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Whenever one hears of Ohio State sports, the first thing that comes to mind is football. After all, the Buckeyes have a dominant program and regularly produce All-Pro talent. However, the school has its fair share of pumping out NBA players.
Below are five of the best Ohio State Buckeyes to play for the school.
5. D'Angelo Russell, SG (2014-2015)
Russel; was an exciting prospect with averages of 19.3 points, 5,7 boards, and five assists while shooting 41.1% from deep in his one-and-done campaign with the Buckeyes. Ohio State won one game in the NCAA tournament before being routed by Arizona.
At Ohio State, Russell was the recipient of the first-ever Jerry West Award given to the best shooting guard in college. On top of this, he was named to the First Team All-Big Ten and recognized as the league’s Freshman of the Year.
He would go on to be drafted second overall in the 2015 NBA draft and be selected to the 2019 All-Star team.
4. Michael Redd, G/F (1997-2000)
The top of the head answer to the question — who is the greatest shooter in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks — is Ray Allen and rightfully so. The next name is Redd, who played for Ohio State.
In his three years in Columbus, Redd put up averages of 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per outing. He just shot 31.9% from long-range, but back then the three-point shot was not used nearly as much as it is today. During his sophomore year, Ohio State made the Final Four, where they fell to Rip Hamilton's UConn Huskies.
Coming out of Ohio State, Redd was drafted in the second round of the 2000 draft and worked his way up to be one of the best shooters in the league. He was a part of the 2004 All-NBA Third Team and the legendary, 2008 Olympic “Redeem Team.”
3. Greg Oden, C (2006-2007)
Today, it is easy for people to be dumbfounded at why the Portland Trail Blazers picked Oden over Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft. However, in Oden's lone college season at Ohio State, he was a monster as he effortlessly put up 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and more than three blocks a game, while playing less than 30 minutes per contest. Even current Golden State Warriors head coach allegedly considered him as a “once-in-a-decade player.”
Oden led Ohio State to the national championship game, where the Buckeyes came up short against the Florida Gators that had Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer.
Nagging injuries in the pros, after he left Ohio State, robbed Oden of the chance to be a great or even serviceable NBA player.
2. John “Hondo” Havlicek, SF (1959-1962)
Havlicek is one of the greatest players to ever set foot on an NBA court, but in terms of collegiate dominance in an Ohio State uniform, he is second on this list.
In his collegiate career at Ohio State, Havlicek had averages of 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds. It is important to note that during this era, player statistics were very limited, so for players of Havlicek's caliber, it is safe to assume that they did much more than their numbers suggest.
Havlicek was a huge part of the Buckeyes' first and only NCAA basketball championship. He was one of those players who would be even better at the next level. Where to begin with Hondo's NBA accomplishments?
After coming out of Ohio State, he spent the entirety of his professional career with the Boston Celtics and won eight championships. Havlicek was a 13-time All-Star and made the All-NBA Teams multiple times. Steal and blocks were not recorded for most of his career, but despite this, he was named to NBA All-Defensive Teams, as it was evident he was frequently taking the ball away from opposing teams.
1. Jerry Lucas, PF (1959-1962)
Hondo undoubtedly had the better NBA career, but in college, Lucas was the main guy. In his Ohio State stint, he averaged a ridiculous 24.3 points and 17.2 rebounds, while shooting 62.4% from the field and even 77.7% from the charity stripe. He was simply dominant. It is surprising that he and Havlicek only won one, collegiate championship.
He was the top rebounder in 1961 and 1962 while winning national player of the year two times for Ohio State. Just because his performance at the NBA was not at the same level as Havlicek's does not mean he was not elite there either.
Following his glory years at Ohio State, Lucas was a seven-time All-Star and regularly made All-NBA teams. His production crossed over to the NBA especially in his first few years with the Cincinnati Royals, which are now called the Sacramento Kings. Although he was past his prime, he was a key cog in the 1973 New York Knicks winning a championship.
At 6'8 and 230 pounds, he had great physical tools, but his biggest asset may have been his mind. Lucas had a great memory, which he put to use on the court, especially in grabbing boards, since he would remember how players shot the ball and where it would go next. He even co-authored a New York Times bestseller called The Memory Book.
