Sullinger, Buford Closing on 600 Rebounds
Jared Sullinger and William Buford each are within 11 rebounds of reaching 600 for their respective careers. Sullinger, in 60 games played, has 590 boards for an average of 9.8 a game. Buford has played 131 games and has 589 rebounds (4.5 rpg). A total of 17 Ohio State players have recorded 600 or more rebounds in their careers. Jerry Lucas owns the Ohio State record with 1,411 career rebounds over three seasons (1960-62). The last player to reach 600 as a Buckeye was Evan Turner with 683 from 2008-10.

USBWA Names Sullinger to Watch List
The United States Basketball Writers Association named Jared Sullinger to a list of 20 student-athletes in consideration for the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy, given annually to the organization’s national player of the year honoree. The award will be presented March 30 in New Orleans. The USBWA selected Sullinger as its Wayman Tisdale Award winner in 2011. The award recognizes the national freshman of the year.

Sullinger Paces Buckeyes at Home
Sophomore Jared Sullinger averages a double-double in games played this season in Columbus. He contributes a team-leading 17.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game on Ohio State’s home court. He also is leading the regulars by scoring on 55 percent of his shots from the field (103-186). Senior William Buford averages 15.6 points and has made 88 percent of his foul shots on familiar turf (44-50). Sophomore Deshaun Thomas is the third Buckeyes averaging double figures at home with 13.4 points per game. Ohio State is outscoring opponents by 23.3 points per game with an 8.2 rebounds per game advantage in Columbus.

Academics and Athletic Awards for Craft
Sophomore Aaron Craft was selected to the Academic All-District 5 First Team Feb. 2. He now advances to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be selected later this month. Craft is majoring in excercise science (pre-med) with a GPA of 3.89. Craft also is among 11 remaining candidates for the Bob Cousy Award after the list was trimmed from an initial pool of 60 candidates. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. This current list of candidates will be narrowed down to the final five by March 1. Craft currently leads the Buckeyes in assists (116) and steals (54).

Matta Earns Another 20-Win Season
For each of the last 12 seasons, all as a head coach, Thad Matta has guided teams to at least 20 victories. Only Mark Few, among active coaches, has more consecutive 20-win seasons to start a career (13). Matta set the Ohio State record for consecutive 20-win campaigns in 2008-09 with a 22-11 record and extended it this year (21-4), the eighth-consecutive Ohio State season with 20+ victories. The previous record was four held by the 1960-63 teams under legendary head coach Fred Taylor. The Buckeyes also own the second-longest streak of 20-win seasons (8) in Big Ten history. Illinois owns the record with nine from (1983-1991). Matta also has won at least 10 Big Ten regular-season games in each of the last six seasons. That effort eclipsed Taylor’s mark of 10+ league wins in each of the seasons from 1960-64. Those were during 14-game regular-season slates. The Big Ten played a 16-game schedule in Matta’s first three seasons (8, 12, 15 league wins) and an 18-game schedule the last five (10, 10, 14, 16, 9). Ohio State is the two-time defending Big Ten regular-season champion. The last time the Buckeyes won three or more consecutive titles was from 1960-64, a string of five-consecutive conference crowns.

BUFORD AMONG FINALISTS FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Ten NCAA men’s basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court were selected as finalists for the 2011-12 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The winner of the fan vote will be announced at the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans. To vote for Buford visit go.osu.edu/Vote4Buford.
Buford Reaches 100 Wins as a Buckeye
Senior William Buford reached career win No. 100 as a Buckeye at Iowa Jan. 7. David Lighty (2007-11) holds the Ohio State record for wins with 129. Walk-ons Mark Titus and Danny Peters were part of Ohio State’s program for 110 victories over their careers (2007-10). The four-year record for victories by scholarship players was originally set by Jamar Butler and Matt Terwilliger from 2005-08 with 105. The 2009 team had 107 wins from 2006-09 but there were no four-year seniors on that squad.
Wins    Seniors    Yr.-by-Yr.
129    David Lighty (2007-2011)    35,24,7,29,34
110    Danny Peters, Mark Titus (2007-10)    35,24,22,29
109    Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale (2008-11)    24,22,29,34
107    None (2006-09)    26,35,24,22
106    William Buford (2009-12)    22,29,34,21    105    Jamar Butler, Matt Terwilliger (2005-08)    20,26,35,24

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (21-4, 9-3) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-8, 5-7)
Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Site: Williams Arena (14,625)
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Talent: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Dan Dakich (expert analysis), Samantha Steele (Sideline)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio: Sirius-91, XM-91        
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (play-by-play), Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Ohio State VS. Minnesota
Ohio State owns a 78-55 advantage in games played in the Minnesota series and is 29-37 in Minneapolis. When Ohio State is ranked in the Associated Press poll, the Buckeyes are 24-3 vs. the Golden Gophers. Ohio State has won 11 of the last 12 and each of the last four games when ranked vs. Minnesota. Overall, Ohio State has won five of the last six games and four consecutive meetings vs. Minnesota. William Buford averages 13.9 points in seven career meetings vs. Minnesota. Jared Sullinger scored 33 points (16.5 ppg.) and grabbed 25 rebounds (12.5 rpg.) in two games last year in the Minnesota series.

