Basketball HOF Invitational Event Continues vs. UT Arlington – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2015
| Kam Williams scored 22 points vs. Grambling Tuesday |
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The Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) vs. UT-Arlington (1-1)
| Date: | Nov. 20, 2015 |
| Site: | Value City Arena (19,049) |
| Game Time: | 7:01 p.m. |
| Television: | ESPN3 |
| Talent: | Dave Weekly (Play-By-Play) Mark Adams (Expert Analysis) |
| Radio: | OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations) |
| Satellite Radio: | Sirius 145/XM 195 |
| Local Radio: | WBNS-FM 97.1, AM-1460 |
| Radio Talent: | Paul Keels (play-by-play) Ron Stokes (Expert Anelysis) |
Buckeyes Continue Play in Basketball HOF
Ohio State plays the second of three home games for the Buckeyes as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational Friday. Ohio State played Grambling (W, 82-55, Tuesday), meets UT Arlington (Friday) and Louisiana Tech (Nov. 24) before a trip to Miami, Florida, over Thanksgiving to face Memphis Nov. 27 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tip time for Memphis game is 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Matta Earns Win No. 300 at Ohio State
When the Buckeyes defeated Minnesota in the 2015 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, Thad Matta became the all-time wins leader in Ohio State history with victory No. 298 over his 12-year tenure with the Buckeyes. Matta passed Fred Taylor for the Ohio State wins record. Taylor amassed 297 triumphs from 1959-1976. Matta added another win a year ago in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, a 75-72 overtime affair over VCU in Portland, Oregon. The first victory of the 2015-16 season, a 76-54 win vs. Mount St. Mary’s Nov. 15, was No. 300 for Matta at Ohio State. He has 403 career victories over his 16 seasons as a head coach, which includes one year at Butler, three at Xavier and 12 with the Buckeyes.
Buckeyes Open 116th Season, 104th in B1G
This is the 104th season of Big Ten membership in men’s basketball for the Buckeyes and the 116th overall for the sport at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 91-22 in season openers and 96-17 in the first home game of the season. Ohio State is 54-57 in the first true road game of the season. In Big Ten Conference play, the Buckeyes are 55-44 in league openers, 67-32 in the first conference home game of the season and 36-63 in league road openers. Ohio State is 36-20 when the first conference game of the year is at home and 19-24 when opening conference play on the road. Thad Matta is 12-0 in season openers at Ohio State and is 8-3 in conference openers. In the last 12 years under Matta, the Buckeyes have opened league play at home six times (5-1) and have a 3-2 road opener mark.
UT Arlington Challenged in Nonconference
The UT Arlington Mavericks entered the 2015-16 slate with six newcomers and nine returners, three of which started at least half of the games last season. UTA finished fifth in the Sun Belt after splitting 20 games and with a 16-15 mark overall. Scott Cross, head coach of the Mavericks, has put together the most challenging nonconference schedule of his tenure highlighted by games against Ohio State, Texas, Memphis, UTEP and Louisiana Tech. The Mavs opened the season against Fordham Nov. 14 at home in the College Park Center (W, 77-72) and then fell at Louisiana Tech (80-68, Tuesday). Sophomore guard Erick Neal leads the team with 15 points per game in the early going. Kevin Hervey, a sophomore forward, also averages in double digits with 11 points a contest. Junior guard Jalen Jones and junior forward Jorge Bilbau top the squad with 6.0 rebounds per game, each.
Ohio State vs. the Sun Belt Conference
Ohio State is 6-2 all-time vs. current members of the Sun Belt Conference, including a 2-0 record vs. UT Arlington. The Buckeyes and Mavericks have not played since back-to-back seasons in 1973 and ’74. Ohio State prevailed 90-62 Nov. 30, 1973 and then again, 79-64, Dec. 21, 1971. Both games were in Columbus at St. John Arena. Ohio State is 2-1 vs. South Alabama, 1-1 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette and 1-0 in the series vs. Louisiana-Monroe. The Buckeyes do not have a record vs. Appalachian State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Texas State and Troy.
Havlicek Elected to Collegiate HOF
Ohio State great John Havlicek, who starred for the Buckeyes from 1960-62 and then went on to win eight NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics, will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Nov. 20 in Kansas City. Clark Kellogg, another Ohio State basketball standout, will serve as the master of ceremonies. Clark Kellogg is the lead studio analyst for CBS Sports’ coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Havlicek, a 1962 All-American under Coach Fred Taylor at Ohio State, helped the Buckeyes win the NCAA title in 1960. He went on to play his entire 16-year professional career with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships and earning 13 All-Star selections. Named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players, Havlicek was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
For more on the Buckeyes click on the Ohio State Notes link above.
