DENVER – Ohio missed two chances to tie or take the lead in the final 30 seconds and the Bobcats’ season came to an end with a 61-57 loss to Denver in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night at Magness Arena.

With Ohio trailing by one, D.J. Cooper’s layup try was short with 21 seconds left, and after Chase Hallam made one free throw, Reggie Keely could not convert in the paint. The Pioneers got a dunk in the final second for the final margin.

In his final game as a Bobcat, Cooper had 16 points and four assists. Keely scored 12 points, while Ivo Baltic had 15 rebounds.

Brett Olson led the Pioneers (22-9) with 15 points. Chris Udofia finished with 14 points, while Cam Griffin came off the bench to post a... <Read More>

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio men's basketball team was selected Sunday to play in the National Invitation Tournament.

As a No. 6 seed, the Bobcats (24-9) travel to take on No. 3 Denver (21-9) at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Ohio is 4-4 in four all-time NIT appearances, having last taken part in the tournament in 1995.

The Bobcats were regular season Mid-American Conference co-champions and runners-up in the MAC Tournament. The Pioneers shared the Western Athletic League regular season title but were upset in the tournament quarterfinals.

The winner of the game advances to face the winner of No. 2 seed Maryland and No. 7 Niagara between March 21-25 with the higher-seeded team hosting.

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For the third time this season, the Bobcats held a first-half lead, only to have the Zips take the momentum in the second half, and for the first time in three title games between the schools in the last four years, Akron came out on top.

“It’s real disappointing,” said Ohio forward Reggie Keely, who scored 10 of his 19 points in the game’s first six minutes. “We came out here to win a championship and we didn’t get the job done. We came to cement a... <Read More>

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Cooper finished with 21 points and 10 assists, helping the Bobcats build a big lead and then hold off Western Michigan, 74-63, in the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday night.

Ohio (24-8) advance to finals of the MAC Tournament opposite Akron for the third time in four years.

Western Michigan (20-12) trailed by 17 at the break but made a run in the first 10 minutes of the second half, closing to within two, 48-46, on a Shayne Whittington basket. But Cooper did not let the Broncos get any closer, draining a long 3-pointer to keep the Bobcats in control.

“I knew if it didn’t go in, it probably wouldn’t have been... <Read More>

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The league made the announcement Wednesday, reporting that he won by a wide margin, collecting 16 of 27 votes from a media panel. Akron senior center Zeke Marshall was second with seven votes, while Buffalo junior forward Javon McCrea earned two votes. Ball State senior guard Juwan Scaife and Toledo junior forward Rian Pierson had one vote apiece.

On Monday, it was announced Cooper was an All-MAC selection for the fourth time, including for the third straight year as a first-team pick. He is sixth in the nation in assists per game at 7.2 and leads the Bobcats in scoring (14.8 ppg) and steals (2.1 per game).

“I’m very happy for... <Read More>

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Stevie Taylor and Jon Smith came off the bench to spark a 15-0 run that rallied the Bobcats from a 12-point second-half deficit and to a 58-54 victory Saturday against last-place rival Miami to clinch Ohio’s first regular season MAC title since 1994.

On the Bobcats’ Senior Day at The Convo, D.J. Cooper had 17 points, but only two assists while shifting over to shooting guard for much of the second half. Smith had all nine of his points in the second half and finished with 10 rebounds, while Taylor had five of his eight points and all three of his steals after the break.

Will Felder led the RedHawks (8-21, 3-13 MAC) with 20 points. Jon Harris... <Read More>

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Ohio scored the game’s final nine points, getting a go-ahead D.J. Cooper 3-pointer with 1:34 remaining, and the Bobcats rallied in the closing minutes for a 72-69 victory against Buffalo at Alumni Arena.

Cooper scored 24 points and added five assists, helping Ohio (22-8, 13-2 Mid-American Conference) to come back from a six-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining. Cooper eclipsed the 2,000-point mark in his career, becoming just the third player, along with Gary Payton and Sherman Douglas, to score 2,000 points with 900 assists. He is the first to add 600 rebounds and 300 steals to those totals and he also broke the school career 3-pointer record, passing Tommy Freeman.

Ivo Baltic broke out of a slump, scoring... <Read More>

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The Bobcats went on a 13-0 run in the first half to build a lead, and after the Falcons, rallied, Ohio used an 8-0 second-half run to begin pulling away.

Walter Offutt had 12 points and five assists, and D.J. Cooper finished with 10 points and six assists while tying Tommy Freeman’s school record for career 3-pointers.

A’uston Calhoun paced all players with 24 points and seven rebounds but no other Bowling Green player reached double figures.

Calhoun hit a jumper to give the Falcons (12-17, 6-8 MAC) an early 7-2 lead. After missing five of their first six shots, the... <Read More>

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Demetrius Treadwell had 21 points and seven rebounds, while Jake Kretzer did not miss a shot in scoring 19 points. Alex Abreu and Zeke Marshall, both tallied 16 points.