 
The Buckeyes in the Big Ten
The Buckeyes rank No. 2 in both scoring offense (75.8 ppg.) and scoring defense (56.7 ppg.) after a 21-4 overall start. Ohio State’s scoring margin of 19.1 ppg. leads the league while the .482 field goal shooting pct. rates in the No. 2 spot. Led by Jared Sullinger, Ohio State is among the Top 2 teams in rebounding offense (36.7 rpg., No. 2) and defense (29.6 rpg., No. 2). Overall, the Buckeyes are No. 2 in rebound margin (+7.1 rpg.). Behind Aaron Craft, Ohio State is No. 1 in turnover margin (+5.4).

Ohio State vs. the Big Ten
Ohio State is 733-665 vs. current members of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes are playing their 100th season of Big Ten Basketball this season.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor®

No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (20-3, 8-2) vs. the Purdue Boilermakers (15-8, 5-5)
Date: Feb. 7, 2012
Site: Value City Arena (18,809)
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Talent: Mike Tirico (play-by-play); Dan Dakich (expert analysis); Samantha Steele (Sideline)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio: Sirius-91 , XM-91        
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460

The Buckeyes vs. The Ranked
Ohio State leads the nation in wins vs. opponents ranked among the Top 25 with five victories in seven tries this season. The Buckeyes own wins vs. No. 7 Florida, No. 3 Duke, No. 7 Indiana,  No. 20 Michigan and No. 19 Wisconsin. Losses have come to No. 13 Kansas and No. 13 Indiana, both on the road. The Buckeyes have five players, all starters, averaging in double figures in games vs. ranked opponents. Jared Sullinger leads with 17.5 ppg. He is joined by William Buford (15.0 ppg.), Deshaun Thomas (13.7 ppg.), Aaron Craft (10.9 ppg.) and Lenzelle Smith Jr. (10.3 ppg.). Sullinger (7.8 rebounds per game) and Smith Jr. (5.9 rpg.) lead the team on the glass. The Buckeyes outscore ranked foes by 7.4 points per game and own the edge on the boards by 3.0 rpg. Notre Dame also has five wins vs. Top 25 teams this season.

The Buckeyes in the Big Ten
The Buckeyes rank No. 2 in both scoring offense (76.5 ppg.) and scoring defense (55.4 ppg.) after a 20-3 overall start. Ohio State’s scoring margin of 21.0 ppg. leads the league while the .489 field goal shooting pct. rates in the No. 2 spot. Led by Jared Sullinger, Ohio State is among the Top 2 teams in rebounding offense (37.0 rpg., No. 2) and defense (29.6 rpg., No. 2). Overall, the Buckeyes are No. 2 in rebound margin (+7.5 rpg.). Behind Aaron Craft, Ohio State is No. 2 in assists (16.0 apg.), No. 1 in turnover margin (+6.0) and No. 2 in steals (8.0 spg.) on the year among Big Ten teams.

Ohio State vs. Purdue
Purdue is 83-76 all-time in games vs. Ohio State, but the Buckeyes own the edge in Columbus 51-28. When Ohio State is ranked nationally in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Buckeyes are 22-4 against the Boilermakers. Ohio State enters the game today ranked No. 3 nationally. Purdue is unranked. The last time Ohio State lost to an unranked Purdue squad was March 6, 1991, a 72-67 setback for the then-No. 2 Buckeyes. The teams have split the last eight overall meetings, 4-all. William Buford, Ohio State’s lone senior, averages 14.1 points a game in seven career meetings with the Boilermakers. He has scored 99 points and grabbed 33 rebounds (4.7 rpg.) in the series. He has scored on 55 percent from the field (36-66) and 58 percent from long range (12-21) while knocking down 15 of 17 foul shots (.882). Jared Sullinger averaged 21.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games vs. the Boilermakers last season. He made 16 of 26 shots from the field (.615) and 9 of 12 foul shots (.750). Purdue is 1-7 vs. Ohio State at Value City Arena. Ohio State is 67-18 vs. Big Ten foes at VCA.               

