Olsen/260, Eldon Miller/174 and Randy Ayers/124).
BUTLER, TERWILLIGER ON PACE TO SET SENIOR CLASS WINS RECORD
Jamar Butler has played in all but one game in his Ohio State career, a total of 121. Senior classmate Matt Terwilliger has made 100 appearances during his career. The pair could go down as the winningest Buckeyes all-time and Butler is on pace to appear in more games than any other Buckeye in history. Seniors on the 1963 team finished with 98 career wins, three NCAA championship game appearances, the national title in 1960 and four Big Ten titles, which includes three outright titles from 1960-62. Seniors on the 1964 and 1992 teams each finished their careers with 89 victories. The 1964 seniors also had four league titles (two outright in 1961 and ’62) to go with two NCAA title game appearances those same years. The 1992 veterans had two Big Ten titles (one shared) and made three NCAA tournament appearances. To date, Butler and Terwilliger have back-to-back outright league championships and two NCAA tournament appearances, including an NCAA title game experience and school-record 35 wins a year ago.
| Total Wins | Career 4-year | *Seniors |
| 98 | 1960-63# | Richard Reasbeck, Douglas McDonald |
| 94 | 2005-08 | Jamar Butler, Matt Terwilliger |
| 89 | 1961-64# | Donald Flatt, LeRoy Frazier, Donald DeVoe, Gary Bradds |
| 89 | 1989-92 | Jamaal Brown, Steve Hall, Chris Jent, Bill Robinson |
#Freshmen were not eligible during period
*4-year players in Ohio State program (Freshman and Varsity rosters)
MATTA TEAMS PLAY FOR TITLES
Making the NCAA tournament is almost a sure thing when Thad Matta is on the bench. In six seasons as an assistant coach, Matta was part of five NCAA tournament appearances at Miami (Ohio), Western Carolina and Butler. The 1998-99 Butler squad played in the postseason NIT, advancing to the second round. As a head coach, Matta’s teams have played in the NCAA event in six of seven years and every year the teams he has coached were eligible for the annual postseason event. The 2004-05 Ohio State team, Matta’s first in Columbus, was held out of the event by the university but nonetheless finished with a 20-12 record and a win over No. 1 and previously unbeaten Illinois in the regular season finale.
When it comes to conference tournaments, Matta’s teams regularly play in the title game. As an assistant, Matta helped Western Carolina to the Southern Conference title in 1996 and Butler to the Mid-Western Collegiate Conference championship in 1998 and 2000. As a head coach, Butler won the MCC in 2001 with Matta at the helm. Xavier won the Atlantic 10 in 2002 and 2004 and in three chances at Ohio State, Matta has directed the Buckeyes to the title game twice, winning the 2007 event.
Matta has been associated with nine regular-season conference champions, including five as a head coach.
BUTLER’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE A FIRST
The Buckeyes have had at least one player record a double-double in six games this season and are 5-1 in those games. Ohio State is 524-248 all time when a player records any combination of 10 or more points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks. Ohio State is 128-50 in games when at least two Buckeyes manage a double-double (3x this year vs. Northwestern, UMBC and Tennessee) and 14-1 when three Buckeyes do so in a single game (once this year vs. UMBC). Senior Jamar Butler handed out 11 assists and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in the Northwestern win Jan. 6 (62-51). It is the first time an Ohio State player recorded a double-double without scoring 10 or more points.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES LEAD TO SUCCESS
In four seasons at Ohio State, Thad Matta’s Buckeyes have had at least one player record a double-double in 45 games. Ohio State is 39-6 in those games, including victories in 30 of the last 32. Two players managed double-doubles three times vs. Davidson in 2006 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament when J.J. Sullinger (13 pts./13 rebs.) and Terence Dials (19/13) led Ohio State to a 70-62 victory and this season against Northwestern (Jan. 6) when freshman Kosta Koufos (17/12) and Jamar Butler (11 assts./10 rebs.) helped secure the victory (61-52) and most recently at Tennessee (Hunter 17 pts./14 rebs; Evan Turner (21/10). Ohio State had a rare outing vs. UMBC earlier this year when three Buckeyes (Othello Hunter, 13/10; Butler, 22/12 asts.; Koufos, 22/12) recorded double-doubles in the same game, a feat accomplished just 15 times in OSU history (14-1 rcd.).
