By Lamont Burroughs
1 7 2025
OHIO GAME NOTES
https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/1/6/010725_Ohio_UB_Notes.pdf
BUFFALO GAME NOTES
https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/1/6/Buffalo_MBB_2024-25_Notes_Game_14_vs._Ohio.pdf
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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio men’s basketball team (7-6, 1-0 MAC) remains on the road for more Mid-American Conference action on Tuesday, Jan. 7 when the Bobcats head to Buffalo, N.Y. to take on Buffalo (5-8, 0-1 MAC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
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 broad- casts for two decades. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station net- work’s flagship.
STORYLINES
• This is the 59th all-time meeting between Ohio and Buffalo.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 38-20.
• Ohio is 7-3 against Buffalo since Jeff Boals took over in 2019-20.
• Ohio and Buffalo last met on March 5, 2024 in Buffalo, with the Bobcats winning, 78-66.
• The two teams met twice last season, with Ohio taking both matchups, including a 91-70 victory in Athens.
• Ohio’s 57-55 MAC opener win at CMU was the first time since the 2021-22 season that Ohio has won the MAC opener.
• It is the second time under Jeff Boals that Ohio was won the MAC opener.
• AJ Clayton is 30 points away from 1,000 in his career.
• The Bobcats currently rank 167 in the Jan. 5 NET Rankings.
SCOUTING BUFFALO
Buffalo enters the matchup against Ohio with a 5-8 record and a 0-1 mark in MAC play. The Bulls are coming off a 93-79 loss at Miami on Saturday.
Buffalo averages 73.8 points a game, while shooting .446 from the field, .312 from three and .691 from the line, while opponents are averaging 82.0 points per game, while shooting .455 from the field, .382 from three and .706 from the line.
Buffalo averages 35.0 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.8 blocks a game, while forcing 12.5 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, UB opponents average 39.4 rebounds, 16.8 assists, 9.2 steals and 3.5 blocks a game, while forcing Buffalo to turn the ball over an average of 15.1 times a contest.
Individually, Ryan Sabol leads the Bulls with 16.6 points a game, while shooting .456 from the field, .436 from three and .911 from the line. Tyson Dunn adds 12.5 points a game to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, while shooting .478 from the field, while Ben Michaels adds 8.3 points a game, while shooing .475 from the field.
SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio is currently 7-6 overall and 1-0 in MAC play after defeating Central Michigan, 57-55, on Jan. 4 in Mount Pleasant.
Ohio is averaging 78.2 points per game, while shooting .465 from the field, .352 from three and .748 from the line, while opponents are averaging 73.9 points per game, while shooting .449 from the field, .398 from three and .680 from the line.
Ohio is averaging 33.5 rebounds, 15.1 assists, 3.7 blocks and 7.8 steals per game, while forcing 14.2 turnovers a contest. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 35.7 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 2.8 blocks and 7.1 steals per game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over 11.8 times a game.
Individually, AJ Clayton leads Ohio with 15.6 points a game. He also adds 6.5 rebounds, while shooting .471 from the field and .351 from three. AJ Brown averages 11.9 points a game, while shooting .463 from the field, .404 from three and .865 from the line, while, Aidan Hadaway averages 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. Jackson Paveletzke adds 11.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, while Elmore James averages 8.8 points and is shooting .378 from three.
ALL TIME VS. BUFFALO
This is the 59th all-time meeting between Ohio and Buffalo.
Ohio leads the all-time series, 38-20.
Ohio is 7-3 against Buffalo since Jeff Boals took over in 2019-20.
Ohio and Buffalo last met on March 5, 2024 in Buffalo, with the Bobcats winning, 78-66.
The two teams met twice last season, with Ohio taking both matchups, including a 91-70 victory in Athens.
RACE TO 1,000
Senior forward AJ Clayton is 30 points away from 1,000 in his career.
Clayton currently sits at 970.
BOALS GETS 100 AT OU
Head coach Jeff Boals earned his 100th win at Ohio on Nov. 22 against Portland.
Boals is the seventh Ohio head coach to make that mark and is three wins away from passing Danny Nee for the sixth-most wins at Ohio.
OHIO IN NET
The Bobcats currently rank 167 in the Jan. 5 NET Rankings.
Ohio is the fourth-highest MAC team behind Kent State, Akron, and Miami.
OHIO IN NCAA
Currently Ohio ranks 71st in the nation in turnover margin and 74th in forced turnovers per game. The Bobcats are also 84th in free throws percentage and 48th in fastbreak points.
Ohio also ranks 111th in steals per game, 89th in effective field goal percentage and 115th in scoring offense.
Meanwhile, Jackson Paveletzke ranks 29th in assists per game and 42nd in assists and 58th in double doubles.
AJ Clayton is 48th in blocks per game and 114th in threes per game.
BOBCATS IN THE MAC
Individually, AJ Clayton ranks seventh in the MAC in scoring, sixth in rebounding and first in blocked shots.
Jackson Paveletzke is first in assists and second in assist/turnover ratio.
Aidan Hadaway is fourth in the MAC in blocks.
UP NEXT
Ohio men’s basketball returns to Athens on Saturday, Jan. 11 when they host Northern Illinois. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+. The game is apart of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader, with the women’s team to take on Kent State following the conclusion of the men’s game.
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