COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKBN) – The Buckeyes’, who earned the second seed in the South region, tournament path begins with a matchup against 15th seed Oral Roberts on Friday.
Under coach Chris Holtmann, the Buckeyes have won their first-round game in each of the trips in 2018 (def. South Dakota State, 81-73) and in 2019 (def. Iowa State, 62-59). In each of the 4-years that he’s been at the helm of Ohio State basketball, the Buckeyes have won 20 or more games in each season.
Holtmann’s teams are making their sixth straight tournament appearance (not counting last year’s COVID pandemic post-season). His Butler Bulldog teams made the tournament in each of his three seasons (2015-17), and his Buckeye teams have now made the tournament three years (2018-19, 21).
Ohio State’s last trip to the Final Four was in 2012 where they picked off Syracuse (77-70) in the Elite Eight before being edged by Kansas (64-62) in the National Semifinal.
Ohio State Buckeyes (21-9)
Head Coach: Chris Holtmann, fourth season (87-43)
Record: 21-9 (12-8), fifth place in Big Ten
Conference Tournament Result: Lost to Illinois, 91-88, in Big Ten championship in overtime
NCAA Tournament Appearances 34th
NCAA Tournament Record: 57-32
NCAA Tournament Championship: 1 (1960)
Team Statistics
Scoring Offense: 77.3
Rebounds Per Game: 36.1
Field Goal Percentage: 46.1%
Three-Point Percentage: 36.0%
Free Throw Percentage: 76.9%
Turnovers Per Game: 10.6
Scoring Defense: 70.4
Individual Leaders
Scoring
EJ Liddell – 16.0
Duane Washington, JR – 15.5
Justice Sueing – 10.5
CJ Walker – 9.2
Kyle Young – 8.6
Rebounding
EJ Liddell – 6.4
Justice Sueing – 5.7
Kyle Young – 5.5
Assists
CJ Walker – 4.4
Three-Point Percentage
Kyle Young – 43.3%
Justin Ahrens – 43.0%
Duane Washington, Jr. – 36.9%
EJ Liddell – 34.8%
Justice Sueing – 34.5%
Free Throw Percentage
CJ Walker – 94.7%
Duane Washington JR. – 88.8%
Kyle Young – 84.6%
Justice Sueing – 75.9%
EJ Liddell – 74.3%
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (16-10)
Head Coach: Paul Mills, fourth season (55-65)
Record: 16-10 (10-5), fourth place in Summit League
Conference Tournament Result: Defeated North Dakota State. 75-72, in The Summit League championship on Tuesday
NCAA Tournament Appearance: sixth
NCAA Tournament Record: 2-5
Team Statistics
Scoring Offense: 81.8
Rebounds Per Game: 35.2
Field Goal Percentage: 45.4%
Three-Point Percentage: 39.0%
Free Throw Percentage: 82.4%
Turnovers Per Game: 11.5
Scoring Defense: 75.8
Individual Leaders
Scoring
Max Abmas – 24.2
Kevin Obanor – 18.2
RJ Glasper – 11.0
Kareem Thompson – 8.8
Rebounding
Kevin Obanor – 9.5
Kareem Thompson – 3.7
Assists
Max Abmas – 3.7
Three-Point Percentage
Kevin Obanor – 46.9%
Max Abmas – 43.3%
Kareem Thompson – 42.2%
DeShang Weaver – 38.8%
Free Throw Percentage
RJ Glasper – 92.9%
Max Abmas – 89.9%
Kevin Obanor – 88.1%
Carlos Jurgens – 78.7%
