By Marisol Nicholson

1 16 2024

OHIO GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2024/1/15/11624_Ohio_CMU_Notes.pdf

CENTRAL MICHIGAN GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2024/1/14/CMU_MBB_Ohio_Game_Notes_B_011624.pdf

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ATHENS, Ohio –– The Ohio men’s basketball team (7-9, 1-3 MAC) returns to Athens on Tuesday, Jan.16 to take on Central Michigan (8-8, 3-1 MAC). 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. Fans are encouraged to where white to ‘white out’ the Convo and the first 350 students will receive a free ‘740’ t-shirt.

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 86th all-time meeting between Ohio and Central Michigan.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 52-33.
• The Bobcats and CMU met twice last season with Ohio winning both matchups.
• Ohio took the first matchup in Athens, 96-68 and then defeated CMU in Mount Pleasant, 76-59.
• Ohio is 11-7 against CMU since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 7-0 against CMU under Jeff Boals.
• Ohio last fell to CMU at home on Feb. 3, 2018 in a 101-98 double overtime thriller.
• Ohio is ranked 218th in the latest NET Ranking as of Jan. 15.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 559-182 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• Ohio finished 14-1 in the Convo this season.
• This season Ohio 5-3 in the Convo.
• Ohio is 54-14 in the Convo under Boals in the last five seasons.
• Ohio is ranked 17th in the nation in turnover margin and are 51st in assist/turnover ratio and 74th in turnovers forced per game.
• The Bobcats are also 73rd in the country in scoring offense.
• Individually, AJ Clayton is 38th in the NCAA in blocks per game and 37th in blocks.
• Jaylin Hunter ranks 81st in assists per game and 92nd in total assists.
• AJ Clayton tied his career-high in points on Jan. 6 against NIU, scoring 23, 19 of which came in the second half.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan is 8-8 and 3-1 in MAC play after defeating Kent State on Saturday.

Overall, CMU averages 67.3 points a game, while shooting .439 from the field, .330 from three and .664 from the line. CMU also averages 32.8 rebounds a game, 11.9 assists and 6.6 steals a game. CMU also forces 12.8 turnovers a game.

Meanwhile, Opponents average 73.8 points and 35.4 rebounds a game. Opponents also shoot .452 from the field, .333 from three and .774 from the line. Opponents also dish out 14.9 assists and grab 6.1 steals a game, while also forcing 13.1 turnovers a game.

Individually, Anthony Pritchard averages 13.4 points a game, while shooting .459 from the field and .278 from three. Brian Taylor adds 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a contest, while shooting .493 from the field and .854 from the line. Markus Harding adds 10.6 points a game and is shooting .548 from the field.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with CMU with a 7-9 overall record and a 1-3 mark in MAC play after falling to Western Michigan on Saturday in Kalamazoo.

Overall, Ohio is averaging 79.0 points per game, while shooting .454 from the field, .344 from three and 70.5 percent from the line. The Bobcats also add 36.1 rebounds, 14.0 assists and 6.5 steals per game, while forcing opponents to turn the ball over 14.0 times a game.

Meanwhile, Opponents are averaging 72.5 points a game, while shooting .433 from the field, .331 from three and .698 from the line. They also average 36.4 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 5.1 steals and force the Bobcats to turn the ball over an average of 9.9 times a game.

Individually, Shereef Mitchell leads Ohio with 13.3 points and is shooting .485 from the field. Jaylin Hunter adds with 13.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game, while shooting .381 from the field. Elmore James adds 12.3 points and 6.1 boards a game, while AJ Clayton averages 12.0 points and is shooting 56.8 percent from the field.

ALL TIME VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
This is the 86th all-time meeting between Ohio and Central Michigan.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 52-33.

The Bobcats and CMU met twice last season with Ohio winning both matchups.

Ohio took the first matchup in Athens, 96-68 and then defeated CMU in Mount Pleasant, 76-59.

Ohio is 11-7 against CMU since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 7-0 against CMU under Jeff Boals.

Ohio last fell to CMU at home on Feb. 3, 2018 in a 101-98 double overtime thriller.

LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Bobcats and Central Michigan  last met on Feb. 18, 2023 in Mount Pleasant, with Ohio winning, 76-59.

Overall, Ohio shot 49 percent from the field, 56.5 percent from three and were 13-of-20 from the line, while CMU shot 45 percent for the field, 26.7 percent form three and were 19-of-26 from the line. CMU outrebounded the Bobcats, 32-23, however the Bobcats dished out 11 assists and forced 18 turnovers, scoring 22 points off them.

Individually, AJ Clayton led the Bobcats with 18 points, going 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from the line, while Jaylin Hunter scored 14 points and dished out six assists. Miles Brown added 12 points and went 4-of-5 from three, while DeVon Baker scored 11, followed by AJ Brown with 10. Dwight Wilson III  added nine points and three rebounds.

For CMU, Reggie Bass scored 22 points, while Brian Taylor added 16 points and six rebounds.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 559-182 (.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 5-3 in the Convo.

Ohio is 53-14 in the Convo under Boals in the last five 3easons.

OHIO IN NET
Ohio is ranked 218th in the latest NET Ranking as of Jan. 15.

OHIO IN NCAA
Ohio is ranked 17th in the nation in turnover margin and are 51st in assist/turnover ratio and 74th in turnovers forced per game.

The Bobcats are also 73rd in the country in scoring offense.

Individually, AJ Clayton is 38th in the NCAA in blocks per game and 37th in blocks.

Jaylin Hunter ranks 81st in assists per game and 92nd in total assists.

OHIO IN THE MAC
Jaylin Hunter is third in the MAC in assists, second in assist/TO ratio and sixth in steals.

AJ Clayton is first in the MAC in blocks and second in blocks per game and is sixth in 3PT FG percentage and fifth in field goal percentage.

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.

He followed that up with a 19-point and five-assist night on Dec. 9 against Marshall.

On Jan. 6 against NIU, Hunter scored 20 points, going 5-of-8 from the field, 2-of-2 from three and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the line. He also led Ohio with eight rebounds and six assists in the win.

Overall, this season Hunter is averaging 13.2 points a game and 4.5 assists per game.

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.

Mitchell led Ohio on Dec. 6 against Youngstown State, scoring a team-high 17 points and dishing out a season-high four assists.

Mitchell had a solid game on Jan. 9 at Bowling Green, scoring 17 points, recording two blocks and grabbing four rebounds.

So far this season, Mitchell is leading the Bobcats in scoring with 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds a game, while shooting .485 from the field.

ONE LAST TRIP FOR MILES
Fifth year guard Miles Brown is looking to make the most of his final season in the Green and White.

Brown was steady in his season debut, adding nine points, a steal and a block in Ohio’s win over Troy.

After missing a month, Brown made is return to the lineup on Dec. 18 against Defiance, scoring 12 points in 12 minutes on the court.

On Dec. 30 against Davidson, Brown nearly recorded a double double, with nine points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.

As Brown sees his minutes increase in MAC play, he currently averages 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a game.

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats stay in Athens to take on Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+. The game is the second game of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader against the Eagles.

#OUohyeah 

COURTESY OHIO ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS