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Syracuse Basketball: Orange heads to Ohio State on Wednesday
by Neil Adler37 minutes ago Follow @DAMNTWIN
The Syracuse basketball squad is set for its first true road tilt of the 2018-19 campaign, as the ‘Cuse travels to nationally ranked Ohio State this week.
The SU hoops outfit is back in action after an extended Thanksgiving holiday break.
Last Wednesday, Syracuse (3-2) finally got its offense going in the second half of a 21-point win versus Colgate inside the Carrier Dome. Equally as important, the Orange saw the much-anticipated return of senior point guard Frank Howard.
Ohio State on Wednesday evening as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. ESPN2 will televise this enticing affair.
The Buckeyes (6-0) are off to a strong start in the current term. OSU entered the top-25 polls after convincing victories away from its own turf against both Cincinnati and Creighton, which are two solid programs.
In its most-recent contest, the Buckeyes smoked Cleveland State this past Friday night, 89-62, as four Ohio State guys achieved double-figures in scoring.
Prior to this season commencing, a lot of college-basketball pundits predicted that the Buckeyes would likely finish somewhere in the middle of the Big Ten Conference race. However, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if OSU lands a top-four finish in the final conference standings.
The ‘Cuse will have to fiercely compete if it wants to prevail over the Buckeyes, a unit that is averaging more points on offense, and giving up fewer points on defense, than SU. Obviously, Syracuse must continue to improve its shooting. But the other main keys to success for the Orange are dominating Ohio State on the boards, and limiting its turnovers.
ESPN.com’s match-up predictor says the Buckeyes possess a 67.4 percent chance of defeating the ‘Cuse, which makes sense given that OSU is at home.
Since becoming a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Syracuse is 2-3 in the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge, besting Indiana and Maryland, while losing to Wisconsin twice, as well as Michigan once.
All-time in its series with the Buckeyes, SU is 2-5, most recently falling 77-70 to Ohio State in the Elite Eight of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. That outcome still stings.
https://insidetheloudhouse.com/2018/11/26/syracuse-basketball-orange-heads-ohio-state-wednesday/
by Neil Adler37 minutes ago Follow @DAMNTWIN
The Syracuse basketball squad is set for its first true road tilt of the 2018-19 campaign, as the ‘Cuse travels to nationally ranked Ohio State this week.
The SU hoops outfit is back in action after an extended Thanksgiving holiday break.
Last Wednesday, Syracuse (3-2) finally got its offense going in the second half of a 21-point win versus Colgate inside the Carrier Dome. Equally as important, the Orange saw the much-anticipated return of senior point guard Frank Howard.
Ohio State on Wednesday evening as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. ESPN2 will televise this enticing affair.
The Buckeyes (6-0) are off to a strong start in the current term. OSU entered the top-25 polls after convincing victories away from its own turf against both Cincinnati and Creighton, which are two solid programs.
In its most-recent contest, the Buckeyes smoked Cleveland State this past Friday night, 89-62, as four Ohio State guys achieved double-figures in scoring.
Prior to this season commencing, a lot of college-basketball pundits predicted that the Buckeyes would likely finish somewhere in the middle of the Big Ten Conference race. However, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if OSU lands a top-four finish in the final conference standings.
The ‘Cuse will have to fiercely compete if it wants to prevail over the Buckeyes, a unit that is averaging more points on offense, and giving up fewer points on defense, than SU. Obviously, Syracuse must continue to improve its shooting. But the other main keys to success for the Orange are dominating Ohio State on the boards, and limiting its turnovers.
ESPN.com’s match-up predictor says the Buckeyes possess a 67.4 percent chance of defeating the ‘Cuse, which makes sense given that OSU is at home.
Since becoming a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Syracuse is 2-3 in the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge, besting Indiana and Maryland, while losing to Wisconsin twice, as well as Michigan once.
All-time in its series with the Buckeyes, SU is 2-5, most recently falling 77-70 to Ohio State in the Elite Eight of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. That outcome still stings.
https://insidetheloudhouse.com/2018/11/26/syracuse-basketball-orange-heads-ohio-state-wednesday/
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MARVYMARV14
Hall of Fame
Have not watched Cuse play this year...but this game scares me no matter what their record is
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
I agree with your concern. Syracuse beat MSU in the tourney last year to make the Sweet 16 and brings everyone important back. Plus they added a starter who sat out last season.
They did lose two games but that was without Howard playing at all. Now he is back. I feel Syracuse is a top-10 team based on talent. They underachieved early on this season. If OSU is lucky, then Cuse will still be finding their way and not playing like they were at the end of last year. If Cuse plays like they are capable of, they win this game.
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Nigel Tufnel
Choking on vomit
Is this the game where BN27 punches himself in the balls for 2 hours?
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Fungo Squiggly
Mortal enemy of all things Bucky
Yahoo Pickem Champ
Former Game Champion
'18 BPCFFB II Champ
'18 Keeper League Champ
Nope. He's not torn at all about this one. Because he's a worthless bastard.
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Nah it's the opposite. I'll root for Syracuse but be happy with whoever wins. I haven't seen much of Syracuse this year. I think they have problems scoring and UConn lit it up from 3 in the Garden. This should be a really good Cuse team, but they shouldn't have 2 losses right now....so who knows if it's hype built off of returning pieces or what. Basing the outcome off of the fact that this is a S16 team returning everybody isn't productive......they weren't a real S16 last year the same way they weren't a F4 team before that.
I don't really know what to expect, but I'll be OK either way.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
The Cuse were in the first four last year, but let's be honest. Your body of work over the entire regular season is a separate entity from how you stack up with other teams at the end of the year, and in CBB, how you do in the tournament is the main thing people remember. Based on beating 3 teams in the tournament (including Sparty) and playing a good #2 seed Duke to a close game, I feel that Cuse was a top-16 type team last season when it mattered most. And yes they bring back almost everyone which is a huge edge in CBB in the early part of the season.
You will absorb a lot of losses playing in the talent-rich ACC unless you are clicking on all cylinders. Cuse defensively was playing at an elite, top-10 level in March, their offense had been slower to develop. Thus far in this season they have not played as well on D, but if Howard's return helps them ramp back up the defense to what it was last year, then OSU will be in a lot of trouble.
You will absorb a lot of losses playing in the talent-rich ACC unless you are clicking on all cylinders. Cuse defensively was playing at an elite, top-10 level in March, their offense had been slower to develop. Thus far in this season they have not played as well on D, but if Howard's return helps them ramp back up the defense to what it was last year, then OSU will be in a lot of trouble.
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Ohio State men’s basketball | Thad Matta to be recognized at Wednesday’s game
By Adam Jardy
The Columbus Dispatch
Posted Nov 27, 2018 at 9:02 PMUpdated Nov 27, 2018 at 9:08 PM
It was during the summer that Thad Matta made a triumphant public return to Columbus. With a host of his former players taking part in The Basketball Tournament, the former Ohio State coach attended a game at nearby Capital University to a rousing ovation from a Buckeye-heavy crowd.
Wednesday night, Matta will be taking in his official former team at the behest of current coach Chris Holtmann and athletic director Gene Smith. The program’s all-time winningest coach, who was fired just shy of 18 months ago, will be recognized at halftime along with his family.
“I think he’s incredibly deserving of all of the goodwill that comes his way,” Holtmann said Tuesday afternoon. “I was really excited that Gene spearheaded this idea and I think Buckeye Nation, the reception they gave him in the summer was tremendous. I’m sure, and I hope, that he and his family are going to feel that kind of reception and then some because he’s deserving. He did an extraordinary job for his tenure here, and did it the right way.”
In his 13 seasons with the Buckeyes, Matta won 337 games, reached two Final Fours and one national championship game. The Buckeyes won five Big Ten regular season titles and four conference championships while recruiting and producing players such as Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft and D’Angelo Russell.
He was let go in June, 2017, after the Buckeyes finished 17-15 overall and did not make a postseason tournament. Owing to a concert at Value City Arena on Tuesday night, Holtmann’s press conference took place inside a practice facility that did not exist when Matta was hired and roughly 15 feet from where Matta and Smith sat for the press conference announcing his firing.
Since then, Matta has moved to Indianapolis and has been present around the Butler program. An alumnus, it’s also where Matta got his first head coaching job.
The decision to choose the Syracuse game, which is part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, was Matta’s, Holtmann said, and owed somewhat to one of his daughters scheduled to be away next semester on a trip.
“The game was his choice,” Holtmann said. “Gene had mentioned it a while back about wanting to bring Thad and his family back. We had talked a little about it last year, but I think the timing was better this year. I can understand, I think Thad wanted his family here.”
Following the halftime recognition, Matta will be available for interviews. He declined an interview request from The Dispatch leading into the night.
Holtmann, who came to Ohio State from Butler, described the two as casual friends. Matta’s wife, Barb, has helped Holtmann’s wife, Lori, settle into the area, Holtmann said.
Of the current roster, only three remaining players suited up for Matta: senior guards C.J. Jackson and Joey Lane and junior forward Andre Wesson. Sophomore center Kaleb Wesson was committed to play for Matta and remained with the program through the coaching change.
“Obviously I believe in and think highly of him, wanting to come and play for him,” said Jackson, who said he didn’t know about Matta’s return until asked about it by a reporter Tuesday. “It’s real exciting to see him again since the summer when we had the games earlier in the summer. We saw him then and to see him again will be unbelievable. I’m excited.”
Matta, his wife and daughters Ali and Emily will all be recognized, and Holtmann confirmed the news with a post to Twitter earlier Tuesday. Holtmann said there was no concern about awkwardness concerning Matta returning so soon after the coaching change.
“None whatsoever,” Holtmann said. “Thad and his family, and I include his family because all of us who know coaches know that your wife and your kids go through the joys, the highs and the lows, as much as you do, and they’re deserving of being recognized as well. We are recognizing coach Matta and his family and their incredible contributions to this university and obviously the basketball program.
“That should be hopefully a really rewarding night for him and his family as they get a chance to come back.”
https://www.buckeyextra.com/sports/...had-matta-to-be-recognized-at-wednesdays-game
By Adam Jardy
The Columbus Dispatch
Posted Nov 27, 2018 at 9:02 PMUpdated Nov 27, 2018 at 9:08 PM
It was during the summer that Thad Matta made a triumphant public return to Columbus. With a host of his former players taking part in The Basketball Tournament, the former Ohio State coach attended a game at nearby Capital University to a rousing ovation from a Buckeye-heavy crowd.
Wednesday night, Matta will be taking in his official former team at the behest of current coach Chris Holtmann and athletic director Gene Smith. The program’s all-time winningest coach, who was fired just shy of 18 months ago, will be recognized at halftime along with his family.
“I think he’s incredibly deserving of all of the goodwill that comes his way,” Holtmann said Tuesday afternoon. “I was really excited that Gene spearheaded this idea and I think Buckeye Nation, the reception they gave him in the summer was tremendous. I’m sure, and I hope, that he and his family are going to feel that kind of reception and then some because he’s deserving. He did an extraordinary job for his tenure here, and did it the right way.”
In his 13 seasons with the Buckeyes, Matta won 337 games, reached two Final Fours and one national championship game. The Buckeyes won five Big Ten regular season titles and four conference championships while recruiting and producing players such as Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft and D’Angelo Russell.
He was let go in June, 2017, after the Buckeyes finished 17-15 overall and did not make a postseason tournament. Owing to a concert at Value City Arena on Tuesday night, Holtmann’s press conference took place inside a practice facility that did not exist when Matta was hired and roughly 15 feet from where Matta and Smith sat for the press conference announcing his firing.
Since then, Matta has moved to Indianapolis and has been present around the Butler program. An alumnus, it’s also where Matta got his first head coaching job.
The decision to choose the Syracuse game, which is part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, was Matta’s, Holtmann said, and owed somewhat to one of his daughters scheduled to be away next semester on a trip.
“The game was his choice,” Holtmann said. “Gene had mentioned it a while back about wanting to bring Thad and his family back. We had talked a little about it last year, but I think the timing was better this year. I can understand, I think Thad wanted his family here.”
Following the halftime recognition, Matta will be available for interviews. He declined an interview request from The Dispatch leading into the night.
Holtmann, who came to Ohio State from Butler, described the two as casual friends. Matta’s wife, Barb, has helped Holtmann’s wife, Lori, settle into the area, Holtmann said.
Of the current roster, only three remaining players suited up for Matta: senior guards C.J. Jackson and Joey Lane and junior forward Andre Wesson. Sophomore center Kaleb Wesson was committed to play for Matta and remained with the program through the coaching change.
“Obviously I believe in and think highly of him, wanting to come and play for him,” said Jackson, who said he didn’t know about Matta’s return until asked about it by a reporter Tuesday. “It’s real exciting to see him again since the summer when we had the games earlier in the summer. We saw him then and to see him again will be unbelievable. I’m excited.”
Matta, his wife and daughters Ali and Emily will all be recognized, and Holtmann confirmed the news with a post to Twitter earlier Tuesday. Holtmann said there was no concern about awkwardness concerning Matta returning so soon after the coaching change.
“None whatsoever,” Holtmann said. “Thad and his family, and I include his family because all of us who know coaches know that your wife and your kids go through the joys, the highs and the lows, as much as you do, and they’re deserving of being recognized as well. We are recognizing coach Matta and his family and their incredible contributions to this university and obviously the basketball program.
“That should be hopefully a really rewarding night for him and his family as they get a chance to come back.”
https://www.buckeyextra.com/sports/...had-matta-to-be-recognized-at-wednesdays-game
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Ohio State basketball vs Syracuse preview: TV info, key players, starters, prediction
Updated 8:52 AM; Posted 6:00 AM
Ohio State guard C.J. Jackson, right, goes up to shoot against Cleveland State freshman Deante Johnson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Nov. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon) (Paul Vernon)
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By Stephen Means, cleveland.com
[email protected]
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 16 Ohio State will play its first home game against a power-conference program when it takes on Syracuse. Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff of this game in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
What: No. 16 Ohio State (6-0) vs Syracuse (3-2)
Where: The Schottenstein Center
When: Wednesday, 7:15 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Projected Starters
Ohio State: C.J. Jackson (12.7 ppg), Luther Muhammad (9.5 ppg), Andre Wesson (7.5 ppg), Kaleb Wesson (14.7 ppg), Kyle Young (6.8 ppg).
Syracuse: Frank Howard (3.0 ppg), Tyus Battle (17.6 ppg), Elijah Hughes (14.8 ppg), Oshae Brissett (14.8), Paschal Chukwu (5.2 ppg)
What to watch For
Ohio State will play Syracuse as part of the 2018 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Games officially kicked off on Monday. The ACC currently leads 5-3 after two days. (i thought it was 4-4?)