100 Years in Big Ten
Ohio State celebrates 100 years as a member of the Big Ten Conference in men’s basketball in 2012. The Buckeyes finished in the No. 6 spot in the 1913 conference standings, the first season of league play. Over the 99 previous seasons, Ohio State has earned 19 Big Ten regular-season titles with 23 NCAA tournament appearances, one national championship (1960) and nine trips to the Final Four. Eight former coaches and players are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while nearly 50 student-athletes have been drafted by National Basketball Association teams, including 22 in the first round.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Lenzelle Smith Jr. scored 17 points and had a career-high 12 rebounds as No. 4 Ohio State flexed its muscle inside to beat No. 20 Michigan 64-49 on Sunday, keeping the Buckeyes in a first-place tie in the Big Ten.

Jared Sullinger added 13 points and William Bufford and Deshaun Thomas both had 12 for Ohio State (19-3, 7-2), which ran its winning streak over its archrival to six straight and eight of nine.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 15 points for the Wolverines (16-6, 6-3). Trey Burke, the conference’s top freshman point guard, returned to his hometown to play for the first time against Sullinger, his former high school teammate, and finished with 13 points.

Michigan fell to 1-5 on opponents’ home courts this season.

The Buckeyes extended their homecourt winning streak to 38, the second-longest in the program’s 100 years.

Leading by three points at halftime, the Buckeyes pulled away with a 14-2 run midway through the second half. Bookended by 3-pointers by Burke, most of the points came as a result of backdoor cuts or drives. It didn’t include a 3.

Buford, who was quiet throughout the first half, got it started with a driving layup. Later in the spurt he stepped in front of Burke’s crosscourt pass and streaked the length of the court for a dunk.

Smith, who had more offensive rebounds than Michigan almost all game, scored twice – a layup on an assist from Buford and a short baseline jumper. Aaron Craft, Thomas and Sullinger, who sat out portions of the game due to foul trouble, all contributed two points to make it 48-35.

The Wolverines drew as close as 50-43 on a basket by Morgan inside. Morgan then stole the ball from Sullinger and grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed 3 by Douglass. But as Morgan was bracing to go up for the follow, Craft darted in and stole the ball.

Craft, who finished with seven points, four assists and three steals, then had an assist on Thomas’ basket in traffic at the other end to make it 52-43. The lead never fell below eight points again.

The Buckeyes held a 24-21 lead after a grueling, physical, defense-dominated half.

Neither team was able to get into its offense because of the head-to-head battles, particularly between the point guards.

Burke had four assists and three turnovers to go with two points in 19 minutes. Craft managed two points with two turnovers and a steal. In a brief appearance, Shannon Scott had two steals.

There were four ties and seven lead changes in the first half.

Buford, Ohio State’s second-leading scorer and only senior, didn’t score in the opening 18:57 and finished the half with three points. Smith had nine points and seven rebounds.

Morgan had six points on 3-of-4 shooting while the rest of the team was 6 of 21.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

LINCOLN, Neb. – Ohio State felt right at home in this road game. William Bufford scored 15 points, Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas had 14 apiece, and the sixth-ranked Buckeyes blew out Nebraska for the second time this month with a 79-45 victory Saturday night.

The Buckeyes (17-3, 5-3) swept their games against Nebraska by a combined 65 points and moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan and Michigan State.

They came to Lincoln with a 2-3 road record, including 1-2 against Big Ten opponents. They weren’t overly sharp, but still were good enough to beat the Huskers (10-9, 2-6) worse than they did in Columbus on Jan. 3, when they won 71-40.

“I see this team growing inch by inch, week by week,” coach Thad Matta said. “We’ve got to continue to hammer ‘em. We had three great practices leading into this game. They were talking on the bench about what can happen if we keep practicing like that. Hopefully, we can continue that.”

Brandon Ubel and Bo Spencer had eight points apiece for Nebraska, which had two field-goal droughts of longer than eight minutes.The Huskers, who upset Indiana (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) 70-69 on Wednesday, were looking for consecutive wins over ranked opponents for the first time since February 2008.

They never had a chance, committing a season-high 27 turnovers and shooting a season-low 29.5 percent from the floor.

“I don’t think we could have played any worse,” Ubel said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that’s turned it over 27 times. You play that bad, with that many turnovers against a team like Ohio State, they’re going to make you pay, and that’s what happened.”The Buckeyes took their first double-digit lead 10 minutes into the game, going on a 13-0 run after the first media timeout to erase an 8-5 deficit.

“Being down that first timeout, we challenged our guys,” Matta said. “I thought Nebraska was playing harder than us. They were quicker to the play. Defensively, down the stretch of the first half, we did a good job limiting open looks and getting our hands on balls. We played tonight, and that was something we needed to do.”

