Ohio State Defeats Michigan ... Again
January 17, 2009 11:00 pm EST
Since Tressel came to Columbus the football team has been successful 7 out of 8 games. The basketball team has been pretty successful against the Wolverines as well. With the their 65-58 win last night in Ann Arbor, Coach Matta has won 8 out of the last 9 contests versus the Maize and Blue.
Last night though it was not looking good as they were down late, but the Buckeyes outscored the 25th-ranked Wolverines 17-3 over a seven-plus-minute stretch, then holding off a barrage of desperate three-point attempts by the Wolverines in the final 40 seconds to secure the win.
Turner scored 21 points and freshmen William Buford and B.J. Mullens had 15 apiece to lead Ohio State (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten), which added Michigan to its list of ranked teams that it has beaten away from Value City Arena. The Buckeyes won at the University of Miami and against Notre Dame in Indianapolis. OSU shot better than 50 percent from the field for the third straight game despite the fact that their two leading scorers, Turner and Jon Diebler, were a combined 5 of 16.
Buford turned an offensive rebound into a three-point play to regain the lead for Ohio State, 45-44, with 6:15 left. After Douglass' three-pointer, a dunk by Mullens and a sweet, driving finger roll from the wing by Buford put the Buckeyes ahead to stay.
Manny Harris scored 21 points to lead Michigan (13-5, 3-3), which dropped its second straight game. The Wolverines lost Wednesday at Illinois, where Ohio State plays Tuesday.
Crater Quits Team
December 28, 2008 3:00 pm EST
2008 is not ending the way the Buckeyes would like, can it get any worse. First Lighty goes down with a broken foot, then they lose by 28 points to West Virginia. This was with their worst home loss in 11 years. And now, the backcourt gets thinner as backup point guard Anthony Crater, at his request, was released from his scholarship.
"We appreciate the contribution Anthony made to our program. We wish him the best," coach Thad Matta said in a statement issued by the athletics department.
Crater and Matta did not return messages seeking further comment, but Crater's former AAU coach, Carlos Fordham of Flint, Mich., said Crater was unhappy that Matta "was not living up to" promises he made to Crater. Crater, who made an oral commitment to Ohio State in November 2006, was told when he was recruited that he would be the starting point guard after Mike Conley Jr. left the program, Fordham said. Crater also was told by Matta last spring that the acquisition of junior-college guard Jeremie Simmons "wouldn't affect his playing time," Fordham said, because Simmons was "coming in as a combo guard, a backup, because they needed another shooter in the program."
Simmons has started all 10 games at the point and averaged twice as many minutes as Crater.
Fordham said Crater has been pondering leaving for two weeks but likes his teammates and did not want to distract from the team's undefeated start. Crater has mentioned South Florida, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas and Notre Dame as schools to which he would be interested transferring, Fordham said.
Buckeyes Fall Hard to Mountaineers
December 27, 2008 8:00 pm EST
We knew the winning streak would not last forever, but I don't think anyone thought they would fall this hard The nation's longest winning streak was stopped at 14 games as West Virginia University won their second game within a matter of an hour. The football team defeated UNC 31-30 today.
The Buckeyes(9-1) had trouble making shots for most of the game and had their vaunted zone defense picked apart in the second half in losing for the first time this season, 76-48 to West Virginia this afternoon before the first sellout in Value City Arena this season.
OSU Continues To Be Prefect this Season
December 20, 2008 3:00 pm EST
The 'Force' must have been with them .....
Turner had 12 points and a blocked shot, and Simmons had four points, two assists and two steals in a 24-8 run that answered Iona's 7-0 start to the second half that gave the Gaels a 31-28 lead. Turner finished with 21 points and Jon Diebler 16 to lead No.17 Ohio State (8-0), and freshman William Buford had eight of his 10 points off the bench in the second half.
Seven-foot freshman B.J. Mullens started in Lighty's place, giving the Buckeyes a bigger starting lineup than they had in previous games. But Mullens and 6-8 Dallas Lauderdale played in tandem only for the first 4:13 of the game and for the first two minutes of the second.