BUTLER’S EFFORT EXTRAORDINARY
Jamar Butler turned in one of the better individual performances in Ohio State history with his 32 points, a career high, at Illinois Jan. 3 in a 74-58 Ohio State victory. He scored 15-consecutive points in the second half to turn an Ohio State deficit (37-36) into an insurmountable lead (51-39). His perfection from the line (8-8) gives him 34-consecutive foul shots made over the last 11+ games, a school record. Sean Connolly knocked down 25-consecutive foul shots as a sophomore in 2000-01. Butler’s 15-consecutive points scored in a game are the most since Michael Redd scored 17-consecutive points in a 30-point effort at Wisconsin Jan. 2, 1999, a 78-74 Ohio State victory. Butler followed the Illinois effort with an 11-assist, 10 rebound double-double in the home win (62-51) vs. Northwestern Jan. 6.
MATTA OWNS TOP WIN PERCENTAGE AMONG OHIO STATE COACHES
Thad Matta, now in his fourth season as head coach of the Buckeyes, has an overall win percentage of .770 (94-28) after 122 games at Ohio State. That winning mean is the highest among the 11 head coaches in the history of the Ohio State men’s basketball program with three or more seasons on the sidelines. Matta’s 39-15 record in Big Ten regular-season play (.722) also has produced the highest winning percentage in conference play among any previous Ohio State coach. Fred Taylor (1959-76) is second in both overall win percentage (.653/297-158) and Big Ten win percentage (.608/158-102) in 18 seasons.
BUTLER CLIMBS STATISTICAL CHARTS
Jamar Butler is the first Ohio State guard to reach 400 assists (477), 150 made 3s (192/school record) and 100 steals (114). He reached 1,000 career points (1,031) and became Ohio State’s 43rd player in the 1,000-point club with a 21-point effort at Michigan State Jan. 15. He currently is No. 40 all-time in career scoring.
1968 MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM TO BE HONORED FEB. 10
Members of the 1968 Ohio State men’s basketball team, which starred Big Ten Network analyst Bill Hosket, will be recognized during pregame ceremonies Feb. 10 against Indiana. Ohio State will recognize the 40th anniversary of that team, which tied for the Big Ten championship and advanced to the Final Four under the direction of legendary coach Fred Taylor. The Buckeyes finished 21-8 that season and third in the NCAA tournament after a semifinal loss to No. 4 North Carolina and a win over No. 1 Houston in the consolation game. It was the fourth Final Four appearance for Taylor during his illustrious career, which spanned 18 seasons, five NCAA tournament appearances, an NCAA title in 1960, two runners-up finishes in 1961 and ’62, 297 victories and seven Big Ten titles, including a league record five-consecutive conference crowns from 1960-1964.
UPPER SANDUSKY RETIRES NO. 23 TO HONOR JON DIEBLER
Upper Sandusky (Ohio) High School retired the No. 23 during ceremonies Dec. 8 to honor star guard Jon Diebler, a freshman on the Ohio State men’s basketball team. Diebler led the nation in scoring as a senior in 2006-07 with 41 points a game. He owns the career-scoring record in the state of Ohio with 3,208 career points.
BUTLER SETS OHIO STATE RECORDS
Senior Jamar Butler has connected on 192 career 3-pointers and owns the Ohio State record for made 3s in a career. He passed Brent Darby (2000-03) and Scoonie Penn (1999-2000) with a 4 of 8 effort from long range against VMI Nov. 25. Butler ranks No. 1 all-time in 3-pointers attempted (507) and No. 6 in career 3-point shooting percentage (192-507/.379). He also is moving up the career assist charts. He is currently No. 2 with 477 and is on pace to become the career leader in that category as well. The record is 516 held by Kelvin Ransey from 1977-80. Butler needs 40 assists to claim the record. Ohio State has a minimum of 13 games remaining. Butler will need to average 3.1 assists per game over that stretch to claim the recorded. He currently averages 6.2 a game.
NOTING THE ILLINOIS GAME
The attendance Tuesday at Value City Arena was 19,049 marking the third sellout crowd for Ohio State this season. The Buckeyes are 2-1 in sellouts this year and 41-8 all-time in VCA sellouts.
The Buckeyes have won their last 17 home games vs. Big Ten opponents. The last home loss to a conference team was a double-overtime loss to Michigan State, Jan. 15, 2006. The streak includes three games in 2008, eight in 2007 and six in 2006.
Ohio State now has a 39-37 edge in games in Columbus in the series with Illinois.
