James Madison Next for Buckeyes – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Ohio State (1-0) vs. James Madison (0-0)
Nov. 12, 2009
Opponent: James Madison (0-0)
Site: Value City Arena (19,049)
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
Television: Big Ten Network
Talent: Gus Johnson (play-by-play)
Jim Jackson (expert analysis)
Radio: OSU Radio Network (60 stations)
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (play-by-play)
Ron Stokes (expert analysis)
Ohio State vs. James Madison
Ohio State is 0-1 vs. the Dukes and 8-2 vs. teams representing the Colonial Athletic Association. The Buckeyes dropped the only previous meeting with James Madison (48-55) March 11, 1982 in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Ron Stokes, Ohio State expert analyst on the OSU Radio Network, played in the last meeting vs. the Dukes, scoring two points and recording three assists. Other notable Buckeyes on that 1982 Ohio State team included Clark Kellogg (14 pts./12 rebs.), current lead analyst for CBS College Basketball, and Tony Campbell (14 pts./6 rebounds), a college basketball analyst for WTVN radio in Columbus who also has called games for the Big Ten Network. Against other CAA teams, the Buckeyes are 2-0 vs. Delaware, 3-0 vs. George Mason, 0-1 vs. Northeastern, 2-0 vs. against Old Dominion and 2-0 vs. Towson.
Wins follow Buckeye Double-Doubles
Ohio State has had a player record a double-double (10+ points, rebs, assists, steals or blocks) in 788 games. The Buckeyes are 534-254 in those contests (.678). Evan Turner has 12 career double-doubles and the Buckeyes are 7-5 in those contests, including wins in five of his last six games with a D-D. Turner is among the Top 25 players in OSU history with 12 double-doubles at No. 24 behind Nos. 22 Greg Oden and Robert Dove with 14.
100 Points Equates to Near Perfection
Ohio State has scored 100 or more points 67 times all-time and has a record of 66-1 in those games. The Buckeyes are 47-0 at home when reaching the century mark, 3-0 on neutral courts and 16-1 on opponent courts. The only loss was a double-overtime thriller at LSU Jan. 15, 2005. The Buckeyes battled the Tigers throughout but fell 113-101.
Ohio State in Season Openers
The Buckeyes are 89-18 in home openers and 85-22 in season openers all-time. Thad Matta is 6-0 in season openers at Ohio State.
Double Digit 3s…
Ohio State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 59 times since the long-range shot was instituted for the 1986-87 season. The Buckeyes are 49-10 in those games after knocking down 14 of 33 treys against Alcorn State in the season opener. Opponents have made double-digit 3s 80 times and are 33-47 in those games vs. the Buckeyes. Matta’s Ohio State teams are 34-8 when making 10 or more 3s in a game.
Matta Unbeaten in Openers
Thad Matta owns a record of 10-0 in season openers as a head coach. He was 1-0 at Butler, 3-0 at Xavier and is 6-0 at Ohio State. In his 10 previous season debuts, Matta defeated Eastern Illinois (90-73) in his first game at Butler in 2000. In his first game as Xavier head coach in 2001, Matta’s squad downed Coastal Carolina 72-41. He also guided the Musketeers to season-opening wins in 2002, an 87-48 win over St. Peters in the preseason NIT, and in 2003, a 62-37 victory over Coppin State. In his first game as a Buckeye in 2004, the Buckeyes knocked off Towson University 74-53 in the opening round of the Guardians Classic in Columbus. Ohio State defeated Chicago State in the 2005 opener 81-52 and handed VMI a 107-69 defeat in the Black Coaches Association Classic in 2006. The Buckeyes started the 2007-08 campaign off with a 91-68 victory over Green Bay in the opening round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Preseason NIT. The 2008-09 Buckeyes opened the season with a 70-42 victory over Delaware State at St. John Arena. Alcorn State fell to the Buckeyes 100-60 in the opener this season.
First Four Games Part of 2K Classic
The first four games of the regular-season make up the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer event on the Ohio State schedule. Alcorn State and James Madison (Nov. 12) travel to Columbus before the Buckeyes head to Madison Square Garden in New York to take on defending national champions North Carolina Nov. 19. Ohio State will play either California or Syracuse Nov. 20 to close out the event.
