Jan. 5, 2012
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ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio begins Mid-American Conference play on Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Bowling Green. This will be the first league game in the Falcons' brand-new Stroh Center.
Voice of the Bobcats Russ Eisenstein will have the play-by-play call on the Citizens Banks IMG Ohio Sports Network with Rob Cornelius providing the color commentary. You can also watch the game on SportsTime Ohio/ESPN3 with Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Steve Mix (color)
LAST TIME OUT
Junior guard D.J. Cooper’s three-pointer from the top of the key rimmed out as time expired which handed the Ohio University men’s basketball team (12-2) a 70-67 setback to Robert Morris on Monday night at the Convocation Center.
Fellow juniors Ivo Baltic and Reggie Keely finished the game with 14 points apiece, while Cooper added 13 points and seven assists. Keely’s 14 points came in 25 minutes off the bench.
Ohio’s loss was it’s first at home this season and its first at home since Jan. 22, 2011. The loss also snapped Ohio’s nine-game winning streak.
The Bobcats shot just 35 percent compared to RMU’s 53.2 percent from the floor, but the Ohio forced Robert Morris into a season-high 31 turnovers. Keely posted a career-high four steals.
A GLIMPSE AT THE ‘CATS
Ohio has three players averaging double figures with junior guard D.J. Cooper leading the way at 14.0 points per game. Junior guard Walter Offutt is second in scoring at 11.4 points per contest. He is the first Bobcat guard since Armon Bassett to draw more than four fouls per 40 minutes.
On the interior, junior forward Ivo Baltic is averaging 10.9 ppg and is tied for the team lead in rebounding. Junior forward Reggie Keely is averaging a career-best 9.9 points per game and is even with Baltic at 5.4 rebounds per game.
The Bobcats are also one of the top teams in the nation when it comes to guarding the perimeter. Opponents are only shooting 27.7 percent from distance against Ohio, ranking the ‘Cats seventh in all of Division I. The Green & White also rank among the top-20 nationally with a +4.2 turnover margin per contest.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT
BGSU returns home, where they are 5-1 this season, for the first time in a month to host Ohio. Torian Oglesby has made an NCAA Division I record 26 consecutive field goal attempts (and counting). He went 10-for-10 from the field at Texas San Antonio for a career-high 20 points.
With a three-pointer early in the game against Duquesne, Scott Thomas became the 38th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. He is the first player in program history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 three-pointers and 150 steals. He is also closing in on 300 career assists.
BGSU had two players record double-doubles at Texas San Antonio (Torian Oglesby with 20 points/13 rebounds and Jordon Crawford with 16 points/11 assists). The Falcons have averaged 19.5 turnovers in the past two games. After posting more turnovers than their opponents just once in the first 11 games, the team has now had more turnovers in each of the last two games.
HISTORY VS. BOWLING GREEN
This will be the 132nd meeting between the two programs dating back to 1921-22 with Ohio trailing the all-time series, 70-61. The Green & White have not won at Bowling Green since 2007 and have lost five of the last seven in the series.
During Head Coach John Groce’s tenure, the Bobcats are 2-5 against BG, splitting the last two seasons after a three-game Falcon sweep during the 2008-09 season.
Last year at Anderson Arena, Scott Thomas scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Bowling Green to a 73-61 win. The Falcons shot 48.1 percent from the floor (13 of 27) in the opening half and increased its lead in the second half, converting 14 of 26 from the field (53.8 percent).
A’uston Calhoun scored 15 points and Luke Kraus added 12 for the Falcons, while Torian Oglesby added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bobcats were outscored in the paint 32-22, while committing 17 turnovers. D.J. Cooper led Ohio with 18 points, Nick Kellogg added 13, Ivo Baltic 11 and Tommy Freeman 10. Baltic also led the Bobcats on the glass with seven rebounds.
BEST STARTS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
2011-12 12-1 ???
1939-40 12-1 Finished 19-6 (Independent)
1920-21 12-1 Finished 15-2 (Ohio Athletic Association Champions)
2005-06 10-2 Finished 19-11
1985-86 10-2 Finished 22-8 (NIT)
1969-70 13-2 Finished 20-5 (MAC Champions, NCAA Tournament)
1940-41 13-2 Finished 18-4 (NIT Runner-Up)
1939-40 14-2 Finished 19-6 (Independent)
1936-37 16-2 Finished 18-3 (Buckeye Athletic Association Co-Champions)
COOPER TABBED AS COUSY FINALIST
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Ohio’s D.J. Cooper is one of 20 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Cooper ranks 13th nationally in both assists (6.5) and steals (2.7) per game. He is also among the top 50 players nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.4
The current listing of 20 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed down to 10 players in early February and then down five players by early March. The final five players in contention for the award will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. This Hall of Fame committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be awarded at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Monday April 2nd in New Orleans as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) and last year’s recipient Kemba Walker (Connecticut).