D.J. Cooper finished with 26 points and dished out four assists to lead Ohio (20-8, 11-2 MAC). Walter Offutt had 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Travis Wilkins and Reggie Keely added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The Zips (23-4, 13-0 MAC) scored the game's first nine points, the Bobcats... <Read More>

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont raced out to a 17-point halftime lead and coasted to an 81-62 BracketBuster victory against Ohio on Saturday night at the Curb Center.

The Bruins (22-6) had an 8-0 run in the middle of the first half to build a double-digit lead, and with their advantage at 10, they closed the first 20 minutes with seven straight points to take a 41-24 lead.

Ian Clark led a balanced Belmont attack with 18 points. Trevor Noack and J.J. Mann each scored 17 and Kerron Johnson finished with 16 points.

Reggie Keely paced the Bobcats (20-7) with 12 points and eight rebounds, while T.J. Hall had 10 points. D.J. Cooper was limited to six points on 1-of-8 shooting and three assists with four turnovers.

Walter Offutt scored four straight... <Read More>

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The Bobcats ran out to a 17-3 lead in the game’s first 10 minutes and built a 36-16 halftime lead.

Reggie Keely went 8 of 12 and scored 20 points, while D.J. Cooper had 16 points, 10 assists and five steals for the Bobcats (20-6, 11-1 Mid-American Conference).

J.R. Sims was the only player for Eastern Michigan (12-14, 5-7 MAC) to reach double digits, finishing with 12. Derek Thompson had nine points, but it came on 2-of-11 shooting.

“When you play Eastern Michigan, it’s such a pace-controlled game,” Ohio coach Jim Christian said. “… We got the lead on them early, which you... <Read More>

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The Golden Flashes still had a chance to win it, but they turned it over, leading to a Nick Kellogg layup. A desperation heave after that was off the mark as the Bobcats avoided an upset after giving up a 15-point second-half lead.

Walter Offutt scored 17 points and added four rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead Ohio (19-6, 10-1 Mid-American Conference). Cooper had 13 points and seven assists, Nick Kellogg scored 12 points and Reggie Keely finished with 10 points and eight boards.

Chris Evans’ 18 points and 14 rebounds were tops... <Read More>

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Despite foul trouble, Walter Offutt had 17 points and eight rebounds as Ohio pulled away from Central Michigan in the second half, 82-63, on Wednesday night at McGuirk Arena.

Reggie Keely scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half and Ricardo Johnson came off the bench to finish with 11 points in the second half for the Bobcats (18-6, 9-1 Mid-American Conference).

Kyle Randall had 28 points for the Chippewas (9-15, 2-9 MAC). Chris Fowler had 10 points and seven assists.

The Bobcats’ lead was just four points, 35-31, at halftime, and the Chippewas hung close for the first six minutes of the second half, trailing 51-45, before Ohio put the game away with a 16-2 run over the next six minutes.

Johnson got the spurt... <Read More>

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The Bobcats (17-6, 8-1 Mid-American Conference) had an early second-half 12-1 run to get separation from the Falcons (9-14, 4-6 MAC). But Bowling Green put up a fight – almost literally – the rest of the way, staying close as the teams sparred even after the final buzzer.

Ohio’s Walter Offutt took an elbow above the eye, the Bobcats’ D.J. Cooper and the Falcons’ Jordon Crawford and both benches were called for technical fouls and the teams had to be separated after the game.

Reggie Keely posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds... <Read More>

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The Bobcats (16-6, 7-1 Mid-American Conference) forced 22 turnovers, including 15 in the first half, while holding the Cardinals to 26.5 percent shooting. Ohio opened up a 34-14 lead by halftime and rolled from there.

Offensively, Walter Offutt led the way with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. T.J. Hall, starting in place of Ivo Baltic, had 10 points. D.J. Cooper had only four points, but took only three shots, dished out five assists and matched Offutt with a team-leading four steals.

Jauwan Scaife had 18 points to lead the Cardinals, but none of his teammates scored... <Read More>

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Alex Abreu had 21 points and nine assists and Zeke Marshall had 17 points on 8-of-8 shooting with 12 rebounds for the Zips (17-4, 8-0 MAC). Demetrius Treadwell had 15 points and 10 boards.

Nick Kellogg paced Ohio (15-6, 6-1 MAC) with 15 points, while D.J. Cooper scored 14 points and passed out six assists.

Ohio led 23-10 on a Ricardo Johnson 3-pointer midway through the first half, and it still led 27-16 after a Kellogg layup with 7:58 remaining, but Akron took over after that.

“We started well, got some stops... <Read More>

Due to today's campus closure, Wednesday night's Ohio vs. Eastern Michigan men's basketball game at the Convo has been cancelled.

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Cooper finished with 23 points and five assists, while Reggie Keely scored 20 points for the Bobcats (15-5, 6-0 MAC), off to their first 6-0 MAC start since 1974.

After Cooper’s free throws, Evans traveled with 42 seconds remaining. Kent State (11-9, 2-4 MAC) got a stop, blocking Cooper with eight seconds to go. Randall Holt raced up the court with the ball and pulled up for a shot in the paint, but it bounced off the back iron, sending the Golden Flashes to their... <Read More>

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Nick Kellogg had two of his five on the night during that span and finished with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. D.J. Cooper scored 17 points and added nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals, while Ivo Baltic scored his 1,000th career point during a double-double performance of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bobcats (14-5, 5-0 Mid-American Conference) connected on 12 of 25 3-pointers in the game and shot 52 percent overall.

