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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: A couple of fun stats/facts
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Kevin Finnegan
1/12/2022 2:43 PM
Going back to the 1950 season (where the schedule is available and results are reliable), this 13-2 start is the best in school history. That's remarkable, and congratulations to the team! The 2011-12 and the 1969-70 teams both started 13-3, but never a 13-2 start.

Also, one of the reasons we have been able to close out many of these victories has been because of the free throw shooting of Mark Sears. He is currently hitting 92.1% of his free throws on the season (82-89 this year). I went back to see the last time we had a 90% free throw shooter who averaged in double digits. The answer is...we haven't.

Since 1949-50 (though admittedly, the stats in the 1950's are less reliable), we have had 13 seasons where a player averaged over 85% from the line and had at least 10 ppg. By free throw success, they are:

1. 88.7% Nick Kellogg (15.5 ppg) 2013-14
2. 88.3% Jordan Dartis (12.6 ppg) 2016-17
3. 87.3% Bubba Walther (12.3 ppg) 2007-08
4. 87.0% Bubba Walther (12.4 ppg) 2006-07
5 (tie) 86.7% Javarez Willis (14.8 ppg) 2014-15
5 (tie) 86.7% Lewis Geter (18.1 ppg) 1990-91
5 (tie) 86.7% Kirk Lehman (12.3 ppg) 1981-82...one of two names I haven't heard on this board.
8. 86.3% Kenny Kaminski (12.6 ppg) 2015-16...I did not remember him being this reliable. That was a surprise.
9. 86.0% Dave Jamerson (19.0 ppg) 1988-89
10 (tie) 85.5% Tommy Freeman (10.5 ppg) 2009-10
10 (tie) 85.5% Geno Ford (18.7 ppg) 1996-97
12. 85.1% Dave Jamerson (17.3 ppg) 1987-88
13. 85.0% Scott Love (15.7 ppg) 1975-76...the other name I haven't heard before

There were a number of players (Stephen Coleman, Tommy Freeman again, Dan Aloi??, Robert Tatum, and Jordan Dartis again) who had seasons at 84.5-84.8% that would've rounded up to 85%.

So, if he can stay on his current pace, he could be our first double-digit scorer to average 90% from the line. He also could, if he can continue at his pace of the last couple of weeks, be the first Bobcat to average 20 ppg while shooting over 85% from the line. Mark Sears could be helping rewrite our record books quite impressively.

Currently, Mark Sears is 28th in the nation in scoring average. That's unbelievable. He has scored double-digits in every single game this year.
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JSF
1/12/2022 2:59 PM
He has a legit shot at a 50/40/90 season! Incredible.
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OU_Country
1/12/2022 3:14 PM
JSF wrote:expand_more
He has a legit shot at a 50/40/90 season! Incredible.
Totally agree. He's worth the price of a ticket to watch all by himself.
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bobcatsquared
1/12/2022 4:45 PM
Great job, Kevin. Thanks.

You might want to take one more closer look. It appears you left off a name from the late 1970s/early 1980s, Jim Zalenka.
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brucecuth
1/12/2022 5:03 PM
"5 (tie) 86.7% Kirk Lehman (12.3 ppg) 1981-82...one of two names I haven't heard on this board."

If you go back far enough, and I don't know that the archives do, you'll find mention of Kirk coaching his alma mater, Defiance HS, to the D-2 state championship in 2015.

He retired after the 2020 season with 428 victories at 3 HS coaching stops.
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cc-cat
1/12/2022 5:10 PM
Look beyond to the conference

ft%

Season: .926 - Darryl Roberts (UA), 75-81, 2008-09 (note - only 81 attempts)

Career: .890 - David Kool (WMU), 605-690, 2006-10
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Kevin Finnegan
1/12/2022 5:20 PM
bobcatsquared wrote:expand_more
Great job, Kevin. Thanks.

