No. 16 Badgers, Buckeyes Battle Thursday in Columbus
2/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2017
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Ohio State Buckeyes (15-13, 5-10) vs. No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers (22-5, 11-3)
| Date: | Feb. 23, 2017 |
| Site: | Value City Arena (18,809) |
| Game Time: | 9:05 p.m. |
| Television: | ESPN |
| Talent: | Rece Davis (Play-By-Play) Dan Dakich (Expert Analysis) |
| Radio: | OSU-IMG Sports Network (60 stations) |
| Satellite Radio: | Sirius 84/XM 84 |
| Local Radio: | WBNS-FM 97.1, AM-1460 |
| Radio Talent: | Paul Keels (Play-By-Play) Ron Stokes (Expert Analysis) |
Starting Five, Plus One
• Thad Matta will become Ohio State’s record holder for most games coached in a career when the game tips off vs. Wisconsin. His teams have played in 456 games to date (335-121). Matta tied Fred Taylor (455) for the No. 2 spot all time in the game vs. Michigan State Feb. 14 and Harold G. Olsen’s 456 games (259-197) the last time out vs. Nebraska (Feb. 18). Taylor was on the sidelines from 1959-76 (297-158).
• In Thad Matta’s 13 seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have been swept in a regular season home-and-home series with a Big Ten foe just 10 times. Ohio State has played 85 home-and-home series in Matta’s tenure to date. The Buckeyes have swept 35 and split 40 series with Big Ten foes in Matta’s tenure. When the Buckeyes fall in the first game of a home-and-home Big Ten regular season series, Ohio State is 24-9 in the second game of the series under Matta.
• Thad Matta is among the final 16 coaches who advanced to the third round of the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. Third-round voting to advance to final round of four coaches is open now and runs through Feb. 26. Vote daily for Coach Matta and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio at www.ESPN.com/Infiniti.
• Senior Marc Loving became the 53rd Buckeye all-time to reach 1,000 career points. He is the 12th player in the Thad Matta era to reach 1,000. His point total of 1,297 is 30th on the all-time Ohio State scoring list. No. 29 is Jamar Butler with 1,313. Against Maryland Feb. 11, junior Jae’Sean Tate became the 54th Buckeye to reach 1,000 career points and the 13th in the Matta era. He passed Jason Singleton (1,022) and Bill Andreas (1,023) on the Ohio State all-time scoring list with 14 points vs. Nebraska to move into the No. 49 spot all time. Jamie Skelton and Ken Johnson (1,055) are tied for the No. 47 spot behind No. 46 Carter Scott (1,073).
• Thad Matta is No. 13 all-time in career Big Ten regular-season victories … Matta owns 148 career league triumphs. He passed Harold “Bud” Foster (WIS 1935-59) who won 143 league encounters with the win over Michigan State (72-67/Jan. 15 in Columbus). The No. 12 spot is held by former Ohio State coach Harold Olsen (1923-46). He won 154 league games over his tenure.
• Marc Loving is working on becoming Ohio State’s 27th player with 1,000 career points and 500 career boards…Jae’Sean Tate became the 26th to accomplish the feat with 20 points at Maryland Feb. 11. He has 1,029 points (11.3 ppg.) and 526 caroms (5.8 rpg.) over 91 career appearances…Tate reached 500 rebounds with five at Michigan Feb. 4…Loving has 1,297 career points (10.0 ppg.) and 496 career rebounds (3.8 rpg.).
Off the Bench
• Since Thad Matta took over at Ohio State for the 2004-05 season, a Buckeye has recorded 15 or more rebounds in a game 24 times, the most of any Big Ten team. Junior Trevor Thompson has four of those efforts this year with a career-high 17 rebounds vs. Connecticut Dec. 10, 2016 and 15 rebounds three times (vs. Youngstown State, at Minnesota and against Northwestern). Jared Sullinger recorded eight games with 15 or more rebounds, Greg Oden recorded five, Evan Turner and Terence Dials each had two. Othello Hunter, Amir Williams and LaQuinton Ross each posted one game with 15 or more rebounds. Ohio State is 20-4 when a player records at least 15 rebounds in Matta era.