“Coop did a good job of pushing the ball and guys were getting in their normal spots and the tremendous passer Coop is, he just found guys... <Read More>

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Walter Offutt had 14 points, and for the second straight game, Ricardo Johnson was big off the bench with 13 points and a team-high six rebounds. Ivo Baltic had 13 points, while D.J. Cooper finished with seven points and nine assists.

Matt Smith paced the Rockets (6-9, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) with 16 points, while the MAC’s leading scorer Rian Pearson was held to 14 points. Dominique Buckley finished with 13 points.

Toledo led 36-33 at halftime, but Ohio (13-5, 4-0 MAC) scored the first eight points of the second half and never trailed again. Keely hit... <Read More>

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Trailing 12-9 with 11:36 remaining in the first half, the Bobcats turned things around with a spurt fueled by their bench. Stevie Taylor scored all eight of his points during the span.

Walter Offutt led Ohio (12-5, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) with 19 points, while Reggie Keely finished the game with 12 points. D.J. Cooper had nine points, eight assists and four steals.

Abdel Nader had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead Northern Illinois (3-12, 1-2 MAC), but he made just 7 of 21 attempts. Keith Gray scored 14 points.

Aksel Bolin hit a pair of... <Read More>

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After leading by as much as 12 in the second half, Ohio held on to beat Western Michigan, 61-59, when David Brown’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was way off the mark Saturday at University Arena.

D.J. Cooper scored 16 points and added six assists and five rebounds as the Bobcats (11-5, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) won for the first time in five tries this season on the road.

Ohio held its biggest lead, 43-31, with 12:47 remaining following Nick Kellogg’s three-point play, and the lead was still eight with less than five minutes remaining after a Cooper free throw.

Walter Offutt scored a layup on an inbounds play to put the Bobcats up, 58-51, but Nate Hutscheson answered with a jumper, and after Ivo Baltic missed the rim on a... <Read More>

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Both players subbed out early in the second half with the Bobcats leading by more than 30 points. Cooper was 7 of 9, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range, finishing with 21 points and seven assists, while Keely went 6 of 10 from the field and 7 of 10 at the foul line, scoring 19 points to go with five rebounds.

Following a rout of Marshall on Saturday, Ohio (10-5, 1-0 MAC) scored more than 50 points in the first half for the second straight game, taking a 53-31 advantage into the locker room against... <Read More>

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Nick Kellogg scored 19 of his 22 points before halftime and the Bobcats made all 14 of their field goal tries inside the arc in the first half, thanks in large part to 19 Marshall turnovers that led to 39 Ohio points and a 56-24 advantage.

Reggie Keely scored 18 points, Walter Offutt had 13 points and Cooper and Ivo Baltic finished with 12 points each.

“We’ve talked a lot about eliminating excuses and doing your job,” Ohio coach Jim Christian said. “Today, we were very consistent in doing our job.”

The Bobcats... <Read More>

NORMAN, Okla. – Ohio committed 18 turnovers and Oklahoma pulled away in the second half, keeping the Bobcats winless on the road, 74-63, on Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center.

With the game tied at 29 at the break, the Sooners (8-3) took over with a hot-shooting second half, making 17 of 24 attempts. Steven Pledger scored 14 of his game-high 18 points after halftime. Amath M’Baye and Romero Osby finished with 16 points apiece.

D.J. Cooper paced the Bobcats (8-5) with 14 points and seven assists. Reggie Keely had 13 points and eight rebounds, while Walter Offutt scored 11 points.

After a Keely three-point play with 17:22 remaining made it 33-32, the Bobcats did not score again for nearly four minutes as the Sooners went on an 8-0 run with... <Read More>

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Walter Offutt scored 15 points to lead six Ohio players in double figures. D.J. Cooper was just shy of being the seventh, finishing with nine points, while passing out 14 assists, including nine in the first half when the Bobcats (8-4) built a 51-32 lead. He played only 23 minutes.

“We’ve shared the ball all year,” Ohio coach Jim Christian said. “It was just we had to have all our key players play well at the same time and have some guys step up. Travis (Wilkins) stepped up. Nick (Kellogg) was hurt. He hurt his shooting hand in practice and Travis stepped up. That’s what good teams do.”

Wilkins had 14... <Read More>

AMHERST, Mass. – Jesse Morgan scored 35 points to lead Massachusetts to an 85-76 victory against Ohio at the Mullins Center on Wednesday night.

Morgan scored 24 of those points in the first half, helping the Minutemen (6-3) turn an early 12-point deficit into a lead as large as 11 points. He finished 12 of 18 from the field, including 7 of 10 from 3-point range.

Cady Lalanne added 12 points and 11 rebounds for UMass.

D.J. Cooper scored 23 points, dished out 10 assists and had seven rebounds for Ohio, which lost for the fourth time in five games and is winless in three road games. Walter Offutt and Nick Kellogg added 18 and 15 points, respectively.