You might want to take one more closer look. It appears you left off a name from the late 1970s/early 1980s, Jim Zalenka.
Jim Zalenka, according to Sports Reference (www.sports-reference.com/cbb ), never had 10 ppg nor did he ever shoot above (or even close to) 85% from the line.

Jim Zalenka:
77-78: 3.2 ppg, 57.1% from the line
78-79: 4.5 ppg, 72.2% from the line
79-80: 7.9 ppg, 67.9% from the line
80-81: 6.5 ppg, 63.4% from the line
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cc-cat
1/12/2022 5:40 PM
JSF wrote:expand_more
He has a legit shot at a 50/40/90 season! Incredible.
Appears 50/40/80 has never been done in the MAC. He's a touch under on fg%

https://getsomemaction.com/sports/2014/6/20/MBB_062014424...
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SBH
1/12/2022 6:12 PM
Kevin Finnegan wrote:expand_more
Great job, Kevin. Thanks.

You might want to take one more closer look. It appears you left off a name from the late 1970s/early 1980s, Jim Zalenka.
Jim Zalenka, according to Sports Reference (http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb ), never had 10 ppg nor did he ever shoot above (or even close to) 85% from the line.

Jim Zalenka:
77-78: 3.2 ppg, 57.1% from the line
78-79: 4.5 ppg, 72.2% from the line
79-80: 7.9 ppg, 67.9% from the line
80-81: 6.5 ppg, 63.4% from the line
I recall being very disappointed in Z's precipitous decline in his senior year. Que Sera...
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IceCat76
1/12/2022 6:39 PM
I believe Scott Love was part of the same recruiting class as Walter Luckett, Bob Huggins and George Green. Scott was younger brother of Craig Love who was drafted by the Buffalo Braves out of OU.
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Lande71
1/12/2022 9:05 PM
IceCat76 wrote:expand_more
I believe Scott Love was part of the same recruiting class as Walter Luckett, Bob Huggins and George Green. Scott was younger brother of Craig Love who was drafted by the Buffalo Braves out of OU.
Disagree. Pretty sure Scott Love and George Green came in together and started school fall of 1971. Walter came in a year later.
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Victory
1/12/2022 9:41 PM
In what is probably a random irrelevant stat, when Sears, Carter, or Brown leads us in scoring we are undefeated. When it is BVP we are winless. Well, maybe it isn't 100% random. With Wilson out we are not a physical team and a good way to get points against top notch bigs is for BVP to take outside shots.
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RSBobcat
1/12/2022 10:55 PM
Sears 295 TTL Pts TY, 82 Pts are FT's (I think #2 TTL FT Pts in the country), that is 27.7% of his TTL scoring.

And those FT's have been a Key to OHIO pulling out wins in many games as he get's fouled and then to the line late in games.
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Victory
1/18/2022 9:15 PM
Victory wrote:expand_more
In what is probably a random irrelevant stat, when Sears, Carter, or Brown leads us in scoring we are undefeated. When it is BVP we are winless. Well, maybe it isn't 100% random. With Wilson out we are not a physical team and a good way to get points against top notch bigs is for BVP to take outside shots.
This weird oddity is definitely no longer true.
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LuckySparrow
1/18/2022 9:32 PM
That's a great post. Thanks for putting that together for us.

Was thinking about Kaminski just the other day.
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The Optimist
1/19/2022 12:32 AM
RSBobcat wrote:expand_more
Sears 295 TTL Pts TY, 82 Pts are FT's (I think #2 TTL FT Pts in the country), that is 27.7% of his TTL scoring.

And those FT's have been a Key to OHIO pulling out wins in many games as he get's fouled and then to the line late in games.
Sears ability to get to the line late in the game reminds me of Armon Bassett's 2010 MAC Tournament. I'll have to go look up the specifics, but I recall him drawing lots of fouls and hitting his free throws at a very high percentage which was a big part of him winning tournament MVP.