• Junior Keita Bates-Diop had season-ending surgery Jan. 25 on his left leg to repair a stress fracture he has been battling since missing about two months of summer workouts with the injury. Bates-Diop played in nine games this season around illness, a right ankle sprain sustained in the Providence game (Nov. 17) and lingering pain from the left-leg stress fracture. He averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds this season. Ohio State will apply for a medical redshirt season on Bates-Diop’s behalf following the 2016-17 campaign. If granted, he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
• Ohio State won at least 10 Big Ten regular season games (11-7 in 2016) 11 seasons (2006-2016), the longest streak in school history and tied for the longest streak among Big Ten schools over Thad Matta’s 13-year tenure with the Buckeyes. Wisconsin (11-3 in conference play this year) has a streak of 11-consecutive seasons with 10+ victories in regular season league play.
• Since Thad Matta took over the Ohio State program the Buckeyes have competed against 126 opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, the third-most games against ranked foes in all of NCAA Division I men’s basketball. The Buckeyes are 54-72 in those games with a winning percentage of .429. That win total ranks No. 11 nationally for victories vs. ranked opponents since 2004-05.
• The Buckeyes are 6-6 on the year in games decided by five or fewer points. Wins have come against Michigan (70-66), Providence (72-67), Connecticut (64-60), UNC Asheville (79-77), Michigan State (72-67), and at Nebraska (67-66). Losses have been to Virginia (63-61) on the road, Florida Atlantic (79-77), at Illinois (75-70), Purdue (76-75), Northwestern (74-72) and Nebraska (58-57)
• Jae’Sean Tate is one of two Power 5 Conference players 6-4 or shorter averaging more than six rebounds per game (Markelle Fultz of Washington is averaging 6.0). Overall, Tate is 18th nationally among players 6-4 or shorter with 6.1 rebounds per game … he also is tied for 16th nationally among players 6-4 or shorter with 1.8 offensive rebounds per game.
• Trevor Thompson has the second-most double-doubles (10) nationally among players averaging fewer than 24 minutes per game. In games where Thompson comes off the bench, he is averaging the second-most rebounds per game nationally at 8.5.
Buckeyes Balanced on Offense
Through 28 games, Ohio State has five players contributing 10 or more points a game. Junior Jae’Sean Tate leads the way with 14.0 ppg. He is followed by senior Marc Loving (12.6), sophomore JaQuan Lyle (11.0), junior Trevor Thompson (10.7) and junior Kam Williams (10.1). Junior Keita Bates-Diop, who is out for the remainder of the season (stress fracture, left leg) averaged 9.7 ppg. in nine appearances this year. Thompson’s 9.4 rebounds a game leads the team.
Thompson’s Effort on the Glass vs. UConn One of Best in Matta Era
Since Thad Matta took over at Ohio State in 2004-05, there have been eight games in which a Buckeye recorded 17 or more rebounds. Trevor Thompson recorded a career-best with 17 boards vs. Connecticut. He also tallied a career-high 17 points in the 64-60 win. Both Greg Oden (vs. Purdue, 3/10/07) and Jared Sullinger (vs. South Carolina Dec. 18, 2010) recorded 19-rebound games. Sullinger also had a pair of games with 18 boards (both vs. Northwestern 3/11/11, 2/29/12). Evan Turner recorded two games with 17 caroms (vs. Alcorn State 11/9/09; and James Madison 11/12/09). Turner’s effort vs. Alcorn State was part of triple-double in which he scored 14 points and handed out 10 assists. Terence Dials also grabbed 17 boards in a game vs. Illinois (12/12/06).
