By Danielle Daniels

NEW ORLEANS, La. – New Orleans men’s basketball (5-6) is prepared for the tall test against Big Ten Ohio State Thursday at Value City Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. central. The game will air on 106.1 NASH FM with Jude Young on the call.

This will only be the second meeting between the two teams. The Buckeyes won the first meeting in the 1989-90 season in the Sugar Bowl Tournament. Tony Harris led New Orleans with 27 points and seven rebounds under former Head Coach and recent New Orleans Hall of Fame inductee Tim Floyd.

PREVIEW 
New Orleans returns to travel after a dominant 91-51 win over Birmingham-Southern on the Lakefront to improve the team to 4-0 at home. As a team, New Orleans accounted for a season-high 53 boards.

Jordan Johnson led three Privateers in double-figures with 16 points, five assists and four rebounds. Turk Vincent notched his first double-double of the season and sixth in his career with 14 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Dorian Booker chipped in a career-high 12 points while Tyson Jackson put up 11 points in his second consecutive game scoring in double-figures.

New Orleans is scoring 80 ppg and forcing over 16 turnovers. They are also shooting better than 332 NCAA DI opponents from the foul line at 77.7 percent to rank 19th. A win over Ohio State would improve the Privateers’ record to 6-6 and 2-7 on the road.

Johnson leads the team in scoring (23.1 ppg), three-pointers (36), and assists (48). The fourth ranked NCAA scorer also ranks sixth nationally in total points (254). Johnson has scored 20 or more points in all but four games. The Memphis native is 24 three-pointers shy of 200 career three-pointers.

Wilson-Rouse is also averaging double-figures (10.9) while leading the team in steals (22). The senior out of Chicago, Ill. averaged nearly 20 points over a four-game span (North Dakota, UCA, Minnesota, and Belhaven) leading into December.

Vincent is averaging eight points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game. The New Orleans native has started in five matchups and recorded his second game in double-figures last time out.

SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES 
The Buckeyes (9-2) return to Columbus after a 67-60 win over UCLA at the CBS Sports Classic last Saturday in Atlanta. Rodney Gayle Jr. led three Buckeyes in double-figures with 19 points. Jamison Battle scored 14 points, while the team’s leading scorer Bruce Thornton (18.0 ppg) contributed 13 points and a career-high seven rebounds.

Thornton’s assist-to-turnover ratio (4.70) is fourth-best in the country.

The Buckeyes have scored ten or more three-pointers in four contests and had a six-game streak of 80 or more points prior to the UCLA matchup.

Chris Holtmann is in his seventh season at the helm for the Buckeyes with a record of 132-77.

SOCIAL MEDIA     
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersHoops on Twitter, @PrivateersMBB on Instagram, like /PrivateersMBB on Facebook and subscribe to the PrivateerAthletics YouTube channel.

WE ARE YOUR KREWE      
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests.  Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win.  Our city also houses the nation’s biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day.  Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe! To make a direct impact on the student-athlete experience, visit here.

COURTESY NEW ORLEANS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS