Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball

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Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
2021–22 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team
Ohio State Buckeyes logo.svg
UniversityOhio State University
First season1898
All-time record1,749–1,124 (.609)
Head coachChris Holtmann (5th season)
ConferenceBig Ten
LocationColumbus, Ohio
ArenaValue City Arena
St. John Arena (Secondary)
(Capacity: 18,809)
NicknameBuckeyes
Student sectionNuthouse
ColorsScarlet and gray[1]
   
Uniforms
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Home jersey
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Team colours
Home
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Away jersey
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Team colours
Away
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Alternate jersey
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Team colours
Alternate
NCAA Tournament Champions
1960
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
1939, 1961, 1962, 2007
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1939, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1999*, 2007, 2012
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1939, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1992, 1999*, 2007, 2012, 2013
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1960, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1980, 1983, 1991, 1992, 1999*, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999*, 2000*, 2002*, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1939, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2002*, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Conference tournament champions
2002*, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013
Conference regular season champions
1925, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971, 1991, 1992, 2000*, 2002*, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012
*vacated by NCAA

The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference.

The Buckeyes play their home games at Value City Arena in the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, which opened in 1998. The official capacity of the center is 19,200. Ohio State ranked 28th in the nation in average home attendance as of the 2016 season.[2]

The Buckeyes have won one national championship (1960), been the national runner-up four times, appeared in 10 Final Fours (one additional appearance has been vacated by the NCAA), and appeared in 27 NCAA Tournaments (four other appearances have been vacated).

Thad Matta was named the head coach of Ohio State in 2004 to replace coach Jim O'Brien, who was fired due to NCAA violations which cost Ohio State over 113 wins between 1998 and 2002.[3][4] On June 5, 2017, after consecutive years of missing the NCAA Tournament, the school announced Matta would not return as head coach after 13 years and 337 wins at Ohio State. On June 9, 2017, the school hired Butler head coach Chris Holtmann as head coach.[5]

Team history[]

Early years and Olsen era (1898–1958)[]

The first basketball team at Ohio State University was formed in 1898, playing its first game against East High. Sparing success followed the Buckeyes throughout their time as an independent school. In 1912, some 13 years after forming their first basketball team, the Buckeyes joined the Big Nine Conference, which would eventually be known as the Big Ten. At first, the Buckeyes were not able to mount a sustained run, never finishing higher than second in the conference standings[1]. In 1923, Harold Olsen became head coach, launching the longest basketball coaching dynasty for OSU (24 seasons). Olsen began to see success with the Buckeyes' first conference championship during the 1922–1923 season. The Olsen era is also highlighted by appearing in the final game for the first NCAA Championship Tournament in 1939, where the Buckeyes lost to Oregon 33–46. The Buckeyes would make three more Final Four appearances under Olsen, along with winning five Big Ten championships. Following Olsen as head coach, Tippy Dye and Floyd Stahl led the Buckeyes. Not seeing the same amount of success as Olsen did, Dye and Stahl had one NCAA Tournament appearance between them. With the closing of the 1950s, the Ohio State basketball team was not considered a national powerhouse. But it continued to develop and led to the hiring of a man who would change basketball at Ohio State and bring it national fame.

Success and Fred Taylor era (1958–1997)[]

The Buckeyes’ 1960 national championship team.

Of all Buckeye coaches, it was Fred Taylor who would put Ohio State basketball on the map. With the hiring of Taylor in 1958, not much was expected following an 11–11 record during the 1958–1959 season. However, in 1960, the second-year coach, Taylor, and All-American player Jerry Lucas led the Buckeyes to their first NCAA Championship Title, defeating California 75–55 in the final game. The 1960 season is the only NCAA Tournament championship that the Buckeyes have claimed. Taylor's team continued its dominance by being the runner-up the following two seasons, and making a total of five tournament appearances during Taylor's 18 seasons tenure. With the departure of his championship team, Taylor began to see teams accustomed to Ohio State basketball of the past. Taylor's last season at Ohio State in 1976 had the Buckeyes going 6–20, their worst record, only to be eclipsed by the team in 1995. Taylor achieved seven conference titles and an impressive overall winning percentage of over 65%. Past the Taylor era, Ohio State saw Eldon Miller, Gary Williams, and Randy Ayers take the reins as head coach. Between 1976 and 1997, the Buckeyes made the NCAA bracket only eight times, while being crowned conference champions only twice.