The Bobcats (7-4) got off to a hot start, taking an 18-6 lead on an Offutt 3-pointer only... <Read More>

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Walter Offutt was called for a blocking foul on the perimeter as the Eagles (4-4) were working for the last shot. With the foul putting Winthrop in the double bonus, Henry put the Eagles on top with a made foul shot after he missed the first.

Reggie Keely led the Bobcats (7-3) with 14 points – 12 of them in the first half. No other player reached double figures as Ohio shot just 36 percent in the game, made only 7 of 13 free throws and had 18 turnovers.

Despite the lack of offense, Ohio came back from a... <Read More>

ATHENS – Ohio used a late 24-2 run to pull away for a 78-61 victory against Oakland on Saturday at The Convo.

The Bobcats trailed 53-50 after Raphael Carter’s dunk with 12:11 remaining, but they dominated the rest of the game.

D.J. Cooper had a double-double with 10 points and 13 assists to lead the way. Walter Offutt had a team-high 14 points and was one of eight Ohio players to score six or more points.

By contrast, Travis Bader carried the load for the Grizzlies with 29 points, going 7 of 12 from 3-point range. Carter added 10 points.

Travis Wilkins made back-to-back 3-pointers for the Bobcats, giving them a 56-53 lead, and after Corey Petros hit two free throws with 10:08 remaining, Oakland did not score again for more than seven... <Read More>

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis forced Ohio into 17 turnovers, turning them into 23 points, while also getting 22 fast-break points, running away for an 84-58 victory at the FedEx Forum on Wednesday night.

The Tigers (5-2) also had 11 offensive rebounds, resulting in 17 second-chance points, and they scored 48 points in the paint. Geron Johnson led the way with 21 points, while Shaq Goodwin had 20 points and nine rebounds. The pair came into the game averaging a combined 12.2 points per game.

D.J. Cooper paced the Bobcats (6-2) with 19 points and four assists. Jon Smith had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Things started to fall apart for Ohio late in the first half. The Bobcats led 20-16 on Reggie Keely’s free throws with 7:21 to go, but the Tigers... <Read More>

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Karvel Anderson made all eight of his 3-point attempts and scored 28 points to lead Robert Morris past Ohio for the fourth straight year, 84-76, on Saturday night at the Sewall Center.

Making his first start of the year, Anderson did not miss on 10 shots overall. The junior college transfer came in having made only 10 of 37 3-point attempts in his first seven games.

Russell Johnson made 11 of 12 free throws and scored 14 points while Velton Jones added 12 points and seven assists for the Colonials (4-4).

D.J. Cooper had 19 points and 10 assists to lead Ohio (6-1) in its first road game of the year. Walter Offutt added 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

The Bobcats fell into a huge hole, trailing 31-12 with 7:09... <Read More>

ATHENS – D.J. Cooper knocked down a long go-ahead 3-pointer with 38 seconds left and Ohio remained undefeated with a 69-64 victory against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday night at The Convo.

Cooper finished with 16 points and eight assists to lead the Bobcats (6-0). Walter Offutt and Nick Kellogg added 14 and 13 points, respectively.

The Bonnies (3-2) came back from an 11-point deficit, taking a 61-59 lead on an Eric Mosley 3-pointer with 4:07 remaining. A free throw by Charlon Kloof a minute later gave St. Bonaventure a three-point advantage.

Jon Smith hit a pair of free throws with 2:37 to go to make it a one-point game and then threw down a dunk at the 1:16 mark on an assist from Cooper to put Ohio back in the lead.

Chris Johnson answered... <Read More>

ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio outscored Richmond 39-10 during the final 16 minutes to blow out the Spiders, 73-48, at The Convo on Saturday.

Walter Offutt scored 16 points to lead four players in double-figures for the Bobcats (5-0). D.J. Cooper finished with 14 points, while Jon Smith and Nick Kellogg added 13 and 12, respectively.

Only three players scored all game for Richmond, led by Derrick Williams with 17 points. Darien Brothers was 4 of 5 from 3-point range and scored 16 points, while Kendall Anthony added 15 points.

Richmond (4-2) led by as many seven in the first half and had a 30-27 advantage at halftime. The Spiders went on top 38-34 on a Brothers 3-pointer with 16:12 remaining but Richmond scored only 10 points the rest of the... <Read More>

ATHENS, Ohio – A 20-2 run to close the first half made the difference as Ohio topped Hampton, 75-67, on Tuesday night at The Convo.

The Bobcats (4-0) trailed the Pirates (0-3) by a point with six minutes remaining before a Walter Offutt 3-pointer gave Ohio the lead for good.

After combining for just 17 points in his first three games, Offutt scored 23 to lead the Bobcats against the Pirates. Ivo Baltic made 7 of 8 shots and scored 16 points and D.J. Cooper had 12 points and seven assists.

David Bruce had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Hampton, which held a 43-26 edge on the boards, but was guilty of 24 turnovers.

