OHIO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL 1898 FIRST SEASON • 1 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP • 10 NCAA FINAL FOURS • 14 SWEET 16 APPEARANCES 29 NCAA APPEARANCES • 20 BIG TEN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS • 27 CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICANS 202021 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS GAME 12 November OHIO STATE 83, 23 B1G at 25 Illinois State W, 94(23)-67 ESPN2 15 RUTGERS 73, 33 B1G 29 1-UMass Lowell W, 74(23)-64 BTN Noon • Sat., Jan. 9 • Piscataway, N.J. • Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) • BTN • 97.1 FM The Fan December Head Coach: Chris Holtmann Head Coach: Steve Pikiell 2 1-Morehead State W, 77(23)-44 BTN Rec. at Ohio State: 74-37 (4th) Record at RU: 71-67 (1st) 5 Alabama A&M Canceled Career Record: 188-122 (10th) Career Record: 263-224 (16th) 8 3-at Notre Dame W, 90(23)-85 ESPN2 Career vs. Rutgers: 5-1 Career vs. Ohio State: 2-6 13 Cleveland State W, 67(23)-61 BTN 16 at Purdue L, 60(20)-67 BTN GAME BASICS 19 2-vs. UCLA W, 77(20)-70 CBS Ohio State and Rutgers meet on the hardwood 23 Rutgers W, 80(23)-68(11) BTN with a noon tip Saturday at the RAC in Piscataway. 26 at Northwestern L, 70(23)-71 FS1 The Big Ten Network will televise. 30 Nebraska W, 90(25)-54 BTN The Buckeyes fell on the road to No. 21 Minnesota January last Sunday, 77-60, in Minneapolis. Duane 3 at Minnesota L, 60(25)-77(21) BTN Washington Jr. led the way for Ohio State with 21 6 Penn State Canceled points. 9 at Rutgers Noon BTN 13 Northwestern 7 p.m. BTN Ohio State is 2-3 in the Big Ten with all three losses 16 at Illinois Noon FOX on the road. The scheduled Penn State at Ohio 23 at Wisconsin 4 p.m. CBS State game Wednesday was postponed because of 27 Purdue 7 p.m. BTN COVID-19 positive results within the PSU program. 31 Michigan State 1 p.m. CBS Chris Holtmann’s teams are 5-1 vs. Rutgers. Ohio February State is 3-1 at the RAC all-time vs. the Scarlet 4 at Iowa TBA ESPN/ESPN2 Knights. 8 at Maryland TBA FS1 Ohio State leads the all-time series against 13 Indiana TBA ESPN/ESPN2 Rutgers, 9-3. The Buckeyes are 3-1 in Piscataway 18 at Penn State TBA BTN with a 6-0 record in Columbus. Rutgers is 2-0 in 21 Michigan TBA CBS neutral-site meetings. 25 at Michigan State TBA ESPN/ESPN2 Ohio State will meet Northwestern in Columbus 28 Iowa TBA CBS Jan. 13 to complete the home-and-home series. March Purdue, Rutgers, Illinois, Michigan State and Iowa 6 Illinois TBA ESPN/ESPN2 also meet the Buckeyes twice this season. All times EDT // 1-at Covelli Center // 2-ACC/B1G Challenge // 3-CBSSports Classic at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse; Cleveland BY THE NUMBERS 18 96.1 59.1 499 Justin Ahrens came off the C.J. Walker (42 of 43; 97.7 pct.) Freshman center Zed Key Senior Kyle Young needs just bench to score 18 points and Duane Washington Jr. (32 has made 7 of 10 shots in the a point to reach 500 career vs. Nebraska. Ahrens tied a of 34; 94.1 pct.) are combining last two games vs. Nebraska points ... he also is just 10 career-high in made 3-pointers to make 95.7 pct. of their free and Minnesota to improve his rebounds shy of 400 over 92 with six on 6-of-9 shooting throw attempts this season (74 shooting percentage on the career games as a Buckeye. from distance in the 90-54 of 77). E.J. Liddell is right at 76 year (59.1/26-44) His next FG will be No. 200. home win. pct. (31 of 41; 75.6 pct.) 202021 HOOPS NOTES OHIO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL FACTS & MORE Chris Holtmann, now in his fourth year at Ohio State, has guided seven-consecutive teams to 20-or-more win seasons and he has led teams to fi ve-consecutive NCAA Tourna- ment appearances (2015-16-17-18-19.) 