Jim O'Brien (1997–2004)[]

In 1997, Jim O'Brien was hired to replace head coach Randy Ayers. During his seven years as head coach, O'Brien drove the team to four 20+ win seasons, two Big Ten regular season co-championships, the 2002 Big Ten Tournament Championship, and a school record four-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Controversy erupted when Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger fired O'Brien over alleged NCAA rules violations. A two-year NCAA investigation found that player Boban Savovic might have received improper benefits while he played for Ohio State. On March 10, 2006, the NCAA gave Ohio State three years' probation and ordered it to pay back all tournament money earned from 1999–2002 when Boban Savovic was on the Buckeyes' roster. In addition, Ohio State was forced to remove all references to team accomplishments by the NCAA directorate from those years including a 1999 visit to the Final Four.[4]

Thad Matta era (2004–2017)[]

Former head coach Thad Matta, whose 337 wins is most in school history.

Thad Matta, former head coach at Butler and Xavier, was hired by Ohio State in July 2004.[6]

During Matta's first season at Ohio State, the Buckeyes compiled a 20–12 record, highlighted by a win in the final game of the season over top-ranked Illinois, which was undefeated up until that game. Ohio State was defeated by Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, and the team was ineligible for further postseason due to self-imposed sanctions related to Jim O'Brien's time at the school. The 2005–06 season opened with the Buckeyes 11–0 heading into Big Ten play. Ohio State ended the season with a 26–6 record and 12–4 record in conference, the Buckeyes' first outright Big Ten championship since the 1991–92 season. Ohio State lost to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, but received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After a first round win, the Buckeyes lost to No. 7 seed Georgetown 70–52 in the second round.

Matta's 2006–07 Ohio State team entered the season with the second-rated recruiting class in the nation, headed by Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Jr., and ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls. Ohio State entered conference play with an 11–2 record, with the only defeats coming at No. 6 North Carolina and at No. 4 Florida.[7] Ohio State's loss against No. 4 Wisconsin on January 9, 2007 was the last loss of the regular season as the Buckeyes won 14 straight games to end the season with a 27–3 record. Ohio State defeated No. 20 Tennessee and No. 2 Wisconsin during this winning streak and ended the season as the top-ranked team in the nation. Ohio State won the Big Ten Tournament, defeating Wisconsin 66–49 in the championship game, and entered the NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed. Ohio State advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time under Matta after an overtime victory against Xavier, which Matta had previously coached. A one-point victory over Tennessee and a 92–76 victory over No. 2 Memphis advanced the Buckeyes to the Final Four. Ohio State defeated Georgetown 67–60 in the semifinal game, but lost to Florida 84–75 in the National Championship game. Oden and Conley both would enter the NBA Draft following the season, with Oden being drafted number one overall and Conley going fourth.

Evan "The Villan" Turner set new Big Ten records for number of career and single season Player of the Week awards during the 2009–10 season.

The 2007–08 season was a rebuilding one. Ohio State ended the season with a 19–12 record, finishing fifth in the Big Ten. It lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals and missed out on the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes did receive a No. 1 seed in the National Invitation Tournament, where Ohio State would defeat Massachusetts 92–85 in the championship to take the NIT title.

Ohio State began the 2008–09 season with a 9–0 record and would finish 20–9. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin and No. 7 Michigan State to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship, where the Buckeyes lost to No. 24 Purdue. They received a bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed, where they lost to No. 9 Siena in the first round.

The 2009–10 season marked Matta's sixth at Ohio State, with the team entering the season ranked No. 17 in the nation. The Buckeyes had compiled a 7–1 record before Evan Turner, who was averaging 20.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, was injured.[8] Turner returned later in the season and help finish the season with a 24–7 record and a share of the Big Ten regular season championship. A victory over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament gave Matta his second Big Ten Tournament title and the Buckeyes a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to No. 6-seeded Tennessee 76–73. Turner was named the National Player of the Year and entered the NBA Draft, where he was selected second overall.

