Buckeyes and Wildcats Battle in Evanston Wednesday – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2016
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Preview: Coach Matta, Jae’Sean Tate, Kam Williams
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The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-5, 2-0) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (13-2, 1-1)
| Date: | Jan. 6, 2016 |
| Site: | Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117) |
| Game Time: | 9 p.m. |
| Television: | BTN |
| Talent: | Brian Anderson (Play-By-Play) Seth Davis (Expert Analysis) None (Sideline) |
| Radio: | OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations) |
| Satellite Radio: | Sirius 83/XM 195 |
| Local Radio: | WBNS-FM 97.1, AM-1460 |
| Radio Talent: | Paul Keels (play-by-play) Ron Stokes (Expert Anelysis) |
Starting Five, Plus One
? Ohio State has shot better from the field than its opponent in 14 of 15 games this season and is 10-5 to date. Ohio State outshot 23 opponents a year ago and was 23-0 in those games. In the Matta era, the Buckeyes have outshot foes 300 times and are 272-28 in those games (.907).
? Ohio State opponents have not blocked a field goal attempt in the the last four games. The Buckeyes have not had a shot rejected since the second half of the Kentucky game Dec. 19 in New York, a span of 167 minutes and 31 seconds of game time. Skal Labissiere of Kentucky is the last to block an Ohio State shot with 12:29 left to play in the second half of Ohio State’s 74-67 win over the No. 4 Wildcats. Since the blocked shot became an official NCAA statistic in 1985-86, no string of four Ohio State opponents have failed to block a shot. Ohio State has won the last 10 games in which an opponent did not block a shot.
? Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 24 points to go with 10 rebounds vs. SCSU. Trevor Thompson added 10 points and 10 boards to mark the fourth time this season the Buckeyes posted a pair of double-doubles in a single game. Ohio State is 135-51 (.725) all-time when two players record a double-double. The last time an OSU duo recorded double-doubles in the same game four times was during the 2007-08 season. The last time Ohio State recorded double-doubles in five or more games was during the 1982-83 season when it happed five times. Granville Waiters and Tony Campbell were the two players with double-doubles in all five.
? Opponents are shooting 74.7 percent (183-245) from the foul line against the Buckeyes, the 15th best nationally. Texas Southern foes are shooting 77.5 percent to lead the country. Only two power five conference teams are among the Top 25 in free throw percentage defense–Ohio State at No. 14 and Kansas at No. 22.
? Thad Matta has coached 408 games at Ohio State, the third most in school history. Harold G. Olsen (1923-46) and Fred Taylor (1959-76), have reached 400 or more games at Ohio State. Olsen coached 456 (259-197) and Taylor 455 (297-158).
? Currently, Matta has the second longest tenure in the Big Ten with 12 years on the sidelines in Columbus. Tom Izzo at Michigan State has been with the Spartans over the last 21 seasons.
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 54-58 in the first true road game of the season. In Big Ten Conference play, the Buckeyes are 56-44 in league openers, 68-32 in the first conference home game of the season and 36-63 in league road openers. Ohio State is 37-20 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 9-3 in conference openers. In the last 12 years under Matta, the Buckeyes have opened league play at home seven times (6-1) and have a 3-2 road opener mark.
W L OSU W%
OSU in Home Openers 96 17 0.850
OSU in Season Openers 91 22 0.805
OSU in Away Openers 54 58 0.482
OSU in Big Ten Home Openers 68 32 0.680
OSU in Big Ten Away Openers 36 63 0.364
OSU in Big Ten Openers 56 44 0.560
OSU Opens Big Ten at Home 37 20 0.649
OSU Opens Big Ten on Road 19 24 0.442
Matta in Big Ten Road Openers (7-4)
1/5/05 L @Illinois 65-84(1)
1/7/06 L @Indiana 79(18)-81(16)
1/6/07 W @Illinois 62(6)-44
1/3/08 W @Illinois 74-58
1/3/09 L @Minnesota 59(24)-68(21)
12/31/09 L @Wisconsin 43(15)-65(23)
12/31/10 W @Indiana 85(2)-67
12/31/11 W @Indiana 71(2)-74(13)
1/5/13 W @Illinois 55(8)-74(11)
12/31/13 W @Purdue 78(3)-69
1/6/15 W @Minnesota 74(22)-72 ot
1/6/16 @Northwestern
Ohio State vs. Northwestern Series
Ohio State leads the series with the Wildcats, 115-45. Ohio State is 67-14 in Columbus and 47-31 in Evanston. The teams will meet twice this year. The Buckeyes are 1-0 on a neutral court in the series. The Buckeyes have won the last 10 games vs. the Wildcats and 21 of the last 22. Ohio State has won the last 30 in Columbus after an 83-72 win for the Wildcats Feb. 24, 1977. Overall, Thad Matta is 17-1 vs. Northwestern and is 8-0 in Columbus and 8-1 in Evanston. Four returning Buckeyes have seen action in the Northwestern series with junior Marc Loving leading the way with two games played against the Wildcats. He averages 3.5 points and one rebound in the Northwestern series. Jae’Sean Tate scored four points to go with five rebounds a season ago in his lone matchup vs. the Wildcats.
Last Time vs. Northwestern
Freshman D’Angelo Russell scored a career-high 33 points, and Ohio State overcame an early deficit to beat Northwestern 69-67. Russell’s 3-pointer with 3:34 to play snapped a 60-all tie, which answered the 3-pointer of Northwestern’s JerShon Cobb that created the deadlock. Russell’s sixth 3-pointer of the night made it 66-60 with 1:36 to play. Northwestern’s Tre Demps hit a 3-pointer to pull the Wildcats within a point with 1.8 seconds to play, but Russell’s free throw in the final second sealed the outcome. Ohio State used a 16-7 run early in the second half to expand its lead to 11 points. A pair of 3-pointers from Russell, plus a jam from Sam Thompson (11 points), helped the Buckeyes pull away. Russell also pulled down seven rebounds and had six assists. Alex Olah led Northwestern with 16 points. Demps added 14 and Bryant McIntosh had 12.
Scouting the Wildcats
Northwestern is 13-2 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten Conference play heading into the game vs. the Buckeyes. A trio of Wildcats average 10 or more points a game led by sophomore guard Bryant McIntosh (15.9 ppg.). Graduate Tre Demps (14.9 ppg) and senior center Alex Olah (12.8 ppg.). Olah has been sidelined with a foot injury the last three games. Freshman Dererk Pardon, a Cleveland, Ohio native, has stepped in for Olah to average 14 points and a team high 7.3 rebounds. The two Northwestern losses this year have been to No. 9 North Carolina (80-69) and most recently to No. 4 Maryland at home (72-59.
For more on the Buckeyes click on the Ohio State Notes link above.
