By Skip Coopersmith

1 30 2024

OHIO GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2024/1/29/13024_Ohio_Buffalo_Notes.pdf

BUFFALO GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2024/1/29/13024_Ohio_Buffalo_Notes.pdf

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ATHENS, Ohio –– The Ohio men’s basketball team (10-10, 4-4 MAC) is back in Athens starting Tuesday, Jan. 30 when they host Buffalo (2-17, 1-6 MAC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The game can be seen on ESPN+ where Russ Eisenstein, Dave Cecutti and Same Hyman will have the call.

The Bobcats’ matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, where Marty Bannister and Rob Corenlius will have the call. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network’s flagship.

STORYLINES
• This is the 57th all-time meeting between Ohio and Buffalo.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 36-20.
• The two teams met twice last season, with the two teams splitting the series, with the Bobcats winning the battle at home.
• Ohio is 5-3 against Buffalo since Jeff Boals took over in 2019-20.
• Ohio is ranked 172nd in the latest NET Ranking as of Jan. 29.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 561-182 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• Ohio finished 14-1 in the Convo this season.
• This season Ohio 7-3 in the Convo.
• Ohio is 56-14 in the Convo under Boals in the last five seasons.
• Ohio is ranked 20th in the nation in turnover margin and are 65th in assist/turnover ratio and 71st in turnovers forced per game.
• The Bobcats are also 92nd in the country in scoring offense.
• Individually, AJ Clayton is 69th in the NCAA in blocks per game and 68th in blocks.
• Jaylin Hunter ranks 72nd in assists per game and 69th in total assists.
• The MAC and Sun Belt announced the second matchups for the MAC-SBC Challenge on Jan. 22, with Ohio heading to Jonesboro, Ark. on Saturday, Feb. 10 to take on Arkansas State.
• Ohio is coming off a victory at Kent State on Friday. It was the first time since 2014 that the Bobcats defeated the Flashes in Kent.
• Sophomore Aidan Hadaway scored a career-high 20 points on Jan. 20 against EMU.

SCOUTING BUFFALO
Buffalo is 2-17 and 1-6 in MAC play after falling to Eastern Michigan on Saturday in Ypsilanti.

Overall, Buffalo averages 67.1 points a game, while shooting .412 from the field, .260 from three and .710 from the line. Buffalo also averages 35.9 rebounds a game, 12.4 assists and 6.0 steals a game. Buffalo also forces 10.6 turnovers a game.

Meanwhile, Opponents average 79.3 points and 35.5 rebounds a game. Opponents also shoot .486 from the field, .350 from three and .693 from the line. Opponents also dish out 16.6 assists and grab 8.1 steals a game, while also forcing 15.3 turnovers a game.

Individually, Sy Chatman averages 18.3 points a game, while shooting .489 from the field and grabbing 6.5 rebounds a game. Isaiah Adams adds 12.9 points and 3.6 assists per game, while Jonnivius Smith averages 7.9 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with Buffalo with a 10-10 overall record and a 4-4 mark in MAC play after defeating Kent State on the road Friday night.

Overall, Ohio is averaging 77.6 points per game, while shooting .457 from the field, .347 from three and 70.1 percent from the line. The Bobcats also add 35.9 rebounds, 13.8 assists and 6.6 steals per game, while forcing opponents to turn the ball over 13.8 times a game.

Meanwhile, Opponents are averaging 71.0 points a game, while shooting .429 from the field, .326 from three and .696 from the line. They also average 35.9 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 5.1 steals and force the Bobcats to turn the ball over an average of 10.0 times a game.

Individually, Jaylin Hunter leads Ohio with 13.6 points and 4.7 assists a game, while shooting .411 from the field, .260 from three and .759 from the line. Shereef Mitchell adds 13.5 points a game, while shooting .488 from the field, while AJ Clayton contributes 11.5 points while shooting .33 from the field.

ALL TIME VS. BUFFALO
This is the 57th all-time meeting between Ohio and Buffalo.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 36-20.

The two teams met twice last season, with the two teams splitting the series, with the Bobcats winning the battle at home.

Ohio is 5-3 against Buffalo since Jeff Boals took over in 2019-20.

LAST TIME VS. BUFFALO
The Bobcats and Buffalo last met on Feb. 14, 2023 in Athens, with the Bobcats winning, 85-61.

Overall, Ohio shot 46.9 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three and were 18-of-25 from the line, while Buffalo shot 34.4 percent from the field, 12 percent from three and were 14-of-19 from the line. Ohio outrebounded the Bulls, 46-37, while Ohio forced 12 turnovers, scoring 17 points off them. Ohio also dished out 12 assists to Buffalo’s four and grabbed eight steals to their five.