2012 Bob Cousy Award 20 Finalists
Pierre Jackson, Baylor; Shabazz Napier, UConn; Ray McCallum, Detroit; Seth Curry, Duke; Erving Walker, Florida; Scott Machado, Iona; Casper Ware, Long Beach State; Peyton Siva, Louisville; Trey Burke, Michigan; Dee Bost, Mississippi State; Phil Pressey, Missouri; Kendall Marshall, North Carolina; Aaron Craft, Ohio State; D.J. Cooper, Ohio; Zack Rosen, Pennsylvania; Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh; Scoop Jardine, Syracuse; Damian Lillard, Weber State; Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin; Tu Holloway, Xavier
BALTIC NAMED MAC PLAYER OF WEEK
Ohio’s Ivo Baltic was named the Mid-American Conference’s East Player of the Week for the first time on Dec. 26 after averaging 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in wins at Northern Iowa and against North Carolina A&T.
The Kansas City native started the week going 10-of-14 for a season-high 22 points at Northern Iowa last Tuesday evening. He surpassed his season-high in the first half with 16 points as the Bobcats won by double-digits against one of the best mid-major programs in the country.
Baltic finished one board shy of a double-double, which would have been the second of his career, as he scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the home win over the Aggies on Friday. He has led the team in rebounding five times this season, tops among the Green & White, and finished the week shooting 70 percent from the floor.
Baltic was also named College Sports Madness’ National High-Major Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his outstanding performances
NICK OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Sophomore Nick Kellogg currently ranks ninth in the nation with a 49.3 shooting percentage from three-point range. Kellogg was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team after leading the league in three-point field goal percentage last season at 45.3 percent.
Kellogg has made a three-pointer in every game this season except for the contest at nationally-ranked Louisville. Over the last four games, he is 12-of-22 from beyond the arc.
Last season, he shot 49 percent from beyond the arc in conference play and finished 10th in the league in three-pointers made. The son of Clark Kellogg, scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, hitting a career-high six three-pointers, in a win at MAC Tournament champion Akron last season.
He was also one of the team and league’s best free-throw shooters, connecting on 78 percent of his tries at the charity stripe.
MID-MAJOR POLLS
After cracking the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 three weeks ago, Ohio moved up to No. 18 following wins over Oakland and Portland. A victory over Wright State propelled the Bobcats up to No.12 in the nation. A win at Northern Iowa bumped the Green & White into the top10 and this week, Ohio hit its highest point, No. 5.
Two Bobcat opponents this season are also on the list; Kent State (No. 11) and Robert Morris (No. 24), with Northern Iowa, Lamar, Oakland and Akron receiving votes
BOBCAT BRACKETOLOGY
This past week, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi slotted the Bobcats as a No. 12 seed in the Portland pod against Gonzaga in his latest Bracketology report. Sports Illustrated’s Andy Glockner also projected the ‘Cats as a No. 12 seed this week, but in the Albuquerque pod against Mississippi State. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm had Ohio projected as a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament against Alabama in the Albuquerque pod as of Dec. 7.
FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Convocation Center opened with the beginning of the 1968-69 season and has been home to the Bobcats ever since. Over that time frame, the Bobcats have amassed a record of 424-135 (.758).
After opening The Convo on Dec. 3, 1968, with an 80-70 win over Indiana, the Bobcats won 35 of their first 37 games at the arena. Ohio has actually totaled 25 seasons of 10 or more wins since the Roundhouse on Richland started hosting games.
Over the last seven+ seasons, the Bobcats are an impressive 77-20 (.794) but recently had their 13-game home winning streak snapped, the 17th-longest in the nation. The run of success was the longest since the 2005-06 and 2006-07 teams ran together a string of 14-consecutive victories. Ohio also holds the MAC attendance record set on Feb. 28, 1970, when 14,102 fans witnessed the Bobcats clinch the league title with a win over Bowling Green.
ROAD WARRIORS
Ohio’s success on the hardwood is not simply due to racking up home victories as the Bobcats have more than held their own on the road. Last year, the Green & White achieved their first winning record in true road games since 2002.
Over their last 28 road/neutral contests, the Bobcats own a record of 18-10. and already have five true road wins this season, one of the best marks in the nation for a Division I men’s basketball program.
Road wins during 2011-12 season
Cleveland State - 7
Iona, Loyola (MD), Murray State - 6
Middle Tennessee, Ohio - 5
SETTING THE BAR AT 70
Since John Groce took over the reins of the Ohio men’s basketball program, the Bobcats have had great success when they are able to hold their opponents under 70 points in a contest.
After going 15-5 in Groce’s first year, the Bobcats went 12-6 in 2009-10 and 12-3 in 2010-11. This year, the team is 10-1 with the lone blemish coming against No. 7 Louisville. Overall, the record for the Bobcats when they are able to hold their opponents under 70 points is 49-15 (.766)
TRENT TO BE HONORED
Ohio University Athletics will honor the career accomplishments of Gary Trent (1993-95) during the Bobcats’ matchup with Miami on Jan. 21 in the Convocation Center. The game will be billed as “Gary Trent Day” and will feature special ticket prices.
Trent will be honored throughout the game culminating with a halftime presentation where his No. 20 jersey will be unveiled in the rafters of the Convocation Center.
Nicknamed “The Shaq of the MAC”, Trent is the only three-time MAC Player of the Year in the history of the league. He was a three-time MAC scoring champion, two-time rebounding leader and one of just three players in league history with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Trent completed his Ohio career with 2,108 points and 1,050 rebounds. He was selected in the first round as the 11th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks where he would go on to enjoy an 11-year NBA career.
