By Lamont Burroughs

1 21 2025

OHIO GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/1/19/012125_Ohio_EMU_Notes.pdf

EASTERN MICHIGAN GAME NOTES

https://emueagles.com/documents/2025/1/20/18_-_EMU_MBB_Notes_vs_Ohio_University_Bobcats.pdf

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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio men’s basketball team (10-7, 4-1 MAC) are back on the road Tuesday, Jan. 21 when Ohio heads to Ypsilanti, Mich. to take on Eastern Michigan (8-9, 2-3 MAC). Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET inside the George Gervin GameAbove 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 84th all-time meeting between Ohio and Eastern Michigan.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 56-27.
• The Bobcats and EMU met once last season with Ohio defeating the Eagles, 85-67, in Athens.
• Ohio is 13-6 against EMU since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 6-1 against EMU under Jeff Boals.
• Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell, in his first start since Nov. 9, scored a career-high 27 points on Jan. 17 at Akron.
• AJ Clayton scored his 1,000the career point on Jan. 11 against NIU.
• AJ Clayton was named the MAC Player of the Week, the Lou Henson National Player of the Week and the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for his performance the week of Jan. 6.
• Senior forward AJ Clayton had a 31-point performance on Jan. 11 against NIU. Clayton hit a career-high nine threes in the victory.
• Ohio’s 108-70 victory over NIU was the first time since and overtime game against Buffalo 2020 that Ohio scored 100 or more against a MAC opponent.
• It was the first time since 1997 that Ohio scored 100 or more on a MAC opponent in regulation and it is the first time Ohio scored 100 or more against a MAC opponent in regulation inside the Convo.
• The Bobcats currently rank 151st in the Jan. 19 NET Rankings.

SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
Akron enters the matchup against Ohio with an 8-9 record and a 2-3 mark in MAC play after defeating Bowling Green on Saturday.

EMU averages 71.8 points a game, while shooting .451 from the field, .338 from three and .687 from the line, while opponents are averaging 77.6 points per game, while shooting .469 from the field, .372 from three and .751 from the line.

EMU averages 32.4 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 6.8 steals and 3.1 blocks a game, while forcing 12.4 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, EMU opponents average 34.6 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 7.5 steals and 2.8 blocks a game, while forcing the Eagles to turn the ball over an average of 13.5 times a contest.

Individually, Da’Sean Nelson leads EMU with 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, while shooting .527 from the field and .816 from the line. Jalen Terry adds 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game, while Christian Henry averages 14.5 points and 3.3 assists a game, while shooting .422 from the field.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio is currently 10-7 overall and 4-1 in MAC play after falling to Akron on the road Friday night.

Ohio is averaging 81.1 points per game, while shooting .474 from the field, .361 from three and .752 from the line, while opponents are averaging 74.9 points per game, while shooting .446 from the field, .387 from three and .671 from the line.

Ohio is averaging 35.2 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 3.8 blocks and 7.7 steals per game, while forcing 13.5 turnovers a contest. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 35.0 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 3.0 blocks and 7.0 steals per game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over 11.8 times a game.

Individually, AJ Clayton leads Ohio with 16.2 points a game. He also adds 6.2 rebounds, while shooting .490 from the field and .393 from three. AJ Brown averages 11.6 points a game, while shooting .466 from the field, .406 from three and .870 from the line, while, Aidan Hadaway averages 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. Jackson Paveletzke adds 11.8 points, 5.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, while Shereef Mitchell adds 10.5 points, while shooting .543 from the field.

ALL TIME VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN
This is the 84th all-time meeting between Ohio and Eastern Michigan.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 56-27.

The Bobcats and EMU met once last season with Ohio defeating the Eagles, 85-67, in Athens.

Ohio is 13-6 against EMU since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 6-1 against EMU under Jeff Boals.

OHIO IN NET
The Bobcats currently rank 151st in the Jan. 19 NET Rankings.

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

OHIO IN NCAA
Currently Ohio ranks 97th in the nation in forced turnovers per game. The Bobcats are also 12th in fastbreak points, 62nd in field goal percentage and 90th in assists per game.

Ohio also ranks 56th in effective field goal percentage, 49th in scoring offense and 63rd in three-pointers per game.

Ohio also ranks 99th in assist/TO ratio and 98th in turnover margin.

Meanwhile, Jackson Paveletzke ranks 39th in assists per game, 46th in assists and 92nd in double doubles.

AJ Clayton is 34th in blocks per game, 36th in total blocks, 84th in threes per game and 77th in three-point percentage.

AJ Brown ranks 56th in free throws percentage.

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

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

AJ Brown ranks 10th in three-point field goal percentage and third in field goal percentage.

CAREER NIGHT FOR REEF
Graduate student Shereef Mitchell scored a career-high 27 points on Jan. 17 at Akron. Mitchell went 8-of-16 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line, while grabbing five rebounds. The career-high came in his first start since Nov. 9 against UNC Asheville.

UP NEXT
Ohio men’s basketball is back at home on Friday, Jan. 24 when the Bobcats host Kent State in a nationally televised matchup. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPNU.

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