Buckeyes Take on Scarlet Knights Wednesday Night in Columbus
2/11/2020 10:16:54 AM | Men's Basketball
Ohio State Men's Basketball Gameday March 12, 2020
Opponent vs. Purdue (16-15)
Site Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,500)
Time 6:30 p.m. ET
Television BTN | BTN Plus
Talent Kevin Kugler (Play-By-Play)
Stephen Bardo (Expert Analysis)
Rick Pizzo (Sideline)
Radio OSU-IMG Sports Network (67 stations)
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AM-1460
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Radio Talent Paul Keels (Play-By-Play)
Ron Stokes (Expert Analysis)
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Starting Five
- The Ohio State Department of Athletics and the men’s basketball program will recognize the 1960 National Championship Team at halftime of the game vs. Illinois March 5. That team finished the year with a 25-3 record and a 13-1 record in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes defeated California 75-55 at the Final Four in San Francisco March 19, 1960.
- Three current Buckeyes were named Mr. Basketball in their respective states. Junior Kaleb Wesson was named Ohio Mr. Basketball as a senior at Westerville South High School … freshman D.J. Carton was named Mr. Basketball in Iowa in 2019 as a senior at Bettendorf High School and freshman E.J. Liddell was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in both 2018 and 2019 after leading Belleville High School to back-to-back state titles.
- Andre and Kaleb Wesson are one of 16 sets of brothers playing in NCAA Division I this season and one of two sets in the Big Ten (Iowa, McCaffery) also have siblings on the roster.
- Ohio State has 58 players all-time with 1,000 or more career points, the ninth-most nationally and the most of any Big Ten school (research credit: Duke). Kaleb Wesson is the most recent Buckeye to reach the milestone with 1,129 career points over his career. He became the 37th Ohio State player all-time to reach 500 rebounds with nine vs. West Virginia Dec. 29. His 23 points at Michigan Feb. 4 moved him over the 1,100-point mark.
- Ohio State will play before at least five sold out crowds at Value City Arena in 2020. The Wisconsin (19,049, Jan. 3), Indiana (18,809, Feb. 1), Purdue (18,809, Feb. 15), Maryland (18,809, Feb. 23) and Michigan (18,809, March 1) games are sellouts. There is limited availability for Rutgers (Feb. 12) and Illinois (March 5).
Off the Bench
- The Buckeyes are 1,159-418 all-time when playing in the state of Ohio (.735) … against Ohio teams, Ohio State is 237-79 (.749) all-time, regardless of location. The Buckeyes faced a pair of intrastate foes this season. Ohio State defeated Cincinnati Nov. 6 at Value City Arena (64-56) and then Kent State Nov. 25 at St. John Arena (W, 72-51). Ohio State is 179-30 vs. Ohio teams in Columbus (.856).
- Ohio State is 61-19 all-time when games are sold out at Value City Arena. Ohio State is 53-16 in sold out games against the Big Ten, including a 20-11 record against ranked conference opponents. The last sellout at VCA was vs. Wisconsin Jan. 3, 2020 (L, 61-57).
- Ohio State is 1,703-1,101 all-time, including a 15-8 record this season.
- In the first NCAA NET rankings of the year, released Dec. 16, Ohio State was rated the No. 1 team nationally after its 9-1 start. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the first NET rankings a year ago as well. This year Ohio State has played 10 Quad 1 games (4-6) with a total of seven Quad 1 (5) and Quad 2 (2) games remaining on the schedule.
- When the then-No. 5 Buckeyes tipped vs. the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats Dec. 21 in Las Vegas, the Wesson family reached 300 games played as Buckeyes. Keith Wesson, who lettered for Ohio State from 1983-87, played in 115 games. Senior Andre Wesson has appeared in 119 games while junior Kaleb Wesson has taken the court as a Buckeye 88 times. In 322 games played, the Wessons have scored 2,131 points for an average of 6.6 a game. Andre passed Keith in total games played at Northwestern Jan. 28.
- In three seasons as Ohio State head coach, Chris Holtmann teams have made 10 or more 3s 23 times (17-6 rcd.). Ohio State made 10+ from distance five times in 2017-18 and posted a 4-1 record in those games. The Buckeyes were 5-5 in 2018-19 and are 8-0 this year when make 10+ 3-pointers.
- The Buckeyes have made 30 or more field goals seven times this year (7-0) after doing so three times a season ago (3-0). Chris Holtmann Ohio State teams have scored 30 or more FGs in 22 games during his tenure (21-1) after doing so 12 times in his first year (12-1). Ohio State has won its last nine games when reaching at least 30 FGs made.
Kaleb Wesson Welcomed to Exclusive Club
Ohio State junior Kaleb Wesson has entered both the 1,000 career point and 500 career rebound club with 1,129 points and 605 boards. Wesson became the 29th Buckeye all-time with both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
The Ohio State vs. Rutgers Series
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Rutgers 7-3. The Buckeyes are 4-0 in Columbus and 3-1 in Piscataway. The teams have met twice on neutral courts with the Scarlet Knights winning both. Andre Wesson has faced Rutgers six times, most on the Ohio State roster. He averages 2.8 points and just over two rebounds in the series. Kaleb Wesson averages 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in four meetings with the Scarlet Knights. Sophomore Luther Muhammad, a New Jersey native, averages 12.5 points and four rebounds in a pair of meetings vs. Rutgers.
Scouting the Scarlet Knights
Rutgers travels to Columbus with an overall record of 17-7 with an 8-5 slate in Big Ten Conference play. Three Scarlet Knights average in double figures, led by sophomore guard Ron Harper Jr’s. 11.3 points a game. Senior forward Akwasi Yeboah (10.2 ppg.) and junior guard Geo Baker (10.0 ppg.) also score 10 or more a game. Sophomore center Myles Johnson leads the team with 8.1 rebounds a contest.
Ohio State vs. the Big Ten
The Buckeyes own an overall record of 831-737 against current league members. Chris Holtmann faced six league opponents during his six years as a head coach prior to taking over for the Buckeyes in 2017-18. He entered his first year of Big Ten competition with a 4-5 record vs. conference foes. He is 33-31 vs. conference opponents in nine years as a head coach.
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