Individually, Elmore James scored 15 points, going 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from three, while Dwight Wilson III added 15 points and eight rebounds. Jaylin Hunter ( added 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, while DeVon Baker and Miles Brown both added 11 points for the Bobcats.

For Buffalo, Curtis Jones and Jonnivius Smith led with 14 points each, while Isaiah Adams added 10 points for the Bulls.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 561-182 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

Ohio finished 14-1 in the Convo this season.

This season Ohio is 7-3 in the Convo.

Ohio is 55-14 in the Convo under Boals in the last five seasons.

OHIO IN NET
Ohio is ranked 172nd in the latest NET Ranking as of Jan. 29.

OHIO IN NCAA
Ohio is ranked 20th in the nation in turnover margin and are 65th in assist/turnover ratio and 71st in turnovers forced per game.

The Bobcats are also 92nd in the country in scoring offense.

Individually, AJ Clayton is 69th in the NCAA in blocks per game and 68th in blocks.

Jaylin Hunter ranks 72nd in assists per game and 69th in total assists.

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

AJ Clayton is first in the MAC in blocks and second in blocks per game. He is also fifth in field goal percentage.

Ajay Sheldon is first in the MAC in three-point shooting percentage.

MAC-SBC CHALLENGE ROUND TWO
The MAC and Sun Belt announced the second matchups for the MAC-SBC Challenge on Jan. 22, with Ohio heading to Jonesboro, Ark. on Saturday, Feb. 10 to take on Arkansas State.

CAREER DAY FOR HADAWAY
Hadaway had a career night on Jan. 20 in Ohio’s win over EMU. Hadaway scored a career-high 20 points, while going 3-for-3 from three and 8-of-10 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.

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.

Hunter rebounded from a rough couple games on Jan. 16 when he led the Bobcats with 19 points in their win over CMU. Hunter also dished out eight assists and grabbed five rebounds in the win.

Hunter followed by that performance with a 14-point performance in Ohio’s win over EMU, where he also added five rebounds and dished out five assists.

In Ohio’s win at Kent State on Jan. 26, Hunter scored a team-high 17 points, while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists

Overall, this season Hunter is averaging 13.6 points a game and 4.7 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.

On Jan. 16 against CMU, Mitchell scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win.

He followed that up on Jan. 20 with a 14-point performance, going 6-of-9 from the field and grabbed five rebounds in Ohio’s win over EMU.

On Jan. 24 against Akron, Mitchell recorded a career-high seven rebounds. Mitchell followed that up with another solid game on Jan. 26 in the Bobcats’ win at Kent State, scoring 16 points, while grabbing four rebounds, dishing out five assists and grabbing four steals.

So far this season, Mitchell is second on the Bobcats in scoring with 13.5 points and 4.1 rebounds a game, while shooting .488 from the field.

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.

Hadaway continued his strong play on Dec. 6 against Delaware, scoring a career-high 14 points in 24 minutes.

Hadaway made his first career start on Dec. 18 against Defiance, scoring 11 points and going 5-for-5 from the field.

In his second career start against Austin Peay on Dec. 22, Hadaway grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds and dished out a career-high five assists.

Hadaway added another solid performance on his resume on Jan. 16 in Ohio’s win over CMU, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Hadaway had a career night on Jan. 20 in Ohio’s win over EMU. Hadaway scored a career-high 20 points, while going 3-for-3 from three and 8-of-10 from the field.

As Hadaway continues to see more minutes on the floor, he currently averages 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a game.

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.

Brown had his best game of the season on Jan. 16 against CMU, scoring 17 points in the win.

Brown was back in action on Jan. 20, scoring seven points, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishes out five assists.

As Brown sees his minutes increase in MAC play, he currently averages 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.

SHELLY GETTING MINUTES
Sophomore guard Ajay Sheldon is working to get more minutes in his second season in the Green and White.

Sheldon had a career-high seven points on Nov. 11 at Cleveland State, going 2-of-2 from three in 19 minutes.

Sheldon matched his career high on Nov. 25 against MSTU.

On Dec. 18 against Defiance, Sheldon scored seven points and dished out a career-high five rebounds in the win.

Sheldon scored a career-high 13 points against Toledo on Jan. 2, hitting a career-high four threes. He then added a 10-point performance on Jan. 9 at BGSU.

Sheldon put together a solid game at Kent State on Jan. 26, scoring 12 points and going 4-of-5 from three in 12 minutes on the court in Ohio’s win.

This season as Sheldon gets more playing time, he is averaging 5.2 points a game, while shooting a team-high 54.7 percent from the field and 54.2 percent from three.

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats remain in Athens on Saturday, Feb. 3 when Ohio hosts Miami for the ‘Battle of the Bricks’. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+.

COURTESY OHIO ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS