With the program's senior day occurring on Sunday, the Ohio State Buckeyes notably added an extra wrinkle against the Wisconsin Badgers. Over a decade after becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, former Ohio State center Greg Oden was honored by his alma mater as he prepares to graduate from the Big Ten school this May.
After his basketball career came to an end, Oden returned to Ohio State in order to get his degree.
Now a 31-year-old senior at Ohio State, Oden was previously a Big Ten champion and NCAA Tournament runner-up during his time as a member of the Buckeyes' men's basketball program. Oden was then infamously selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft.
However, it all went downhill from there. Greg Oden missed the entirety of his first NBA season after undergoing knee surgery. The former collegiate standout ultimately made his NBA debut one year later in 2008 but was eventually waived by the Trail Blazers in 2012. Signing with the Heat shortly thereafter, Oden remained with Miami through the 2014 postseason. Oden's career, which has gone down as one of the worst in NBA history due to his lack of production, was unfortunately highlighted by injury. He played in only 114 career games at the highest level.
Even so, Oden has remained close to the basketball world through Ohio State while his NBA career now is a distant memory.