Nebraska scored only 12 points on 4-of-20 shooting the last 15½ minutes of the half.”We started off well and then we got down six or eight,” Ubel said. “I think we might have started to panic a little bit.”

Fans started leaving the Devaney Sports Center with 12 minutes to play, when Ohio State led 56-28.

“When we’re connected and have five guys together, we have a pretty good half-court defense,” Matta said. “But we’ve got a tendency to lay low sometimes and give up easy baskets. Those are the things that can really bring you down.”

Sullinger, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the first game against Nebraska, took only three shots and was held to four points in the first half. Ubel and Jorge Brian Diaz took turns guarding him, and Spencer doubled him whenever he touched the ball in the post.Sullinger shook loose in the second half, scoring 10 points and even making a 3-pointer.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. scored only two points after recording a career-high 28 in last Sunday’s win over Indiana.

Ohio State shot just 45 percent and was outrebounded 40-34 in the 400th game coached by Matta at three schools.

The Buckeyes have won by 10 points or more in 15 of their 17 victories and increased their nation-leading average victory margin to 21.95 points.

“I did not see this at all,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. “We just have to get back to going the way we were going. Does it hurt? Yeah it hurts. There is not anything that we did from coaching to anything that gave us a chance to win tonight.”

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Lenzelle Smith Jr. more than doubled his career high with 28 on Sunday to lead No. 5 Ohio State to a surprisingly easy 80-63 victory over seventh-ranked Indiana.

Jared Sullinger added 16 points, William Buford scored 12 and Deshaun Thomas had 11 for the Buckeyes (16-3, 4-2 Big Ten), who were coming off a loss at Illinois on Tuesday night. Several players questioned their teammates’ commitment and effort after that game.

There was no doubt about either on Sunday as Ohio State took command early and was never threatened.

Cody Zeller had 16 points, Christian Watford 13 and Jordan Hulls 11 for the Hoosiers (15-3, 3-3), who had lost at home to unranked Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Smith, who came in scoring about five points per game, erased almost every offensive high-water mark he had ever had in a game. He hit 10 of 12 shots from the field including 4 of 5 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds, an assist and a steal.

The game was the first Indiana has played against another top 10 team since 2002 and the Hoosiers’ first visit to an opponent also ranked in single digits since 1992.

Earlier this week, Ohio State’s players vowed to pay back the Hoosiers for a 74-71 loss back on New Year’s Eve. In that game, the Buckeyes had 17 turnovers and 22 fouls. Sullinger got off just five shots from the field, Buford finished with eight points and Thomas scored just five points, due to foul trouble. In addition, point guard Aaron Craft had a career-high six turnovers.

Smith’s previous career best was 12 in that game. He had surpassed that with almost 3 minutes left in the opening half on Sunday.

The Buckeyes had the game well in hand throughout the second half after finishing the half on a 15-2 run. Yet they energized a raucous capacity crowd of 18,809 at Value City Arena with several plays in the final 20 minutes.

Sullinger wrestled the ball away from a driving Hulls and tossed an outlet pass while lying on the floor – Smith threw down a thunderous dunk at the other end to make it 47-23 with 15:23 left.

The lead never fell below 16 after halftime.

Smith had 18 at the break while hitting 7 of 9 shots from the field including 4 of 5 from behind the arc. To put that into perspective, he had never had more than four field goals in a game and had never made more than three 3-pointers.

After Indiana picked up the first points on a jumper by Hulls, the Buckeyes ran off the next seven and never trailed again. Buford, who had hit just 10 of 32 shots from the field in his last two games, made a jumper from the right corner and a 3 off an assist from Sullinger sandwiched around a Smith pull-up.

The Buckeyes had struggled while fighting heavy foul trouble in the first matchup. But they did not pick up their first foul until 10 minutes in this time.

The Hoosiers had difficulty against Ohio State’s defense and were unable to get the ball inside to Zeller or to make much of anything outside to relieve the pressure. They went almost 9 minutes without a point – missing all nine field-goal attempts with six turnovers – while the Buckeyes turned a 20-12 lead into a gaping 20-point advantage.

The win was Ohio State’s 36th in a row at home, the second-longest streak in program history.

