ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (1-3) is back on the court on Nov. 21-24 at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational. The Bobcats begin the three-game tournament on Thursday, Nov. 21 against Middle Tennessee State (3-1) at Noon ET inside the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina. The game can be seen on ESPNU where Robert Lee and Noah Savage will have the call. 

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Jason Toy begins his first season on the mic for 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.

STORYLINES
• This is the fifth  all-time meeting between the Bobcats and the Blue Raiders. 
• Ohio is 4-0 all-time against MTSU. 
• The two teams last met last season on Nov. 25 at the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship, with Ohio winning, 80-68.  In that game, AJ Clayton scored 15 points, while Shereef Mitchell added 14. 
• Ohio and MTSU met the last time that Bobcats were in the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Nov. 24, 2019, with Ohio winning, 75-63. 
• This is the second time under head coach Jeff Boals that Ohio has participated in the Myrtle Beach Invitational, with the Bobcats competing there in 2019 in Boals' first season. 
• Head coach Jeff Boals is currently at 99 wins at Ohio, sitting one away from 100. 
• Forward AJ Clayton was named to the Lou Henson Award Early-Season Watch List
• Junior Ajay Sheldon had a career night on Nov. 15 at Memphis, scoring a career-high 20 points and hitting a career-high six three pointers. 
• The Bobcats signed three new members during the early signing period, adding Jordan Fisher, JJ Kelly and Zay Mosley to the roster for the 2025-26 season. 

SCOUTING MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Middle Tennessee enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 3-1 record after falling to Murray State, 88-67, on Saturday.  

MTSU averages 80.8 points a game, while shooting .484 from the field, .266 from three and .725 from the line, while opponents are averaging 64.5 points per game, while shooting .406 from the field, .235 from three and .708 from the line. 

MTSU averages 40.5 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 8.5 steals and 5.3 blocks a game, while forcing 14.8 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, Blue Raider opponents average 30.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 5.3 steals and 3.8 blocks a game, while forcing MTSU to turn the ball over an average of 11.3 times a contest. 

Individually, Jestin Porter leads MTSU with 14.8 points a game, while shooting .500 from the field, .33 from three and .786 from the line, while Essam Mostafa adds 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, while shooting .600 from the field and .700 from the line. Jlynn Counter adds 12.0 points a game, while shooting .559 from the field, .333 from three, .778 from the line.  

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio is currently 1-3 overall after falling to Memphis on Nov. 15 on the road. 

Ohio is averaging 76.6 points per game, while shooting .447 from the field, .378 from three and .744 from the line, while opponents are averaging 85.8 points per game, while shooting .531 from the field, .537 from three and .686 from the line. 

Ohio is averaging 29.5 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 4.3 blocks and 6.3 steals per game, while forcing 14 turnovers a contest. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 34.8 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 3.5 blocks and 7.5 steals per game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over 12.0 times a game.

Individually, AJ Brown averages 14.0 points a game, while shooting .486 from the field, .474 from three and .929 from the line. Shereef Mitchell adds 13.0 points a game, while averaging 4.0 rebounds and shooting .688 from the field. AJ Clayton is averaging 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game, while shooting .400 from the field. Aidan Hadaway adds 11.0 points a game and Elmore James adds 9.5. 

ALL TIME VS. MTSU
This is the fifth  all-time meeting between the Bobcats and the Blue Raiders. 

Ohio is 4-0 all-time against MTSU. 

The two teams last met last season on Nov. 25 at the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship, with Ohio winning, 80-68. 
In that game, AJ Clayton scored 15 points, while Shereef Mitchell added 14. 

Ohio and MTSU met the last time that Bobcats were in the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Nov. 24, 2019, with Ohio winning, 75-63. 

OHIO AT MYRTLE BEACH INVITE
This is the second time under head coach Jeff Boals that Ohio has participated in the Myrtle Beach Invitational, with the Bobcats competing there in 2019 in Boals' first season. 

During that trip, the Bobcats fell to then No. 24 Baylor and Utah, before defeating Middle Tennessee State in the final game. 

BOBCATS HEAD BACK TO MYRTLE BEACH
For this year's MTE, Ohio heads back to the Myrtle Beach Invite, where they last attended in 2019 on Jeff Boals' first season at Ohio. 

The 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational will be played November 21, 22 and 24 at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.  All games will be presented across the ESPN platforms.

The field will feature three schools that participated in the 2024 National Invitational Tournament - Bradley (Missouri Valley), Princeton (Ivy), and South Florida(American Atlantic).
 
Middle Tennessee (Conference USA), Ohio (Mid-American), Portland (West Coast), Texas State (Sun Belt), and Wright State (Horizon League) will also be competing in the sixth annual event.

UP NEXT
The Bobcats are back for game two of the 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational on Friday, Nov. 22. The Bobcats will take on either USF or Portland at either 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. 

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