FOLLOW OHIO MEN'S BASKETBALL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (5-2) is back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 6 when the Bobcats host Youngstown State (5-3). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The game can be seen on ESPN+, where Marty Bannister, Dave Cecutti and Sam Hyman will have the call. 

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 16th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats" and will be joined by Ohio alum Rob Cornlius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship. 

STORYLINES
• This is the 20th all-time meeting between Ohio and Youngstown State.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 15-4.
• Ohio and Youngstown State last met on Dec. 11, 2022 in Youngstown, with Ohio winning, 81-79 at the buzzer.
• Ohio is 8-1 all-time against the Penguins in Athens.
• Ohio last hosted Youngstown State in the Convo on Dec. 20, 1993, with Ohio winning, 85-42.
• Ohio is coming off a 74-73 come-from-behind victory over Delaware on Saturday afternoon inside the Convo.
• YSU is 5-3 entering the matchup with Ohio, and is coming off a 71-57 victory over Robert Morris on Dec. 2. The Penguins also defeated Cleveland State, 94-69 on Nov. 29 in Youngstown.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 557-179 (.756) all-time record at the Co1vocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• Ohio finished 14-1 in the Convo this season.
• This season Ohio 3-0 in the Convo.
• Ohio is 52-11 in the Convo under Boals in the last five seasons.
• Sophomore guard Elmore James tied his career high with 21 points Saturday afternoon against Delaware.
• James was named the MAC Co-Player of the Week for his performance.
• Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell recorded a career-high in points twice while in The Bahamas, scoring 23 points against GW on Nov. 24, before setting the new mark of 24 points on Nov. 26 against Brown.
• Junior forward AJ Clayton set a new career high in rebounds (12) and blocks (5) against GW on Nov. 24. He then matched that on Dec. 2 against Delaware.
• Sophomore guard Elmore James grabbed a career-high nine rebounds against GW on Nov. 24.
• Currently all five Ohio starters are averaging double digits in scoring entering the first week in December. 

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Youngstown State is 5-3 entering the matchup with the Bobcats after defeating Robert Morris, 71-57 on Dec. 2. 

Overall, YSU averages 76.4 points a game, while shooting .437 from the field, .327 from three and .717 from the line. YSU also averages 39.8 rebounds a game, 13.6 assists and 5.9 steals a game. The Penguins also forces 11.6 turnovers a game. 

Meanwhile, Opponents average 70.4 points and 34.4 rebounds a game. Opponents also shoot .425 from the field, .339 from three and .639 from the line. Opponents also dish out 14.6 assists and grab 4.8 steals a game, while also forcing 11.6 turnovers a game. 

Individually, Brandon Rush leads the Penguins with 13.1 points per game, while also grabbing 5.1 rebounds. Rush is shooting .367 from the field, .338 from three and .846 from the line. Ziggy Reid adds 11.1 points a game, while shooting .485 from the field, while SJ Burns adds 10.3 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. 

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with Youngstown State with a 5-2 record after defeating Delaware, 74-73 on Saturday inside the Convo. 

Overall, Ohio is averaging 81.0 points per game, while shooting .470 from the field, .340 from three and 67.8 percent from the line. The Bobcats also add 35.1 rebounds, 12.1 assists and 6.6 steals per game, while forcing opponents to turn the ball over 14.6 times a game. 

Meanwhile, Opponents are averaging 74.4 points a game, while shooting .415 from the field, .300 from three and .744 from the line. They also average 37.4 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 4.0 steals and force the Bobcats to turn the ball over an average of 9.4 times a game. 

Individually, all five Ohio starters currently average double figures in scoring. Jaylin Hunter leads with 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds a game, while shooting .404 from the field and .297 from three. Shereef Mitchell adds 14.0 points and is shooting .467 from the field, while Elmore James is averaging 13.4 points and 6.0 rebounds a game, while shooting .527 from the field. AJ Clayton adds 11.4 points a game and is shooting 51.7 percent from three, while AJ Brown adds 10.0 points a game. 

ALL TIME VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
This is the 20th all-time meeting between Ohio and Youngstown State. 

Ohio leads the all-time series, 15-4.

Ohio and Youngstown State last met on Dec. 11, 2022 in Youngstown, with Ohio winning, 81-79 at the buzzer. 

Ohio is 8-1 all-time against the Penguins in Athens. 

Ohio last hosted Youngstown State in the Convo on Dec. 20, 1993, with Ohio winning, 85-42. 

LAST TIME AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Ohio and Youngstown State last met on Dec. 11, 2022 in Youngstown, with Ohio winning, 81-79 at the buzzer. 

With 1.9 seconds remaining and the game tied at 79-79, Dwight Wilson III received an inbound pass from Ben Roderick and put the ball up, with it falling through the net as time expired, giving the Ohio men's basketball team the 81-79 victory over Youngstown State inside the Beeghly Center. 

Overall, Ohio shot 53.2 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and were 6-of-10 from the line, while YSU shot 39.7 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from three and were 14-of-15 from the line. The Bobcats outrebounded the Penguins, 40-31, while Ohio dished out 16 assists to YSU's 14.