After Iona captured six of the first seven rebounds and scored the first seven points of the second half to take the lead, coach Thad Matta replaced Mullens and Lauderdale with Buford and Kyle Madsen. They stayed in the game for the entirety of the 24-8 run, which gave Ohio State (8-0) a 52-39 lead with 10 minutes remaining. Iona did not get closer than seven points after that. Turner took Lighty's spot on the baseline in the 3-2 matchup zone defense.
Ohio State has the longest win streak in the country, now at 13 games going back to last years run in the NIT tournament.
Lighty Out 6-12 Weeks With Broken Foot
December 18, 2008 8:00 pm EST
After tying his career high of 21 points, things were downhill for captain David Lighty. The most experienced player on the Ohio State men’s basketball team, will be sidelined six to 12 weeks after having surgery today to repair a broken bone in his left foot according to a statement today from coach Thad Matta. Lighty suffered the injury to his fifth metatarsal late in the Buckeyes’ victory over Jacksonville on Wednesday night in Value City Arena. Lighty, a junior on a team with no seniors, is the only scholarship player remaining from the OSU team that played in the NCAA championship game two years ago. He is averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Another Victory Over a Top Ranked Team
December 6, 2008 6:00 pm EST
Evan Turner scored 20 of his 28 points after halftime today to lead the Ohio State men's basketball team to its second upset of a ranked team in less than a week, a 67-62 win over No. 7 Notre Dame in the Hall of Fame Showcase in Lucas Oil Stadium. The unranked Buckeyes(5-0), who should not be unranked after this week, led by two points at halftime and extended their lead to 10 before holding off a Fighting Irish rally that narrowed Ohio State's advantage to a point with 26.2 seconds left.
Center Luke Harangody, the Big East player of the year last season, started for Notre Dame (6-2) after missing the previous two games because of pneumonia and led the Irish with 25 points and 16 rebounds. Turner finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. OSU freshman B.J. Mullens added 11 points and seven rebounds.
OSU started slowly on offense for the second consecutive game, scoring four points in the first 6 1/2 minutes, but Notre Dame wasn't much warmer and never expanded its lead beyond six points. The Buckeyes caught up and passed the Irish in a hurry, forcing two turnovers with its press and scoring seven points in 25 seconds to take a 17-15 lead with 9:14 left in the half. Notre Dame rallied to regain the lead, but Ohio State scored on five of seven possessions before halftime and led 30-28 at the break.
The Buckeyes' zone pressure forced Notre Dame into eight turnovers and limited the Irish to seven assists in the half. Notre Dame came into the game leading NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio with a difference of nearly two to one.
Buckeyes Earn Come-From-Behind Win Over Hurricanes
December 2, 2008 9:30 pm EST
The Ohio State men's basketball team picked up a win for the Big Ten in this year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge, with their 73-68 victory over Miami, in Coral Gables. This was just the third victory in eight games in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
To get the victory, they needed to come back from a 14-point second-half deficit. Jon Diebler scored 20 points, including six three-point field goals, and Evan Turner had all of his 19 points in the second half to lead the comeback for the Buckeyes(4-0). Lance Hurdle scored 14 points to lead Miami (4-2), which played the last 30 minutes of the game without leading scorer Jack McClinton, who was ejected for swiping at OSU point guard Anthony Crater, who was guarding McClinton closely.
Ohio State never led until Jeremie Simmons made a three-point basket from the right wing with 6:54 left, putting the Buckeyes ahead 57-54. They held the lead the rest of the way despite Miami closing to within a point twice.
The Buckeyes missed seven of their first eight shots, six of them three-point attempts as they failed to drive the basketball despite the fact Miami was defending them man-to-man. Ohio State finished the first half attempting more than half its field-goal attempts outside the arc.
The officials were unaware of the McClinton-Crater incident until OSU coach Thad Matta brought it to their attention after McClinton made a three-point basket to put Miami's lead at 19-7. After reviewing replays for several minutes on a monitor at the scorer's table, the officials ejected McClinton and gave Crater two free throws, which he made.
Jon Diebler followed with a three to get Ohio State within seven points, but the momentum was short-lived. Miami doubled its lead with McClinton out of the game and led 36-22 at halftime. But OSU came out with a purpose in the second half and with the help of some success behind the arc, made the remarkable comeback.