Noting the Buckeyes
Kyle Madsen: Graduated from Ohio State with a degree in business marketing in the spring … currently studying sports administration in graduate school … has appeared in 42 games as a Buckeye … attended Vanderbilt as a true freshman in 2005-06 but spent the year as a redshirt … transferred to Ohio State for 2006-07 and sat out under NCAA transfer rules … started for the second time in his career vs. Alcorn State (11/9/09) … has filled in for the injured Dallas Lauderdale during practices and Ohio State’s exhibition game vs. Walsh Nov. 4 and the opener vs. Alcorn State … experience will earn playing time in 2009-10 as well as ability to score along the baseline.
P.J. Hill: In third year in the Ohio State program … started eight games as a junior down the stretch … minutes increased from 5.8 per game as a sophomore to 17.4 last year … shot 42 percent from 3-point range and 74 pct. from the foul line a year ago, significant improvements from sophomore campaign (.231/.542 respectively) … senior minutes will come in relief of Evan Turner at the point position … also will share time with classmate Jeremie Simmons at the lead guard spot … sister, Tayler, is a freshman on the Ohio State women’s basketball team … she was the top-rated player in Minnesota as a senior and one of the top guard prospects nationally. David Lighty: Returned to the Ohio State lineup vs. Alcorn State Nov. 9 after missing the lion’s share of the 2008-09 season with a broken foot, suffered in Game 7 a season ago … will have two full years of eligibility remaining after receiving a medical redshirt for the 2008-09 season … is the backbone to the Buckeye defensive effort … effort and knowledge of the system set the example for his teammates … Ohio State’s defense was rated No. 1 nationally a season ago prior to his foot injury … rebounds well and has a knack for the ball … “effort plays” go unnoticed on the stats sheet … can shoot the 3 but works best around the basket on offense … tied career high with 8 assists vs. Alcorn State.
Jon Diebler: One of the nation’s premier long-range shooters … made significant strides from his rookie season to sophomore campaign … shot 29 pct. (48-166) as a freshman from 3-point range and then 96-231 a season ago (42 pct.), an improvement of 13 percent … started all 33 games as a sophomore … just 37 of his 187 career field goals are from 2-point range … a career 79 percent shoot from the foul line (85-107) … near the top of several Ohio State career and single season Top 10 3-point shooting lists after just two seasons … on pace to score more than 1,000 points in his career. … game-high 22 points in win vs. Alcorn State (11/09) … made six 3s vs. the Braves and has four career games with six or more made treys.
Dallas Lauderdale: Had a minor setback during 2009-10 preseason workouts after suffering a broken bone in his right hand … expected back for the James Madison game Thursday … one of the country’s top shot blockers and Big Ten leaders … extraordinary wing span allows him to block shots all over the court … 82 career rejections, 67 as a sophomore a year ago … offensive contributions occur almost exclusively from the paint, where he scores nearly 70 percent of his shot attempts (73-106) … will share time down low with Zisis Sarikopoulos, a 7-foot transfer from UAB … along with Kyle Madsen, the center position has depth for the Buckeyes this season.
Evan Turner: One of the nation’s most talented players … preseason All-Big Ten selection in 2009-10, league player-of-the-year candidate and listed on several preseason All-America teams … moves to the point guard spot after playing his first two seasons at the off-guard/wing position … nearing 1,000 career points (899 … one of a handful of players who led their teams in scoring (17.3 ppg.), rebounding (7.1), assists (131) and steals (58) last year … scores on nearly 50 percent of his shot attempts (308-628/.490) … gets to the foul line with fearless efforts in the paint (249-327/.761) … credited with Ohio State’s second triple-double in program history vs. Alcorn State with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.
William Buford: The 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year enjoyed a productive rookie season … with an offseason of weight training and conditioning he is expected to make improvements to his 11.3 points a game and abilities on defense … smooth shooter from mid-range with the ability to score from long range, on the break and driving through traffic … gifted foul shooter (45-53/.849) … improvement throughout the Big Ten season a year ago has Ohio State coaches optimistic about increased productivity this season … missed just one FT (22-23) in Big Ten play and upped scoring, FG pct, 3FG pct., assist and steals totals from non-conference numbers … scored 19 points in opener vs. Alcorn State.