With the Buckeyes, Thad Matta is 5-1 vs. Illinois, winning the last five meetings in a row. The streak began when OSU upset then-undefeated Illinois, 65-64, March 6, 2005. Prior to the streak, the Buckeyes dropped 16 games in a row to the Fighting Illini (excluding games vacated by the NCAA).
The last time the Buckeyes won five-consecutive meetings against the Illini was Feb. 26, 1990-March 11, 1992. The longest win streak vs. Illinois is seven games (Feb. 19, 1977-Feb. 16, 1980).
With the victory, Matta increased his win total at Ohio State to 94 in 121 games. He has 196 career wins to close in on the 200-victory milestone. Only four of the 13 previous OSU head coaches have totaled 100 or more wins while leading the Buckeyes.
Against Illinois, the Buckeyes shot 23-of-42 for a 54.8 percentage from the field, including an 8-of-18 mark from beyond the arc. For the season, OSU is shooting 263-of-543 at Value City Arena (48.4 percent).
OSU outscored the Fighting Illini by a total of 22 points in the teams two meetings this season. The Buckeyes also had a 16-point victory (74-58), Jan. 3 in Champaign, Ill.
The 58 points scored by Illinois tied its season low for the sixth time this season. It also was the fourth-consecutive time the Buckeyes have held the Illini to
The Buckeyes had a 14-5 run during an 8:27 span in the first half to pull away from Illinois and carry a 33-23 lead into halftime. Ohio State improved to 12-3 this season when leading at the half.
Ohio State improved to 13-0 when leading with 5:00 left and 7-0 when shooting 50 percent or better.
With four assists, Butler has 477 to rank second all-time at Ohio State. He trails only Kelvin Ransey, the career leader with 516.
During Butler’s tenure at Ohio State, the Buckeyes are 49-11 when he has four or more assists.
Butler tied his career high in steals with four and defensive rebounds with a team-high seven, all grabbed in the first half.
Butler made his 100th career start Tuesday and has played in 121 games overall.
Butler recorded a block vs. Illinois – his first of the season and 12th of this career.
OSU wings David Lighty (16 points) and Evan Turner (14 points) led the Buckeyes in scoring. They combined to shoot 11-of-18 and hit 5-of-7 3-pointers.
Matt Terwilliger made a 3-pointer at 10:59 of the second half – the 12th trey of his career.
KOUFOS EARNS FIRST POW IN BIG TEN
Kosta Koufos, a freshman forward from Canton, Ohio, led Ohio State to a 2-1 record the week of Nov. 26, which included a win over No. 21 Syracuse at Madison Square Garden in New York. Koufos averaged 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and recorded six blocks for the Buckeyes to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. He set a career high with 24 points against the Orange and then recorded his first-career double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds in a home victory over VMI at St. John Arena Nov. 26. Koufos connected on 50 percent of his shots from the field for the week and hit 69 percent (9-13) against the Keydets.
KOUFOS, BUTLER LEAD WAY IN NIT, NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Freshman Kosta Koufos averaged 17 points and 7.0 rebounds in the two NIT Season Tip-Off games in New York. The 7-0 forward also blocked four shots and made 3-of-5 3-pointers. Butler, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, averaged 15.5 points while knocking down 55 percent of his 3-point attempts (6-11). He scored 13-consecutive points for the Buckeyes in the first half vs. Texas A&M Nov. 23 and led the team at the event with seven assists and four steals. Both Koufos and Butler were named to the all-tournament team.
YOUNG BUCKEYES EXPERIENCE HISTORIC VENUES
In an 11-day stretch starting with the NIT Season Tip-Off games in New York, Ohio State’s roster of 13 players played in three of the most storied venues in college basketball history. The NIT games were played in Madison Square Garden, tabbed the world’s most famous arena and the host of countless college basketball games. The Buckeyes next played in St. John Arena, the home of Ohio State basketball from 1956-57 to 1997-98. St. John has hosted 579 Ohio State men’s basketball games in which the Buckeyes have won 428 (.739 winning pct.). After playing No. 1 North Carolina Nov. 28 in Ohio State’s current home, Value City Arena, the Buckeyes took on No. 16 Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The facility was used to film the movie “Hoosiers” and has been the home court for the Bulldogs since 1928.
