Do you guys think the Buckeyes will ever begin to produce NBA players at the success level that they do for the NFL in football?
What do you think of this list of the top 10 NBA Buckeyes ever? http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1253785-ohio-state-basketball-the-top-10-nba-buckeyes-of-all-time
Jim Jackson wasn't anyone to frown at! The guy was the second leading scorer in the NBA in only his second season and averaged more points that year than Michael Jordan did! Bare in mind it was a shortened season and Jordan's first year back from retirement. I personally feel that if it hadn't been for the whole Jason Kidd, Tony Braxton thing, Jackson would have stayed in Dallas and had a much better career.
Also, the article doesn't take into consideration Derek Anderson who played his freshman year at Ohio State. The kid had the deadliest first step I've ever seen!
Oden, Conley, Cook, Sullinger, Kufos, Mullens, Turner. All 1st round picks in the past 7 years, I'd say OSU is a very appealing hotbed to NBA scouts.
Matta is doing one heck of a job in Cbus. He brings in talent and produces superb W/L records. Though not resulting in a NC, the past few NCAA tourney runs have been fun to cheer for the Bucks!
We have more in the NBA now than we have ever had. For the longest time, it was only Jim Jackson, then Michael Redd. Before Jackson, it may have been Hopson as the only one since Kellogg.
Chris Jent played a pair of seasons mid 90s (with some hardware to show for it) and I'm pretty sure Brad Sellers briefly went league in mid-late 80's. Don't think Brandoweigh's number was ever called, but the NBA wouldve been sweeter had it been.
yeah terwilligins-
think of all those times we missed Barkley, Rodman, Karl Malone, Kevin Willis, Shawn Kemp play against Tom Brandewie. Brandewie may have gotten tied into a pretzel by Malone.
Knarcisi, your seriously missing some Buckeye history there bud. Jay Burson, Ron Stokes, Jim Cleamons, Herb Williams, Lawrence Funderburke, Tony Campbell, Othello Hunter, Ken Johnson. I mean there are tons of them.
Compared to Calipari or Krzyzewski, no one has a ton of players in the NBA. But compared to most college coaches at major programs, Matta is holding his own pretty well. Conley and BJ will be good starters this year. Evan might be starting this year with Iguadala gone now. I think Sullinger will contribute some this year.
Matta is putting players in the league. Could you name more than two recent Buckeyes that were in the league before Matta got there? I can only name Michael Redd and Jim Jackson (not sure when he retired). Now there are eight with Redd, Oden, Conley, Turner, Mullens, Cook, Koufos, and now Sully.
Class of 2010.
Jackson played for 92-05 so that would make Mark Baker 98, Derek Anderson 97-07, Lawrence Funderburke 97-99, Chris Jent 93-96, Ken Johnson 02, Michael Redd 00-10, Herb Williams 81-98
So during Jim Jackson's era there were 8 Buckeyes in the NBA as well!
@Highballace
I think Jackson's big scoring year in the NBA coincided with Michael Jordan's first retirement. I think he averaged somewhere in the ballpark of 25 for Dallas before feuding with Jason Kidd and ultimately being shipped out. Also, Derek Anderson hardly counts.
Pretty sure Burson and Stokes also never went League either. Shake n' Bake and Kenny J were out as soon as they were in, so they weren't really an NBA presence - I wouldn't count them. Jim Cleamons was in the 1800's I think. Good call on Tony Campbell though. I forgot about him.
Burson played for the Rockets. He didn't do so well and was out his first year. Baker wasout after his first year as well. Sorry about the Stokes referance, no he wasn't in the league. Ken Johnson was out after the first year. However, you asked to name them in Jackson's era so they still played during that time and it does count. You didn't say anything about quality years. And yes, Anderson still counts in that case.
You are correct about Jackson's scoring average being the first year after Jordan came back. It was also a shortened season for Jackson. However if you look back a few posts, I already said that.
ok so I missed herb Williams. I'm talking players with any significance.
Also, you can't count Redd on the list for Matta because he didn't play for Matta. He was on O'Brien's teams. But if you want to count that then I believe Ken Johnson also was an O'Brien product as well. Soooo that takes you down to 6..