Deron Powers scored a layup that gave Hampton a 25-24 advantage late in the first half, but Offutt had back-to-back 3-pointers... <Read More>

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The Bobcats (3-0) shot 57.4 percent while holding the Terriers to 30.0 percent shooting.

Reggie Keely scored 16 points and D.J. Cooper knocked down 5 of 7 shots and finished with 15 points, but only had two assists two days after passing out 14 in a defeat of UNCW. Nick Kellogg had 10 points and Ivo Baltic scored nine points.

Karl Cochran finished with 14 points and Indiana Faithfull scored 12 points for Wofford (1-3).

Ohio was cold offensively at the start and Wofford hung close with the game tied at 8 until a Nick Kellogg 3-pointer with 11:39 remaining in the first half put the... <Read More>

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The Seahawks (1-2) committed 17 first-half turnovers, giving the ball back to the Bobcats (2-0) on their first six possessions and not even attempting a field goal until more than three minutes into the game while already trailing 13-0.

“One thing I’ve learned about this group is they play the game very smart,” Ohio coach Jim Christian said. “A lot of the steals, they’re anticipating the action before it happens. They take great pride in understanding what the emphasis is and go out and do it.”

After a poor shooting game to open the season Saturday against... <Read More>

Exclusive BobcatAttack.com Multimedia:   Ohio vs. UNCW

Lonnie McMillan Photo D.J. Cooper scored 18 points in Ohio's 81-52 victory against Portland.

The Bobcats trailed 33-28 late in the first half, but scored the final five points before the break and kept the momentum in the second half, totaling a 26-4 run. Ohio outscored Portland, 48-19, in the second half.

“In the second half, these guys imposed their will and that’s what I’m proud of,” first-year Ohio coach Jim Christian said.

D.J. Cooper and Nick Kellogg scored 18 points apiece to lead four Bobcats in double figures. Reggie Keely added 13 points and Ivo Baltic had 10 points.

Ryan Nicholas was... <Read More>

According to various internet reports, Ohio Basketball has received a verbal commitment from Cincinnati Walnut Hills High School small forward/shooting guard D.J. Wingfield. He chose Ohio over offers from St. Bonaventure, Akron, Kent St., Ball St., BG and others. The 6-5 Wingfield played at Lockland High School last year where he averaged 17.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists. At Walnut Hills, Wingfield will team with Akron commit Isaiah Johnson. The son of former UC star and NBA player Dontonio Wingfield, he joins Cincinnati Taft power forward Antonio Campbell as the second commitment to Jim Christian's 2013 recruiting class.

Joel Hawskley/Ohio Unviersity Athletic Department Photo

The former Kent State coach, who most recently coached at TCU, was announced Tuesday as the 17th coach of the Ohio men’s basketball team.

He replaces John Groce, who resigned after leading the Bobcats to the Sweet 16 in his fourth season to take the head coaching job at Illinois.

“With John Groce, this team, their staff, had a special, special season and put the program on the map,” Christian said. “The only promise I can make is that I’m going to work tirelessly to keep this program on that same path.”

Christian spent six seasons at Kent State from 2002-08, compiling a record of 138-58 for the best coaching winning percentage in Mid-American Conference history. He twice led the Golden... <Read More>

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In four seasons with the Bobcats, Groce, 40, was 85-56, with two NCAA tournament appearances following championships in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Ohio reached the Sweet 16 this year for the first time in 48 years, losing in overtime to North Carolina.

He replaces Bruce Weber, who was fired after nine seasons with the Illini. Illinois was just 17-15 this past season with a 6-12 record in the Big Ten and failed to reach the NCAA tournament for the third time since 2008. Weber was 41-49 in Big Ten play during his tenure.

“I can’t explain to you what the last few days have been like,” Groce said. “The chance to be standing... <Read More>

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The 13th-seeded Bobcats had No. 1 seed North Carolina on the ropes, knocking down eight 3-pointers in the second half. The shooting touch they lacked in the first half also disappeared in overtime and they fell to the Tar Heels, 73-65, in the Sweet 16 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on Friday night.

Walter Offutt had a career-high 26 points while making six 3-pointers and he scored the game-tying basket with 26 seconds left, but he failed to capitalize on a three-point play opportunity that would have given the Bobcats (29-8) the lead and Ohio did not hit another shot and was unable to... <Read More>

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“Nobody in our locker room feels like we're a Cinderella team,” Ohio guard D.J. Cooper said. “We feel like we can compete with anybody on the national stage.”

The Tar Heels have five players who could project to be NBA lottery picks this summer if all enter the draft, while the Bobcats have only ever produced one lottery pick and probably do not have any NBA-level talent.

It is just Ohio’s second-ever trip to the regional semifinal, but for North Carolina, anything short of the Sweet 16 is labeled a... <Read More>

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Offutt and Cooper combined for 40 points to lead the Bobcats past South Florida, 62-56, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday night.

Against the nation’s second-best field goal percentage defense team, Ohio (29-7) recovered from a slow start to shoot 50 percent in the second half, coming back from a six-point halftime deficit.