Ohio State’s new football coach, Urban Meyer, and his staff received a loud and lengthy ovation when introduced at halftime.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (15-2, 3-1) at Illinois Fighting Illini (14-3, 3-1)
Site: Assembly Hall (16,618)
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Talent: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Dan Dakich (expert analysis)
Radio: OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio: Sirius-91, XM-91
Local Radio: WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent: Paul Keels (play-by-play), Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Buford Reaches 100 Wins as a Buckeye
Senior William Buffordreached career win No. 100 as a Buckeye at Iowa Jan. 7. David Lighty (2007-11) holds the Ohio State record for wins with 129. Walk-ons Mark Titus and Danny Peters were part of Ohio State’s program for 110 victories over their careers (2007-10). The four-year record for victories by scholarship players was originally set by Jamar Butler and Matt Terwilliger from 2005-08 with 105. The 2009 team had 107 wins from 2006-09 but there were no four-year seniors on that squad.

Sullinger Named B1G Player of the Week
Sophomore Jared Sullinger was named the Big Ten Player of the Week Jan. 9 after averaging a double-double in wins over Nebraska and Iowa with 23.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds in Ohio State’s 71-40 win over Nebraska before pouring in 28 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the Buckeyes’ 76-47 road win at Iowa. This is Sullinger’s fifth career Player of the Week award and first this season.

Craft In Top 20 for Cousy Award
Sophomore Aaron Craft is among 20 candidates for the Bob Cousy Award after the list was trimmed from an initial pool of 60 candidates. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. This current list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 10 by Feb. 1 and final five by March 1. Craft currently leads the Buckeyes in assists (86) and steals (44).

Defense Clicks in last two outings
Ohio State’s last two opponents have both recorded more turnovers than field goals. Against Nebraska Jan. 3, Ohio State forced 17 turnovers while the Cornhuskers scored 16 field goals. In the win at Iowa, the Buckeyes had a hand in 20 Hawkeye miscues while Iowa managed 17 made field goals. For the week, Ohio State forced 37 turnovers while opponents tallied 33 field goals. The Buckeyes connected on 53 percent of their shots (63-120) while foes scored at a 31 percent clip (33-105). The Buckeyes recorded 85 rebounds while opponents grabbed 52. The Buckeyes’ average margin of victory last week was 30 points (73.5-43.5). Since Thad Matta took over the program in 2004-05, Ohio State teams have forced 24 opponents into more turnovers than it scored. Four times the Buckeyes have done so against Big Ten foes, once vs. Michigan in 2009 (21 TOs/15 FGs), twice vs. Iowa (23/22 in 2011 and 20/17 2012) and vs. Nebraska (17/16 in 2012).

The Buckeyes in the Big Ten
The Buckeyes rank No. 2 in both scoring offense (78.0 ppg.) and scoring defense (54.9 ppg.) after a 15-2 overall start. Ohio State’s scoring margin of 23.1 ppg. leads the league while the .496 field goal shooting percentage rates in the No. 2 spot. Led by Jared Sullinger, Ohio State is among the Top 2 teams in rebounding offense (37.9 rpg., No. 2) and rebounding defense (29.1 rpg., No. 1). Overall, the Buckeyes are No. 2 in rebound margin (+8.8 rpg.). Behind Aaron Craft, Ohio State is the leader in assists (17.4 apg.) and turnover margin (+6.4) on the year among Big Ten teams. The Buckeyes also have the highest attendance in the league with 15,642 attending on average this season.

100 Years in Big Ten
Ohio State celebrates 100 years as a member of the Big Ten Conference in men’s basketball in 2012. The Buckeyes finished in the No. 6 spot in the 1913 conference standings, the first season of league play. Over the 99 previous seasons, Ohio State has earned 19 Big Ten regular-season titles with 23 NCAA tournament appearances, one national championship (1960) and nine trips to the Final Four. Eight former coaches and players are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while nearly 50 student-athletes have been drafted by National Basketball Association teams, including 22 in the first round.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)- Jared Sullinger had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 6 Ohio State shook off its most recent loss with a 71-40 victory over Nebraska on Tuesday night.

The Buckeyes (14-2, 2-1 Big Ten) had little difficulty in their first game since a painful 74-70 defeat at No. 13 Indiana on Saturday. In that loss, the Buckeyes had 17 turnovers and committed 22 fouls.

Deshaun Thomas added 15 points and William Bufford had 13 for the Buckeyes, who won their 35th consecutive home game.

Toney McCray had 13 points and Bo Spencer 10 for Nebraska (8-6, 0-3), which was playing its first Big Ten road game.

The Cornhuskers were outrebounded 44-21 and had more turnovers (17) than field goals (16).

Spencer came in leading the Cornhuskers in scoring at 15.1 points a game (24.3 in three road games). But he, like the rest of his teammates, never came close to competing with the Buckeyes.

To put things into perspective, one of the biggest cheers of the night came when the fans recognized new Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer sitting high in a private booth. He received a lengthy ovation.