Walter Offutt: Earned court time as the season progressed a year ago and made significant improvements over the offseason … gifted defender … quickness and ability to finish around the basketball should equate to more minutes this season … outside shooting has improved with an offseason of skill instruction … puts team first and is willing to do anything coaches ask.
Jeremie Simmons: Began 2008-09 season as the point guard after playing junior college career at the off-guard spot … embraced the role as Ohio State’s table setter until he returned to a shooting guard spot late last season … nicknamed AO (automatic offense) by his teammates, Simmons can hit the 3 with regularity and gets to the basket with ease as well … handed out 83 assists as a junior while contributing nearly seven points a game … will see time this year at both the point and wing positions depending on matchups … coaches value his abilities off the bench … contributed 15 points in season opener vs. Alcorn State.
Nikola Kecman: Sat out the first 12 games of the season last year to satisfy an NCAA penalty for playing on a team believed to have professionalized players while growing up in Serbia … played one game for the Buckeyes last year before suffering a knee injury which ended his season … is back at full strength this season … has the ability to score, run the floor and rebound … will see minutes at the power forward spot this year off the bench.
Zisis Sarikopoulos: Eligible this season after sitting out the 2008-09 campaign while satisfying NCAA transfer rules … played the 2007-08 season at Alabama-Birmingham, where he played in 20 games, starting four … “Big Z” provides depth and size in the paint … aggressive defender, rebounder and shot blocker … nice touch on the offensive end near the hoop … will spell Dallas Lauderdale at the center spot along with fifth-year senior Kyle Madsen.
Noting the Alcorn State Game
- The Ohio State-Alcorn State game was the first of the college basketball season (North Carolina-Florida International also tipped off at 7 p.m.). The game was part of the 15th 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
- Junior guard Evan Turner had the second triple-double in Ohio State history with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. The only other triple-double was achieved by Dennis Hopson against Ohio University on Dec. 6, 1986.
- Turner’s 17 rebounds were the most since Shun Jenkins also had 17 against Penn State on Feb. 12, 2003. He also got his 400th career rebound and now has 415 as a Buckeye.
- Turner scored the first points of the 2009-10 season with a dunk at 19:43 and had 12 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists in the first half.
- With the win, Ohio State improved to 3-0 vs. teams representing the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Buckeyes also have wins vs. Alabama State and Mississippi Valley State.
- Monday was the first meeting between Ohio State and Alcorn State.
- Ohio State is 336-98 when ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and 14-8 as No. 16.
- Ohio State is 89-18 in home openers and 85-22 in season openers.
- The Buckeyes reached 100 points for the first time since Nov. 10, 2006, when they defeated VMI 107-69.
- Thad Matta is now 10-0 in season openers as a head coach. He is 6-0 at Ohio State after going 1-0 at Butler and 3-0 at Xavier.
- Matta improved his career record to 230-77 in his 10th season as a head coach. He is 128-46 in his sixth year at Ohio State.
- With six made 3-point baskets, junior guard Jon Diebler passed Sean Connolly and Neshaun Coleman and into fourth all-time at Ohio State. He has 150 for his career. Diebler scored a game-high 22 points.
- Junior forward David Lighty started the game for Ohio State and had eight points and tied a career high with eight assists. It was his first action since breaking his foot Dec. 22, 2008 against UNC Asheville.
- Lighty made his 200th field goal as a Buckeye in the first half and now has 203 for his career.
- The Buckeyes shot 53.4 percent (39-of-73) from the field and 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from three-point range.
- Sophomore guard Walter Offutt had a career-high 11 points.
- The Buckeyes have won 64 of their last 65 games against unranked opponents in Columbus (60 in Value City Arena, 3 in St. John Arena and 1 in Nationwide Arena). Their last loss to an unranked team was vs. West Virginia, Dec. 27, 2008 (76-48).
- Sophomore center Zisis Sarikopoulos had his first game action as a Buckeye, scoring two points. He sat out last season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules after playing his freshman season at Alabama-Birmingham.