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Ohio State leads the all-time series with the Badgers 86-70. Ohio State owns a 53-23 advantage in Columbus while Wisconsin is 46-29 in Madison. The teams have met five times on neutral courts in the Big Ten Tournament with the Buckeyes owning a 4-1 edge in those games. Ohio State is 11-13 all-time against Badger teams ranked among the Associated Press Top 25. Thad Matta teams are 12-14 overall vs. Wisconsin, which includes a win each while coaching Butler and Xavier. Matta’s Ohio State teams are 5-4 in Columbus and 2-9 in Madison. Jae’Sean Tate averages 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in three career meetings vs. the Badgers. JaQuan Lyle averages 20 points and 2.5 boards in two career meetings while Trevor Thompson contributes 10 points and 7.5 rebounds a game over two career outings against the Badgers.
Scouting the Badgers
Ohio State plays host to the No. 16 Badgers, who enter the game with an overall record of 22-5 and 11-3 in the Big Ten. Sophomore Ethan Happ leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points and a team high 6.0 rebounds per game. Senior Bronson Koenig adds 13.3 points per game. Classmate Nigel Hayes chips in with 13.6 ppg.
Last Time vs. Wisconsin
Bronson Koenig scored 21 points as No. 18 Wisconsin topped Ohio State 89-66 Jan 12 in Madison. The Badgers shot 49 percent from the field, including a season-best 55 percent from the 3-point line. Nigel Hayes added 15 points, while Vitto Brown scored 12. Ohio State, playing its third straight game without Keita Bates-Diop, who’s out for the season with a stress fracture in his leg, allowed Wisconsin to turn 21 offensive rebounds into 28 second-chance points. JaQuan Lyle led the Buckeyes with 13 points while Trevor Thompson added 11 points, nine boards and four blocks. Kam Williams and Jae’Sean Tate also scored in double-figures for the Buckeyes with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Ohio State vs. The Big Ten
Ohio State is competing in its 105th season as a member of the Big Ten Conference in 2016-17. The Buckeyes own an overall record of 800-711 against current league members. Thad Matta, in 17 seasons as a head coach, owns an overall record of 175-88 vs. league members, including a mark of 171-85 while coaching the Buckeyes.
Matta Climbing All-Time Big Ten Wins Chart
Thad Matta has 148 career regular-season wins in Big Ten Conference play to rank No. 13 all-time in Big Ten history. Ohio State’s Harold Olsen (1923-46) holds down the No. 12 spots with 154 all-time league wins.
Noting the Nebraska Game
• The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 14-4.
• Ohio State is 7-1 in games played in Columbus.
• Nebraska shot 38.3 percent from the field in the contest.
• Ohio State has held 26 of its 28 opponents to under 50 percent shooting from the field this season.
• Ohio State is 13-3 this season when leading at half time.
• The Buckeyes are 15-3 this season when leading with five minutes left to play.
• Ohio State has had eight games decided by one or two points on the season (3-5).
• Ohio State is 1-2 in games decided by one point this season.
• Thad Matta tied the all-time record in career games coached at Ohio State with his 456th Columbus outing in the game vs. the Cornhuskers. Harold G. Olsen (1923-1946) coached 456 games during his career as Ohio State’s head coach (259-197).
• Matta is 10-2 versus Nebraska during his tenure at Ohio State.
• Matta is 171-85 against Big Ten opponents while coaching the Buckeyes.
• Ohio State is now 65-49 against Big Ten teams when the game is decided by 10 or fewer points under Matta.
• The Buckeyes are 291-20 when leading by 10+ points at any point in a contest since Matta’s arrival.
• Ohio State is 8-4 in one-point games under Matta.
• Jae’Sean Tate led the Buckeyes in scoring, putting up 14 points while adding 10 rebounds.
• Tate has four double-doubles on the season and nine for his career.
• He has now scored in double figures 25 of the 28 games this season.
• Marc Loving scored 13 points to go along with four rebounds, three steals and an assist in the contest.
• Loving is now four rebounds away from becoming the 27th Buckeye to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
• Trevor Thompson scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards for the Buckeyes.
• Thompson has scored in double figures in four of the last five games.
For more on the Buckeyes click on the Ohio State Notes link above.