Nebraska was without two of its top scorers for the fifth consecutive game: 6-11 Jorge Brian Diaz is out with chronic foot soreness, and junior-college transfer Dylan Talley has been sidelined by a thigh injury.

The Cornhuskers have had the most difficult early-season schedule in the Big Ten, with home games against No. 11 Wisconsin (a 64-40 loss) and No. 16 Michigan State (a 68-55 defeat) before coming to No. 6 Ohio State. Those are also the top three teams in the preseason Big Ten poll.

Already up big at the break, Ohio State flexed its muscles in the opening minutes of the second half before coach Thad Matta emptied his bench.

In the opening 2 minutes, Sullinger was fouled while releasing a 15-foot baseline jumper – and it went in. Thomas also was fouled while tossing up a spinning, over-the-head bank shot that also found the bottom of the net. The lead hovered around 30 for most of the half.

The Cornhuskers got out to a miserable start. From a 4-all tie, Ohio State ran off the next 13 points while Nebraska was continually turning the ball over. During one span, the Huskers had turnovers on four consecutive possessions.

Five players scored in the 13-0 run for the Buckeyes, with Buford hitting two baskets and Lenzelle Smith Jr. adding a 3-pointer.

McCray, who had nine points in the half, scored on a drive to cut the gap to 28-15 at the 5:09 mark, but Ohio State took off again with a 16-5 run to close the half. After an inbound play broke down in the closing seconds, the pass went to Sullinger, who poured in a 3 for a 44-20 halftime lead.

The Buckeyes improved to 5-2 all-time against Nebraska. Their last meeting was an 85-74 Buckeyes victory in St. John Arena in the 1989 National Invitation Tournament. Then-freshman Chris Jent, now an Ohio State assistant, started that game and had four points and five assists.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor®

100 Years in Big Ten
Ohio State celebrates 100 years as a member of the Big Ten Conference in men’s basketball in 2012. The Buckeyes finished in the No. 6 spot in the 1913 conference standings, the first season of league play. Over the 99 previous seasons, Ohio State has earned 19 Big Ten regular-season titles with 23 NCAA tournament appearances, one national championship (1960) and nine trips to the Final Four. Eight former coaches and players are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while nearly 50 student-athletes have been drafted by National Basketball Association teams, including 22 in the first round.

BUCKEYES OPEN 100TH SEASON IN BIG TEN CONFERENCE
This is the 100th season of Big Ten membership in men’s basketball for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 51-44 (.537) in conference openers, 65-30 (.684) in league home openers and 33-62 (.347) in the first road game of the season in Big Ten play. When the Buckeyes open the Big Ten season at home, there record is 36-16 (.686). When Ohio State begins Big Ten play on the road, the record is 16-28 (.364).
                                    W    L    OSU W%
Big Ten Openers            51    44    0.537
Big Ten Home Openers   65    30    0.684
Big Ten Road Openers    33    62    0.347
Open Big Ten at Home    35    16    0.686
Open Big Ten on Road    16    28    0.364

OHIO STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN
The Buckeyes and Northwestern have met 154 times in history with Ohio State owning a 109-45 record. The Buckeyes are 63-14 vs. the Wildcats in Columbus, which includes a 27-game home win streak. Northwestern last won at Ohio State in 1977, an 83-77 win at St. John Arena. Ohio State has won the last three games in the series overall. As a ranked team, Ohio State is 32-2 vs. the Wildcats. The Buckeyes have won the last 12 games while ranked in games vs. the Wildcats. William Bufford is the most experienced Buckeye in the Northwestern series with five games played vs. the Wildcats. He averages 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in the series. Jared Sullinger, in two games last season, averaged 20.5 points and 13 rebounds. He made 23 of 28 foul shots in the two games. Aaron Craft also averaged double figures vs. Northwestern with 15.0 points a game in the two meetings. Thad Matta is 11-1 vs. the Wildcats during his career.

OHIO STATE VS. THE BIG TEN
Ohio State is 724-662 vs. current members of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes are playing their 100th season of Big Ten Basketball this season. Nebraska and the Buckeyes will face each other for the first time as conference members Jan. 3 in Columbus.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor®

Game Time:      8:36 p.m. ET
Television:        Big Ten Network
Talent:             Gus Johnson (play-by-play)
                       Jim Jackson (expert analysis)
Radio:              OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio:  Sirius 93  
Local Radio:       WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent:      Paul Keels (play-by-play)
                         Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Honoring Coach Bob Knight
Over the course of 41 seasons at Army, Indiana and Texas Tech, Bob Knight amassed an astonishing 902 wins, three national championships, an Olympic Gold Medal and a 98 percent student-athlete graduation rate, among many other extraordinary accomplishments. His career wins total is second only to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, a protégé of Coach Knight who just this year became the NCAA career wins leader. Inducted in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1991 and to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame last month, Coach Knight, who helped the Buckeyes as a student-athlete under legendary coach Fred Taylor to the NCAA title in 1960 and NCAA title game appearances in both 1961 and 1962, is being recognized tonight for his lifetime achievements and contributions to college basketball.