- Under Matta, OSU is 73-2 against unranked opponents in Columbus, including a 68-2 mark in VCA, 4-0 in St. John Arena and 1-0 in Nationwide Arena.
- Senior Kyle Madsen started at center for the Buckeyes, his second career start.
- The Buckeyes opened the first half with an 8-0 run, not giving up a field goal until 17:18 when Jonathan Boyd of Alcorn State hit a three-pointer.
Garden Party
Ohio State last played at Madison Square Garden during the 2007-08 season. The Buckeyes made two trips to the historic venue as participants in the 2007 National Invitation Tournament Preseason Tipoff and then again in the 2008 Postseason NIT. Ohio State defeated Syracuse and lost to Texas A&M in the preseason event while winning the postseason tournament with wins vs. Mississippi and Massachusetts.
Buckeyes in New York
1/9/37 W, NYU, 39-32 12/29/78 W, Duke, 90-84
3/24/44 W, Temple, 57-47 12/30/78 L, Rutgers, 96-97
3/25/44 L, Dartmouth, 53-60 3/19/79 L, Indiana, 55-64
3/22/45 W, Kentucky, 45-37 3/21/79 L, Alabama, 86-96
3/24/45 L, New York, 65-70 3/29/88 W, Colo. St., 64-62
3/21/46 W, Harvard, 46-38 3/30/88 L, UConn, 67-72
3/23/46 L, UNC, 57-60 12/27/88 W, Florida, 93-68
3/26/46 W, Cal, 63-45 12/29/88 W, St. John’s, 77-72
3/23/50 L, CCNY, 55-56 11/21/07 W, Syracuse, 79-65
3/25/50 W, Holy Cross, 72-52 11/23/07 L, Texas A&M, 47-70
12/26/56 W, Temple, 64-63 4/1/08 W, Mississippi, 81-69
12/28/56 L, Manhattan, 67-82 4/3/08 W, UMass, 92-85
12/29/56 L, BYU, 78-84
Turner Flirts With Triple Double in Exhibition Victory
Preseason All-Big Ten selection Evan Turner scored 15 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out six assists in Ohio State’s exhibition win over Walsh Nov. 4 at Value City Arena. The junior point guard connected on 7 of 12 shots from the field and was charged with just one turnover in 24 minutes of action. William Buford tied for the game’s top scoring honor with 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting. The Buckeyes made 63 percent of their shots (37-59) from the field in the win.
Buckeyes Picked 3rd in Big Ten Preseason Media poll
Evan Turner was tabbed a preseason first team All-Big Ten selection by league media at the annual media day in Chicago. Turner is the league’s top returning scorer (17 ppg.). He led the Buckeyes in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals as a sophomore last year. Thad Matta’s Buckeyes were selected No. 3 in the preseason media poll behind Michigan State and Purdue.
Schedule has Buckeyes playing the nation’s best
Ohio State will play five of the preseason Top 10 ranked teams (ESPN/coaches poll) in the country this year. No. 2 Michigan State, No. 4 North Carolina, No. 7 Purdue, No. 9 West Virginia and No. 10 Butler all dot the Ohio State slate in 2009-10. Five Big Ten teams are ranked among the Top 20 with No. 15 Michigan, No. 18 Minnesota, and No. 17 Ohio State all slated among the top teams nationally. Ohio State also will face either No. 12 California or No. 25 Syracuse at the 2K Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer in New York Nov. 20. Illinois is just outside the preseason Top 25 at No. 27.
Seven Former Buckeyes on NBA Rosters in 2009-10
Ohio State leads all Big Ten teams with seven players on current NBA rosters. The Big Ten started the season with 33 players on NBA active lists. Nine Big Ten teams have at least one player competing in the NBA. Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks) is the longest tenured Buckeye in the NBA. Greg Oden (Portland), Michael Conley (Memphis), Daequan Cook (Miami), Othello Hunter (Atlanta), Kosta Koufos (Utah) and B.J. Mullens (Oklahoma) represent Ohio State in the NBA.
