Ohio State Players To Return In 2011...For Now

By:  Cooper Ledford

Ohio State Head coach, and Head Coach of the year finalist, Jim Tressel says that the 5 suspended Ohio State players will return for their senior season at The Ohio State University.

Tressel said that the suspended players could only play in the Sugar Bowl if they returned in '11.  Also, the Man In The Vest said that the players will probably not face a reduced playing-time in the Sugar Bowl.  But, we'll have to wait and see about that.

There were a few, quite, rumors that Jim Tressel might retire after the Sugar Bowl, but he was quick to say "This world is ever-evolving with wastes of time."

'Cats Scratch Coppin State

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky sure looks ready for Louisville.

Terrence Jones scored 18 points, Brandon Knight added 17 points and eight assists and the 11th-ranked Wildcats rolled by Coppin State 91-61 Tuesday night in their final tuneup before a showdown with the rival Cardinals on New Year's Eve.

Kentucky (10-2) shot 57 percent from the field - including 74 percent in the second half - to overwhelm the Eagles.

Doron Lamb, fresh off a school freshman-record 32-point performance in a rout of Winthrop last week, scored 17 points and DeAndre Liggins added 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Kentucky.

Jordan Lee led Coppin State (4-6) with 11 points while Tony Gallo and Akeem Ellis added 10 points each but the Eagles couldn't keep up with the Wildcats, who played efficiently while gearing up for Friday's Battle of the Bluegrass.

Kentucky dominated the undersized Eagles, outrebounding them 43-22 and outscoring them 46-26 in the paint. The Wildcats' outburst included 29 points by bench players, a welcome sign for a team looking for more depth before it starts Southeastern Conference play next week.

The Eagles played without scoring leader Michael Harper, who had the flu. Coppin State certainly could have used him, particularly early on as it tried to gain its footing against the Wildcats. The Eagles missed their first 11 shots before Lee hit a layup in traffic.

By then Coppin State trailed 15-4, though the Eagles did show enough signs of life to force Calipari to call a frustrated timeout following a brief spurt that brought the them within 20-11.

No biggie. DeAndre Liggins converted a difficult layup while drawing the foul before Lamb followed with a jumper from the corner. Jones dunked moments later, quickly followed by another basket by Lamb.

After Jones hit a nifty pullup just before the buzzer, the Wildcats led 40-19 at the break and could start turning their full attention toward Louisville.

Kentucky's lead grew to as much as 39 in the second half before Calipari went deep to his bench, looking for candidates to crack his typically tight six-man rotation.

He appeared to get a couple of volunteers. Jon Hood had seven points, including a rare one-handed dunk, during his extended playing time and reserve center Eloy Vargas had four points.

The Wildcats will likely need that depth against the Cardinals. The two rivals played one of the uglier games in the series' history last season, a foul-marred Kentucky win that featured plenty of venom on both sides.

Kentucky's depth and talent eventually wore Louisville down. This year, the 22nd-ranked Cardinals are the deeper, if not more talented team.

Yet Calipari has praised his young team, featuring star freshmen Jones, Lamb and Knight, for its maturity. The Wildcats showed it during a sharp-shooting second half in which they shared the basketball to look for open shots.

Kentucky finished with 21 assists on 35 field goals and players continued to hustle on both ends of the floor even with the game's outcome decided.

UC Opens Up Big East Play With Win

CINCINNATI -- Larry Davis scored a season-high 20 points, and undefeated Cincinnati opened Big East play by beating DePaul 76-60 on Tuesday night.

The Bearcats (13-0, 1-0) extended their best start since the 2003-04 season, when they also won their first 13 under coach Bob Huggins.

Dion Dixon added 16 points and Yancy Gates had 15 in a balanced offense. After a sluggish start, Cincinnati took control with a 34-6 run sparked by its energetic halfcourt pressure.

DePaul (6-7, 0-1) came apart, repeatedly shooting air balls and throwing the ball away -- a familiar performance on the road, where the Blue Demons have lost their last 24 games. Cleveland Melvin had a career-high 24 points for DePaul.


