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Tuesday, Feb. 23 vs Akron | 2 p.m. ET | Athens, Ohio | Convocation Center | ESPN3 | TuneIn | Live Stats | Ohio Game Notes | Akron Game Notes | Virtural Sellout| @OhioMBasketball
ATHENS, Ohio - For the first time since Feb. 2, the Ohio men's basketball team (11-6, 7-4 MAC) is back in action. Ohio is set to host Akron (14-4, 12-3 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 23 for it's first of three games in five days. Tip-off is set for 2 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
• The Bobcats last played on Feb. 2 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. where Ohio defeated Central Michigan, 83-69.
• This is the 86th all-time meeting between Ohio and Akron, with the Zips leading the series, 45-40.
• The Bobcats and Akron met earlier this year in Akron. The Bobcats fell to the Zips, 90-70.
• This game between the Bobcats and Akron was originally scheduled to be played Feb. 9, however it was postponed.
• Dwight Wilson III is currently second in the Nation in field goal percentage.
• With two weeks to go in the regular season, Wilson III is on pace to set to break Gary Trent's single season field goal percentage mark (65.1). Wilson III is currently shooting 69.3 percent from the field.
• Junior Jason Preston currently sits at 931 career points, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas has 973 career points. Dwight Wilson III is also close, with 923.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 525-174 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• Since playing consistently since the start of MAC play, Mark Sears has been phenomenal averaging 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He is also 38-of-45 from the line and shooting 51.8 percent from the field.
• On Jan. 23 against Ball State, Jason Preston recorded his second career triple double, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 boards and dishing out 11 assists. It is the third triple double in program history.
• 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 AKRON
The Zips enter the matchup with Ohio with a 14-4 and a 12-3 mark in MAC play. Akron is coming off of an 88-79 victory at Ball State on Friday.
As a team, Akron is averaging 79.3 points a game, while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from three and 75.9 percent from the free throw line. They are averaging 38.4 rebounds a game, while dishing out 14.2 assists and grabbing 5.2 steals a game. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 69.9 points a game, while shooting 42.8 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from three and 72.1 percent from the free throw line. Opponents are averaging 34.2 rebounds and 11.6 assists per game.
Individually, Loren Cristian Jackson leads the Zips with 20.9 points per game. He is shooting 42.0 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. He has also dished out 120 assists. Bryan Trimble, Jr. adds 13.4 points a game, while Enrique Freeman adds a team-leading 9.1 rebounds a game
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats enter the matchup with Bowling Green with an 11-6 overall record and a 7-4 mark in MAC play after defeating CMU, 83-69, Tuesday night.
Overall, the Bobcats are averaging 80.1 points per game, while shooting 48.7 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three-point range and 69.2 percent from the free throw line. The Bobcats also average 34.0 rebounds a game to go along with 17.7 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 73.4 points per game, while shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three-point range and 76.6 percent from the free throw line. Opponents also average 33.2 rebounds, 14.6 assists, 5.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.
Individually, Jason Preston leads Ohio with 16.4 points per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point range and 62.5 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 7.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
Dwight Wilson III is next with 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds a contest, while shooting 69.3 percent from the field. Ben Vander Plas is next, averaging 12.8 points per game, while shooting 42.8 percent from the field, 77.8 percent from the free throw line and adds 5.6 rebounds a game.
ALL TIME VS. AKRON
This is the 86th all-time meeting between Ohio and Akron, with the Zips leading the series, 45-40.
The Bobcats and Akron met earlier this year in Akron. The Bobcats fell to the Zips, 90-70.
This game between the Bobcats and Akron was originally scheduled to be played Feb. 9, however it was postponed.
IN THE MAC
Dwight Wilson III is fifth in rebounding and eighth in scoring in the MAC and second in field goal percentage.
Jason Preston is seventh in scoring, first in assists and second in assist/turnover ratio. He is also eighth in field goal percentage.
Ben Roderick is sixth in three-point field goal percentage and fourth in three-point field goals made, while Mark Sears is ninth in assists and third in assist/turnover ratio.
As a team, Ohio is fifth in scoring margin (+6.8), third in total offense and seventh 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, first in assist/turnover ratio and third in turnover margin.
IN THE NCAA
Dwight Wilson III currently ranks second in the NCAA in field goal percentage.
Jason Preston Ranks fifth in assists per game.
As a team, Ohio is 11th in the nation in assists per game and 13th in assist/turnover ratio.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 525-174 (.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 16.4 points per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point range and 62.5 percent from the free throw line. He also adds 7.2 rebounds and 7.3 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.
Preston recorded his second career triple double on Jan. 23 against Ball State, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 11 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 931 career points, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas has 973 career points. Dwight Wilson III is also close, with 923.
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 446.
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)...446
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 17 games, Vander Plas adds 12.8 points and is shooting 42.8 percent from the field, 77.8 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 17 games, Wilson III is averaging 15.6 points per game and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 69.3 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.
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.
On Jan. 29 at Buffalo, Wilson III was vital, scoring a game-high 21 points, including the game-wining put back basket to give Ohio a one-point lead with 25 seconds to go.
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 11.5 points per game and is 38-of-96 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.
Roderick was vital against Buffalo on Jan. 29, scoring 17 points - 15 in the first half - helping Ohio to the 76-75 victory.
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.
On Jan. 23 Sears led the Bobcats with 19 points off the bench in the 85-77 victory.
On Jan. 26, Sears again set a career mark, scoring 21 points in a victory against Western Michigan.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR BOUND?
Since the start of MAC play, freshman Mark Sears has been outstanding.
In 11 games, Sears is averaging 12.1 points in 24.2 minutes. He is shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 84.4 percent from the free throw line. He as also dished out 51 assists.
UP NEXT
The Bobcats are back in Athens on Thursday, Feb. 25 when Ohio hosts Eastern Michigan. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
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