Matta's recruiting class heading into the 2010–11 season was highly regard and the Buckeyes returned some key seniors such as David Lighty and Jon Diebler. Ohio State was ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls and entered Big Ten conference play undefeated at 13–0, defeating No. 9 Florida and moving up to No. 2 in the nation. Ohio State continued to dominate the opposition during the regular season, pushing its record to 24–0 and 11–0 in conference play before losing the first game at No. 13 Wisconsin. Another loss at No. 11 Purdue marked their last loss in the regular season. Ohio State ended the season with a 29–2 record and 16–2 record in the Big Ten, winning the outright Big Ten regular season championship. OSU defeated Penn State for the Big Ten Tournament championship, giving the Buckeyes their second tournament championship in a row and Matta's third tournament championship as head coach. Ohio State entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed for the second time under Matta. However, for the second year in a row, the Buckeyes failed to advance past the Sweet Sixteen, losing to Kentucky 62–60.

The Buckeyes, led by returning starters Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas and Aaron Craft, entered the 2011–12 season ranked No. 3 in the nation. Ohio State entered Big Ten play with a 12–1 record, losing at No. 13 Kansas without Sullinger, who was injured. Ohio State finished the season winning a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament championship. Ohio State received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Final Four for the second time under Matta after a 77–70 victory over No. 1-seeded Syracuse. The Buckeye season would end with another loss to Kansas, 64–62. Following the season, Sullinger entered the NBA Draft and was taken 21st overall.

The 2012–13 Buckeyes entered the season ranked No. 4 in the country. Led by Deshaun Thomas and Aaron Craft, they entered Big Ten play with only two losses, at No. 2 Duke and at home against No. 9 Kansas. They finished the season 13–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for second place, but would beat No. 8 Michigan State and No. 22 Wisconsin to win the Big Ten Tournament. As a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to Wichita State. Following the season, Thomas declared for the NBA Draft.

With the early departure of Thomas, the Buckeyes struggled in 2013–14, finishing the season 25–10, 10–8 in fifth place in Big Ten play. They advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Michigan. As a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they lost to Dayton in the second round (formerly known as the first round).

The 2015 Buckeyes were led by freshman D'Angelo Russell, but still finished in sixth place in Big Ten play with an 11–7 record. Despite losing to Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, OSU received a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They upset No. 7-seeded VCU in the second round, before losing to No. 5 Arizona in the third round. Following the season, Russell declared for the NBA Draft and was selected second overall.

Without Russell, the 2016 Buckeyes finished 21–14, 11–7 in Big Ten play to finish in seventh place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan State and failed to receive an invite to the NCAA Tournament. They did receive a bid to the NIT, where they lost in the second round to Florida.

In 2016–17, OSU finished the season 17–15, 7–11 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for 10th place. As the No. 11 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes lost in the first round to Rutgers. They did not receive an invite to a postseason tournament.

In a surprise move more than two months after the season ended, the school announced that, after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2017, Matta would not return as head coach for the 2017–18 season.[9] Ohio State won 20 or more games in 12 of Matta's 13 seasons, received a berth in the NCAA Tournament eight times, made it to the Sweet Sixteen four times, and to the Final Four twice. Ohio State won the Big Ten regular-season championship five times and Big Ten Tournament championship three times, appearing in the championship game six times under Matta.

Thad Matta's record at Ohio State

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Thad Matta (Big Ten Conference) (2004–2017)
2004–05 Ohio State 20–12 8–8 6th
2005–06 Ohio State 26–6 12–4 1st NCAA Second Round
2006–07 Ohio State 35–4 15–1 1st NCAA Runner-up
2007–08 Ohio State 24–13 10–8 5th NIT Champions
2008–09 Ohio State 22–11 10–8 T–4th NCAA First Round
2009–10 Ohio State 29–8 14–4 T–1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2010–11 Ohio State 34–3 16–2 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2011–12 Ohio State 31–8 13–5 T–1st NCAA Final Four
2012–13 Ohio State 29–8 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Elite Eight
2013–14 Ohio State 25–10 10–8 5th NCAA First Round
2014–15 Ohio State 24–11 11–7 6th NCAA Second Round
2015–16 Ohio State 21–14 11–7 7th NIT Second Round
2016–17 Ohio State 17–15 7–11 T–10th
Thad Matta: 337–123 150–78
Total: 337–123 (.733)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Chris Holtmann era (2017–present)[]

Kaleb Wesson, in March 2020.