Thomas Named Big Ten Player of Week
Ohio State sophomore Deshaun Thomas has made 17-consecutive shots from inside the 3-point line. He made his last six attempts against South Carolina Upstate Dec. 14 and then all 11 2-pointers in the road win at South Carolina Dec. 17. For the season he is shooting 65 percent from 2-point range (55-84). Last week he was 19-21 from short range while shooting 74 percent overall (23-31), including a 13-16 shooting effort at South Carolina, where he tallied a career-high 30 points. He averaged 26.5 points in the two games last week. His efforts last week earned him the Big Ten Player of the Week honor. The last Ohio State player to earn the honor was Jon Diebler March 7, 2011. Thomas was named the league’s freshman of the week once last season.   

Matta Reaches 300, 200 at OSU

Thad Matta has a career record of 302-89 over 12 years as a head coach, which includes a 200-58 record in eight seasons at Ohio State. Matta coached for one season at Butler and three at Xavier before taking over the Ohio State program for the 2004-05 season. In his time with the Buckeyes, Matta has four Big Ten regular season titles and three Big Ten tournament crowns. The Buckeyes have been to five NCAA tournaments with Matta at the helm. He has taken nine teams to NCAA tournament play and won the 2008 National Invitational Tournament with Ohio State.

Ohio State vs. Lamar
Ohio State will be facing Lamar University for the first time in program history. The Buckeyes are 4-0 against teams representing the Southland Conference with previous meetings against  McNeese State (1-0), Texas-Arlington (2-0) and Texas-San Antonio. Ohio State took on UTSA in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament last March in Cleveland. The Buckeyes won that game 75-46. Lamar is coached by former Big Ten forward Pat Knight, who played for his father, Coach Bob Knight, at Indiana. Pat later coached alongside his father at Texas Tech. Pat was the head coach at TTU before taking over at Lamar for this his first season in Beaumont, Texas.  

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1) vs. South Carolina-Upstate (6-4)
Site:                      Value City Arena (19,049)
Game Time:       7:36 p.m. ET, December 14, 2011
Television:        Big Ten Network
Talent:             Tom Hart (play-by-play)
                       Jim Jackson (expert analysis)
Radio:              OSU-IMG Sports Network (56 stations)
Satellite Radio:  OSU-Sirius 92/XM 190
Local Radio:       WBNS FM-97.1 AM-1460
Radio Talent:     Paul Keels (play-by-play)
                        Ron Stokes (expert analysis)

Ross Returns to Ohio State Roster – LaQuinton Ross, a 6-foot-8-inch freshman forward from Jackson, Miss., has been added to the Ohio State roster for the remainder of his freshman season. Ross attended classes and worked out with the Buckeyes over the summer before leaving the team just prior to the start of official practice in October to work on meeting NCAA academic qualification requirements. He met those requirements and joined the team Dec. 11. He officially became eligible Dec. 9.

Matta Reaches 300, Going for 200 at OSU – Thad Matta has a career record of 300-89 over 12 years as a head coach, which includes a 198-58 record in eight seasons at Ohio State. Matta coached for one season at Butler and three at Xavier before taking over the Ohio State program for the 2004-05 season. In his time with the Buckeyes, Matta has four Big Ten regular season titles and three Big Ten tournament crowns. The Buckeyes have been to five NCAA tournaments with Matta at the helm. He has taken nine teams to NCAA tournament play and won the 2008 National Invitational Tournament with Ohio State.

The Third to 200 as a Buckeye – Two previous coaches have reached the 200-win plateau at Ohio State. Thad Matta is close to becoming the third. Fred Taylor recorded 297 career victories from 1959-1976 while also earning 158 Big Ten Conference regular-season victories. Harold G. Olsen tallied 259 all-time wins from 1923-46. He accumulated 154 Big Ten victories. Matta has 198 wins as a Buckeye over eight seasons with 85 wins in Big Ten regular-season play. His winning percentage of 77.3 overall and 70.8 in conference play are tops among the 13 head coaches in Ohio State history.