Next, the Bearcats will play host to Seton Hall.  That game will be on New Years Eve at 8:00 PM ET, this will finish just before next year starts.  The game will be on ESPN2.

No Bengals To Pro Bowl

By:  Cooper Ledford

The only player that would deserve a shot to play in the Pro Bowl, Andrew Whitworth, did not get invited to Hawaii, despite winning the popular vote for his position.  The only Bengal to go last year was Chad Ochocinco, who came in as a replacement after an injury to another wide receiver.

Ohio State Players Apologize

X-Men Dominate Albany

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (7-3) were coming off of a loss at Gonzaga, and were looking to rebound and pick up a win against the Albany (NY) Great Danes (7-6), and that was easily done.  Xavier dominated Albany, and won 88-64, the Muskies highest win margin of the season.

A big reason why Xavier had so much success was because of Mark Lyons. Lyons,  who had to ride on the Albany bus to the Cintas Center due to weather, finished with 18 points, most of them came from triples.  The sophomore was 6-9 when it came to three pointers.  He also was 6-11 in the paint.

Four other Muskies were in double digits, all of them started the game.  Kenny Frease was one of them, as he had a great night, finishing with 17 points and 9 rebounds.  Jamel McLean had 15 points and 11 boards, Dante Jackson added 14 points, and Tu Holloway, remember him, finished with 11 points, but had 9 assist.

Coach Mack's team set a season high in assist today, as they had a total of 24, their previous high was 22 vs. Wake Forest.

The Musketeers out-rebounded the Great Danes 37-21.

Albany only had the lead once, when it was 3-0, soon XU tied it up, took the lead, and never looked back.  So a very easy win for the home team, as they will improve to 8-3.  Albany will fall to 7-7.

Next, X will play host to a tough Florida Gators team.  The Muskies will put a 30 game home winning streak on the line.  That game will be on New Years Eve at 4:00 PM ET and on ESPN2.

Bucks Hit Triple-Digits, Beat TN-Martin

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - William Buford scored the first seven points of the game and came out of an offensive funk to finish with 23 to lead No. 2 Ohio State to a 100-40 victory over Tennessee-Martin on Monday night.

Deshaun Thomas added 20 points, Jared Sullinger had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale scored 10 points apiece for the Buckeyes (13-0), one of eight remaining Division I unbeatens. They are off to the fourth-best start in the program's 112 seasons.

It was the ninth-biggest victory margin in Ohio State history.

Ohio State took a 12-0 lead after the opening 3 minutes, then scored the first 18 points of the second half.

Reuben Clayton had 11 points for the Skyhawks (4-9), coming off a 4-25 mark a year ago and picked to finish last in the Ohio Valley Conference this season.

The Skyhawks hit just 17 of 63 shots from the field (27 percent) while the Buckeyes were 41 of 70 (59 percent). Ohio State also had a 49-28 edge on the boards and forced 19 turnovers while committing just nine.

Coach Thad Matta moved to 97-2 against unranked teams at home and 90-17 against non-conference opponents in his seven years at Ohio State.

Ahead 49-17 at the half, Ohio State poured it on in the opening 5 1/2 minutes of the second half, going on an 18-0 run before Terence Smith ended the drought with a short jumper.

UT Martin fell to 0-9 against the Big Ten and 0-2 against Ohio State.

Buford, the Buckeyes' second-leading scorer a year ago, had gotten off to a slow start this season. His shooting percentages overall, on 3-pointers and at the line were all down and he was averaging 12.5 points - down from 14.4 points as a sophomore.

But he made sure that he and the Buckeyes got off to a quick start. Buford hit a jumper from the right corner to open the scoring, then made a breakaway layup and popped in a 3-pointer to make it 7-0 after the first 1:06.

Sullinger then scored the next five points as the Buckeyes led 12-0. The Skyhawks didn't get on the board until Terence Smith's runner from just inside the free-throw line fell in at the 16:46 mark.