On June 9, 2017, the school hired Butler head coach Chris Holtmann as head coach.[5]

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Chris Holtmann (Big Ten Conference) (2017–present)
2017–18 Ohio State 25–9 15–3 T–2nd NCAA Second Round
2018–19 Ohio State 20–15 8–12 T–8th NCAA Second Round
2019–20 Ohio State 21–10 11–9 T–5th Cancelled (COVID Outbreak)
2020–21 Ohio State 21–10 12–8 5th NCAA First Round
2021–22 Ohio State 19–11 12–8 T–4th
Chris Holtmann: 106–55 58–40
Total: 106–55 (.658)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Facilities[]

St. John Arena

The Ohio State Buckeyes presently play their home games in 19,200-seat Jerome Schottenstein Center. The first official home court for the Buckeyes was the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum. Constructed in 1918, the Buckeyes called this arena home between the years 1920 to 1955. The facility had a capacity of 7,000 people.

In 1955, a new facility was built on the campus of Ohio State named the St. John Arena named after Lynn St. John, an Ohio State basketball coach and athletic director. This building, while hosting the men's basketball team, also hosted (and still to this day hosts) volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling. The capacity of St. John Arena is 13,276. This building is the only Buckeye arena to serve as home for an Ohio State men's basketball championship team in 1960.

With the aging St. John Arena over 40 years old, the Ohio State University decided to build the Schottenstein Center to hold men's and women's basketball as well as hockey. The 770,000 sq foot arena was completed in 1998 and seats 19,500 for basketball games.

Duke v OSU Men’s basketball at the Value City Arena of the Jerome Schottenstein Center

Ohio State completed a $19 million renovation to the Schottenstein Center in 2013 that includes updated locker rooms for the Men's and Women's Basketball teams, a new training room with hydrotherapy pools, a new weight room, and a new practice gym to complement the existing gym. A $34 million renovation completed in 2018 improved the concourse as well as added new space for the coaches, team shop, ticket office, and building administration.

During the team's formative years the Buckeyes played their home games at the Armory. Built in 1897 at a cost of $115,000, the massive brick medieval style building was demolished in 1958 after damage caused by a fire.[10] From 1897 to 1917 the Buckeyes used the building known as "Drill Hall" or "The Gymnasium" as their home court, only being asked to leave due to the outbreak of World War I. The teams overall record at the Armory was 178-104. In 1919, without a definite home, the team played some of their games at Indianola Park as well as the Coliseum and the Armory. Finally, in 1920, the team officially moved to the Ohio State Fairgrounds and played in their home games at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum. During their time at the Coliseum, the Buckeyes played in five national title games.[11]

Coaches[]

The Buckeyes have had 14 coaches in their 110-year history. Thad Matta, who was hired in 2004, and led the Buckeyes to five NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Four appearances during the 2006–07 and 2011–12 seasons. The only Ohio State coach to win a national championship was Fred Taylor in 1960.

