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Tuesday, Jan. 19 vs Northern Illinois | 7 p.m. ET | DeKalb, Ill. | NIU Convocation Center | ESPN+ | TuneIn | Live Stats | Ohio Game Notes | NIU Game Notes | Bobcat Weekly Digital Guide | Virtural Sellout| @OhioMBasketball 

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (7-6, 3-4 MAC) is back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 19 when Ohio heads to DeKalb, Ill, to take on Northern Illinois (2-10, 1-6 MAC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET inside the NIU Convocation Center. Tuesday's game can be seen on ESPN+ where Matt Rodewald and Carl Armato will have the call. 

Tuesday's game can be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield IMG College with 'Voice of the Bobcats' Russ Eisenstein on the call. 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 59th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 36-22.
• The Bobcats and Huskies last met Jan. 5, 2021 in Athens where the Bobcats defeated the Huskies, 76-73. 
• Ohio is 7-5 against NIU since the start of the 2012-13 season, with three of those losses coming in the 2018-19 season.
•  Ohio has not won in DeKalb since 2017. 
• Junior Jason Preston currently sits at 883 career points, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas has 930 career points. Dwight Wilson III is also close, with 851.
•  Ohio has registered an impressive 523-174 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
•  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. 
• The Bobcats opened the 2020 season at the Illinois MTE Nov. 25-27, finishing with a 2-1 record and nearly knocking off No. 8 Illinois in a 77-75 battle. 

SCOUTING NIU
Northern Illinois enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 2-10 overall record and 1-6 mark in MAC play after falling to Ball State, 78-58, Saturday afternoon. 

Overall, NIU averages 59.4 points per game, while shooting 39.8.3 percent from the field, 29.0 percent from three and 62.4 percent from three-point range. The Huskies also average 36.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 5.3 steals and 2.8 blocks per game. Meanwhile, opponents average 75.1 points per game and are shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three and 65.9 percent from the free throw line. Opponents also average 34.9 rebounds and 17.1 assists per game. 

Individually, Trendon Hankerson averages 12.3 points per game and 4.4 boards, while shooting 36.3 percent from the field. Darius Beane adds 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, while shooting 35.0 percent from the field. 

SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats enter the matchup with NIU with a 7-6 overall record and a 3-4 mark in MAC play after falling to Kent State Saturday afternoon in Athens.    

Overall, the Bobcats are averaging 79.8 points per game, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three-point range and 68.1 percent from the free throw line. The Bobcats also average 31.9 rebounds a game to go along with 18.1 assists, 6.9 steals and 2.4 blocks per game. 

Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 74.5 points per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three-point range and 77.2 percent from the free throw line. Opponents also average 33.7 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 4.9 steals and 2.4 blocks per game. 

Individually, Jason Preston leads Ohio with 18.3 points per game, while shooting 58.4 percent from the field, 45.0 percent from three-point range and 62.5 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 6.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. 

Dwight Wilson III is next with 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds a contest, while shooting 64.6 percent from the field. Ben Vander Plas is next, averaging 13.5 points per game, while shooting 40.8 percent from the field, 79.1 percent from the free throw line and adds 5.5 rebounds a game. 

ALL TIME VS. NIU
This is the 59th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 36-22.

The Bobcats and Huskies last met Jan. 5, 2021 in Athens where the Bobcats defeated the Huskies, 76-73. 

Ohio is 7-5 against NIU since the start of the 2012-13 season, with three of those losses coming in the 2018-19 season.

Ohio has not won in DeKalb since 2017. 

IN THE MAC
Dwight Wilson III is sixth in rebounding and 10th in scoring in the MAC and second in field goal percentage. 

Ben Roderick is sixth in three-point field goal percentage and fifth in three-point field goals made, while Ben Vander Plas is sixth in assist/turnover ratio. Mark Sears is sixth in assists and third in assist/turnover ratio. 

As a team, Ohio is sixth in scoring margin (+5.3), sixth in total offense and ninth in total defense. 