UT Martin finished the half just 7 of 31 from the field for 23 percent to Ohio State's 20 of 36 (56 percent).

The Buckeyes' early lead at the break was built around Buford's 16 points, 12 by Sullinger and 10 more from Thomas.

The Buckeyes improved some gaudy numbers at the expense of the Skyhawks. As a ranked team, Ohio State is 374-105 all-time, is 26-7 when ranked No. 2 and 253-56 with wins in 44 of its last 46 games when ranked in the top 10.

Former Ohio State center Greg Oden, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, sat courtside. He received a lengthy standing ovation when a montage of highlights from his one year at Ohio State were played.

6 Buckeyes Net Double-Digits, beat Oakland

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Deshaun Thomas scored 17 points and five teammates also hit double figures to lead No. 2 Ohio State past Oakland 92-63 on Thursday night, giving coach Thad Matta his best start in his seven years with the Buckeyes.

Jared Sullinger had 16 points, Jon Diebler and David Lighty 13 each and Aaron Craft and William Buford 12 apiece for the Buckeyes (12-0). Dallas Lauderdale matched a career best with six blocked shots. Craft's point total was a career high. Lighty was making his 100th career start.

Travis Bader had 17 points and Larry Wright 12 for the weary Golden Grizzlies (7-8), playing their third game in four days and fourth in six.

Keith Benson, averaging 17.4 points a game, fouled out with eight points and 10 rebounds.

The Buckeyes started 11-0 in Matta's second season in 2005-6, ending up 26-6.

It was just another top opponent for Oakland, Mich. The Golden Grizzlies upset then-No. 7 Tennessee 89-82 on Dec. 14 - the program's only victory against a top 10 team. The loss to the Buckeyes dropped them to 2-28 against ranked opponents.

Leading by nine points at the break, the Buckeyes broke free by scoring 11 of the first 14 points in the second half. Five players scored, with Lighty hitting a 3-pointer and Sullinger, Lauderdale, Buford and Craft each adding a basket.

Down as many as 17, the Golden Grizzlies got as close as 50-40 on Benson's flip over his shoulder at the 13:53 mark before Ohio State pulled away by scoring the next 10 points. Again, the Buckeyes showed their balance, with five players scoring. Diebler hit a shot behind the arc while Lauderdale, Buford and Thomas each had two and Craft added a free throw to push the lead to 60-40 with 10:56 remaining.

The Buckeyes led 37-28 at halftime, playing just well enough to make an early lead stand up.

Despite outrebounding opponents by eight on the season, Ohio State was handled 21-19 on the boards and didn't shoot very well.

Sullinger had eight points but missed his last four shots from the field after making his first three. Lighty and Diebler each had seven points.

Sullinger opened the scoring on a 10-foot jumper and then added two free throws before Buford hit a half-hook and Sullinger followed with a turnaround to make it 8-0.

The Buckeyes had leads of 12-3 and 20-11 before the Grizzlies went on a 12-5 tear to pull to 31-27 late in the half. Lighty had an assist and a basket in the final minute to help Ohio State escape with a lead.

Benson got off just four shots, hitting three for six points, but had seven rebounds.

The Golden Grizzlies came in averaging 82 points a game.

Ohio State improved to 252-56 when ranked in the top 10, winning 43 of its last 45 games. The Buckeyes are 89-17 in non-conference games under Matta.

Ohio State Appeals Suspensions

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Ohio State Buckeyes Football Team had to suspend five Buckeyes for the first five games of the 2011 season, along with one player who was suspended for just one game.  The five Buckeyes who were suspended for the five games were Terrelle Pryor, Dan "Boom" Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, and Soloman Thomas.  OSU appealed the suspensions, and will probably get reduced.  There will still be suspensions, more than likely, but they will more than likely not remain at five games.  Some players could not be suspended at all.  If the suspension change, we will be sure to tell you.

What I would Like To Give The SWO Teams For Christmas

By:  Cooper Ledford

Here are the things that I would like to give the SWO Sports teams for Christmas.