Individually, Jaylin Hunter led Ohio with 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists, while DeVon Baker added 15 points. AJ Brown scored 16 points, while Wilson III and AJ Clayton both ended with 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

For Youngstown State, Brandon Rush led with 26 points and six made threes, while Malek Green added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Dwayne Cohill added 16 points. 

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 557-179 (.756) all-time record at the Co1vocation Center, which opened in 1968.

Ohio finished 14-1 in the Convo this season.

This season Ohio is 3-0 in the Convo. 

Ohio is 52-11 in the Convo under Boals in the last five seasons. 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore guard Elmore James was named the Mid-American Conference Co-Player of the Week for his performance the week of Nov. 27, the league announced today (Dec. 4). 

James led the Ohio men's basketball team to a comeback win Saturday afternoon against Delaware inside the Convocation Center. Overall, James tied his career-high with 21 points, going 9-of-14 from the field, while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out one assist and forcing two steals.

After finishing the first half with six points, James caught fire in the second, scoring 15 second half points and grabbing two rebounds, including a driving layup with 1:26 left in the game to cut the Ohio deficit one. Then with Ohio leading by one with six seconds to go, James grabbed the defensive rebound to help secure the 74-73 victory.

MARCH TO 1,000
Senior guard Jaylin Hunter scored his 1,000th career point on Nov. 18 against Detroit Mercy. 

The points game on a breakaway dunk midway through the second half.

REEF MAKES MOST OF NEW HOME
Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell's offensive power showed up at the Nassau Championship Nov. 24-26. 

On Nov. 24 in a double OT loss to George Washington, Mitchell scored a career-high 23 points, going 8-of-15 form the field, 3-of7 from three and grabbed seven rebounds. 

He then followed up that performance on Nov. 26 with a new career high against Brown, scoring 24 points, while going 7-of-9 from the field and 8-of-11 from the line in the victory. 

So far this season, Mitchell is second on the Bobcats in scoring with 14.0 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. 

SOPHOMORE YEAR (ELMORE'S VERSION)
Sophomore guard Elmore James is looking to make a name for himself this season. 

That plan started out on the right track on Nov. 8 against Troy, with James scoring 20 points, going 7-of-13 from the field, grabbing six rebounds, snagging two steals and going perfect from the line in Ohio's 88-70 victory over Troy. 

James was solid at the Nassau Championship Nov. 24-26. On Nov. 24 in a double OT loss to GW, James gabbed a career-high nine rebounds. The on Nov. 26 against Brown, James scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists in the win. 

James tied his career-high in points on Dec. 2 against Delaware, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds in the victory. 

James was named the MAC Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 4. 

So far this season, James is averaging 13.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and is shooting 52.7 percent from the field. 

JAYLIN ON THE HUNT
Senior guard Jaylin Hunter is looking to make the most out of his final season. 

In the season opener, Hunter was effective with the ball, dishing out four assists and going a perfect 8-for-8 from the line. 

He then had a 13-point performance at Cleveland State on Nov. 11. 

Hunter recorded his 1,000th career point on Nov. 18 against Detroit Mercy. 

Hunter also recorded his first career double double in the Detroit Mercy game with the help of a career-high 10 rebounds and 14 points. 

Hunter had a stellar Nassau Championship Nov. 24-26. On Against GW, Hunter scored a season-high 25 points, going 9-of-22 from the field , while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists. 

He added a 19 point performance on Nov. 25 against MTSU, before closing out the tournament with 21 points and eight rebounds against Brown. 

Hunter added a solid game against Delaware on Dec. 2, scoring 15 points, while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists in the win. 

This season, Hunter is averaging 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds, while shooting .404 from the field. 

CLAYTON TAKES THE NEXT STEP
Junior forward AJ Clayton has moved back into his starting roll with ease. 

He has recorded double figure scoring numbers in three-straight games to open the season. 

On Nov. 18 against Detroit Mercy, Clayton led Ohio with 18 points, while also grabbing six rebounds and tying his career-high with four made threes. 

On Nov. 24 against George Washington, Clayton recorded a double double, scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds, while also recording a career-high five blocks. 

On Nov. 25 against Middle Tennessee State, Clayton scored 15 points, while going 5-of-6 from three, setting a new career mark in three-pointers made in a game. 

Clayton tied his career mark in blocks in a game on Dec. 2 against Delaware, recording five once again in the win. 

So far this season, Clayton averages 11.4 and 5.1 boards a game. 

HADAWAY SEEING MORE TIME
Sophomore forward Aidan Hadaway has been seeing his minutes increase as the season has gone on. 

On Nov. 25 against MTSU, Hadaway grabbed a season-high four rebounds in the win. 

On Dec. 2 against Delaware, Hadaway put together 22 solid minutes on the court, scoring a season-high seven points, while grabbing a career-high seven rebounds in the win. 

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats stay in Athens on Saturday, Dec. 9 when Ohio hosts Marshall. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. inside the Convo and is part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader, with the women's team taking on Syracuse at 1 p.m. Both games will be seen on ESPN+. 

#OUohyeah