Offutt drained all four of his 3-point attempts and scored 21 points to go with four steals, while Cooper finished with 19 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds, as Ohio won two games in the... <Read More>

Exclusive BobcatAttack.com Multimedia:   NCAA Tournament: Ohio vs. South Florida

Lonnie McMillan Photo

No. 13 Ohio (28-7) facing No. 12 South Florida (20-13) guarantees a double-digit seed will make it out of the first week of play in the NCAA Tournament, and both teams have gotten where they are through defense. Both rank in the top 50 nationally in defensive efficiency.

South Florida does it by putting a long team on the court across the board with its starters measuring at 6-10, 6-8, 6-7, 6-6 and 6-1.

“South Florida's defensive numbers are off the charts, you know,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “Obviously their tempo and pace, which you were alluding to, you've got to be able to adapt. You guys have... <Read More>

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The Bobcats held Michigan scoreless the final four minutes and finally got steal and two Walter Offutt free throws with six seconds left to clinch its second NCAA Tournament upset victory in the last three years, with the No. 13 Bobcats knocking off the No. 4 Wolverines, 65-60, on Friday night at Bridgestone Arena.

Two years ago, a huge shooting night helped Ohio shock Georgetown, 97-83.

Michigan (24-10) missed four potential game-tying 3-pointers down the stretch and D.J. Cooper continued to be a big time player in big time games, scoring 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting and dished out five assists.

“It was fitting we had to rely on our defense a couple times there... <Read More>

Exclusive BobcatAttack.com Multimedia:   NCAA Tournament: Ohio vs. Michigan

Lonnie McMillan Photo

The Wolverines rank as the most efficient offense the Bobcats have played against this season.

“They've got great personnel,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “They space the floor, as you just said. They really spread you out. They've got guys who play off ball screens very well and make great reads.”

Fourth-seeded Michigan (24-9) is not like most power-conference schools, which often overpower teams with their size. Instead, the Wolverines’ lineup is full of shooters who can knock down shots from beyond the arc.

They are led by freshman... <Read More>

Ohio was seeded No. 13 in the Midwest region, drawing a second-round NCAA Tournament match-up against No. 4 seed Michigan on Friday in Nashville.

The Mid-American Conference champion Bobcats (27-7) and the Big Ten regular season tri-champion Wolverines (24-9) will battle at 7:20 p.m.

Also playing in the same session will be No. 5 seed Temple (24-7) against the winner of a first-round game between California (24-9) and South Florida (20-13).

Other games at the same site are from the East region. No. 6 Cincinnati (24-10) faces No. 11 Texas (20-13), while No. 3 Florida State (24-9) plays No. 14 St. Bonaventure (20-11).

Winners play in the third round on Sunday.

Lonnie McMillan Photo

However, a tip-in call was overturned and the Bobcats hung on for a 64-63 victory against the Zips to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Tournament MVP D.J. Cooper led the way with 23 points, six assists and four steals.

“It’s a great feeling,” Cooper said. "I haven’t had this feeling since two years ago. We worked hard all season. We worked through adversity. I just want to thank God and the coaches.”

Reggie Keely’s two free throws with six seconds left put the No. 3 seed Bobcats (27-7) up three, and rather than let the regular season champion Zips... <Read More>

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Led by Cooper’s five makes, the No. 3 Bobcats (26-7) knocked down 10 of 19 3-point tries in the first half to build a 46-35 halftime lead and pushed that advantage to 15 early in the second half, but the No. 2 Bulls (19-10) came back late, missing three 3-point tries that could have tied the game, including a half-court heave at the buzzer that was off the back of the iron.

Ohio, which broke the school record for wins... <Read More>

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Leading by just two, the Bobcats blew open the game in the first two and a half minutes of the second half, taking a 37-24 advantage on a Walter Offutt steal and layup. From there, the Rockets got no closer than seven.

D.J. Cooper finished with 18 points, dished out five assists and grabbed five rebounds to lead No. 3 Ohio (25-7) into Friday night’s semifinal match-up against No. 2 seed Buffalo. Reggie Keely and Offutt added 13 points each.

Curtis Dennis knocked down four 3-pointers and scored 17 points for Toledo (18-16). Reese... <Read More>

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The Bobcats (24-7, 11-5 MAC) had 15 offensive rebounds, including six by Smith, who tied for the team-lead with seven total rebounds. Ivo Baltic had seven boards and scored all eight of his points in the first half. Cooper had four rebounds, four assists and five steals, breaking the school’s career assist record with another season still to play.

Miami (9-20, 5-11 MAC) got 11 points from Brian Sullivan, but after lighting up Ohio in the teams’ first match-up, the nation’s sixth-leading 3-point shooter was just 1 of 6 from... <Read More>

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D.J. Cooper carried a struggling Ohio offense with 23 points, but it was not enough, and Kent State held on behind 20 points from Randal Holt and 16 by Justin Greene.

The Bobcats (23-7, 10-5 Mid-American Conference) had a chance to win the MAC regular season championship and earn the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, thanks to Buffalo’s 74-70 victory at Akron.