Reds-A good lead-off hitter, someone that they don't have yet.
Bengals-A new coach, QB, WR'S, RB'S, pretty much a whole new team.
Kentucky Football-Some top recruits so they could compete for an SEC Title.
Cincinnati Football-Most of the best players from the Cincinnati area, Ohio State is stealing them all.
Ohio State Football-Undo the suspensions.
Cincinnati Commandos-A network that televises the games.
Kentucky Basketball-A new record, everyone said they could be just as good as they were last year, no so far.
Cincinnati Basketball-A top 10 ranking.
Ohio State Basketball-More fans, Ohio State will always be a football school.
Xavier Basketball-Some big-time players.  Ones that could help them compete to be the NCAA Champs.

Six Buckeyes Suspended

By:  Cooper Ledford

Bad news from Columbus, five Ohio State football players have been suspended for the first five games in the 2011 season.  Also, one player, Jordan Whiting, will be suspended for one game.  The five Buckeyes that will miss the first five games of the 2011 season are Terrelle Pryor (no Heisman), Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, and Soloman Thomas.  These players were suspended because they received improper benefits.  They got free tattoos in return for signed items.

All of these players will have to pay up to $2,500 to charity.  Also, they will be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl, January 4th against Arkansas.

This may effect the 2011 season for the Buckeyes, as they will play Akron and Toledo, which should still be easy wins, then travel to South Florida to take on Miami (FL), which could be a loss, then host Colorado, which should be a win, and then host Michigan State, which could be a loss.  The five Buckeyes that will miss out, will not play until OSU travels to Nebraska to take on the Corn Huskers on October the 8th.

If any of the suspension change, which they probably will not, we will be sure to keep you updated.

Lighty And Bucks Blow Out UNC-Asheville

By:  Cooper Ledford


David Lighty, who scored the Buckeyes first 16 points, sat out for the better part of the 2nd half, as he finished with 29 points, as he helped the Bucks beat North Carolina-Asheville, 96-49.  The #2 Ohio State Buckeyes remain perfect at 11-0.
Lighty, who came in averaging 11.6 points, had 23 at halftime. He left with 10:23 left - one shy of his career high - and did not return.

William Buford added 14 points, Deshaun Thomas 13 and Jared Sullinger added nine points and 16 rebounds for the Buckeyes (11-0).

J.D. Primm had 15 points, D.J. Cunningham 13 and Chris Stephenson 11 for the Bulldogs (5-6).

Lighty hadn't hit double figures in his past four games but had that covered in the opening 2:45.

He almost outscored the Bulldogs in the opening half by himself. He hit 9 of 12 shots from the field including 5 of 7 3-pointers as the Buckeyes led 48-24.

Down 26 points in the opening half, the Bulldogs scored 10 of the first 12 points in the second half to pull to 50-34, but then Lighty made a 3 and the Buckeyes were off and running again.

Asheville fell to 0-12 against Big Ten teams. The Bulldogs have played eight of their 11 games on the road, including an 80-69 loss at No. 24 North Carolina on Nov. 23 and an 87-72 defeat at No. 16 Georgetown on Nov. 27.

The 23-year-old Lighty is the Buckeyes' elder statesman. He came in with the ''Thad Five'' in the fall of 2006, a recruiting class that included three players (Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook) who would be taken in the first round of the NBA draft after their freshman season.

He missed most of the 2008-9 season with a broken bone in his foot, had his finest season a year ago and then re-broke a bone in the same foot this past spring, requiring more rehab.

The fifth-year senior from Cleveland was making his 99th start. He's played at Ohio State with six first-round draft picks, played in the 2007 NCAA title game and his teams have won 106 games in which he's played - just five off the school mark.

Lighty's previous career high came 364 days earlier on Dec. 22, 2009, against Cleveland State. Against Asheville, he set career highs for field goals made (11), 3-pointers made (seven) and attempted (10) and he matched his most field goals attempted (16).

His work in the opening 20 minutes matched his career high for field goals in an entire game and eclipsed his previous best behind the arc by one.

He took control early, scoring all his team's points as it broke to a 16-5 lead. He sliced across the lane to hit a hanging 10-footer, then hit four of his next five 3-point attempts before beating a defender on the right baseline and dunking one-handed.

The Buckeyes shot 59 percent from the field (20 of 34) in the opening half while Asheville had difficulty getting much of anything inside. Ohio State scored 22 of the 30 points in the paint.

The Buckeyes ended up shooting 57 percent from the field and making 11 of 24 3-pointers.

Asheville's John Nwannunu suffered an injury in the final minutes and was helped to the dressing room.

For highlights, click HERE

Lamb Sets Record, UK wins

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's Doron Lamb set a school record for most points in a game by a freshman, pouring in 32 as the 13th-ranked Wildcats rolled by Winthrop 89-52 on Wednesday.

Lamb broke the record of 31 set by Jamal Mashburn on Feb. 3, 1991, against Georgia on a nifty layup that put the Wildcats up 28 with 6:38 remaining. He walked off to a standing ovation moments later after making 11 of 12 field goals, including 7 of 8 3-pointers.

Brandon Knight shook off a left knee contusion to finish with 21 points and five rebounds as the Wildcats (9-2) breezed into the Christmas break with ease.

Matt Morgan led Winthrop (5-7) with 18 points, but the Eagles had now answer for Lamb and Knight as Kentucky shot 52 percent to remain undefeated at Rupp Arena under coach John Calipari.

A game after being ejected for the second time in his coaching career, Calipari kept his cool against the Eagles. Then again, there wasn't much to complain about.

Other than another sloppy performance by freshman forward Terrence Jones - 11 points and six rebounds on 5 of 16 shooting - Kentucky played crisply. The Wildcats made 12 of 22 3-pointers and only turned it over 11 times.

Lamb has blossomed in the role of sixth-man, a move designed to give Kentucky's thin second unit an offensive spark. The way he's playing, however, it may be difficult to keep him out of the starting lineup.

He can score in a variety of ways, though he didn't have to against the Eagles. He spent much of the afternoon standing wide open behind the 3-point line and was only too happy to knock them down. He made his first five and, when Winthrop stepped out to guard him, blew by his defender for a layup.

Next, the Wildcats will host Coppin State.  That game is on 28th, and will be at 7 PM ET and will be televised on FS South.

Bearcats Down Miami [highlights included]

OXFORD, Ohio (AP) - Dion Dixon scored a career-high 23 points, and Cincinnati remained one of nine unbeaten Division I teams on Tuesday night, pulling away to a 64-48 win over Miami (Ohio).

The Bearcats (11-0) are on their longest winning streak since 2004-05, when they opened 11-0 in Bob Huggins' final season as coach.

Dixon led a fast-break offense that pulled away late in the first half after Miami (5-7) led by seven. Ibrahima Thomas had his third career double-double, getting 11 points and matching his career high with 13 rebounds as the Bearcats dominated inside.

Miami's last win in the series came on Dec. 1, 1990 in Oxford. Cincinnati hadn't made the 45-minute drive north in nearly 18 years.

They jumped ahead again by hitting 3s. Miami made five of its first seven shots from beyond the arc and pulled ahead 27-20 with 6:22 left in the half. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin got a technical foul during Miami's early surge.

Cincinnati closed the half with a 15-1 run set up by fast-break points. Point guard Cashmere Wright had a steal and layup, a fast-break layup and a 3-pointer during the six-minute spurt, which made it 35-28 at the break. Miami missed eight shots and had three turnovers during the run.

The RedHawks couldn't make any shots consistently at the start of the second half, either. Darnell Wilks' 3-pointer built the lead to 48-33 with 11:58 to go, putting the Bearcats in control. After that fast start, Miami went only 1 of 13 from behind the 3-point arc the rest of the way.