Ohio State Holds Off Falcons For Another Victory
November 24, 2008 10:15 pm EST
In the end, it was a 61-57 win as they played in Value City Arena for the first time this season. Five minutes into the second half, the Buckeyes had a comfortable 13 point lead and released down the floor for a fast break. William Buford, who had all three of his field goals in a 10-3 run to start the second half, had another basket -- a driving, twisting over-the-shoulder toss with his back to the basket -- disallowed because he was called for charging. Not sure what the refs saw on that but it started a 13-3 run by Bowling Green and the game was in question the rest of the way.
With the win, Ohio State(2-0) gained perhaps some maturity as well. This is a very young time, yet they did not fold when the Falcons made their comeback. Bowling Green(3-2) led 50-49 with 5:24 remaining, but a three-point play by Lauderdale, a three-point basket by Diebler and a putback by Lighty moved the Buckeyes back ahead 57-50 with 3:20 left. Bowling Green rallied to 57-54 with 1:20 left and had a shot to tie with 30 seconds left, but Joe Jakubowski's three-pointer with 30 seconds left missed.
Diebler led OSU scoring 17 points, and Lauderdale had six blocked shots to lead the Buckeyes, who nearly were beaten by the Falcons for the second time in a row in Columbus. Bowling Green won the last time in Columbus back in 1994.
Easy Win to Start Season
November 20, 2008 9:30 pm EST
Pressure defense helped the Ohio State(1-0) men's basketball team open a 10-point lead in the first 6 minutes, and it was never less than that thereafter as the Buckeyes won their season opener 70-42 over Delaware State. David Lighty and William Buford scored 13 points apiece, and Dallas Lauderdale had seven blocked shots to lead a balanced performance that had seven Buckeyes score between seven and 13 points.
Cavaliers are No Match For the New Buckeyes
November 13, 2008 9:30 pm EST
Evan Turner had 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals to lead the Ohio State to a 90-63 exhibition victory over Walsh University. William Buford also scored 17 points, 15 in the second half, as Ohio State put five scorers in double figures. The Bucks started returning regulars David Lighty, Turner and Jon Diebler and newcomers Mullens at center and point guard Jeremie Simmons. Although the Bucks were in control in the first half, the game was over once Ohio State opened the second half with a 22-6 run.
It was the only exhibition game for the Buckeyes, who will open their regular season next Thursday night against Delaware State in St. John Arena.
Sophomore Dallas Lauderdale did not play in the game because of a left-shoulder sprain. Sophomore Nikola Kecman, who is suspended for the first 12 games of the regular season because of an NCAA rule violation, was eligible to play but was not in uniform.
Tickets Available for Walsh Game
November 9, 2008 10:00 pm EST
Click for great seats for only $10 each.
Transfer Ineligible for 12 Games
November 3, 2008 6:00 pm EST
Junior-college transfer Nikola Kecman will miss the first 12 games of the Ohio State men's basketball season for playing on a club team in his native Serbia two years ago that included players the NCAA considers professionals. Kecman, a 6-foot-8 forward, will be eligible to return for a Jan.6 game at Michigan State. Kecman played last season at Eastern Arizona College. He has two more seasons of eligibility after this one at Ohio State.
Where Are They Now: Oden Out 2-4 Weeks
October 29, 2008 10:00 pm EST
Does anyone else see a pattern here? Greg Oden came to OSU two years ago with a lot of promise. A promise to bring a National Championship and that almost happened. But also remember that he missed the first 6 weeks of the season due to a wrist injury. Last year, as an NBS rookie, he missed the entire season due to his micro surgery on his knee. Today the Portland Trail Blazers announced Oden will miss two to four weeks because of an injury to his right foot.
The team said Wednesday that MRI and computerized axial tomography scans confirmed Oden has a mid-lateral foot sprain. Oden injured his foot in the first quarter of the Blazers' 96-76 season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Oden missed four field goals and two free throws in 13 minutes of play.
The 7-foot center was the top pick in the 2007 draft. But even before his rookie season started, it was postponed by microfracture surgery on his right knee. Oden's first game was highly anticipated by Blazers fans, who had waited a long time to see the top draft pick. The team had not had a No. 1 pick since 1978, when they chose center Mychal Thompson of Minnesota. After he was held out last season, Oden rolled his ankle in the first practice of the fall. That injury wasn't serious, however.