SIX BUCKEYE GAMES SOLD OUT
Tickets to several Ohio State men’s basketball games are sold out for the 2007-08 season. Games vs. North Carolina (19,049), Florida (19,049), Illinois (19,049), Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan State have been sold out. Tickets are in short supply for Minnesota, Michigan and Purdue. To order tickets call 1-800-GO-BUCKS or go online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
BUCKEYES EARN 1ST PRESEASON NIT VICTORIES
Ohio State is 3-3 in preseason NIT appearances after the pair of victories in Columbus Nov. 12-13 and a split in New York (11/21, 23) to open the 2007 season. The Buckeyes first participated in 1989. DePaul downed Ohio State Nov. 15, 1989, 71-53. Ohio University defeated the Buckeyes 78-67 Nov. 16, 1994 in Ohio State’s last appearance.
MADSEN READY FOR GAME ACTION
Kyle Madsen, a sophomore from Dublin, Ohio, played in a game that counts for the first time in more than two years. The Dublin Coffman High School graduate played at Value City Arena in the 2005 Ohio High School Boys Basketball Tournament before going to Vanderbilt for the 2005-06 season. He redshirted in his first year in Nashville, Tenn., before transferring to Ohio State, where he had to sit out the 2006-07 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. He played in both games Nov. 12-13 in the opening rounds of the NIT Season Tip-Off and scored a career best six points vs. Texas A&M in the finals.
SEVEN OPPONENTS RANKED HIGH
Ohio State opponents North Carolina (No. 4 in ESPN/USA Today and No. 5 in the AP polls), Tennessee (5/3), Indiana (8/7), Michigan State (10/10), Wisconsin (11/11), Butler (14/15) and Texas A&M (16/18) along with Florida and Cleveland State, teams receiving Top 25 consideration, give the Buckeyes one of the strongest schedules nationally to date. The combined record of the ranked teams that have defeated the Buckeyes this season is 83-11.
BUCKEYES SUCCEED IN RETURN TO ST. JOHN ARENA
Ohio State played one game this season in St. John Arena, the home court of the Buckeyes from 1956-57 through 1997-98. Because of a scheduled event over the Thanksgiving weekend at Value City Arena, Ohio State faced Virginia Military Institute (W, 90-57) at St. John in just the second men’s basketball game played at the venue since the opening of Value City Arena for the 1998-99 season. Overall, the Buckeyes own a 428-151 record at St. John for a winning percentage of .739. More than 6.6 million fans have witnessed Ohio State men’s basketball games in the historic venue.
BUTLER PICKED TO PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE TEAM
Jamar Butler was selected to the 2007-08 Preseason First Team All-Big Ten squad by a panel of 22 media members who regularly cover Big Ten basketball. The honor was announced Oct. 27 at the annual league media day in Chicago. Ohio State was picked to finish third in the league race behind favorite Michigan State and Indiana. The Buckeyes are the two-time defending outright regular season champions and defending postseason league tournament winners.
VALUE CITY ARENA CELEBRATES 10 SEASONS AS HOME OF THE BUCKEYES
More than 2.5 million fans have passed through the doors at Value City Arena since the facility opened for business in 1998-99 for men’s basketball. Ohio State fans have ranked among the Top 10 nationally in attendance in five of the nine years the facility has played host to the men’s basketball program. Buckeye fans have been treated to 54 home wins in the last four years under Thad Matta, including a school-record 18-0 campaign a year ago.
SITUATION FAMILIAR FOR MATTA
Thad Matta is familiar with the situation he finds the Ohio State men’s basketball team facing in 2007-08, his fourth in Columbus as head coach of the Buckeyes.
One starter returns from a record-setting 2006-07 season that ended with Ohio State winning a school-record 35 games, advancing to the program’s ninth Final Four, appearing in the NCAA title game, winning its second-consecutive outright Big Ten regular-season title and the program’s first postseason league tournament championship.
Senior Jamar Butler, who guided the Buckeyes to an outright league title as a sophomore in 2005-06, is the lone holdover among the starters from a year ago. He was in a similar position as a junior and will be sufficiently equipped to lead the Buckeyes again this season.
Butler will have support from three other returning letterwinners. Seniors Matt Terwilliger, Othello Hunter and sophomore David Lighty all are back after significant contributions to Ohio State’s run toward the NCAA title a year ago.
THE NEWCOMERS
For the second-consecutive season, Thad Matta has recruited one of the nation’s top incoming freshman classes. Five Buckeyes will be playing as rookies on a college campus. A sixth, sophomore Kyle Madsen, is eligible to compete after spending his freshman season as a redshirt at Vanderbilt and a transfer year at Ohio State a year ago. He will have three years of eligibility in Columbus. Another newcomer, junior college transfer P.J. Hill, also will have three seasons to play as a Buckeye.