Coach Years Overall record
Unknown 1898–1901 21–11
No team 1901–1902
D.C. Huddleson 1902–1904 15–6
Unknown 1904–1908 33–14
Tom Kibler 1908–1910 22–2
Sox Raymond 1910–1911 7–2
Lynn St. John 1911–1919 79–70
George Trautman 1919–1922 29–33
Harold Olsen 1922–1946 259–197
Tippy Dye 1946–1950 53–34
Floyd Stahl 1950–1958 84–92
Fred Taylor 1958–1976 297–158
Eldon Miller 1976–1986 174–120
Gary Williams 1986–1989 59–41
Randy Ayers 1989–1997 124–108
Jim O'Brien 1997–2004 133–88
Thad Matta 2004–2017 337–123
Chris Holtmann 2017–Present 106–55
Head coaches 15

Current coaching staff[]

Name Position
Chris Holtmann Head Coach
Tony Skinn Assistant coach
Ryan Pedon Assistant coach
Jake Diebler Assistant coach
David Egelhoff Director of Basketball Operations
Kyle Davis Video Coordinator
Mike Netti Special Assistant to the Head Coach
Quadrian Banks Strength and Conditioning
Brad Watson Athletic Trainer
Terence Dials Director of Professional Development

Accomplishments[]

NCAA National Championships[]

Season Coach Opponent Score Site Overall record Big Ten Record
1959–60 Fred Taylor California 75–55 San Francisco, CA 25–3 13–1
National Championships 1
1960 NCAA Tournament Results
Round Opponent Score
Semifinals Western Kentucky 98–79
Regional Finals Georgia Tech 86–69
Final Four NYU 76–54
Championship California 75–55

Final Four history[]

1939–Finalist 1944–Semifinalist 1945–Semifinalist 1946–Semifinalist
1960–Champion 1961–Finalist 1962–Finalist 1968–Semifinalist
1999–Semifinalist (vacated) 2007–Finalist 2012–Semifinalist

NCAA Tournament seeding history[]

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years → '80 '82 '83 '85 '87 '90 '91 '92 '06 '07 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '18 '19 '21
Seeds → 4 8 3 4 9 8 1 1 3 1 8 2 1* 2 2 6 10 5 11 2
  • The * represents overall number one seed which began with the 2004 Tournament.

NCAA Tournament results[]

Year Round Opponent Result
1939 Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship Game
Wake Forest
Villanova
Oregon
W 64���52
W 53–36
L 33–46
1944 Elite Eight
Final Four
Temple
Dartmouth
W 57–47
L 53–60
1945 Elite Eight
Final Four
Kentucky
New York University
W 45–37
L 65–70
1946 Elite Eight
Final Four
Regional 3rd Place Game
Harvard
North Carolina
California
W 46–38
L 57–60
W 63–45
1950 Elite Eight
3rd Place Game
City College of New York
Holy Cross
L 55–56
W 72–52
1960 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship Game
Western Kentucky
Georiga Tech
New York University
California
W 98–79
W 86–69
W 76–54
W 75��55
1961 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship Game
Louisville
Kentucky
Saint Joseph's
Cincinnati
W 56–55
W 87–44
W 95–69
L 65–70
1962 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship Game
Western Kentucky
Kentucky
Wake Forest
Cincinnati
W 93–73
W 74–64
W 84–68
L 59–71
1968 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
3rd Place Game
East Tennessee State
Kentucky
North Carolina
Houston
W 79–72
W 82–81
L 66–80
W 89–85
1971 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Marquette
Western Kentucky
W 60–59
L 78–81
1980 Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Arizona State
UCLA
W 89–75
L 68–72
1982 First Round James Madison L 48–55
1983 Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Syracuse
North Carolina
W 79–74
L 51–64
1985 First Round
Second Round
Iowa State
Louisiana Tech
W 75–64
L 67–79
1987 First Round
Second Round
Kentucky
Georgetown
W 91–77
L 79–82
1990 First Round
Second Round
Providence
UNLV
W 84–83
L 65–76
1991 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Towson
Georgia Tech
St. John's
W 97–86
W 65–61
L 74–91
1992 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Mississippi Valley State
Connecticut
North Carolina
Michigan
W 83–56
W 78–55
W 80–73
L 71–75
1999 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Murray State
Detroit
Auburn
St. John's
Connecticut
W 72–58
W 75–44
W 72–64
W 77–74
L 58–64
2000 First Round
Second Round
Appalachian St
Miami, FL
W 87–61
L 62–75
2001 First Round Utah State L 68–77
2002 First Round
Second Round
Davidson
Missouri
W 69–64
L 67–83
2006 First Round
Second Round
Davidson
Georgetown
W 70–60
L 52–70
2007 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship Game
Central Connecticut State
Xavier
Tennessee
Memphis
Georgetown
Florida
W 78–57
W 78–71
W 85–84
W 92–76
W 67–60
L 75–84
2009 First Round Siena L 72–74
2010 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
UC Santa Barbara
Georgia Tech
Tennessee
W 68–51
W 75–66
L 73–76
2011 Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Texas–San Antonio
George Mason
Kentucky
W 75–46
W 98–66
L 60–62
2012 Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Loyola (MD)
Gonzaga
Cincinnati
Syracuse
Kansas
W 78–59
W 73–66
W 81–76
W 77–70
L 62–64
2013 Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Iona
Iowa State
Arizona
Wichita State
W 95–70
W 78–75
W 73–70
L 66–70
2014 Second Round Dayton L 59–60
2015 Second Round
Third Round
VCU
Arizona
W 75–72OT
L 58–73
2018 First Round
Second Round
South Dakota State
Gonzaga
W 81–73
L 84–90
2019 First Round
Second Round
Iowa State
Houston
W 62–59
L 59–74
2021 First Round Oral Roberts L 72–75OT

[12]

NIT results[]

The Buckeyes are two time NIT champions (1986, 2008).

Year Round Opponent Result
1979 First Round
Second Round
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
St. Joseph's
Maryland
Indiana
Alabama
W 80–66
W 79–72
L 55–64
L 86–96
1984 First Round Xavier L 57–60
1986 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Ohio
Texas
BYU
Louisiana Tech
Wyoming
W 65–62
W 71–65
W 79–68
W 79–66
W 73–63
1988 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Old Dominion
Cleveland State
New Mexico
Colorado State
Connecticut
W 86–73
W 86–80
W 68–65
W 64–62
L 67–72
1989 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Akron
Nebraska
St. John's
W 81–70
W 85–74
L 80–83
1993 First Round Miami (OH) L 53–56
2003 First Round Georgia Tech L 58–72
2008 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
UNC–Asheville
California
Dayton
Ole Miss
Massachusetts
W 84–66
W 73–56
W 74–63
W 81–69
W 92–85
2016 First Round
Second Round
Akron
Florida
W 72–63
L 66–74

Big Ten Tournament Championships[]

Ohio State has won 4 Big Ten Tournament championships since its inception during the 1997–98 season. Ohio State won their first title in 2002 under Jim O'Brien (later vacated), while winning 4 under head coach Thad Matta. Under Matta, the Buckeyes appeared in the Big Ten Tournament championship five consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2013.

Season Coach Opponent Score Site Overall record Big Ten record
2006–07 Thad Matta Wisconsin 66–49 Chicago, IL 35–4 15–1
2009–10 Thad Matta Minnesota 90–61 Indianapolis, IN 29–8 14–4
2010–11 Thad Matta Penn State 71–60 Indianapolis, IN 34–3 16–2
2012–13 Thad Matta Wisconsin 50–43 Chicago, IL 26–7 13–5
Big Ten Tournament Championships 4

Big Ten Regular Season Championships[]

Season Coach Overall record Big Ten record
1924–25 Harold Olsen 14–2 11–1
1932–33 Harold Olsen 17–3 10–2
1938–39 Harold Olsen 16–7 9–2
1943–44 Harold Olsen 15–6 10–2
1945–46 Harold Olsen 16–5 10–2
1949–50 Tippy Dye 22–4 12–1
1959–60 Fred Taylor 25–3 13–1
1960–61 Fred Taylor 27–1 14–0
1961–62 Fred Taylor 26–2 13–1
1962–63 Fred Taylor 20–4 11–3
1963–64 Fred Taylor 16–8 11–3
1967–68 Fred Taylor 21–8 10–4
1970–71 Fred Taylor 20–6 13–1
1990–91 Randy Ayers 27–4 15–3
1991–92 Randy Ayers 26–6 15–3
2005–06 Thad Matta 26–6 12–4
2006–07 Thad Matta 34–4 15–1
2009–10 Thad Matta 29–8 14–4
2010–11 Thad Matta 34–3 16–2
2011–12 Thad Matta 31–8 13–5
Big Ten Regular Season Championships 20