Edit:
Armon shot 81% from the line for the full season. His tournament % was higher but still below 85... The volume getting to the line is what is inpressive.

MAC 1st vs Ball State: 11-13
MAC quarters vs Kent: 16-16
MAC semis vs Miami: 15-18
MAC finals vs akron: 7-12

Georgetown: 9-10
Tennessee:2-6

Sears is head and shoulders more accurate than everyone else which is crazy
Last Edited: 1/19/2022 12:44:09 AM by The Optimist
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RSBobcat
1/19/2022 1:04 AM
The Optimist wrote:expand_more
Sears 295 TTL Pts TY, 82 Pts are FT's (I think #2 TTL FT Pts in the country), that is 27.7% of his TTL scoring.

And those FT's have been a Key to OHIO pulling out wins in many games as he get's fouled and then to the line late in games.
Sears ability to get to the line late in the game reminds me of Armon Bassett's 2010 MAC Tournament. I'll have to go look up the specifics, but I recall him drawing lots of fouls and hitting his free throws at a very high percentage which was a big part of him winning tournament MVP.

Edit:
Armon shot 81% from the line for the full season. His tournament % was higher but still below 85... The volume getting to the line is what is inpressive.

MAC 1st vs Ball State: 11-13
MAC quarters vs Kent: 16-16
MAC semis vs Miami: 15-18
MAC finals vs akron: 7-12

Georgetown: 9-10
Tennessee:2-6

Sears is head and shoulders more accurate than everyone else which is crazy
!!!
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Kevin Finnegan
1/19/2022 11:20 AM
Another fun fact...Bobcats are now tied for the 4th longest winning streak in school history after extending the streak to nine games last night. Here are our longest winning streaks as a school:

1. 13 games in 1993-94--Gary Trent led the Bobcats to 13 straight wins on a team that included junior Jeff Boals. First win of the streak came on Feb 2 in a blowout win over Kent State (Bobcats were coming off a 1-point loss at Toledo). They wouldn't lose again until the NCAA tournament on March 18, falling to #18 Indiana. 44 days of winning.

2 (tied). 11 games in 1985-86--On January 29th, a team with Robert Tatum, Dave Jamerson and 'Snoop' Graham won over Western Michigan (again a streak starting after a loss at Toledo, by two points here). They would run off 11 straight before dropping a conference tournament game to Ball State 93-69 on March 7. 37 days of winning.

2 (tied). 11 games in 1959-60--Probably the most surprising on the list because the team only finished 16-8, but they did run off 11 in a row from January 5 through February 20. The streak started...you guessed it, after a loss at Toledo, but by 10 points this time. During the streak, the Bobcats did defeat Toledo in Athens when the Rockets were ranked #12 in the nation. The streak ended with a loss to hated Miami 88-74. That Bobcat team did get back on track to defeat Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament. 46 days of winning.

4 (now tied with current streak). 9 games in 2011-12--This is the winningest team in Bobcat history, with 29 wins and a Sweet Sixteen. The streak started after a loss to #7 Louisville (not Toledo this time). However, the streak featured some less than impressive competition at times, including Marietta, North Carolina A&T, and Portland. Streak ended against Robert Morris. Streak lasted from November 30th to December 30th. 30 days of winning.

Current streak of 9 games has the Bobcats off to their best start ever at 14-2. The Bobcats last lost on December 1st at LSU. First win of the streak came in the least impressive of the games on the streak, a 3-point win over St. Francis on December 4th. Today is the 47th day in a row that the team has been winning (starting on December 4th, 2021). That will go to 48 tomorrow. That makes this the longest in calendar days winning streak ever for the Bobcats, though not the longest in consecutive wins. Whether it continues past that will be determined in the Convo on Friday. This streak would have had the possibility of being at 11 right now had OHIO held court against Eastern Michigan and on the road against Central Michigan in the two COVID cancelled games.
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