Matta attracted a mix of size and skill in the 2007 class.
Jon Diebler, a 6-6 guard from Upper Sandusky (Ohio) High School, is the most prolific scorer in Ohio High School history. He led his team to the state title game as a senior after winning the championship as a sophomore. He scored 3,208 points as a prep standout. His average of just over 41 points a game as a senior not only led the state of Ohio but was the top scoring average nationally a year ago.
Kosta Koufos, a 7-0 post player from GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, gives the Buckeyes several options. He can perform well in the paint but is equally comfortable shooting 3-pointers, a rarity for a player of his exceptional size. His rebounding and ability to block or alter shots also will contribute significantly to Matta’s game planning strategy this year.
Dallas Lauderdale will play center at 6-feet-8-inches. His size, strength and general physical build is expected to add depth to the Buckeye frontcourt, which will be much deeper this season. Lauderdale, who competed against Koufos on several occasions while playing for Solon (Ohio) High School, has the size and strength to handle the rigorous Big Ten battles down low.
Evan Turner is a 6-6 guard from Chicago, where he starred for St. Joseph’s High School, one of the premier high school programs in the state of Illinois. With long arms and a wiry frame, he adds rebounding assistance as well as a scoring touch and an ability to get to the basket.
Eric Wallace was the last freshman recruit to commit to the Buckeyes for this season. He is likely to become a fan favorite with his exceptional leaping and acrobatic dunking ability. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Wallace also will be looked upon to rebound and contribute defensively. He played at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy a season ago.
P.J. Hill, a junior college transfer from Minneapolis, joined the Buckeyes during the summer and will have three years of eligibility in Columbus. He played for one season at Midland (Texas) College, the 2007 National Junior College Athletics Association National Champions.
Hill (6-1, 160) was a point guard for the 29-8 Midland squad that won the NJCAA title for the first time since 1982 when Spud Webb played for the Chaparrals. Hill averaged 6.5 points and nearly three assist a game a season ago. He played his high school basketball at Minneapolis North.
LIGHTY THE INTERNATIONAL CAPTAIN
Sophomore David Lighty spent part of last summer playing for the United States Under-19 World Championship team that traveled to Serbia in July. Lighty was named team captain before the team began play in the event. The U.S. squad won the silver medal going 8-1 overall after a loss in the final (74-69) to tournament host Serbia.
Lighty started all nine games, averaged 23.7 minutes, second on the team, and shot 69 percent (31-45) from the field. He averaged 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in his first international competition. Lighty is the only sophomore returning from the 2006-07 squad that featured three Ohio State freshmen drafted in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft (Greg Oden, No. 1/Portland, Mike Conley Jr., No. 4/Memphis and Daequan Cook, No. 21/Philadelphia).
BUTLER FOR 3…TITLES
Jamar Butler is the most experienced Buckeye on the 2007-08 roster after starting his first three seasons in Columbus in Thad Matta’s multiple point-guard offense. Butler led the Buckeyes to an outright Big Ten title as a sophomore and then teamed with Mike Conley Jr. to repeat the feat in 2007. Butler is among the top returning guards in the Big Ten and will again lead a squad primarily made up of newcomers.
TRAVEL INDIANA
Ohio State will make four trips to the state of Indiana in 2007-08. Traditional trips to West Lafayette and Bloomington to take on Big Ten foes Purdue and Indiana, respectively, will be supplemented by a pair of trips to Indianapolis against Butler (Dec. 1) and to participate in the Big Ten tournament in March (13-16). Indianapolis will be the host city of the annual league postseason tournament for the next five years.
THE SCHEDULE
Tennessee, North Carolina, Syracuse, Texas A&M and Florida are certain opponents for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2007-08. Add a road game at Butler and one can imagine why Thad Matta, a former Butler Bulldog (class of 1990), had trouble sleeping last summer. Then there is an expanded Big Ten Conference schedule of 18 regular-season games, up from a 16-game schedule used from 1998-2007. All this after losing three student-athletes in the first 21 picks in the 2007 NBA Draft.
The Buckeyes have been here before. The team lost four starters after winning the 2006 Big Ten title and responded with another league crown in 2007 and a school record 35 victories. The constant from the situation in 2006-07 is point guard Jamar Butler, who helped lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back league crowns and an appearance in the NCAA title game last season. With four returning letterwinners and a slew of newcomers, the Buckeyes again hope to use the difficult schedule as a springboard to postseason play.