Record vs. Big Ten opponents[]

The Ohio State Buckeyes lead the all-time series vs. seven Big Ten opponents. Two of the all-time series are within three games. These records DO NOT include vacated games (e.g. Purdue does count all their games played against Ohio State and trail the series 91-92 according to their records. Iowa counts all games played against OSU and lead the series 82-83 according to their records). [13][14]

Opponent Wins Losses Pct. Streak
Illinois 76 105 .417 OSU 1
Indiana 84 107 .439 OSU 1
Iowa 77 81 .490 Iowa 2
Michigan 100 74 .573 Mich 1
Michigan State 61 78 .434 OSU 1
Minnesota 90 60 .595 OSU 3
Nebraska 20 5 .826 Neb 1
Northwestern 122 48 .716 OSU 2
Penn State 40 19 .679 PSU 1
Purdue 86 91 .489 Purdue 1
Wisconsin 90 74 .549 Wis 1
Maryland 8 10 .471 Terps 1
Rutgers 10 4 .769 Rutgers 1

Awards[]

Consensus All-American selections[]

  • Wes Fesler (1931)
  • Jimmy Hull (1939)
  • Dick Schnittker (1950)
  • Robin Freeman (1955)
  • Jerry Lucas (1960, 1961*, 1962*)
  • Gary Bradds (1964*)
  • Jim Jackson (1991, 1992)
  • Evan Turner (2010*)
  • Jared Sullinger (2011, 2012)
  • D'Angelo Russell (2015)
  • Dennis Hopson (1987)

*National Player of the Year

Big Ten Player of the Year[]

  • Dennis Hopson (1987)
  • Jim Jackson (1991, 1992)
  • Scoonie Penn (1999)
  • Terence Dials (2006)
  • Evan Turner (2010)
  • Keita Bates-Diop (2018)

Big Ten Coach of the Year[]

  • Eldon Miller (1983)
  • Randy Ayers (1991, 1992)
  • Jim O’Brien (1999, 2001)
  • Thad Matta (2006, 2010)
  • Chris Holtmann (2018)

First-Team All-Big Ten[]

Harold "Cookie" Cunningham (1925) Johnny Miner (1925) Adam Bales (1926) Bill Hunt (1927) Wes Fesler (1931)
Bill Hosket Sr. (1933) Tippy Dye (1936, 1937) Bob Lynch (1939) Jimmy Hull (1939)
Dick Fisher (1941) Arnold "Smokes" Risen (1944) Don Grate (1944, 1945) Jack Underman (1946) Paul Huston (1946)
Dick Schnittker (1949, 1950) Bob Donham (1950) Paul Ebert (1952, 1953, 1954) Robin Freeman (1955, 1956) Frank Howard (1957, 1958)
Jerry Lucas (1960, 1961, 1962) Larry Siegfried (1961) John Havlicek (1961, 1962) Gary Bradds (1963, 1964) Bill Hosket Jr. (1967, 1968)
Dave Sorenson (1969, 1970) Jim Cleamons (1971) Luke Witte (1971) Allan Hornyak (1971, 1972, 1973) Kelvin Ransey (1978, 1979, 1980)
Herb Williams (1980) Clark Kellogg (1982) Tony Campbell (1983, 1984) Brad Sellers (1986) Dennis Hopson (1987)
Jay Burson (1989) Jim Jackson (1991, 1992) Scoonie Penn (1999, 2000) Michael Redd (2000) Ken Johnson (2001)
Terence Dials (2006) Mike Conley, Jr. (2007) Greg Oden (2007) Evan Turner (2009, 2010)
Jared Sullinger (2011, 2012) Keita Bates-Diop (2018)

All award data taken from[15]

All-time statistical leaders[]

Career leaders[]

Points Scored: Dennis Hopson (2,096)
Assists: Aaron Craft (579)
Rebounds: Jerry Lucas (1,411)
Steals: Aaron Craft (208)

Single-season leaders[]

