Ohio State Ends Regular Season at No. 2 Michigan State – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2016
Ohio State Notes | Michigan State Notes | Big Ten Notes | 2015-16 Schedule
Preview: Coach Matta | Preview: Keita Bates-Diop and Marc Loving
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The Ohio State Buckeyes (19-11, 11-6) vs. No. 2 Michigan State Spartans (25-5, 12-5)
| Date: | March 5, 2016 |
| Site: | Breslin Center (14,797) |
| Game Time: | 12:01 p.m. |
| Television: | ESPN |
| Talent: | Bob Wischusen (Play-By-Play) Dan Dakich (Expert Analysis) Kaylee Hartung (Sideline) |
| 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 Analysis) |
Starting Five, Plus One
• Ohio State has won at least 10 Big Ten regular season games over the last 11 seasons, the longest streak in school history and the longest streak among Big Ten schools over Thad Matta’s 12-year tenure with the Buckeyes. Wisconsin (11-5 in conference play this year to date) has a streak of 10-consecutive seasons with 10+ victories in regular season league play.
• Thad Matta is No. 13 all-time in career Big Ten regular-season victories … Matta owns 143 career league triumphs. He is tied with Harold “Bud” Foster (WIS 1935-59) who also won 143 league encounters. The No. 12 spot is held by former Ohio State coach Harold Olsen (1923-46). He won 154 league games over his tenure.
• Three Buckeyes are among the Top 10 in the Big Ten in blocks per game. Ohio State is No. 2 as a team in the league with an average of 5.5 rejections a game. Freshman Daniel Giddens is No. 6 in the conference with 1.5 (42) blocks per game. Trevor Thompson is No. 9 (39/1.3) and Keita Bates-Diop is 10th with 37/1.2.
• The game vs. Penn State Jan. 25 was the 200th regular-season Big Ten contest for Thad Matta while coaching the Buckeyes. The game vs. the Nittany Lions also was the 100th Big Ten home game for Matta’s Buckeyes. Since he took over the program in 2004-05, the Buckeyes are 87-18 (.829) at home and 56-48 (.538) on the road for a career record of 143-66 (.684) against Big Ten regular season competition.
• JaQuan Lyle rates No. 6 nationally among freshmen in total assists with 128. As a team, Ohio State is No. 11 nationally in total blocks with 164. Lyle’s 11 assists (part of a triple-double at home vs. Rutgers 16p/12r/11a) are tied for the third-most in a game by an Ohio State freshman all-time. Daniel Giddens’ 42 blocks are tied for fifth in a single season among Ohio State freshmen all-time. Lyle’s season assist total is No. 4 among Ohio State freshmen all-time.
• Ohio State’s 164 blocks on the season rates No. 6 all-time in team history. Thad Matta teams own five of the Top 10 best seasons in Ohio State history for total blocks, led by the 2007-08 squad, which rates No. 2 all time with 186 rejections. The 2014-15 team is No. 4 (178), followed by the 2008-09 squad (No. 5/175), the 2015-16 team and the 2012-13 team at No. 8 with 162 blocks.
Tate Out for Remainder of 2015-16 Season
Sophomore Jae’Sean Tate had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder Feb. 26. He started 28 games this season and averaged 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. He recorded five double-doubles, 18 games with 10 or more points and six with double-digit rebounds. A full recovery is expected after six months of rehabilitation. The Buckeyes were 18-10 before losing Tate for the season.
Balance in the Big Ten
In Ohio State’s 17 Big Ten Conference regular-season games the Buckeyes have spread the wealth offensively. Four Buckeyes average in double figures with a fifth contributing 9.2 points a game. Sophomore Jae’Sean Tate led the Buckeyes with 11.9 points a game before his season ended with a shoulder injury following the road game at Nebraska Feb. 20. Junior Marc Loving (12.8), sophomore Keita Bates-Diop (11.5) and freshman JaQuan Lyle (10.8) lead the Buckeyes in scoring against league competition. Sophomore Kam Williams adds 9.2 points per game in league play. Tate and sophomore Trevor Thompson both score at a better than 50 percent rate from the field (.528/.512 respectively). Williams makes 49 percent of his 3-point attempts (29-59) and Bates-Diop is the leader at the foul line (32-38/.842).
Evan Turner Recognized
The Ohio State Department of Athletics and its men’s basketball program honored former Buckeye Evan Turner Feb. 16 during a halftime ceremony when the Buckeyes played Michigan (W, 76-66) at Value City Arena. Turner, the 2010 National Player of the Year, had a banner unveiled baring his jersey No. 21 alongside Ohio State’s three other national players of the year. Buckeye players have won the honor five times. No. 11 Jerry Lucas, twice, No. 35 Gary Bradds and No. 22 Jim Jackson also have banners hanging in the rafters of Value City Arena in honor of their POY accomplishments. No. 5 John Havlicek was selected by former Ohio State athletics director Andy Geiger to have a banner on display recognizing his many accomplishments and contributions to Ohio State basketball.
Men’s Basketball Number Recognition Dates
11-Jerry Lucas Feb. 23, 2000
35-Gary Bradds Jan. 27, 2001
22-Jim Jackson, Feb. 10, 2001
5-John Havlicek, Feb. 27, 2005
21-Evan Turner, Feb. 16, 2016
Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Michigan State leads the overall series with the Buckeyes, 65-55. The Buckeyes are 35-23 in Columbus and 17-39 in East Lansing. The teams each own three wins on a neutral court in the series. Thad Matta is 11-13 vs. the Spartans, including a 4-6 away record. Seven of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by four or fewer points. Ohio State junior Marc Loving has the most experience on the Ohio State roster with five total games played. He averages just over six points and a rebound in the series. Freshman JaQuan Lyle tallied 16 points and five rebounds in the earlier meeting this year in Columbus.
Last Time vs. Michigan State
Michigan State’s Bryn Forbes hit six 3-pointers in the second half as the then sixth-ranked Spartans beat Ohio State, 81-62 Feb. 23 in Columbus. Forbes had 27 points and finished 7 of 10 from 3-point range. The Spartans led 36-31 at halftime but Forbes then scored 20 points and Matt Costello added 12 of his 16. Denzel Valentine added 17 points and eight assists. Michigan State made 14 of 22 3-point attempts. Marc Loving had 19 points and JaQuan Lyle added 16 for Ohio State. Ohio State was without sophomore starting forward Jae’Sean Tate because of a left shoulder injury that will keep him out the rest of the season. Freshman Mickey Mitchell made his first start in Tate’s absence. The Buckeyes hung with Michigan State for most of the first half and took a 25-24 lead with 6:21 left when Keita Bates-Diop capped a 7-0 run with two free throws. But a rebound basket by Forbes put the Spartans ahead 26-25.
Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State plays host to the Buckeyes in the second of two games played between the teams in the last two weeks. MSU is led by senior national player of the year candidate Denzel Valentine’s 19.3 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. He also contributes 7.3 assists a contest. Senior Bryn Forbes contributes 15.2 ppg. and classmate Matt Costello chips in with 10.3 points and 8.5 boards a game. The Spartans enter the game with the Buckeyes with an overall record of 25-5 and a league mark of 12-5.
Ohio State vs. The Big Ten
Ohio State begins its 104th season as a member of the Big Ten Conference in 2015-16. The Buckeyes own an overall record of 794-699 against current league members. Thad Matta, in 16 seasons as a head coach, owns an overall record of 169-76 vs. league members, including a mark of 165-73 while coaching the Buckeyes.
For more on the Buckeyes, click on the Ohio State Notes link above.