At Ohio State, Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds, but Oden struggled with a wrist injury. He led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the loss to Florida.
Open Scrimmage Before Penn State Football Game
October 22, 2008 9:30 pm EST
The Ohio State men’s basketball team will scrimmage from 4-5 pm Saturday at Value City Arena. The event is free and open to the public. Fans will be able sit anywhere in the lower bowl. The seating area will open at 3:30 pm.
New Scoreboard for the Schott
October 8, 2008 5:00 pm EST
In anticipation of the upcoming 2008-2009 basketball season, the Schottenstein Center in collaboration with the Ohio State Department of Athletics forged a plan that would enhance the fan’s game-day experience. As a result, the Schottenstein Center is proud to announce the installation a state-of-the-art center-hung scoreboard and 360-degree fascia board.
On the scoreboard, high resolution video is delivered through 341 trillion colors featured on four 16-feet by 9-feet 6mm screens, eight 6x10 10mm matrix displays and two 16.5mm “rings” encircling the middle and bottom.
The fascia board (970 linear feet of 20mm LED) encircles the bowl at the Huntington Club Level.
Too early to tell if this will eliminate the 'cheesy' cartoon animation run on the scoreboards in the four corners of the arena.
Basketball Schedule
September 27, 2008 9:00 pm EST
DATE OPPONENT TIME TV
Nov. 20 Delaware State* 6:30 p.m. BTN
Nov. 24 Bowling Green 8 p.m. BTN
Nov. 29 Samford Noon BTN
Dec. 2 at Univ. of Miami 7 p.m. ESPN
Dec. 6 vs. Notre Dame** 4 p.m. ESPNU
Dec. 13 Butler Noon BTN
Dec. 17 Jacksonville 9 p.m. ESPNU
Dec. 20 Iona Noon BTN
Dec. 22 UNC-Asheville 7 p.m. BTN
Dec. 27 West Virginia 4 p.m. CBS
Dec. 31 Iowa 4 p.m. BTN
Jan. 3 at Minnesota Noon BTN
Jan. 6 at Michigan State 7 p.m. ESPN2
Jan. 9 Houston Baptist 7 p.m. BTN
Jan. 13 Indiana 7 p.m. ESPN
Jan. 17 at Michigan 8 p.m. BTN
Jan. 20 at Illinois 7 p.m. ESPN
Jan. 25 Michigan State 3:45 p.m. CBS
Jan. 28 Michigan 6:30 p.m. BTN
Jan. 31 at Indiana 4 p.m. ESPN2
Feb. 3 Purdue 7 p.m. ESPN
Feb. 7 Minnesota 8 p.m. BTN
Feb. 14 at Wisconsin 9 p.m. ESPN
Feb. 18 at Northwestern 9 p.m. BTN
Feb. 21/22 Illinois TBA TBA
Feb. 24 Penn State 7 p.m. ESPN
Feb. 28/Mar. 1 at Purdue TBA TBA
Mar. 3, 4 or 5 at Iowa TBA TBA
Mar. 8 Northwestern 4 p.m. BTN
Mar. 12-15 Big Ten tournament**
* -- at St. John Arena; ** -- at Indianapolis
Guard Added to the Class of 2010
September 23, 2008 7:00 am EST
Didn't we just have that headline? Yes, but we have a new name. Lenzelle Smith had an unofficial visit in August but has now announced his commitment to Ohio State. He is rated the No. 2 prospect in his class in Illinois by ChicagoHoops.com and No. 97 nationally by Rivals.com, which calls him an "unorthodox guard" because of his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame, 6-9 wingspan and an affinity for physical play. He has been compared to former Illinois guard Sergio McClain.
Smith, who said he has a 4.1 grade-point average, said he chose Ohio State over Stanford, Virginia, Boston College, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Illinois and Marquette, among others. When Smith called coach Thad Matta with the news Sunday, he became the second 2010 guard in as many days to throw in with the Buckeyes. Jordan Sibert of Cincinnati Princeton committed Saturday during Ohio State's football game against Troy in Ohio Stadium. As Sibert did, Smith raised his stock in July during the camp and AAU tournament season.