Points Scored: Dennis Hopson (958, 1987)
Assists: Aaron Craft (241, 2013)
Rebounds: Jerry Lucas (499, 1962)
Steals: Aaron Craft (98, 2012)

Single-game leaders[]

Points Scored: Gary Bradds (49, 1964)
Rebounds: Frank Howard (32, 1956)
Steals: Troy Taylor (8, 1983)

All statistical data taken from.[16]

Notable players[]

Evan Turner, Ohio State Buckeyes forward and 2010 National Player of the Year
Jerry Lucas, Ohio State Buckeyes center and 2-time National Player of the Year (1961-62)
Name Position Seasons Notes
Gary Bradds F 1961–64 1964 AP Player of the Year
1964 UPI College Player of the Year
1964 Adolph Rupp Trophy Winner
1962-63 Consensus Second Team All-American
1963-64 Consensus First Team All-American
2x Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball (Big Ten MVP) (1963–64)
ABA Champion (1969)
1963 Pan American Games Men's Basketball Gold Medalist
Wes Fesler G 1928–31 1930-31 Consensus First Team All-American
Robin Freeman G 1953-56 1954-55 Consensus Second Team All-American
1955-56 Consensus First Team All-American
1956 Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball
Jimmy Hull F 1938–39 1938-39 Consensus First Team All-American
1939 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player
Jim Jackson G 1989–92 1992 UPI College Player of the Year
2× Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (1991–1992)
2× Consensus First Team All-American (1991–1992)
1991 Pan American Games Men's Basketball Bronze Medalist
Jerry Lucas C 1959–62 2× AP Player of the Year (1961–1962)
2× NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1960–1961)
3× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1960–1962)
NCAA Champion (1960)
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
NBA Champion (1973)
7× NBA All-Star (1964–1969, 1971)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (1965)
3× All-NBA First Team (1965–1966, 1968)
2× All-NBA Second Team (1964, 1967)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1964)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1964)
Dick Schnittker F 1948–50 1950 Consensus First Team All-American
2x NBA Champion (1953, 1954)
Evan Turner F 2007–10 Consensus First Team All-American (2010)
2010 National Player of the Year (AP, NABC, Naismith, Robertson, Wooden)
Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (2010)
Big Ten Tournament MVP (2010)

Retired numbers[]

Ohio State has retired five jersey numbers.

Ohio State Buckeyes retired numbers
No. Player Position Career
5 John Havlicek F 1959–62
11 Jerry Lucas C 1959–62
21 Evan Turner G/F 2007–2010
22 Jim Jackson G 1989–92
35 Gary Bradds C 1961–64

Honored coaches[]

Two longtime head coaches have been honored with banners which hang alongside the retired numbers:

Honored Coaches
Coach Years Record Conf. Titles Tourney Apps. Final Four Apps. National Titles
Fred Taylor 1959–1976 297–158 (.653) 7 5 4 1
Thad Matta 2004–2017 337–123 (.733) 6 9 2 0

References[]

  1. ^ "Football Traditions". OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "2016 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE" (PDF).
  3. ^ "O'Brien unexpectedly ousted as Ohio State coach". ESPN.com. 2004-06-08. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  4. ^ a b "OSU gets probation". ESPN.com. 2006-03-10. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  5. ^ a b "Ohio State hires Butler basketball coach Chris Holtmann". fresnobee. Retrieved 2017-06-09.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Matta gets job after Wednesday interview". ESPN. July 8, 2004. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  7. ^ "Class of 2006 team recruiting rankings". Rivals.com. November 5, 2005. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  8. ^ "Turner out 2 months with spine fractures". ESPN. December 6, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  9. ^ "In stunning Big Ten development, Thad Matta out as Ohio State head coach". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  10. ^ The Columbus Dispatch
  11. ^ The Ohio State University OSU.EDU
  12. ^ "NCAA Basketball Tournament History: Ohio State". ESPN.
  13. ^ https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/05_1819BigTenOpps.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  14. ^ "2021-22 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule | ESPN".
  15. ^ History and Tradition/Honors and Awards
  16. ^ Record Book/Records

External links[]

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