By Lamont Burroughs

1 11 2025

OHIO GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/1/9/011125_Ohio_NIU_Notes.pdf

NIU GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/1/10/Game_15_-_Ohio.pdf

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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio men’s basketball team (8-6, 2-0 MAC) returns to Athens on Saturday, Jan. 11 to host Northern Illinois (4-10, 0-2 MAC). Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The matchup will be the first game of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader, with the women’s team set to take on Kent State at 3:30 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN+ where Marty Bannister, Dave Cecutti and Sam Hyman 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 broad- casts for two decades. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station net- work’s flagship.

STORYLINES
• This is the 65th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 41-23.
• Ohio and NIU last met on Feb. 24, 2024 in DeKalb, with Ohio winning, 80-59.
• The Bobcats and NIU met twice last season, with the Bobcats taking both matchups.
• The Bobcats also won the meeting in Athens on Jan. 6, taking the matchup, 78-66.
• Ohio is 15-7 against NIU since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 9-2 against the Huskies under Jeff Boals.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 571-182 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• Ohio finished 14-2 in the Convo last season.
• This season the Bobcats are 5-0 in the Convo.
• Ohio is 66-14 in the Convo under Boals in the last six seasons.
• AJ Clayton is three points away from 1,000 in his career.
• The Bobcats currently rank 165th in the Jan. 9 NET Rankings.
• Junior froward Aidan Hadaway recorded a career-high 16 rebounds on Jan. 7 at Buffalo. He also recorded 17 points for his first double double of the season.
• Senior forward AJ Clayton scored a game-high 27 points on Jan. 7 at Buffalo, while also grabbing seven rebounds and recording three blocks.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters the matchup against Ohio with a 4-10 record and an 0-2 mark in MAC play after falling to Kent State on Tuesday (Jan. 7).

NIU averages 71.0 points a game, while shooting .407 from the field, .319 from three and .725 from the line, while opponents are averaging 74.0 points per game, while shooting .436 from the field, .347 from three and .717 from the line.

NIU averages 34.4 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.7 blocks a game, while forcing 14.0 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, NIU opponents average 41.1 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.7 blocks a game, while forcing NIU to turn the ball over an average of 11.5 times a contest.

Individually, Quentin Jones averages 15.1 points a game, while averaging 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Jones also shoots .434 from the field and .304 from three. James Dent Jr. adds 12.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a games, while Ethan Butler averages 10.9 points a game, while shooting .512 from the field.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio is currently 8-6 overall and 1-0 in MAC play after defeating Buffalo, 88-77, on Jan.  7 in Buffalo.

Ohio is averaging 78.9 points per game, while shooting .468 from the field, .352 from three and .747 from the line, while opponents are averaging 74.3 points per game, while shooting .447 from the field, .384 from three and .677 from the line.

Ohio is averaging 34.3 rebounds, 15.4 assists, 3.8 blocks and 7.9 steals per game, while forcing 14.1 turnovers a contest. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 35.5 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 2.9 blocks and 7.3 steals per game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over 12.1 times a game.

Individually, AJ Clayton leads Ohio with 16.4 points a game. He also adds 6.6 rebounds, while shooting .480 from the field and .363 from three. AJ Brown averages 11.6 points a game, while shooting .455 from the field, .407 from three and .860 from the line, while, Aidan Hadaway averages 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. Jackson Paveletzke adds 11.4 points, 5.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, while Elmore James averages 8.8 points and is shooting .375 from three.

ALL TIME VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
This is the 65th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 41-23.

Ohio and NIU last met on Feb. 24, 2024 in DeKalb, with Ohio winning, 80-59.

The Bobcats and NIU met twice last season, with the Bobcats taking both matchups.

The Bobcats also won the meeting in Athens on Jan. 6, taking the matchup, 78-66.

Ohio is 15-7 against NIU since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 9-2 against the Huskies under Jeff Boals.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 571-182 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

Ohio finished 14-2 in the Convo last season.

Ohio is 66-14 in the Convo under Boals in the last six seasons.

Ohio is currently 5-0 in the Convo this season.

RACE TO 1,000
Senior forward AJ Clayton is three points away from 1,000 in his career.

Clayton currently sits at 997.

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 two wins away from passing Danny Nee for the sixth-most wins at Ohio.

OHIO IN NET
The Bobcats currently rank 165th in the Jan. 9 NET Rankings.

Ohio is the fourth-highest MAC team behind Kent State, Akron, and Miami.

OHIO IN NCAA
Currently Ohio ranks 89th in the nation in turnover margin and 73rd in forced turnovers per game. The Bobcats are also 84th in free throws percentage and 42nd in fastbreak points.

Ohio also ranks 98th in steals per game, 80th in effective field goal percentage, 98th in scoring offense and 88th in three-pointers per game.

Meanwhile, Jackson Paveletzke ranks 31st in assists per game, 37th in assists and 65th in double doubles.

AJ Clayton is 40th in blocks per game, 50th in total blocks and 93rd in threes per game.

AJ Brown ranks 87th in free throw percentage.

BOBCATS IN THE MAC
Individually, AJ Clayton ranks fifth in the MAC in scoring, sixth in rebounding and first in blocked shots.

Jackson Paveletzke is first in assists and fourth in assist/turnover ratio.

Aidan Hadaway is seventh in the MAC in blocks.

UP NEXT
Ohio men’s basketball returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 14 when Ohio hosts Ball State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+.

#OUohyeah 

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