In 1997, Bill Clinton was the president and people couldn’t talk on the phone and use the internet at the same time.
That year was also the last time Ohio hosted a nationally ranked non-conference opponent, with then-No. 7 Kentucky invading The Convo.
On Wednesday, for the first time in 16 years, the Bobcats (7-2) will welcome in another ranked non-conference foe with No. 22 Massachusetts (9-0) traveling to Athens.
The Minutemen have been one of the most offensively efficient teams in the nation, averaging 113.1 points per 100 possessions, ranking 26th in the country according to kenpom.com, which is a college basketball website that measures advanced statistics.
UMass also has an offense that moves at a quick pace, earning 74.2 possessions per 40 minutes, which is 11th among the 351 NCAA Division I teams.
In comparison, Ohio’s offense scores 103.9 points and allows 97.9 points per 100 possessions (173rd and 61st, respectively), while recording 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes (163rd).
Leading the Minutemen is diminutive senior point guard Chaz Williams, who at five-foot-nine, averages a team-high 17 points per game along with more than seven assists in each contest, which is the second-highest mark in the country.
Williams had his best performance of the season in a neutral court 105-96 win against Brigham Young, scoring 32 points to go along with 15 assists.
Along with limiting Williams, protecting the interior paint will also be a large task for the Mid-American Conference’s top defensive rebounding team.
Junior center Cady Lalanne and senior forward Raphael Putney combine for 28 points and 15 rebounds per game, while both averaging more than 50 percent shooting from the floor.
Ohio bounced back from an ugly road loss against Oakland with a 72-47 victory against Alabama A&M in a game that coach Jim Christian has always thought is difficult for his team due to the final exam week that preceded it.
“That’s a hard game to play,” Christian said. “Not Alabama A&M, but the game coming out of final exams. I don’t think a lot of people get how difficult that is. They’ve been taxed all week mentally.”
It was a group effort by the Bobcats, as every player save for Stevie Taylor recorded a point, and T.J. Hall, Javarez Willis and Maurice Ndour tied for the team lead in points with 12 apiece.
Having an efficient game from Willis, who shot four of seven from the field with four assists in his 22 minutes of play will be crucial, as his on-ball defensive skills will be crucial in shutting down Williams, who has been hard to keep track of for opposing defenses.
@c_hoppens
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