The Big Ten Network will air the second episode of “Big Ten Hoops: On Campus” featuring Ohio State on Friday at 11 p.m.
Part of the show is composed of interviews with OSU basketball coach Thad Matta and basketball star Evan Turner. Turner’s recent injury and the team’s goals for the season are sure to be topics of discussion.
In addition, the show hopes “to show off their personality, a side that Ohio State fans usually don’t get to see,” said the host of the show, Mike Hall.
Another segment of the show is a slam dunk contest that will feature OSU students who do not play on the basketball team. The competition will feature an “American Idol” format. The judges, former OSU basketball star Jimmy Jackson and OSU football player Jake Ballard, will emphasize personality and style.
A committee at the Big Ten Network “thought up the slam dunk idea collectively,” said producer Jeff Ingalls. “Slam dunks fire up the crowd and catch the basketball vibe, so what could be better?”
The slam dunk contest is a first for The Big Ten Network. The Network decided not to include the event in last week’s episode at Indiana University, said Janel Blanchard, Big Ten Network coordinator.
The contest “will have a laid back, fun atmosphere,” Hall said, “with a little bit of a ‘college game day’ feel to it.”
“I think this is a not-to-be-missed show,” Blanchard said in an e-mail.
Hall took a tour of Hale Hall, where Jackson spent much of his time on campus. Hall hopes to see more of campus before the show airs.
“I’ve been with the Big Ten Network for two-and-a-half years, covered Ohio State, but have never been here,” Hall said. “So far, very cool.”