Big Ten season starts with Buckeyes on the road
Four of the first five games of the Big Ten season will be played away from Value City Arena. The Buckeyes open the league season at Wisconsin Dec. 31 before a trip to Michigan Jan. 3. A home game vs. Indiana Jan. 6 splits road games at Minnesota (Jan. 9) and at Purdue Jan. 12. The Buckeyes face a similar stretch of road games at Indiana Feb. 10, at Illinois Feb. Illinois, home vs. Purdue Feb. 17 and away vs. Michigan State Feb. 20/21 and at Penn State Feb. 24.
Matta adds pair to roster
The Ohio State roster grew by two in late October when Thad Matta added walk-on juniors Eddie Days and Dustin Reynolds. Days is the nephew of Buckeye great Jim Cleamons, a current assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. Reynolds is the younger brother of former Ohio State women’s basketball player DiDi Reynolds. Dustin will sit out the 2009-10 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. Days is expected to be in uniform in January. The Buckeyes now have four walk-on players on the roster. Danny Peters is a fifth-year senior and Mark Titus is in his senior campaign as well. Peters will end his career with five varsity letters, one as a manager (2006) and four as a student-athlete (2007-10).
Turner, USA Earn Bronze at World University Games
Junior Evan Turner averaged 4.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and led Team USA with 18 assists at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. The United States finished with a 6-1 record at the early-July event with Turner making three starts and averaging 16.3 minutes a game. He connected on 52 percent of his shots (12-23) and 4 of 5 free throws.
Buckeyes Return Veteran Squad
Accustomed to starting over virtually from scratch each of the last four seasons, Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, returns all five starters from a 22-11 squad in 2008-09. In addition to the five regulars that finished the season with an appearance in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes also return senior Jeremie Simmons, who started 25 of 33 games last year, and junior David Lighty, who started the first seven games of the season before suffering a broken foot. Lighty, who started all 37 games as a true sophomore, received a medical-redshirt, and will have two full seasons of eligibility remaining with the Buckeyes. Leading the returning starters are juniors Evan Turner (33 starts last year), Jon Diebler (33 gs) and Dallas Lauderdale (31 gs). Sophomore William Buford (25) and senior P.J. Hill, who started the last eight games of the season, also return.
Turner Among Candidates for Preseason Honors
Evan Turner led Ohio State and the Big Ten in scoring last season with an average of 17.3 points a game. He was No. 3 in rebounding as well with 7.1 and was among the Top 10 league players in steals (4th/1.8 spg.) and assists (8th/3.97). He was a finalist for Big Ten Player of the Year honors a season ago and will be among the favorites entering his junior season. His name also will garner All-America consideration after earning a spot among the Top 15 finalists for the 2009 Oscar Robertson Award, given annually by the United States Basketball Writer’s Association to the player of the year in college basketball.
Diebler Among Big Ten, Nation’s Top Shooters
Jon Diebler, the all-time leading scorer in Ohio High School history, started slow in the college game from behind the arc, where he made a name for himself as a prep at Upper Sandusky High School. After shooting 29 percent from long range as a rookie (48-166), Diebler responded with a breakout sophomore season. He knocked down 96 of 231 treys for 41.6 percent accuracy. That effort was second in the Big Ten for makes and is the second-most single season 3s made in Ohio State history. He already is fourth all-time at Ohio State in 3s made in a career (150) and his eight 3s made at Northwestern last year rates No. 2 in Ohio State’s record book for 3s made in a game.
Buford Excels as Rookie, Improvement Expected
William Buford was selected as the Big Ten’s 2009 Freshman of the Year and a member of the league’s all-freshman team. He averaged 11.3 points a game, second on the team, and demonstrated an all-around offensive game throughout his rookie campaign. Student-athletes who play for Matta typically make significant improvement between their freshman and sophomore seasons, which has the Buckeye basketball staff excited about Buford’s game in 2009-10.
Lauderdale, Sarikopoulos Man the Middle for Buckeyes
Junior Dallas Lauderdale returns to the paint for Ohio State after sharing time with B.J. Mullens, a 2009 NBA First Round draft pick (24th overall pick) of the Dallas Mavericks. Mullens, later traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, marks the fifth Buckeye first-round pick under Matta and sixth overall NBA player since taking over in 2004-05.
