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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball (2-0) returns to action this Friday, Nov. 19 when they head to Lexington, Ky. for the second game of the Kentucky Classic for a matchup with #13 Kentucky. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside Rupp Arena. Friday's game can be seen on the SEC Network where Mike Morgan and Mark Wise will be on the call. 

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 14th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats" and will be joined by Ohio alum Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship. 

STORY LINES
• This is the 16th all-time meeting between Ohio and Kentucky. 
• Kentucky leads the all-time series, 14-1. 
• The Bobcats and Kentucky last met on Dec. 30, 2005 in Cincinnati, with Ohio falling, 71-63. 
• Ohio last played Kentucky in Lexington on Nov. 30, 1994, with the Bobcats falling, 79-74. 
• Ohio has opened the season with victories over Belmont and Cleveland State, two teams that were selected to win their respective conferences. 
• Kentucky enters the matchup with the Bobcats at 2-1 after defeating Mount St. Mary's, 80-55 on Tuesday. 
• The game against Kentucky is the first game of the Kentucky Classic, which will see the Bobcats take on RMU, Kentucky and Mount St. Mary's over seven days. 
• Overall Ohio is 12-58 (.169) against the top-25. vs. #1: 0-6 (.000);
vs. Top 5: 2-17 (.111)
vs. Top 10: 2-28 (.069);
vs. Top 15: 9-37 (.195);
vs. Top 20: 11-50 (.169);
at home: 3-7 (.300); away: 4-29 (.121); neutral: 4-18 (.154)

• Ohio played two top-25 teams last season, falling to Illinois and Creighton, but defeating Virginia. 
• Mark Sears was named the MAC Player of the Week after he opened the first week of the season averaging 21.0 points per game. 
• In the first game of the post-Jason Preston era, starting point guard Mark Sears was dominate, scoring a career-high 27 points in the victory over Belmont. 
• In his first game back in the Green and White, Jason Carter recorded a double-double, scoring 20 points and snagging 10 boards against Belmont on Nov. 9. 
• Third-year head coach Jeff Boals currently sits with 92 career wins. 
• Ohio was selected to finish 2nd in this year's MAC Coaches Preseason Poll. The Bobcats did not earn any first place votes. 
• Ben Vander Plas earned a spot on the Preseason All-MAC First Team
• Jason Carter earned a spot on the Preseason All-MAC Second Team. 

SCOUTING #13 KENTUCKY
No. 13 Kentucky enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 2-1 record after defeating Mount St. Mary's, 80-55 Tuesday night. 

The Wildcats are averaging 83.7 points per game, while shotting .488 from the field, .451 from three and .815 from the line. Kentucky is also averaging 42.7 rebounds, 18.0 assists and 7.0 steals per game. They also force opponents to turn the ball over 13 times a game. 

Meanwhile, Kentucky opponents are averaging 64.7 points a game, while shoot .414 from the field, .264 from three and .692 from the free throw line. Opponents average 28.7 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 7.7 steals, while forcing Kentucky into 11.7 turnovers a game. 

Leading the Wildcats, Oscar Tshiebwe averages 18.3 points a game. He shoots .615 from the field, .778 from the line and averages 18.7 rebounds a game. Meanwhile, Kellan Grady adds 12 points a game, while shooting .563 from three. 

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with Kentucky with a 3-0 record and is coming off of an 85-71 victory over Robert Morris on Monday. 

The Bobcats average 81.3 points a game, while shooting .445 from the field, .383 from three and .833 from the line. The Bobcats grab 35.7 rebounds a game while dishing out an average of 17.3 assists and registering 7.3 steals a game. Ohio is averaging 10 turnovers a game. 

Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 69.0 points a game, while shooting .447 from the field, .306 from three and .720 from the line. Opponents are averaging 32 rebounds, 14.6 assists and 13.6 turnovers a game. 

Individually, Ohio is led by guard Mark Sears who is averaging 19.3 points a game, while shooting .647 from the field, .750 from three and .889 from the line. Forward Jason Carter is adding 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a game, while forward Ben Vander Plas is averaging 15 points a game and 8.7 rebounds. 

ALL TIME VS. KENTUCKY
This is the 16th all-time meeting between Ohio and Kentucky. 

Kentucky leads the all-time series, 14-1. 

The Bobcats and Kentucky last met on Dec. 30, 2005 in Cincinnati, with Ohio falling, 71-63. 

Ohio last played Kentucky in Lexington on Nov. 30, 1994, with the Bobcats falling, 79-74. 

LAST TIME AGAINST KENTUCKY
The Bobcats and Kentucky last met on Dec. 30, 2005 in Cincinnati, with Ohio falling, 71-63. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio men's basketball team (3-0) returned to Athens on Monday night, extending its winning streak to three games when they defeated Robert Morris (0-3), 85-71, in their first game of the Kentucky Classic inside the Convocation Center.

