Ohio Men's Basketball Set for Battle with Marshall on Sunday
12/12/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Sunday, Dec. 3 at. Marshall | 2 pm ET | Huntington, W. Va.| Cam Henderson Center | CUSATV | TuneIn | Live Stats | Ohio Game Notes | Marshall Game Notes | @OhioMBasketball
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio men's basketball team (4-1) hits the road to Huntington, W. Va. to take on Marshall (3-0) Sunday, Dec. 13. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. inside the Cam Henderson Center. Sunday's game will be broadcast CUSATV.
The game can be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 13th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats," along with Ohio alum Rob Cornelius. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship. The broadcasts are also available online through TuneIn.com/OhioBobcats and on the TuneIn app.
STORYLINES
• This is the 105th all-time meeting between the Bobcats and The Herd, with the Bobcats leading the all-time series, 56-48.
• Ohio won the last meeting against Marshall on Dec. 1, 2018, with the Bobcats winning, 101-84 inside the Convocation center.
• The Bobcats and Marshall are 4-4 in their last eight matchups dating back to the 2008-09 season.
• On Dec. 6 against Cleveland State, the NCAA record for scoring run against a Division I opponent with a 40-0 run to open the second half beginning at 43 seconds remaining in the first half and ending at 8:03 in the second half.
• Jason Preston was named the MAC Player of the week on Nov. 30, marking a week capped off by a 31-point performance on Nov. 27 against No. 8 Illinois.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 521-172 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• The Bobcats opened the 2020 season at the Illinois MTE last week, finishing with a 2-1 record and nearly knocking off No. 8 Illinois in a 77-75 battle.
SCOUTING MARSHALL
Marshall enters the contest with a 3-0 record after defeating College of Charleston, 84-72 on Dec. 9.
As a team, Marshall is averaging 78.0 points a game, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 33.8 percent form three and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. They also average 40.0 rebounds and 14.3 assists per game. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 64.0 points a game, while shooting 38.1 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three and 56.3 percent from the free throw line.
Individually, Taevion Kinsey leads The Herd with 20.3 points a game. He is shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 77.3 percent from the free throw line, while grabbing 5.3 rebounds a game. Jarrod West adds 15.7 points a game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, while Darius George adds 12.3 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds a game.
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats enter the matchup with Marshall with a 4-1 overall record after defeating Cleveland State on Dec. 6, 101-46, and Purdue Northwest on Dec. 10, 92-72, both inside the Convo.
Overall, the Bobcats are averaging 87.2 points per game, while shooting 52.3 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from three-point range and 61.0 percent from the free throw line. The Bobcats also average 38.0 rebounds an game to go along with 19.2 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.0 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 65.6 points per game, while shooting 38.2 percent from the field, 29.0 percent from three-point range and 75.3 percent from the free throw line. Opponents also average 32.4 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 6.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
Individually, Jason Preston leads Ohio with 19.4 points per game, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field, 52.9 percent from three-point range and 50.0 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 6.2 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game.
Dwight Wilson III is next with 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds a contest, while shooting 60.8 percent from the field. Ben Vander Plas is next, averaging 13.0 points per game, while shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 76.5 percent from the free throw line and adds 5.8 rebounds a game.
Lunden McDay also averages double digits, added 11.2 points, while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three.
ALL TIME VS. MARSHALL
This is the 105th all-time meeting between the Bobcats and The Herd, with the Bobcats leading the all-time series, 56-48.
Ohio won the last meeting against Marshall on Dec. 1, 2018, with the Bobcats winning, 101-84 inside the Convocation center.
The Bobcats and Marshall are 4-4 in their last eight matchups dating back to the 2008-09 season.
WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW
After his 31-point performance against No. 8 Illinois on Nov. 27, Jason Preston's star has exploded on the national level.
Already this season, the junior point guard is averaging 19.4 points per game, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field, 52.9 percent from three-point range and 50.0 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 6.2 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game.
In the Bobcats first game of the year against Chicago State, Preston scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out eight assists in Ohio's 84-61 victory. He went 5-of-9 from the field and 1-of-2 from three-point range and had no turnovers in 30 minutes on the court.
Preston was even better against North Carolina A&T, scoring 21 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out seven assists in the 84-72 victory. He went 8-of-13 from the field, 3-of-7 from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line.
Preston was named the MAC Player of the Week on Nov. 30 for his performance that week.
On Dec. 10 against Purdue Northwest, Preston scored 22 points and dished out a season-high 11 assists in the 92-72 victory.
1,000 POINT WATCH
Early in the season and two Bobcats are on path to hit the 1,000-point thresh hold this season.
Junior Jason Preston currently sits at 815 career points, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas has 819 career points.
MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jason Preston was named the MAC Player of the week on Nov. 30 for her performance the week on Nov. 24.
ALL TIME ASSISTS MARK
Junior Jason Preston currently sits sixth all-time on Ohio's all-time assist list with 386.
1. D.J. Cooper (2010-13) .......................934
2. Dennis Whitaker (1990)...................651
3. Paul Baron (1983-86) ........................579
4. Jaaron Simmons (2016-17.)..............475
5. Roger Smith (1984-87)......................401
6. Jason Preston (2019-Present)..... 386
7. Sonny Troutman (2004-07)...........384
STEADY BVP
Redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas continues to be a steady force for the Bobcats. Over the first five games, Vander Plas adds 13.0 points and is shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 76.5 percent from the free throw line and is averaging 5.8 rebounds per game.
WELCOME TO OHIO DJ
Since senior transfer Dwight Wilson III's transfer waiver was approved three days before the Bobcats first game of the season, he has fit right in to the starting five.
After five games, Wilson III is averaging 14.2 points per game and a team-leading 9.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 60.8 percent from the field.
Wilson II has recorded double doubles in back-to-back games for the first time this season, recording on against Cleveland State in the first half of the game, and one against Purdue Northwest on Dec. 10.
UP NEXT
With their game against Mississippi Valley State scheduled for Dec. 18 cancelled, the Bobcats will have nine days off before returning to action on Dec. 22 when they open MAC play at Akron.
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