Prediction
Stephen’s pick: Syracuse came into season ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Poll. After a 3-2 start, the Orange have dropped from the rankings, while Ohio State has gone from unranked to No. 16. The Buckeyes are riding a 6-0 start and their resume already features road wins over Creighton and Cincinnati. Now they have the advantage of playing in at home, where they they have yet to allow an opponent to shoot over 40 percent from the field. 77-69 Ohio State.
https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2018/...-tv-info-key-players-starters-prediction.html
Updated 8:52 AM; Posted 6:00 AM
Ohio State guard C.J. Jackson, right, goes up to shoot against Cleveland State freshman Deante Johnson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Nov. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon) (Paul Vernon)
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By Stephen Means, cleveland.com
[email protected]
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 16 Ohio State will play its first home game against a power-conference program when it takes on Syracuse. Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff of this game in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
What: No. 16 Ohio State (6-0) vs Syracuse (3-2)
Where: The Schottenstein Center
When: Wednesday, 7:15 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Projected Starters
Ohio State: C.J. Jackson (12.7 ppg), Luther Muhammad (9.5 ppg), Andre Wesson (7.5 ppg), Kaleb Wesson (14.7 ppg), Kyle Young (6.8 ppg).
Syracuse: Frank Howard (3.0 ppg), Tyus Battle (17.6 ppg), Elijah Hughes (14.8 ppg), Oshae Brissett (14.8), Paschal Chukwu (5.2 ppg)
What to watch For
Ohio State will play Syracuse as part of the 2018 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Games officially kicked off on Monday. The ACC currently leads 5-3 after two days. (i thought it was 4-4?)
Prediction
Stephen’s pick: Syracuse came into season ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Poll. After a 3-2 start, the Orange have dropped from the rankings, while Ohio State has gone from unranked to No. 16. The Buckeyes are riding a 6-0 start and their resume already features road wins over Creighton and Cincinnati. Now they have the advantage of playing in at home, where they they have yet to allow an opponent to shoot over 40 percent from the field. 77-69 Ohio State.
https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2018/...-tv-info-key-players-starters-prediction.html
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SYRACUSE.COM
Syracuse basketball at Ohio State: 10 things to watch for
By Mike Waters | [email protected] | Posted November 28, 2018 at 07:00 AM | Updated November 28, 2018 at 07:19 AM
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Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Syracuse Orange (3-2) will face No. 16 Ohio State at the Value Center Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday night.
The Orange enters the game in need of a win, especially one away from home. This is Syracuse's last non-conference game outside the Carrier Dome. The Orange has already suffered neutral-court losses to Oregon and Connecticut at Madison Square Garden.
Ohio State is off to a 6-0 start, including road wins at Cincinnati and Creighton.
This is the first meeting between the two schools since Ohio State beat Syracuse 77-70 in the NCAA tournament's East Region final in 2012.
Wednesday's game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN2.
Here are 10 things to watch for:
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Syracuse's starters
In Syracuse's game against Colgate last week, SU coach Jim Boeheim finally started the lineup that he expected to have coming into the season.
Frank Howard, Syracuse's returning starter at point guard, missed the Orange's first four regular-season games with an injured left ankle. Howard not only played against Colgate, but he also started the game.
With Howard back, Syracuse's lineup would appear to be set with Tyus Battle at shooting guard, Oshae Brissett and Elijah Hughes at the forward spots and Paschal Chukwu at center.
However, Chukwu suffered a groin strain in the Colgate game. He figures to be a game-time decision for the Ohio State contest.
The Associated Press
Ohio State's starters
C.J. Jackson (pictured) is the only player to start every game for Ohio State this season. The 6-foot-1 senior is averaging 12.7 points per game for the Buckeyes.
The other four players expected to start for Ohio State tonight are: Luther Muhammad (6-3, Fr.), Andre Wesson (6-6, Jr.), Kyle Young (6-8, Soph.) and Kaleb Wesson (6-9, Soph.).
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Are SU's centers ready?
Are Syracuse's centers ready? That question has at least two meanings.
On the one hand, it's a question about Chukwu and Bourama Sidibe's readiness to go up against Ohio State's physical front court. The two centers were out-played in Syracuse's losses to Oregon and Connecticut.
On the other hand, the question could also pertain to their health.
Chukwu strained his groin in SU's game against Colgate last Wednesday. He suffered the injury in the first half and sat out the rest of the game.