Instead, Ohio is one game back of the Bulls, tied with the Golden Flashes (20-9, 10-5 MAC) and just a game ahead of Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan for an important top-four finish that would... <Read More>

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The Bobcats led by 19 at the half, increased their advantage to as much as 33 and never trailed in their fourth straight victory and school record-breaking 16th home win.

D.J. Cooper posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists and was one of four Ohio players in double figures. Nick Kellogg had a game-high 17 and Walter Offutt and Reggie Keely each scored 14 as the Bobcats (23-6, 10-4 Mid-American Conference) shot 56.6 percent, including 68.2 percent in the second half.

“We played really well,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “I had a couple people ask me, ‘Is that as good as you can play?’ I certainly hope not... <Read More>

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Ohio grabbed 21 offensive rebounds against one of the Mid-American Conference’s leading rebounding teams in an 88-77 victory against Buffalo at UB Arena that puts the Bobcats in a three-way tie for second place.

Walter Offutt knocked down five 3-pointers and scored a career-high 23 points as Ohio (22-6, 9-4 MAC) shot just 39 percent but scored 24 second-chance points. D.J. Cooper finished with 20 points, eight assists and four steals.

Nick Kellogg scored all 15 of his points in the second half. Ivo Baltic and T.J. Hall, playing an extended role because of an injury to Ricardo Johnson, both totaled nine points and nine rebounds.

Mitchell Watt and Javon McCrea each scored 17 points to lead Buffalo (16-9, 9-4 MAC). Titus... <Read More>

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Averaging 82.3 points per game, the Bulldogs (19-9) scored only 18 points in the first half and shot just 34.0 percent for the game. The Bobcats (21-6) connected on 57.7 percent of their shots, including 73.9 percent in the second half.

“We are who we are this time of year,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “Tonight our defense showed up at a high level, especially the first 30 minutes. We were physical and nasty at the defensive end.”

Walter Offutt paced Ohio with 19 points, while Stevie Taylor scored 12 points off the bench. Nick Kellogg reached double... <Read More>

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ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio closed on a 20-4 run to take a 72-59 victory against Bowling Green at The Convo on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game losing streak.

The Bobcats (20-6, 8-4 Mid-American Conference) led most of the way, but the Falcons rallied for a 55-52 advantage with 6:11 remaining before Ohio closed strong.

D.J. Cooper finished with 22 points on 7 of 14 shooting. No other Ohio player reached double digits, but the Bobcats got plenty of contributions, including nine points and nine rebounds from Jon Smith and eight points and eight rebounds from Ivo Baltic.

Scott Thomas led Bowling Green (13-12, 7-5 MAC) with 17 points and five rebounds. Dee Brown scored 15 points and Jordon Crawford had 11 points.

Cooper knotted the game at 55 with... <Read More>

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The Eagles (11-14, 6-5 Mid-American Conference) scored the first nine points and never trailed. Derek Thompson scored 23 points for Eastern Michigan, which shot 50 percent in the game, including 8 of 12 from 3-point range. Antonio Green and Jamell Harris added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

D.J. Cooper led Ohio (19-6, 7-4 MAC) with 15 points. Reggie Keely posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Walter Offutt scored 11 points, but the Bobcats connected on just 31.3 percent of their shots.

“We’re not the same team we were last year or the year... <Read More>

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The Bobcats scored the game’s first 15 points, fell behind by as much as 13 and came back to take the lead in the final minutes. Curtis Dennis scored a three-point play to put the Rockets on top, 75-73, and they survived three Ohio chances to tie or win it in the final seconds.

“This one’s really simple,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “Thirty-six points in the paint to our 20, 20 offensive rebounds to our 19 defense rebounds. I don’t know what the final score was with the loose balls, but they won the loose balls. They were tougher. Bottom line. … It was the first time we have been... <Read More>

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The Chippewas (7-15, 2-7 MAC) connected on just 15 of 52 shots from the field, including 4 of 23 from 3-point range while committing 14 turnovers.

“The best thing that we did was we played pretty close to a 40-minute game,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “… I really appreciated our guys staying mentally tough in the first half when our shots weren’t falling.”

Walter Offutt and Nick Kellogg knocked down four 3-pointers each, scoring 17 and 14 points, respectively, to lead the Bobcats (19-4, 7-2 MAC). D.J. Cooper had nine points, seven assists and seven rebounds but left... <Read More>

DeKALB, Ill. – Ohio opened the second half with a 12-1 run and pulled away from last-place Northern Illinois for its fifth straight victory, 67-58, before a crowd of just 784 people at The Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill., on Wednesday night.

Walter Offutt paced the Bobcats (18-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) with 19 points, making 9 of 9 free throws. Reggie Keely added 13 points and Nick Kellogg connected on 3 of 4 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.

Antone Christian scored 15 points and Abdel Nader tallied 12 points to lead the Huskies (2-18, 1-7 MAC).

The Bobcats trailed most of the first half but took a 27-26 lead to the locker room with a Keely free throw.

After the break, Ohio came out on fire, sparked with back-to-back Kellogg... <Read More>

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The Cardinals rallied from 12 down in the second half, tying the game on a Jarrod Jones free throw with 2:29 remaining, but Walter Offutt was big down the stretch.