Ohio State projects him as a combo guard with the ability to run the point. Smith said he'll play anywhere.
Guard Added to the Class of 2010
September 21, 2008 9:30 pm EST
Jordan Sibert, a junior guard from Cincinnati Princeton mad a commitment to Ohio State while attending the football game Saturday. He played on the All-Ohio Red team that won the AAU 16-and-under national championship this past summer. Sibert, 6' 3 1/2" 180 lbs, is ranked by Rivals.com as the 18th best prospect and third best shooting guard in the class of 2010. This is the fourth recruit in the class, joining Jared Sullinger (Northland) DeShaun Thomas (Ft Wayne), and Cameron Wright (Cleveland Benedictine).
Buckeyes Open Exhibition Season Against Walsh
September 17, 2008 7:00 pm EST
The Buckeye basketball team will play an exhibition game against Walsh University at 7:00 pm November 13th at Value City Arena, the team announced today. They open November 20th against Delaware State at 6:30 pm at St. John Arena. The game will be covered on the Big Ten Network. Ohio State makes its first regular season appearance at Value City Arena November 24th, also on the Big Ten Network, against Bowling Green.
Othello Hunter Has Contract With Atlanta Hawks
August 9, 2008 10:30 am EST
Former Buckeye forward has went from an undrafted free agent, to the Europe League and now he has signed a contract to play for the Atlanta Hawks. This will assure him of being in training camp September 30th.
Hunter is guaranteed half of the NBA's minimum salary for rookies, or $221,057, even if he is waived. He is eligible for the full minimum of $442,114 if he is on the roster December 15th. Othello impressed the Hawks officials while playing for their summer league team in July.
The signing is the latest development in his unusual road to the NBA. Hunter did not play high school ball until he was a senior and then played at a junior college for two years before transferring to Ohio State.
Former Ohio State Guard Jamar Butler is Going to Italy
July 30, 2008 7:00 am EST
According to the Lima News, Jamar Butler signed a one-year contract with Assert, Italy, to play in the A1 Italian professional basketball league. He will report to Caserta on August 18th. The season runs through June.
"To be honest, he's ecstatic about it," said Butler's agent, John Spencer. "This is a great situation for him."
Spencer said Butler will have an "out clause" in his contract in the event he is contacted by an NBA team during the Italian season. Caserta plans to use Butler as a point guard. The 6-foot-2 guard was the most valuable player at the NBA pre-draft camp in Portsmouth, Va., in May. He was unable to attend a pre-draft camp in Orlando before the draft because of a pulled hamstring.
Buckeyes Add Another 7-footer to the Team
July 19, 2008 11:00 pm EST
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Zisis Sarikopoulos, a 7-foot, 265-pound center from Athens, Greece, is transferring to Ohio State from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, OSU coach Thad Matta said Thursday. Sarikopoulos will sit out the 2008-09 season and will have three seasons of eligibility. He appeared in 20 games, starting four, last season and averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds for the Blazers (23-11).
Kosta Koufos is Selected by Utah with the 23rd Pick
June 26, 2008 9:45 pm EST
During the last twenty years, there have been very few NBA draft picks from Ohio State. Now the school has had 4 drafted in the first round over the last two years. Kosta Koufos left school after only one year in college, and was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd pick of the 2008 NBA draft.
There has been some talk that the Cavaliers may pick him up with the 19th pick and keep him in state. But once the draft came up, they decided on JJ Hickson from North Carolina State. Koufos was the 7th Center selected and was the 9th Freshman. This was the first year ever freshman where taken with the first three picks.
At Ohio State, Koufos made 22 3-pointers during his freshman year while averaging 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. He is considered to have plenty of upside, with good athleticism and an NBA-ready body, but is still fairly raw. Led Ohio State to an NIT championship and was named the tournament's most outstanding player as he averaged 18.2 points on 65.6 percent shooting in five games, capped by a 22-point, nine-rebound performance in the final against Massachusetts. Prefers to fade away for jumpers as opposed to go strong to the basket, thus limiting his opportunities at the free-throw line. A decent shot-blocker, having finished second in the Big Ten in 2007-08 with 67 blocks, who shows decent lateral movement at the defensive end. Must not shy away from contact as much at the pro level, particularly with his lack of quickness. Decent rebounder who could long be a good post presence in a league short on talented centers. Can cause matchup problems because few players of his height play so well on the perimeter. Has decent hands and average ball-handling ability but must improve his passing skills, particularly if he faces double teams in the post, after totaling just 19 assists in 37 college games.
Buckeyes Add West Virginia and Notre Dame to the Schedule
June 21, 2008 7:15 pm EST
Ohio State has announced it will have a home and home series with West Virginia the next two years. This should make Mountaineer Head Coach Bob Huggins happy. He tried for years to get a game schedule with the Buckeyes while he was in Cincinnati leading the Bearcats. This series will start on December 27th in Value City Arena and during the 2009-10 season the game will be played in Morgantown, W.Va.
It was also announced the Scarlet & Gray will play Notre Dame this season.
Everyone in Camp this Year for the Buckeyes
June 15, 2008 8:30 pm EST
Last year, the Buckeyes took too long to get everyone on the same page and it kept them out the the NCAA tournament. They got it together in time to win the NIT tournament, but I am sure that if you asked any one of them on the team, they would have all wanted to go to the Big Dance.
This year the team will be together much sooner. Last year David Lighty and Kosta Koufos were playing overseas during the summer and missed out on the the team drills and conditioning. I guess Coach Matta learned a lesson from that for this season as BJ Mullens, from Canal Winchester, three other freshmen and two junior-college transfers moved on campus today to join the rest of the team for the start of summer classes today. They will remain there until late August.
Mullens will share a suite in the team dormitory with fellow freshmen William Buford, Anthony Crater and Walter Offutt. The four comprise what Rivals.com rated the nation's No. 6 recruiting class for 2008. Mullens is ranked No. 1 among all players in the class, the same ranking given Oden in 2006.
Mullens was not willing to tip his hand on whether or not he will be the 5th player in 3 years to play just one year and then leave for the NBA. He did indicate that he thought Oden made the right choice to leave but thought that Koufos should have stayed for another year. I guess we will know more on that in a couple of weeks when the NBA holds their 2008 draft.
Also, Mullens may actually get to play against Oden some this summer. Both Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr are enrolled in summer classes at OSU and could find their way into the gym. Oden still awaits the his final medical clearance from his knee surgery from last fall.
Home-Home Series Scheduled With 2007-08 NCAA Runner-Up
May 5, 2008 6:15 pm EST
During the 2008-09 season the Buckeyes will be scheduled to play in Memphis against the Tigers, a finalist in the NCAA tournament this past season. The Conference USA champion will return the favor by coming to Value City Arena in the 2009-2010 campaign.
Ohio State Will Not Lose a Scholarship - at Least For Now
April 30, 2008 7:30 pm EST
Kosta Koufos' departure will not cost a men's basketball scholarship, at least in the short term. And Greg Oden's early exit last year won't result in a lost scholarship either, according to Ohio State faculty athletics representative John Bruno.
Bruno said today that the NCAA has approved Ohio State's academic improvement plan for basketball and informed the school it is likely to escape penalty for a deficient Academic Progress Rate score. Oden, unlike fellow freshmen Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook, did not complete spring quarter last year, hurting Ohio State's APR score.
Koufos announced his intention Tuesday night to do the same as Oden and leave school to prepare for the NBA draft or play professionally in Europe. Koufos' departure doesn't affect Ohio State's APR score for this year, but it could hurt for 2009.
Also, Nicola Kecman's junior-college coach said the forward planned to sign his letter-of-intent today to play for the Buckeyes. The 6-9 Kecman, of Belgrade, Serbia, played at Eastern Arizona College. He will have three seasons of eligibility
Eric Wallace to Leave Team
April 24, 2008 6:45 am EST
Eric Wallace, 6' 5" forward has asked to be released from his scholarship and will transfer at the end of the spring quarter according to a statement from the athletic department. Wallace was one of four Freshmen on the team and appears to be the second to leave. He played in 15 games and averaged 1.8 points per game. It appears the primary reason for leaving was the prospect of getting little playing time again next season.
