CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The No. 5 Ohio men's basketball team (16-15) begins play at the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Thursday, Match 13 against No. 4 Toledo (17-14). Tip-off is set for approximately 1:30 p.m. ET inside Rocket Arena. The game can be seen on ESPN+ where Michael Reghi and Rhett Boyd 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 net- work's flagship.
STORYLINES:
• The Bobcats are 47-35 (.575) all- time in the MAC Tournament and have captured seven league tournament crowns (1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2021).
• Ohio is making its 44th appearance in the MAC Tournament in 2025.
• Jeff Boals is 6-3 as a head coach in the MAC Tournament.
• This is the 141st all-time meeting between Ohio and Toledo.
• Ohio the all-time series between the two teams is tied, 70-70.
• Ohio and Toledo met just last Friday (March 7) in Toledo, with the Rockets winning, 96-82.
• Ohio and Toledo met earlier this season, with the Bobcats falling, 86-83 on Jan. 28 in Athens.
• Ohio and Toledo met twice last season, with Toledo winning both matchups.
• Ohio is 8-17 against Toledo since 2010-11, while the Bobcats are 1-10 against the Rockets under Jeff Boals.
• Ohio is 8-2 all-time against Toledo in the MAC Tournament.
• Ohio and Toledo last met in the 2023 MAC Semifinals, with the Rockets winning, 82-75.
• Ohio and Toledo met in the MAC Tournament on March 12, 2021 with Ohio defeating the then- top-seeded Rockets, 87-80 in the semifinals. Ohio would go on to win the 2021 MAC Tournament and advance to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
• Senior forward AJ Clayton and junior guard Jackson Paveletzke were named Third Team All-MAC.
• Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell was named All-MAC Honorable Mention and named to the All-Defensive Team.
• Freshman guard Elijah Elliott was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
• Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchel scored his 1,000th career point on March 7 at Toledo.
• On March 7 at Toledo, junior guard Elmore James scored a season-high 20 points and hit a career-high six three pointers.
• Junior guard Jackson Paveletzke scored his 1,000th career point on March 4 in Athens on a pullup jumper at the buzzer that tied the game going into halftime.
• The Bobcats win over Akron on Feb. 22 snapped the Zips 14-game winning streak, which at the time was the longest in the nation.
SCOUTING No. 4 TOLEDO
Fourth-seeded Toledo enters the matchup against Ohio with a 17-14 overall record after defeating Ohio in Toledo on March 7.
Toledo averages 78.2 points a game, while shooting .464 from the field, .337 from three and .741 from the line, while opponents are averaging 79.4 points per game, while shooting .485 from the field, .377 from three and .731 from the line.
Toledo averages 34.0 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 5.5 steals and 2.7 blocks a game, while forcing 11.1 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, Toledo opponents average 35.2 rebounds, 13.9 assists, 5.9 steals and 3.2 blocks a game, while forcing the Rockets to turn the ball over an average of 9.5 times a contest.
Individually, Sam Lewis adds 15.9 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting .472 from three. Sonny Wilson averages 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game, while shooting .519 from the field and .400 from three, while Javan Simmons adds 12.4 points and 6.6 boards a game, while shooting .558 from the field.
SCOUTING OHIO
Fifth-seeded Ohio is currently 16-15 overall after falling to Toledo on Friday in Toledo.
Ohio is averaging 79.6 points per game, while shooting .470 from the field, .358 from three and .761 from the line, while opponents are averaging 76.1 points per game, while shooting .458 from the field, .372 from three and .697 from the line.
Ohio is averaging 33.1 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 3.0 blocks and 7.4 steals per game, while forcing 13.0 turnovers a contest. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 35.6 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 2.9 blocks and 6.7 steals per game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over 10.9 times a game.
Individually, AJ Clayton averages 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, while shooting .477 from the field, .372 from three and .787 from the line. AJ Brown averages 13.2 points a game, while shooting .471 from the field, .388 from three and .820 from the line, while Jackson Paveletzke adds 13.4 points, 4.8 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game, while shooting .512 from the field. Shereef Mitchell adds 13.2 points, while shooting .453 from the field and .397 from three,while Elmore James averages 8.2 points, while shooting .397 from the field and .384 from three.
ALL TIME IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT
The Bobcats are 47-35 (.575) all- time in the MAC Tournament and have captured seven league tournament crowns (1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2021).
Ohio is making its 44th appearance in the MAC Tournament in 2025.
Jeff Boals is 6-3 as a head coach in the MAC Tournament.
ALL TIME VS. TOLEDO
Ohio and Toledo met just last Friday (March 7) in Toledo, with the Rockets winning, 96-82.
Ohio and Toledo met earlier this season, with the Bobcats falling, 86-83 on Jan. 28 in Athens.
Ohio and Toledo met twice last season, with Toledo winning both matchups.
Ohio is 8-17 against Toledo since 2010-11, while the Bobcats are 1-10 against the Rockets under Jeff Boals.
ALL TIME VS. TOLEDO IN MAC TOURNAMENT
Ohio is 8-2 all-time against Toledo in the MAC Tournament.
Ohio and Toledo last met in the 2023 MAC Semifinals, with the Rockets winning, 82-75.
Ohio and Toledo met in the MAC Tournament on March 12, 2021 with Ohio defeating the then- top-seeded Rockets, 87-80 in the semifinals. Ohio would go on to win the 2021 MAC Tournament and advance to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
ALL-MAC HONORS
Senior forward AJ Clayton and junior guard Jackson Paveletzke were named Third Team All-MAC.
Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell was named All-MAC Honorable Mention and named to the All-Defensive Team.
Freshman guard Elijah Elliott was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
REEF SNAGS 1,000
Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchel scored his 1,000th career point on March 7 at Toledo.
PAV WITH 1,000 AT THE BUZZER
Junior guard Jackson Paveletzke scored his 1,000th career point on March 4 in Athens on a pullup jumper at the buzzer that tied the game going into halftime.
1,000 POINT FOR CLAYTON
Senior forward AJ Clayton scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 11 in the opening minutes against NIU.
OHIO IN NET
The Bobcats currently rank 175th in the March 12 NET Rankings.
Ohio is the fourth-highest MAC team behind Kent State, Akron, and Miami.
OHIO IN NCAA
Currently Ohio ranks 96th in the nation in forced turnovers per game. The Bobcats are also ninth in fastbreak points and 65th in field goal percentage.
Ohio also ranks 61st in effective field goal percentage, 45th in scoring offense, 48th in free throw percentage and 106th in free throws made per game.
Ohio also ranks 58th in turnover margin, 76th in three-pointers per game and 76th in three-point percentage.
Meanwhile, Jackson Paveletzke ranks 59th in assists per game and 60th in assists.
Shereef Mitchell ranks 72nd in steals per game.
AJ Clayton ranks 82nd in blocks per game.
BOBCATS IN THE MAC
Jackson Paveletzke is third in assists and sixth in assist/turnover ratio. He is also 10th in field goal percentage.
AJ Brown ranks eighth in free throw percentage.
Shereef Mitchell ranks sixth in free throw, eighth in three-point field goal percentage and fourth in steals.
AJ Clayton is first in blocks, seventh in three-point field goals per game and 15th in scoring and 13th in free throw percentage.
ELMORE THE ROCKET HUNTER
At Toledo on March 7, junior guard Elmore James put together the best game of his season. He scored 20 points and hit a career-high six three pointers.
UP NEXT
With a win, Ohio would take on the winner of No. 1 Akron/No. 8 Bowling Green on Friday, March 14 at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
#OUohyeah