NCAA Stats Update – Ohio State rates among the Top 10 in several NCAA statistical categories after eight games. The Buckeyes are No. 1 in scoring margin (+29.3 ppg.), No. 1 in turnover margin (+8.8), tied for No. 1 with Northwestern  in assist/turnover ratio (+1.77), No. 3 in assists per game (19.3), No. 5 in rebound margin (+10.3), No. 8 in field goal percentage (.509), No. 9 in scoring defense allowing 53.3 points per game and No. 10 in fouls per game (14.6). Individually, Aaron Craft if No. 7 nationally in steals (2.9 spg.).

Buford Stands Tall vs. the Ranked – In wins vs. No. 7 Florida and No. 3 Duke along with the loss at No. 13 Kansas, senior William Bufford has led the Buckeyes in scoring (20.7 ppg.), minutes (39.7 mpg.) and free throw percentage (11-12, .917). Four players have averaged double figures with Jared Sullinger (18.5 ppg.), Deshaun Thomas (17.3 ppg.) and Aaron Craft (13.7 ppg.) all over single digits. Sullinger led the way on the boards with 7.0 rpg. Craft has delivered 21 assists and recorded six steals.  

Ohio State REMAINS RANKED No. 2 – Ohio State moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll released Nov. 28 and remain there following the release of the Dec. 12 poll as well. The Buckeyes are 36-9 all-time as the second-ranked team in the AP poll and 34-30 when both teams are ranked in the Top 15 after the loss to No. 13 Kansas. In the most recent poll, four of the Buckeyes’ opponents are among the Top 15 and eight foes are among the Top 25. Northwestern also is receiving votes for AP Top 25 consideration as is Purdue in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes will meet the Florida Gators in the 2012 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.. The site is EverBank Field (77,511) and it will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

“The guys will be extremely excited about playing Florida in the Gator Bowl on January 2,” Ohio State coach Luke Fickell said. “We are hoping to end the season on a good note.”

Both teams finished the regular season with 6-6 records. Ohio State posted a 3-5 Big Ten Conference Leaders Division record while Florida’s mark included a 3-5 record in the SEC Eastern Division. The game will also be a chance for each team to move on and rebound from a season-ending loss to their rival. Ohio State fell on the road to Michigan, 40-34, Nov. 26, the same day that Florida dropped a 21-7 decision to Florida State in Gainesville.

“I am excited that the team is going to a bowl game and to have one more chance to win another game as a Buckeye,” senior linebacker Andrew Sweat said. “We’ll be ready to get back to practice later this week.”

And for Ohio State senior center Mike Brewster, his last game as a Buckeye will be in his home state.

“I am happy the way the bowl game worked out,” Brewster said. “If we couldn’t be in a BCS game, I like the fact that we are playing against a program like Florida that has a rich tradition like Ohio State. And I like it that I’ll be playing my last game in my home state in front of friends and family.” 

Tickets on Sale at 10 a.m. Monday
Tickets are available for the 2012 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl with prices starting at $60.00, plus applicable service charges. Fans interested in purchasing tickets can do so online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com starting Monday, December 5, at 10 a.m. EST.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith announced today that he has named alumnus Urban Meyer head coach of the University’s football program. Meyer, who has the all-time tenth-highest winning percentage among head coaches, returns to the institution from which he earned his master’s degree and where he began his collegiate coaching career.

“In Urban Meyer we have found an exemplary person and remarkable coach to lead the University’s football program into the future,” said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee. “As an alumnus, he understands and believes in the core academic mission of the University. As an Ohioan, he shares our common values and sense of purpose.”

Gene Smith, Ohio State’s director of athletics and associate vice president, said that Meyer is “known not only as one of the nation’s most successful coaches, but also as a leader and mentor who cares deeply about the young men who are his student-athletes. He brings with him an understanding of the University – both the important traditions of its football program and the excellence of the institution.”

Meyer has 20 years of football coaching experience, most recently serving as head coach at the University of Florida, from 2005 to 2010. Under his leadership, the Florida Gators won two BCS National Championships (2006, 2008). He has received numerous awards, including Coach of the Decade from both Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News (2009). While at the University of Florida, Meyer helped lead an effort to raise $50 million for scholarships for first-generation college students.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to return to Ohio State,” said Meyer. “This University and the State of Ohio have enormous meaning to me. My duty is to ensure that Ohio State’s football program reflects and enhances the academic mission of the institution. I am part of it, I believe in it, and I will live it.”

Prior to becoming head coach at the University of Florida, Meyer was head coach at both the University of Utah and Bowling Green State University. During his decade as a head coach, he amassed a record of 104 wins and 23 losses, and his teams won four conference titles. Meyer was named national coach of the year three times.

Meyer’s first collegiate coaching position was as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, from which he earned his master’s degree in sports administration in 1988. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Cincinnati, where he played defensive back.

Meyer assumes his position effective immediately.

Go Bucks!!!

Jody Victor