For five consecutive years in the mid-1990s, the Ohio State men’s basketball program found itself in the gutter.
The Buckeyes endured five straight years of futility, going without a winning record from 1993 until 1998, including an 8-22 campaign in 1998 — during which Ohio State could only muster a 1-15 record in Big Ten play. Despite the lowly mark, Ohio State saw a glimpse into its future with the play of freshman guard Michael Redd, who led the Buckeyes with 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Redd, a Columbus native and graduate of West High School, immediately assumed his role as Ohio State’s star player as a freshman, and emerged as a key cog for the Buckeyes’ remarkable turnaround in 1999.
With the addition of Boston College transfer point guard Scoonie Penn in the offseason, who followed his former coach Jim O’Brien to Ohio State, Redd was united with an excellent complementary player in the Ohio State backcourt. The Buckeyes immediately felt the impact of Penn’s arrival, winning their six games with the duo, including wins over Alabama and Penn State.
The dangerous backcourt duo of Redd and Penn led Ohio State to a 22-7 regular-season record, including a 12-4 mark in Big Ten play. Redd, once again, led the Buckeyes with 19.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while Penn added 16.9 points and 4.3 assists per contest.
Ohio State enjoyed an 87-69 drubbing over rival Michigan in the 1999 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, the first-ever meeting between the Buckeyes and Wolverines in the tournament. The Buckeyes’ Big Ten Tournament run ended in the semifinals, as Illinois held off Ohio State 79-77 despite 32 points from Redd on 11-of-18 shooting.
Thanks to their incredible turnaround, Redd and Co. earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament as Ohio State appeared in the dance for the first time since 1992. In the opening round, the Buckeyes took the short journey to Indianapolis to take on No. 13-seeded Murray State of the Ohio Valley Conference.
While Penn struggled to find a rhythm against the Racers, shooting 2-of-12 on the evening, Redd willed the Buckeyes to victory. As Ohio State struggled with some early jitters in its first tournament game in half a decade, Redd exploded for 27 points, four assists and three steals to lead the Buckeyes past the Racers 72-58.
Thanks to a stunning upset of fifth-seed UCLA, Ohio State received another favorable matchup in the second round of the tournament. Detroit Mercy of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference used a suffocating defensive performance to defeat the Bruins 56-53 in the opening round, but Ohio State’s offensive firepower was too much for the Titans. Redd, again, provided a significant scoring punch in the win, producing 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while Penn also added 15 points in the 75-44 victory.
During the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Redd averaged 21.0 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor, leading the Buckeyes past a pair of overmatched opponents. However, the competition quickly stiffened for Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen.
The Buckeyes journeyed south to Knoxville, Tennessee, for a meeting with the No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers. Led by a quartet of double-digit scorers in Chris Porter, Scott Pohlman, Doc Robinson and Bryant Smith, the Tigers captured the SEC regular season championship and entered the Sweet Sixteen with a 29-3 record.
The Buckeyes and Tigers went back-and-forth throughout the heavyweight contest, and both teams found themselves deadlocked at 61 with 2:41 remaining in regulation. From this point forward, however, Ohio State took over.
Thanks to a 9-0 run, supported by a pair of free throws from Redd, to give Ohio State a 70-61 lead into the game’s final seconds, the Buckeyes did just enough to get past Auburn 72-64. Redd was a flame thrower during the game, scoring 22 points and adding 10 rebounds, while his backcourt complement, Penn, led the way with 26 points.
“Penn and Redd came on and took them over the hump,” Auburn head coach Cliff Ellis said.
With a spot in the Final Four on the line, Redd and the Buckeyes met a St. John’s team that included future NBA star Ron Artest in the Elite Eight. The Red Storm also enjoyed an upset victory in the Sweet Sixteen, taking down second-seeded Maryland 76-62 to advance.
Again, Redd and Penn delivered offensively, combining for 42 points and 13 assists to hold off St. John’s 77-74. Despite the close score, the Buckeyes never trailed in the victory and claimed the South Region.
Penn was named the region’s MVP, producing 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while Redd averaged 21.0 points per game across the first four games of the tournament.
Ohio State’s next test came in St. Petersburg, Fla., with a spot in the national championship on the line. The Buckeyes faced their toughest test yet, with All-American guard Richard Hamilton leading 31-2 Connecticut into the Final Four. Hamilton posted averages of 23.5 points per game, four rebounds and two assists across the Huskies’ first four games of the tournament.
Like the teams before them, the Buckeyes were unable to contain Hamilton, who connected on 10 of 17 shot attempts to score 24 points. Redd tried to counter with 15 points of his own, while Penn added 11, but Hamilton’s efforts were too much as the Huskies ended Ohio State’s incredible run to the Final Four with a 64-58 victory.
The Huskies went on to win the national championship, defeating Duke to earn the 1999 NCAA crown.
In all, Redd and Penn combined to average 36.0 points, 13.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists during Ohio State’s stellar post-season run.
The Buckeyes’ miracle run to the Final Four would, however, be scratched from the record books due to recruiting violations committed by O’Brien during his tenure.
Although the history books breeze past the story of the 1998-99 Ohio State men's basketball team, the run has been remembered by thousands in Columbus and beyond.