Offutt finished with a team-high 13 points, with Ivo Baltic and Reggie Keely each adding 10 points.

Chris Bond had 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Jones also posted a double-double with 11 points and 16 boards. Randy Davis knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.

“Fortunately, we were able to make some plays there at the end,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “… At the end of the day we won the... <Read More>

ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio held a short-handed Western Michigan team to 30.2 percent shooting to take a 56-61 victory on Wednesday night at The Convo.

D.J. Cooper was the only Ohio player to score in double digits, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. The Bobcats (16-4, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) shot only 35.3 percent and committed 14 turnovers, but forced 17.

Getting substantial playing time because of a first-half injury to Demetrius Ward, freshman Austin Richie led the Broncos (9-11, 3-3 MAC) with 16 points. Mike Douglas added 12 points but was only 2 of 13 from the field with six turnovers. Shayne Whittington carried the load inside with nine points and 13 rebounds with leading scorer and rebounder Matt... <Read More>

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Known as the “Shaq of the MAC,” Trent is the only player ever to win the league Player of the Year honors three times, averaging 22.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in three seasons for the Bobcats.

His No. 20 jersey joined those of Frank Baumholtz, Walter Luckett, Dave Jamerson and coach Jim Snyder hanging in the rafters during a halftime ceremony.

“This honor here is just unbelievable and to me it’s a lifetime award because 100 years from now or 200 years from now, I’ll be long gone, but that jersey will still hang and students who never met me, students who aren’t... <Read More>

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Ivo Baltic had a game-high 20 points to lead the way, and Walter Offutt had a late steal and layup to give the Bobcats (15-4, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) the lead and then grabbed a key offensive rebound while finishing with 15 points. D.J. Cooper and Reggie Keely added 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Brian Sullivan came off the bench to lead the RedHawks (5-12, 1-4 MAC) with 16 points. Drew McGhee added 10 points, while the MAC’s leading scorer Julian Mavunga was held to seven points and 10 rebounds in 31 foul-plagued... <Read More>

ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio scored 21 straight points early in the second half to run away with an 87-65 victory against Kent State on Wednesday night at The Convo.

Walter Offutt scored a career-high 19 points, and D.J. Cooper added 18 points as five Bobcats reached double figures. Nick Kellogg connected on five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points, Ivo Baltic tallied 11 points and Reggie Keely scored 10 points.

Chris Evans came off the bench to lead Kent State (12-5, 2-2 Mid-American conference) with 18 pionts. Michael Porrini had 10 points, while leading scorer Justin Greene was held to 10 points.

Ohio (14-4, 2-2 MAC) led by three at halftime and the lead was cut to one with a Porrini basket to open the second half, but the Bobcats dominated the... <Read More>

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Seven-footer Zeke Marshall scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds as Ohio forwards Ivo Baltic, Reggie Keely and Jon Smith all were limited by fouls and all eventually were disqualified. Brett McClanahan and Nick Harney had 10 points apiece for the Zips (11-6, 3-0 Mid American Conference).

In a balanced effort, D.J. Cooper led the Bobcats (13-4, 1-2 MAC) with 13 points but was just 2 of 15 from the field. Walter Offutt and Nick Kellogg each scored 11 points and Ivo Baltic had 10 points.

Ohio led the majority of the game, but never by more than five points. Akron finally... <Read More>

ATHENS, Ohio – After struggling defensively in back-to-back losses, Ohio stymied Buffalo, holding the Mid-American Conference’s top scoring team to 38 percent shooting in a 60-52 victory Wednesday night at The Convo.

The Bobcats continued to struggle offensively, shooting just 32.2 percent themselves, but they managed 10 more field goal tries and 10 more free throw attempts than the Bulls, thanks to a 23-15 turnover advantage and a 17-10 edge in offensive rebounds.

D.J. Cooper scored 15 points, Nick Kellogg added 14 points and Ivo Baltic finished with 12 points for Ohio (13-3, 1-1 MAC). Mitchell Watt with 18 points was the only Buffalo player in double-figures for Buffalo (8-5, 1-1 MAC). He also had 12 rebounds.

Kellogg knocked down three... <Read More>

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Bowling Green used a 9-0 run to go up 52-39 with less than eight minutes remaining, and after Walter Offutt tied the game on a putback, the Falcons closed out the game by scoring 10 of the final 11 points.

Jordon Crawford finished with 16 points to lead four Bowling Green players in double figures. Dee Brown had 13, A’uston Calhoun finished with 12 and Scott Thomas scored 10 for the Falcons, who shot 52.2 percent.

The Bobcats, who made just 38.2 percent of their shots, were led by DJ Cooper’s 15 points... <Read More>

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Ohio (12-2) made just 3 of 26 3-point attempts on the night and lost to the Colonials for the third year in a row, failing to become the first Bobcats team ever to win 13 of their first 14 games.

“I thought their execution was better than ours,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “Having said that, I was really proud of our guys’ effort.”

The Bobcats, who trailed by eight with a minute to go, got a Reggie Keely basket and then forced three turnovers in 13 seconds to nearly steal the win.

TyQuane... <Read More>

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