Sidibe, meanwhile, is still recovering from offseason surgery that was supposed to help ease the tendinitis in his left knee that hampered him during the 2017-18 season. Boeheim recently said that Sidibe was improving, but still not at 100 percent.
The Associated Press
Chris Holtmann: From Bulldog to Buckeye
Chris Holtmann is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the top coaches in college basketball.
Holtmann has been the named the Coach of the Year in three different conferences. He was the Big South's Coach of the Year at Gardner-Webb in 2013, the Big East Coach of the Year at Butler in 2017 and he earned the Big Ten honor last year after his first season at Ohio State.
In his inaugural season at Ohio State, Holtmann guided the Buckeyes to a 25-9 record and a second-place finish in the Big Ten standings. It marked the fifth straight year that Holtmann's team had won at least 20 games.
This year, Holtmann has Ohio State off to a 6-0 start. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll and are No. 1 in the NCAA's NET rankings, which is a new sorting tool to be used for selection and seeding of teams in the NCAA tournament.
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Howard's second act
Howard had his 2018-19 season debut in the Orange's win over Colgate.
Howard, who had missed over two months with his ankle injury, started and played 19 minutes. He finished with 3 points, five assists, three steals and no turnovers. He took five shots, all 3-pointers, and made just one.
The shooting figures to come around, but the rest of Howard's game showed how much he means to the Orange. He helped the offense function more smoothly and put players back in their expected roles.
Ohio State forces roughly 14 turnovers per game. Howard's presence should help Syracuse limit the turnovers.
The Associated Press
An ACC connection
Syracuse fans might recognize the name of Ohio State guard Keyshawn Woods. Woods transferred to Ohio State from Wake Forest where he went up against the Orange several times. He averaged 11.9 points per game for the Demon Deacons last year.
This year, Woods is scoring 8.3 points per game off the bench for Ohio State. The 6-3 guard leads the Buckeyes in assists with 20. He is also grabbing three rebounds per game.
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Brissett against the bigs
Brissett's struggles from 3-point range this season have been well-documented. He has made just 4 of his 22 attempts from outside the 3-point line.
But of more concern should be Brissett's ability to score in the paint and finish at the rim.
In SU's win over Colgate, Brissett eschewed the 3-pointer, taking just one shot from beyond the arc. However, the 6-foot-8 forward went 5-for-14 when shooting 2-pointers. That brought his percentage down to 40 percent on shots inside the 3-point line for the season.
Brissett's shooting numbers are a problem. He has taken more shots than any other player on the roster. He's bigger than he was last year and stronger, too, so he should be completing his drives to the basket at a higher rate.
The one positive sign in the Colgate game was Brissett's ability to get to the foul line. He went 7-for-10 on free throws against the Raiders.
The Associated Press
The Wesson family
The Wesson family's ties to Ohio State run deep.
Brothers Kaleb and Andre Wesson are both starters for the Buckeyes this year. Their father, Keith, played for Ohio State in the 1980s. Keith Wesson played in 115 games from 1983 to 1987.
Kaleb Wesson (pictured) made the Big Ten's All-Freshman team last year. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman. This year, Kaleb leads the Buckeyes in both points (14.7 per game) and rebounds (5.8).
His older brother, Andre, has moved into the starting lineup this year after playing off the bench last season. Andre, a 6-6 forward, is one of Ohio State's top shooting threats. He is 6-for-13 (46 percent) from 3-point range this season.
Submitted photo
The Bazley Bowl
We can't let this game go without mentioning Darius Bazley, right?
Bazley, a 6-foot-9 forward from Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of the top players in the 2018 recruiting class.
Bazley initially committed to Ohio State, but then changed his mind and opened up his recruitment.
Bazley then committed to Syracuse after considering offers from Indiana, Florida, Georgetown, Illinois, Louisville, Maryland, Purdue and Xavier. As a senior, Bazley earned McDonald All-American honors.
But he then decided to skip college and spend the 2018-19 season in the G-League before entering the NBA draft. He changed his mind again and is now sitting out the season early, while preparing for the NBA draft.
Earlier this fall, Bazley's agent, Rich Paul, negotiated a million dollar deal with New Balance.
Ohio State's notable alumni
The Ohio State University has produced some illustrious alumni over the years.
Some of the more famous graduates include Olympic champion Jesse Owens, the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (who was a grad assistant to Woody Hayes), golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, actress Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond/The Middle), disc jockey Alan Freed, who is credited with coining the phrase "Rock and Roll'', U.S. president Rutherford B. Hayes, ABC president Fred Silverman and founder of NFL Films Ed Sabol.
But for pure entertainment, we give you Ohio State grad and lead singer for Rascal Flatts Gary LeVox.
https://www.syracuse.com/expo/sports/erry-2018/11/7ddfdcd6ac4979/syracuse-basketball-at-ohio-st.html
Syracuse basketball at Ohio State: 10 things to watch for
By Mike Waters | [email protected] | Posted November 28, 2018 at 07:00 AM | Updated November 28, 2018 at 07:19 AM
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Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Syracuse Orange (3-2) will face No. 16 Ohio State at the Value Center Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday night.
The Orange enters the game in need of a win, especially one away from home. This is Syracuse's last non-conference game outside the Carrier Dome. The Orange has already suffered neutral-court losses to Oregon and Connecticut at Madison Square Garden.
Ohio State is off to a 6-0 start, including road wins at Cincinnati and Creighton.
This is the first meeting between the two schools since Ohio State beat Syracuse 77-70 in the NCAA tournament's East Region final in 2012.
Wednesday's game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN2.
Here are 10 things to watch for:
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Syracuse's starters
In Syracuse's game against Colgate last week, SU coach Jim Boeheim finally started the lineup that he expected to have coming into the season.
Frank Howard, Syracuse's returning starter at point guard, missed the Orange's first four regular-season games with an injured left ankle. Howard not only played against Colgate, but he also started the game.
With Howard back, Syracuse's lineup would appear to be set with Tyus Battle at shooting guard, Oshae Brissett and Elijah Hughes at the forward spots and Paschal Chukwu at center.
However, Chukwu suffered a groin strain in the Colgate game. He figures to be a game-time decision for the Ohio State contest.
The Associated Press
Ohio State's starters
C.J. Jackson (pictured) is the only player to start every game for Ohio State this season. The 6-foot-1 senior is averaging 12.7 points per game for the Buckeyes.
The other four players expected to start for Ohio State tonight are: Luther Muhammad (6-3, Fr.), Andre Wesson (6-6, Jr.), Kyle Young (6-8, Soph.) and Kaleb Wesson (6-9, Soph.).
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Are SU's centers ready?
Are Syracuse's centers ready? That question has at least two meanings.
On the one hand, it's a question about Chukwu and Bourama Sidibe's readiness to go up against Ohio State's physical front court. The two centers were out-played in Syracuse's losses to Oregon and Connecticut.
On the other hand, the question could also pertain to their health.
Chukwu strained his groin in SU's game against Colgate last Wednesday. He suffered the injury in the first half and sat out the rest of the game.
Sidibe, meanwhile, is still recovering from offseason surgery that was supposed to help ease the tendinitis in his left knee that hampered him during the 2017-18 season. Boeheim recently said that Sidibe was improving, but still not at 100 percent.
The Associated Press
Chris Holtmann: From Bulldog to Buckeye
Chris Holtmann is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the top coaches in college basketball.
Holtmann has been the named the Coach of the Year in three different conferences. He was the Big South's Coach of the Year at Gardner-Webb in 2013, the Big East Coach of the Year at Butler in 2017 and he earned the Big Ten honor last year after his first season at Ohio State.
In his inaugural season at Ohio State, Holtmann guided the Buckeyes to a 25-9 record and a second-place finish in the Big Ten standings. It marked the fifth straight year that Holtmann's team had won at least 20 games.