The Bobcats are also first in field goal percentage, and second in three-point field goal percentage. 

Ohio is also first in assists, first in assist/turnover ratio and third in turnover margin. 

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 523-174 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

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 18.3 points per game, while shooting 58.4 percent from the field, 45.0 percent from three-point range and 62.5 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 6.0 rebounds and 7.7 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. 

After missing four games due to injury, Preston returned to the Bobcats' lineup on Jan. 12 against Miami, scoring 10 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out eight assists in the 78-61 victory. 

Preston took over the game on Jan. 16 against Kent State, scoring 23 points and dishing out 10 assists. 

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 883 career points, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas has 930 career points. Dwight Wilson III is also close, with 851.

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 fifth all-time on Ohio's all-time assist list with 404. 

1. D.J. Cooper (2010-1.......................934
2. Dennis Whitaker (1990)...............651
3. Paul Baron (1983-86) ...................579
4. Jaaron Simmons (2016-17.)..........475
5. Jason Preston (2019-Present)...414
6. Roger Smith (1984-87)..................401
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 13 games, Vander Plas adds 13.5 points and is shooting 40.8 percent from the field, 79.1 percent from the free throw line and is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. 

BVP recorded his first double double of the season on Dec. 30 against Bowling Green, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 boards. 

Vander Plas's best game of the season came on Jan. 16 against Kent State where he scored a season-high 24 points, while hitting a career-high five threes in the 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 13 games, Wilson III is averaging 14.8 points per game and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 64.6 percent from the field. 

Wilson III 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. He then made it three-straight games on Dec. 13 at Marshall, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 boards. 

The Week of Dec. 7, Wilson III was on fire. In two games, Wilson III averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and shot 60 percent from the field. 

Wilson III added another 20-point performance on Dec. 30 against Bowling Green. Scoring 20 points and recording six boards. 

Wilson III registered his best game on the season on Jan. 5 against NIU, where he scored a season-high 25 points, went 12-of-14 from the field and grabbed eight boards in the 76-73 victory. 

BREAKOUT YEAR FOR BROD?
After a freshman year that was hampered by injuries, sophomore Ben Roderick is looking for a breakout year.

Roderick is averaging 12.1 points per game and is 33-of-70 from three-point range. 

Roderick had a career day against North Carolina A&T where he scored a career-hight 22 points and tied his career-high six made threes in the victory. 

Coming off of injury, Roderick was on fire the week of Dec. 30 for the Bobcats. Over two games, Roderick averaged 18.0 points, shot 54.6 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three. 

Roderick recorded another 20-point performance on Jan. 12 against Miami, scoring 20 points while going 6-of-10 from three and 7-of-11 from the field in the victory. 

MILES MAKING THE MOST IN YEAR TWO
After getting a late start to last season because of injury, Miles Brown is making the most out of his playing time during his sophomore year. 

One of the first off the bench, Brown is averaging 21.5 minutes on the court. He adds 5.0 points a game and is second on the team in steals with 15.

SEARS MAKES A MARK
Freshman guard Mark Sears earned his first career start on Dec. 30 against Bowling Green, and made the most of it. Sears scored nine points, grabbed six boards and dished out nine assists, while only committing two turnovers in 32 minutes. 

Sears was even better in his second start on Jan. 2 at Ball State, scoring a career-high 18 points, while grabbing six boards and dishing out eight assists in the Bobcats 78-68 victory. 

Sears was calm once again on Jan. 5 against NIU, scoring 10 points and dishing out seven assists and hit a clutch three in the 76-73 victory. 

Start four for Sears was even better. On Jan. 8 at Toledo, Sears scored 20 points, going 6-of-9 from the field, dished out eight assists and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. 

After Preston returned to the starting lineup on Jan. 12, Sears was clutch off the bench, scoring nine points, grabbing seven boards and dishing out four assists in 19 minutes. 

UP NEXT
The Bobcats take on Ball State on Friday, Jan. 22. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. .ET inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on CBS Sports Network.  

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