Lauderdale continues to improve physically and defensively. He was among the nation’s top shot blockers last season, rejecting 67 shots to finish No. 2 in the Big Ten with an average of 2.03 blocks per game. Sarikopoulos, a transfer from UAB who sat out the 2008-09 season at Ohio State to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, becomes eligible this season. He adds size (7-0, 265), rebounding and post-passing skills to the Ohio State big man rotation.
Sarikopoulos played sparingly during the U19 World Championships for his native Greece. A left-knee sprain hampered his playing time during the event. He averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds as the United States defeated Greece 88-80 to claim gold. The event was held in Auckland, New Zealand in early July.
Where to Point?
The point guard position rotated between Jeremie Simmons and P.J. Hill a season ago with Simmons starting the first 25 games and Hill the final eight. Simmons moved over to provide minutes at the No. 2 guard spot, his natural position, down the stretch. Evan Turner also will see some time directing traffic. He handed out 97 assists last season to lead the Buckeyes in that category while also recording 58 thefts at the defensive end.
A Summer in Canada
With nearly the entire roster returning from the 2008-09 season, Matta and the Buckeyes took a preseason international trip to Canada. The excursion allowed the Buckeyes 10 practices and a few competitions before the official start of practice Oct. 16. The Buckeyes played three games between Aug. 27-31 in Canada vs. teams from the Windsor area. Ohio State last left the country for competition during the summer of 2001 when the squad traveled to Italy, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands.
New York, Morgantown, Indianapolis also on Travel List
The Buckeyes will again travel to New York for a pair of games in the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. After a pair of home games in Columbus vs. Alcorn State (Nov. 9) and James Madison (Nov. 12), the Buckeyes head to Madison Square Garden for two games Nov. 19-20 vs. North Carolina and either California or Syracuse.
Ohio State completes a home-and-home series with West Virginia in January and the final game of the four-game home-and-home series vs. Butler will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Bulldog campus in December. The 18-game Big Ten schedule features home-and-home matchups with eight teams and single matchups vs. Northwestern (home) and Michigan State (away).
Can You Spot Matta a 20?
For each of the last nine seasons, all as a head coach, Thad Matta has guided teams to at least 20 victories. Only Mark Few, among active coaches, has more consecutive 20-win seasons to start a career (10). Matta set the Ohio State record for consecutive 20-win campaigns last year with a 22-11 record, the fifth-consecutive Ohio State season with 20+ victories. The previous record was four held by the 1960-63 teams under legendary head coach Fred Taylor.
Matta also has won at least 10 Big Ten regular-season games in each of the last four seasons. A fifth double-digit effort in the win column in 2010 would tie Taylor’s mark of 10+ league wins in each of the seasons from 1960-64. Those were during 14-game regular-season slates. The Big Ten played a 16-game schedule in Matta’s first three seasons (8, 12, 15 league wins) and an 18-game schedule the last two (10, 10).
Speaking of Consistent #s…
Ohio State was again one of the top draws in college basketball in 2008-09. The Buckeyes drew nearly 280,000 fans to home games last season to rate No. 14 nationally in home attendance. The Buckeyes have been among the Top 20 in home attendance in each of the last 11 years, all while playing at the Jerome Schottenstein Center (19,049). Ohio State games both home and on the road drew 477,000 fans last year, No. 16 nationally. The Buckeyes have been a Top 20 draw nationally in 10 of the last 11 years and led the nation in all-game attendance in 2007. The Big Ten led the nation in attendance for the 33rd-consecutive season in 2008-09. An average of 12,519 fans attended 193 Big Ten games a season ago.
Boals Joins Staff
Matta added Jeff Boals to the staff after the departure of assistant coach Archie Miller, who left to coach alongside his brother Sean, the new University of Arizona head coach. Boals, a 1995 graduate of Ohio University, left Akron to join the Buckeyes. His tenacity as a player with the Bobcats is expected to transfer to the Ohio State roster, especially the post players.
The Next to 1,000…
Evan Turner has scored 899 points over 71 Ohio State games in his career for an average of 12.6 points a game. He needs 101 to become the 44th player in Ohio State history to reach 1,000 career points. Two others on the current roster are on pace to reach 1,000 points. Junior David Lighty has 552 career points over 84 career games. Jon Diebler has 609 points in his two-plus seasons at Ohio State. William Buford is well on his way as well (391).