This year, Holtmann has Ohio State off to a 6-0 start. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll and are No. 1 in the NCAA's NET rankings, which is a new sorting tool to be used for selection and seeding of teams in the NCAA tournament.
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Howard's second act
Howard had his 2018-19 season debut in the Orange's win over Colgate.
Howard, who had missed over two months with his ankle injury, started and played 19 minutes. He finished with 3 points, five assists, three steals and no turnovers. He took five shots, all 3-pointers, and made just one.
The shooting figures to come around, but the rest of Howard's game showed how much he means to the Orange. He helped the offense function more smoothly and put players back in their expected roles.
Ohio State forces roughly 14 turnovers per game. Howard's presence should help Syracuse limit the turnovers.
The Associated Press
An ACC connection
Syracuse fans might recognize the name of Ohio State guard Keyshawn Woods. Woods transferred to Ohio State from Wake Forest where he went up against the Orange several times. He averaged 11.9 points per game for the Demon Deacons last year.
This year, Woods is scoring 8.3 points per game off the bench for Ohio State. The 6-3 guard leads the Buckeyes in assists with 20. He is also grabbing three rebounds per game.
Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Brissett against the bigs
Brissett's struggles from 3-point range this season have been well-documented. He has made just 4 of his 22 attempts from outside the 3-point line.
But of more concern should be Brissett's ability to score in the paint and finish at the rim.
In SU's win over Colgate, Brissett eschewed the 3-pointer, taking just one shot from beyond the arc. However, the 6-foot-8 forward went 5-for-14 when shooting 2-pointers. That brought his percentage down to 40 percent on shots inside the 3-point line for the season.
Brissett's shooting numbers are a problem. He has taken more shots than any other player on the roster. He's bigger than he was last year and stronger, too, so he should be completing his drives to the basket at a higher rate.
The one positive sign in the Colgate game was Brissett's ability to get to the foul line. He went 7-for-10 on free throws against the Raiders.
The Associated Press
The Wesson family
The Wesson family's ties to Ohio State run deep.
Brothers Kaleb and Andre Wesson are both starters for the Buckeyes this year. Their father, Keith, played for Ohio State in the 1980s. Keith Wesson played in 115 games from 1983 to 1987.
Kaleb Wesson (pictured) made the Big Ten's All-Freshman team last year. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman. This year, Kaleb leads the Buckeyes in both points (14.7 per game) and rebounds (5.8).
His older brother, Andre, has moved into the starting lineup this year after playing off the bench last season. Andre, a 6-6 forward, is one of Ohio State's top shooting threats. He is 6-for-13 (46 percent) from 3-point range this season.
Submitted photo
The Bazley Bowl
We can't let this game go without mentioning Darius Bazley, right?
Bazley, a 6-foot-9 forward from Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of the top players in the 2018 recruiting class.
Bazley initially committed to Ohio State, but then changed his mind and opened up his recruitment.
Bazley then committed to Syracuse after considering offers from Indiana, Florida, Georgetown, Illinois, Louisville, Maryland, Purdue and Xavier. As a senior, Bazley earned McDonald All-American honors.
But he then decided to skip college and spend the 2018-19 season in the G-League before entering the NBA draft. He changed his mind again and is now sitting out the season early, while preparing for the NBA draft.
Earlier this fall, Bazley's agent, Rich Paul, negotiated a million dollar deal with New Balance.
Ohio State's notable alumni
The Ohio State University has produced some illustrious alumni over the years.
Some of the more famous graduates include Olympic champion Jesse Owens, the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (who was a grad assistant to Woody Hayes), golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, actress Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond/The Middle), disc jockey Alan Freed, who is credited with coining the phrase "Rock and Roll'', U.S. president Rutherford B. Hayes, ABC president Fred Silverman and founder of NFL Films Ed Sabol.
But for pure entertainment, we give you Ohio State grad and lead singer for Rascal Flatts Gary LeVox.
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