Game Preview: California
Above: Cal’s 6-foot-10, 240-pound sophomore forward, Ryan Anderson, averages 21.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range. AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian
Ohio State (20-13, 10-8 Big Ten) vs. California (17-15, 6-12 Pac-10)
Date: Monday, March 24
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Place: St. John Arena - capacity 13,276
TV: ESPN with John Saunders and Bob Valvano.
Radio: WBNS-AM 1460 and WBNS-FM 97.1 in Columbus and 57 stations across Buckeyeland with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes.
Series History: Ohio State has an all-time record of 7-9 vs. Cal, but the Buckeyes are 2-1 vs. the Golden Bears in games played in Columbus. The last time the Buckeyes and the Bears met on the hardwood here in the Capital City was on Dec. 23, 1949, with OSU winning 78-67 at the Fairgrounds Coliseum.
Last Meeting : March 19, 1960. Ohio State won 75-55 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in the NCAA Championship game to claim that year’s national title. Sophomore forward Jerry Lucas led the Buckeyes with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Cal, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Lucas had earlier won the Big Ten Player of the Year award after averaging 26.3 points and 16.4 rebounds per game during the 1959-60 season.
Cal’s Starting Five:
F 14 Eric Vierneisel - 6-7, 210, Sr. (5.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 apg)
F 34 Ryan Anderson - 6-10, 240, So. (21.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.4 apg)
C 35 DeVon Hardin - 6-11, 250, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.7 apg)
G 23 Patrick Christopher - 6-5, 215, So. (15.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.0 apg)
G 3 Jerome Randle - 5-10, 165, So. (11.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.8 apg)
OSU’s Starting Five:
F 31 Kosta Koufos - 7-0, 265, Fr. (13.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.5 apg)
F 45 Othello Hunter - 6-8, 225, Sr. (9.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.8 apg)
C 21 Evan Turner - 6-6, 200, Fr. (7.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G 23 David Lighty - 6-5, 215, So. (8.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)
G 14 Jamar Butler - 6-1, 185, Sr. (14.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.0 apg)