This would be a total of 5 first year players to leave the program after only one year at Ohio State in the past two seasons. Coach Thad Matta will now have two more scholarships available and is looking at 6' 2" guard Jeremie Simmons of Chicago and 6' 9" forward Nicola Kecman of Serbia.
The spring signing period ends May 21st.
Kosta Koufos Appears to Be Heading to NBA
April 21, 2008 9:15 am EST
FOXSports is reporting that Freshman Kosta Koufos will declare for the NBA draft, according to sources close to the situation. Koufos averaged 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Buckeyes. He had 22 points and nine rebounds in Ohio State's victory against UMass in the NIT championship, but he struggled early in the season and still needs to get stronger before he can make an impact at the next level. He can shoot from three-point range but does not have the strength and skill to play inside. It would have been very interesting to see how he played next season with BH Mullens.
Sources told FOXSports.com that Koufos will not yet hire an agent. There has also been speculation that Koufos could sign a lucrative contract to play overseas in Greece, where his mother is from, if he isn't expected to go in the first half of the first round.
The deadline for underclassmen to announce is April 27.
Ohio State Will Play Miami in ACC-Big Ten Challenge
April 16, 2008 8:00 am EST
Ohio State will play the University of Miami in the 2008 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The conferences and ESPN announced the lineup of 11 games yesterday. The Buckeyes and Hurricanes will meet December 2nd in Coral Gables, FL., in Miami's 7,000-seat BankUnited Center.
Miami will return four starters and its top five scorers from a team that finished 23-11 this past season, tied for fifth place in the ACC and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Hurricanes lost to Texas in the second round.
The full schedule is not expected to be released until August.
Koufos Talking to Agents
April 15, 2008 9:30 pm EST
Doesn't it seem like we were in this same situation last year? I don't know about you but I am ready for the days when players played out their full four years.
The mother of Ohio State freshman Kosta Koufos has interviewed sports agents seeking to represent her son, but Kathy Koufos said it is not an indication that Kosta has decided to leave Ohio State to play professional basketball next season. The deadline for college underclassmen to enter the NBA draft is April 27. Kathy Koufos said it is still "up in the air" whether Kosta will announce his decision this week or next.
Mike Conley Sr., who represents his son, Mike Jr., and two other former Ohio State players, Greg Oden and Daequan Cook, said he met with Kathy Koufos last week to discuss representing Kosta on behalf of BDA Sports Management, whose clients include NBA stars Yao Ming, Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony. Kathy Koufos also met with Cleveland-based agent Mark Termini, said a source with NBA contacts.
Buckeyes Look for the Next Recruit
April 14, 2008 11:45 pm EST
With signs perhaps leaning toward Koufos leaving, Ohio State coach Thad Matta last week stepped up recruitment of junior-college player Josh Harrellson, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound freshman at Southwestern Illinois College. Ohio State is among eight schools that the projected power forward is considering. Harrellson is scheduled to visit Kentucky this weekend. A Koufos exit would give Matta two scholarships to offer for next season. He is looking to fortify the point guard position with the other.
Matta visited 6-2 Jeremie Simmons of Mott Community College in Flint, MI., on Sunday, Mott coach Steve Schmidt said. The Buckeyes also have shown interest in 6-2 Devan Dumes of Vincennes (Ind.) University.
The spring signing period begins Wednesday and continues through May 21.
Buckeye 50 Continues our Ohio State Basketball Coverage
April 10, 2008 8:00 pm EST
Two years ago, I tried adding Basketball to our coverage and you responded with 2300 page hits. For last season, you increased that to 3600 visits, so we are just getting started. I can promise you the 2008-09 season will bring even more basketball coverage and I know you will responded by maintaining your loyalty to B50. Thanks again for your continued support.
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The university declared this game to be 'Star Wars' game and had characters on hand for photos with fans and handed out 5,000 lightsabers. The Buckeyes were playing their first game without captain David Lighty and the 'force' was with Evan Turner and Jeremie Simmons as they fired a second-half run in response to Iona taking the lead and led the Ohio State men's basketball team to a 71-53 victory over the Gaels.
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