2 202021 HOOPS NOTES COACH CHRIS HOLTMANN NOTES #1 JIMMY SOTOS, 62, 200, SR. G the last time out vs. Minnesota (730) ELK GROVE VILLAGE, ILL. CONANT H.S. Eight-game streak of double- gure Took over the Ohio State program Pronounced SOE-tose points snapped vs. Northwestern (7) on June 12, 2017 after three highly- Has played in all 11 games Has twice topped career-high this year: successful years at Butler (70-31 with 21 vs. UMass Lowell and 22 vs. Rutgers three NCAA Tournament appearances Started vs. Purdue from 2014-17). Started all 34 games for Bucknell last 11-game streak with at least two 3-point eld goals snapped vs. NU as well, made Conference Coach of the Year in the Big year and led the team in scoring (11.5), 3 of 7 triples vs. Nebraska South (2013 at Gardner-Webb), BIG EAST assists (3.9) and steals (1.6) (2017 at Butler) and the Big Ten (2018 at Scored over 20 points in 5 games last 74 games played and 28 starts Ohio State). year Shooting 94% from the foul line this 14th head coach in Ohio State history Led Patriot League in assists in 2018-19 season (32-34) is a 1994 graduate of Taylor University with 6.1 per game Needs one rebound to reach 200 for (psychology) and has a master’s from Has played in 111 collegiate games career Ball State. Needs one assist to reach 400 for ree years in HS at Grand Rapids Has coached seven-consecutive teams his career ... recorded 390 helpers at (Mich.) Christian; at Sierra Canyon to 20-or-more victories. The 21-win team Bucknell (Calif.) as a Sr. last year defeated three conference One career double double with 14 champions: Villanova, North Carolina, points and 12 assists vs. UNLV #10 JUSTIN AHRENS, 66, 195, JR. G Kentucky and Maryland. 12/25/18 in Honolulu, Hawai’i VERSAILLES, OHIO VERSAILLES H.S. Joined Brad Stevens as only Butler Pronounced ARNS coach to lead the Bulldogs to NCAA #2 MUSA JALLOW, 65, 210, JR. G 20 of 39 (.513) from 3-point range with berths in fi rst three seasons. BLOOMINGTON, IND. NORTH H.S. at least one made 3 in 8-of-11 games Among a select group to coach an NCAA Pronounced MOOSE-uh JAHL-oh One 2-point attempt on the season Tournament win the past fi ve years: Has doubled his prior season averages Needs three rebounds to reach 100 for Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright, Mark Few, with 5.3 points and 3.4 rebounds so far career Bill Self, Roy Williams and John Calipari. Season highs of 8 points and 7 rebounds Season-high 18 in win vs. the Huskers Is from Nicholasville, Ky., near Lexington. vs. Rutgers; 8 points also vs. UCLA Career-high 29 points as a frosh vs. Holtmann and wife, Lori, have a young Missed 2019-20 season (ankle surgery) Iowa, including 25 in the second half daughter, Nora Jane. Has played in 76 games with 24 starts Has played in 62 games Two-time Academic All-Big Ten MORE TEAM NOTES #13 C.J. WALKER, 61, 195, SR. G honoree INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH Ohio State signed three Ohioans in 8.7 points and 4.2 assists in 2020 and November in a recruiting class rated #3 EUGENE BROWN III, 66, 195, FR. G leads team in minutes (346; 31.5 per among the Top 10 nationally: CONYERS, GA. SOUTHWEST DEKALB game) - G Malaki Branham: 6-5 and 190 from Made all three 3-point attempts for Has knocked down 42-43 from FT line Akron and St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. nine points in win over UCLA - F Kalen Etzler: 6-8 and 200 from (97.7 pct.) Has played in all 11 games Convoy and Crestview H.S. Started 29 games last year and averaged - G Meechie Johnson Jr.: 6-2 and 185 Led DeKalb to back-to-back state 8.7 points and 3.1 rebounds and had from Cleveland and Garfi eld Heights. tournaments, a school rst team-highs with 107 assists and 40 steals Johnson joined the Buckeyes in Averaged 17 points/9.0 rebs. as a senior Career-high tying 7 assists vs. Purdue December after graduating early from playing for his father, Eugene Brown, Jr. (12/16/20) Garfi eld Heights. First team all-state as a senior by the Transfer from Florida State where he Ohio State will wear six possible uniform Atlanta Journal Constitution started 35 times and played in 68 games combinations this year: #4 DUANE WASHINGTON, 63, 210, JR. G - Primary home and away #14 JUSTICE SUEING, 67, 215, JR. F - Scarlet “Clark Kellogg” era GRAND RAPIDS, MICH SIERRA CANYON HONOLULU, HAWAI’I MATER DEI H.S. - Gray “Jim Jackson” era throwbacks Leads team in scoring at 14.3 points per Scored six points at Minnesota to move - Two yet-to-be-released versions game ... second on team in scoring last career mark to 1,002 points, scored 886 year (11.5) in two years at California. Reached 700 points for his career with Averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds 13 vs. Nebraska then added 21 points 3 202021 HOOPS NOTES suff ered in practice prior to the 499 career points; 390 rebounds Nebraska game Dec. 30, 2020. Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree #23 ZED KEY, 68, 245, FR.