Next, the Bearcats will host St. Francis (PA).  That game is Thursday at 7 PM ET, catch it on Fox Sports Ohio or The Big East network.

Battle Of Ohio Blacked Out

Like it's actually worth watching.  Go Browns!  Bengals need the 1st pick in the Draft.

Bearcats Go To 10-0

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Dion Dixon and Cashmere Wright scored 12 points each as Cincinnati kept its perfect season intact by defeating Oklahoma 66-56 Saturday at the All-College Classic.


The Bearcats won their 10th straight, using nine second-half points from forward Yancy Gates to keep the Sooners (5-6) from catching up.

Gates finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting and led the Bearcats with seven rebounds.

Guard Carl Blair led the Sooners with 15 points. Oklahoma's leading scorer, forward Andrew Fitzgerald, struggled on the offensive side against Cincinnati's big men, forcing the Sooners to look to their guards for scoring help. However, the Sooners finished the game 4-for-22 from behind the arc, and guard Cade Davis was 0-for-5 on 3-pointers and 1-for-10 overall.

Cincinnati also struggled from the floor, finishing 21 of 50. However, its pressure defense pestered the Sooners guards throughout the game, leading to 13 Oklahoma turnovers. Cincinnati's own struggles with ball security in its half-court offense led to 13 turnovers of its own and helped keep the Bearcats from extending their lead in the second half.

Next, Cincy will travel to Oxford, Ohio, to take on a tough Miami Redhwaks team.  This game will be on Tuesday at 7 PM ET and on SportsTime Ohio.

Tu and Ken Lead Xavier To Win Over Wake

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Xavier Musketeers, who were 6-2 were hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who had a record of 6-4.  This game not only was a Hall Of Fame Game, but also was in honor of the late, Skip Prosser, who coached at both Xavier and Wake Forest.  


Xavier had a 28-game home winning streak on the line, and to add one more win to that streak, XU would have to defeat a Wake team that always plays hard.  Xavier was able to do so, with the help of Tu Holloway, who had a triple-double, and Kenny Frease, who had a career-high 22 points.  Xavier celebrates a win, 83-75.


About that triple-double for Tu Holloway, he scored 14 points (yes that is low for him), had 10 boards, and 14 assists.  If you are wondering who the last Musketeer that got a triple-double was, well who else?  David West.  D-West got one against Long Island back in 2001.


For the Demon Deacons, J.T. Terrell led the way with 27 points.


So, the Musketeers get revenge on Wake Forest, after the Demon Deacons beat XU last year in double-overtime. Xavier is now 7-2, and Wake Forest falls to 6-5.  


Next, the X-Men will go on the road, and play against a tough Gonzaga team.  The Musketeers and Bulldogs will go at it on Christmas Eve-Eve, Wednesday, the 23rd, of December, of the 2010th year.  Game time will be at 11:00 PM ET, yeah, so Xavier fans, we'll have to give up David Letterman to watch this game....sorry.  Anyways, Wednesday at 11 PM ET on ESPN2.

Sullinger Leads Bucks To Win

By:  Cooper Ledford

The 2nd ranked Ohio State Buckeyes were at home, in Value City Arena, as they were playing host to the South Carolina Gamecocks.  The Buckeyes were trying to remain undefeated, and go to 10-0, while the 'Cocks were trying to improve to 8-1.  Ohio State was the team that succeeded, as they were all over South Carolina, 79-57.

The Freshman, Jared Sullinger lead the way for OSU with 30 points, and a career high 19 boards.  Sully also showed his range, as he nailed a 30 footer at the first buzzer.  Jared also had 18 points after the first 20 minutes of the 1st half.

Up next in scoring was William Buford who had 12 points, and then there was good 'ole Diebler, who added 11 points.

The Buckeyes were expecting a good challenge from Carolina, but it was just a walk-in-the-park.  South Carolina's only lead was when the score was 3-1 and 3-2, then Ohio State went on a great run, and never looked back.

So the Men Of The Scarlet And Gray remain undefeated, and will more than likely keep that #2 ranking, and will try to keep the perfect season alive in their next game against North Carolina-Asheville.  That game will be on the 21st, Tuesday, and will be in Columbus, and at 8:30 PM ET and you can catch it on The Big Ten Network.

Diebler Ties Record, Bucks Win

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Jon Diebler matched an Ohio State record with nine 3-pointers, scoring a career-high 29 points and leading the second-ranked Buckeyes past Florida Gulf Coast 83-55 on Wednesday night.

Diebler, who has now made a school-best 291 shots behind the arc, shot 9-for-14 on 3s.

William Buford became the 47th Buckeye player to reach the 1,000-point career mark, finishing with 17 points. Jared Sullingeradded 11 for Ohio State (9-0).

Chase Fieler had 12 points and Anthony Banks 10 for the Eagles (2-6), playing their first game after an 11-day break.

Diebler made three 3-pointers in an 11-0 run in the first half that put the Buckeyes in command.

His nine 3-pointers were a Value City Arena record. He matched the Ohio State record held by Jay Burson.

The Buckeyes took control early and never let up, thanks to Diebler.

The Eagles were intent on preventing Sullinger, who scored a school freshman record 40 points last week against IUPUI, from beating them. As a result, they tried to pack the middle as much as possible.

Sullinger wasn't a factor, picking up two fouls and playing only 9 minutes in the first 20 minutes while scoring just two points.

But Diebler hit 5 of 7 3-pointers as the Buckeyes hit more shots behind the arc (7) by halftime than FGCU had total baskets (6). Ohio State was on top 42-16 at the break and substituted freely in both halves.

The Buckeyes scored the first seven points over the opening 2 1/2 minutes. After Fieler hit a 3 to put the Eagles on the board, Ohio State ran off the next 11 points.

With his second 3 of the game, Diebler moved past Indiana's A.J. Guyton (1997-2000) into seventh place all-time in Big Ten 3-pointers made.

The second half was never close as the Buckeyes tried to blend in their six freshmen with four veteran starters.

The Eagles dropped to 0-5 all-time against the Big Ten, losing earlier this season at Indiana 88-60. In the four previous losses, the average margin of defeat was 24 points.

Kevin Cantinol played in his first game for FGCU after transferring from Mississippi.

It was the first meeting ever between the teams.

For Highlights, click HERE

SWO BB POLL

1.) Duke
2.) Ohio State
3.) Connecticut
4.) Kansas
5.) Syracuse
6.) Kansas State
7.) Tennessee
8.) Pittsburgh
9.) Baylor
10.) Villanova
11.) San Diego State
12.) Illinois
13.) Missouri
14.) Georgetown
15.) Michigan State
16.) BYU
17.) Kentucky
18.) Louisville
19.) Purdue
20.) Minnesota
21.) Memphis
22.) Notre Dame
23.) Texas A&M
24.) Cincinnati
25.) Xavier

'Nati Dominates UVU

CINCINNATI (AP) - Rashad Bishop scored a season-high 17 points, all in the first half, and Cincinnati stayed unbeaten Saturday night with a 92-72 victory over Utah Valley.

The Bearcats (8-0) are off to their best start since 2004-05, Bob Huggins' last year as head coach. They won their first 11 games and reached the NCAA tournament that season and haven't been back since.

Cincinnati opened with a 17-2 run and was never seriously threatened. Bishop made all seven of his shots in the first half, three of them from behind the arc. He played only six minutes in the second half, when Cincinnati pulled away, and didn't take another shot.

Utah Valley (4-5) packed in its defense and gave up a lot of uncontested shots from the perimeter. Cincinnati went 14 of 28 behind the arc, making as many 3-pointers as free throws (14 of 25). Cashmere Wright and Dion Dixon added 15 points apiece.

Ben Aird led Utah Valley with 14 points and nine rebounds.

For the second straight game, Cincinnati opened with a crushing run. The Bearcats were coming off an 81-47 win at Toledo - their first road game of the season - which started with a 32-5 run. Cincinnati made 11 of its first 13 shots in that one.

