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Tuesday, Jan. 5 vs Northern Illinois | 6 p.m. ET | Athens, Ohio | 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 (5-4, 1-2 MAC) returns to Athens on Tuesday, Jan. 5 when the Bobcats host Northern Illinois (1-7, 0-3 MAC). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. Tuesday's game can be seen on ESPN3/+ where Russ Eisenstein and Rob Cornelius will have the call.
Tuesday's game can be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield IMG College where Marty Bannister will be 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 58th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 35-22.
• The Bobcats and Huskies last met Jan. 28, 2020 in DeKalb where the Bobcats fell 61-59.
• Ohio is 6-5 against NIU since the start of the 2012-13 season, with three of those losses coming in the 2018-19 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.
• 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 NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 1-7 overall record and an 0-3 mark in MAC play after falling to Bowling Green, 68-42 on Jan. 2.
Overall, NIU averages 57.1 points per game, while shooting 38.2 percent from the field, 21.2 percent from three and 61.8 percent from three-point range. The Huskies also average 37.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 5.5 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. Meanwhile, opponents average 76.5 points per game and are shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three and 65.5 percent from the free throw line. Opponents also average 36.6 rebounds and 17.8 assists per game.
Individually, Tyler Cochran leads the Huskies with 13.8 points a game to go along with 7.4 rebounds a contest. Cochran is also shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free throw line. Darius Beane adds 11.9 points a game, while Trendon Hankerson adds 11.6 points a contest.
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats enter the matchup with Northern Illinois with a 5-4 overall record and a 1-2 mark in MAC play after defeating Ball State, 78-68 on Jan. 2 in Muncie, Ind.
Overall, the Bobcats are averaging 80.7 points per game, while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 65.0 percent from three-point range and 64.7 percent from the free throw line. The Bobcats also average 34.2 rebounds an game to go along with 17.3 assists, 7.2 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 72.2 points per game, while shooting 44.0 percent from the field, 33.2 percent from three-point range and 78.9 percent from the free throw line. Opponents also average 32.9 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 5.4 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.
Individually, Jason Preston leads Ohio with 18.9 points per game, while shooting 57.6 percent from the field, 48.3 percent from three-point range and 57.1 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 6.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game.
Dwight Wilson III is next with 15.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a contest, while shooting 62.5 percent from the field. Ben Vander Plas is next, averaging 12.4 points per game, while shooting 38.9 percent from the field, 71.0 percent from the free throw line and adds 5.7 rebounds a game.
Lunden McDay also averages double figures, adding 10.2 points, while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three. Meanwhile, Ben Roderick adds 11.9 points per game and is shooting 47.6 percent from the field.
ALL TIME VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
This is the 58th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.
Ohio leads the all-time series, 35-22.
The Bobcats and Huskies last met Jan. 28, 2020 in DeKalb where the Bobcats fell 61-59.
Ohio is 6-5 against NIU since the start of the 2012-13 season, with three of those losses coming in the 2018-19 season.
IN THE MAC
Currently, Jason Preston is fourth in the MAC in scoring, second in assists, fourth in assists/TO ratio and third in three-point field goal percentage.
Dwight Wilson III is fourth in rebounding.
As a team, Ohio is sixth in scoring margin (+10.6), fifth in total offense and eighth in total defense.
The Bobcats are also first in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point field goal percentage.
Ohio is also first in assists and first in assist/turnover ratio.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 521-173 (.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 18.9 points per game, while shooting 57.6 percent from the field, 48.3 percent from three-point range and 57.1 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 6.1 rebounds and 7.4 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 850 career points, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas has 866 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 391.
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. Roger Smith (1984-87)..................401
6. Jason Preston (2019-Present)..396
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 eight games, Vander Plas adds 12.4 points and is shooting 38.9 percent from the field, 71.0 percent from the free throw line and is averaging 5.7 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.
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 eight games, Wilson III is averaging 15.3 points per game and a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 62.5 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. 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.
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 11.9 points per game and is 20-of-42 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.
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 22.7 minutes on the court. He adds 5.1 points a game, is second on the team in steals with 11 and is 7-of-21 from three-point range. He is also shooting 40.5 percent from the field.
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.
UP NEXT
The Bobcats are back on the road for some Friday night MAC play on Jan. 8 when Ohio heads to Toledo. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. inside Savage arena and can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
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