Five Bobcats scored in double figures, starting with fifth year forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) who scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, followed by redshirt senior forward Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) who added 17 points and 11 boards. Sophomore guard Mark Sears (Muscle Shoals, Ala.) scored 16 points, while junior forward Ben Roderick (Powell, Ohio) scored 14 points – all in the second half – and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the line. 

Overall, Ohio shot 46.4 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from three and 92.9 percent from the line, while RMU shot 49.1 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three and 73.3 percent from the line. Ohio outrebounded RMU, 36-30, and dished out 13 assists to their 12. The Bobcats also registered three steals and forced 16 RMU turnovers, scoring 18 points off if them. 

MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore guard Mark Sears was named the MAC Player of the Week on Nov. 16. 

Sears (Muscle Shoals, Ala.) was stellar for the Bobcats during the opening week of the season. Overall, Sears averaged 21.0 points per game. He went 15-of-22 (.682) from the field, 5-of-6 (.833) from three and 7-of-8 (.875) from the free throw line. He added 4.0 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds a game and one steal per game.

Sears opened up the season is spectacular fashion against Belmont on opening night. Sears scored 27 points, going 10-of-11 from the field, 4-of-4 from three and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He grabbed six boards, dished out four assists and had two steals in 31 minutes on the court in Ohio's 90-82 victory. 

OHIO AND RANKED TEAMS
Overall Ohio is 12-58 (.169) against the top-25. vs. #1: 0-6 (.000);
vs. Top 5: 2-17 (.111)
vs. Top 10: 2-28 (.069);
vs. Top 15: 9-37 (.195);
vs. Top 20: 11-50 (.169);
at home: 3-7 (.300); away: 4-29 (.121); neutral: 4-18 (.154)

MILES STEPPING UP
Junior guard Miles Brown is stepping up in his new starting role. 

In three-straight starts, Brown is averaging 7.3 points and is shooting .350 from the field, .333 from three and has hit all four free throws that he's attempted. 

IT'S LIKE HE NEVER LEFT
In his first game back in Athens, Jason Carter was back to his old self. 

Carter registered his first double double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the victory over Belmont. 

After three games, Carter is averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. He is also shooting .444 from the field, .333 from three and is 2-of-2 from the line. 

He also has two double-doubles early on this season. 

BOALS MARCH TO 100
Third-year head coach Jeff Boals currently sits with 92 career victories. 

BVP STILL STEADY
Ben Vander Plas picked up right where he left on in 2021-22 on Nov. 9. 

The forward scored 19 points and grabbed six boards in Ohio's win against Belmont. He also tied a career-high, dishing out seven assists. 

BVP is currently third on the team in scoring with 15 points per game. He also averages 8.7 rebounds, while dishing out 3.3 assists a game. Vander Plas is shooting .500 from the field and .400 from three. 

TOWNS OFF THE BENCH
Sophomore forward Sam Towns made a mark on Nov. 13 at Cleveland State. 

Off the bench, Towns scored five points, hit a three, while also grabbed a career-high six rebounds and dished out five assists. 

BROD CHANGED HIS SHOES
After starting the season slowly, Ben Roderick stepped up in the second half against Robert Morris on Nov. 15. 

At the end of the game, Roderick scored 14 points and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line, a new career record for the junior forward. 

OHIO ADDS FOUR DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
The Ohio Men's Basketball program has added four new student-athletes during the early signing period, third-year head coach Jeff Boals announced today (Nov. 10). AJ Brown, Aidan Hadaway, Elmore James IV and Ajay Sheldon are all set to join the Bobcats for the 2022-23 season.

AJ Brown, a 6'4 4 Star wing from Orlando, Fla. signs with the Bobcats as a freshman for the 2022-2023 Season. Brown is ranked as the #19 SG in the country according to ESPN and is the Bobcats highest ever signed recruit since D.J. Cooper in 2009. Brown also had offers from Texas A&M, Penn State, and Clemson.

Aidan Hadaway, a 6'8 forward from Lafayette, Ga. signs with the Bobcats as a freshman for the 2022-2023. Hadaway is ranked as the #30 Small Forward in the country according to Rivals. Hadaway also had offers from Georgia and Belmont.

Elmore James IV, a 6'3 guard from Cleveland, Ohio signs with the Bobcats as a freshman for the 2022-2023 Season. James also had offers from North Texas, Tulane, Toledo, and Kent State.

Ajay Sheldon, a 6'1 point guard from Dublin, Ohio signs with the Bobcats as a freshman for the 2022-2023. Sheldon also had offers from Elon and Furman.

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats returns to Athens for the final game of the Kentucky Classic on Monday, Nov. 22 when Ohio hosts Mount St. Mary's. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.  

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