Same thing on Saturday. The Bearcats made 7 of 9 while pulling ahead 17-2. They didn't have to work very hard to find an open shot, getting plenty from the perimeter against the Wolverines' packed-in defense. Gates, a 6-foot-9, 265-pound forward, found himself wide open on the left wing, took a 3-pointer and made it - only his second in 11 career tries.

The only thing Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin wouldn't like about it was his team's sometimes passive defense. Utah Valley stayed in the game by shooting 60 percent from the field in the first 14 minutes, preventing Cincinnati from getting ahead by more than 18.

Geddes Robinson's layup completed a 9-2 spurt that cut it to 44-34 late in the half, getting the Bearcats' attention. Bishop had a pair of 3s in a 12-4 spurt that ended the half and put Cincinnati ahead 56-38.

The Wolverines never got closer than 15 points in the second half.

Reds And Bruce Agree To Deal

CINCINNATI -- In a deal that secures one of the pieces of their long-term future, the Reds agreed to terms with outfielder Jay Bruce late Thursday night on a six-year, $51 million contract, a baseball source confirmed to MLB.com.

The agreement, which allows the two sides to avoid arbitration, comes with an option for a seventh year that could push the total earnings to $63 million. The option has a $1 million buyout.

It will be a while until the deal is made official, and the Reds have yet to make an announcement. Bruce is scheduled to fly to Cincinnati for his physical on Monday, and the signing could be completed by Tuesday.

MLB.com on Bruce's contract

00:03:24

12/10/10: MLB.com Reds reporter Mark Sheldon discusses Jay Bruce's contract extension and what lies ahead for Bronson Arroyo and Joey Votto

Tags: Cincinnati Reds, analysis

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"Nothing is finalized. We have been in discussions about a long-term contract," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said on Friday. "We're confident and hope to get it solved by next week."

Bruce earned $440,000 in 2010 and was awarded Super Two status after last season, which allowed him first-time arbitration-eligibility earlier than normal. The contract would wipe out any arbitration issues for all four years, plus two years of potential free agency.

The contract mirrors the six-year, $51.25 million agreement reached in March between the D-backs and Justin Upton, another 23-year-old outfielder entering his arbitration year.

By looking at the mammoth seven-year free-agent contracts being signed by outfielders this week -- for Jayson Werth and the Nationals ($126 million) and Carl Crawford and the Red Sox ($142 million) -- Bruce is leaving some money on the table. But he gets the security of the long-term deal right now while the club gets some cost certainty over the next six to seven years.

"That's the purpose for doing them," Jocketty said.

Bruce's agreement appears to have come together relatively quickly. As recently as last weekend, during Redsfest, Bruce described talks as being preliminary and said that nothing was imminent.

The native of Beaumont, Texas, has been up front about wanting to remain with the Reds long-term.

"This is the place I want to be," Bruce said. "We're in a great position as far as the team [goes], and the front office is doing all the things necessary in order for us to continue to win. That's what I want to be a part of. I'd love to be here."

The Reds and Bruce's agent, Matt Sosnick, began talks in earnest during this week's Winter Meetings.

The 2010 season was a big one for Bruce, who established career highs across the board, batting .281 with 25 home runs, 70 RBIs and a .353 on-base percentage. Defensively, he netted seven assists.

The exclamation point was most likely his first-pitch walk-off homer leading off the bottom of the ninth vs. the Astros on Sept. 28 to clinch the National League Central for the Reds.

Over his nearly three seasons in Cincinnati, Bruce already has 68 career home runs.

This is the second significant deal the Reds have reached in a week. Last Friday, Bronson Arroyo was signed to a three-year extension worth $35 million.

The Reds have five other arbitration-eligible players, including NL Most Valuable Player Joey Votto, to sign. Jocketty has said that he is interested in offering a multiyear contract to Votto, as well.

"They weren't really ready to talk yet," Jocketty said. "Hopefully, we'll get started soon."