Ohio State basketball has been a part of the Big Ten Conference banner in football and basketball. Along with Indiana and Michigan State, they hold the most Final Four appearances in Big Ten history. The Buckeyes have officially been to 10 Final Fours. Along with finishing as the runner-up four times in the National Championship Game, the Buckeyes won the NCAA Tournament in 1960.
Ohio State has had plenty of All-American caliber players when they have been at their best. More than 100 years worth of outstanding players have suited up in the scarlet and grey. Five players have been fortunate enough to have their jersey number hanging inside Value City Arena in Columbus.
Several players could’ve been chosen for the all-time Buckeyes starting lineup, but the choices were pretty simple. Let’s take a closer look at who made the cut.
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Jim Jackson
Toledo, Ohio’s Jim Jackson, was a high-profile high school prospect, so much so that he was named a two-time Parade High School All-American in 1988 and 1989. Jackson chose his home state Buckeyes over plenty of other high-profile offers. Once he got to Ohio State, everything took off for the guard. He certainly came into his own at a time when the Big Ten had plenty of other high-profile talent, including the likes of Michigan’s Chris Webber and Michigan’s State Steve Smith.
Jackson had an outstanding collegiate career. He was named a two-time consensus All-American. He was also a two-time All-Big Ten and a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year. In his final season in 1991-92, Jackson led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship and was also named the UPI College Basketball Player of the Year. After scoring 1,785 points, 372 assists, and 552 rebounds in three seasons at Ohio State, Jackson was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Jackson spent 14 seasons in the NBA and played in 885 career games. He called it a career after the 2005-06 season and has since gone on to be a college basketball commentator for Fox Sports. Jackson was a great all-around player, especially for the guard spot. His #22 will be forever remembered by Ohio State basketball fans everywhere.
Guard: Evan Turner
Ohio State was in the midst of its huge run of five-star talent coming through the program when Evan Turner arrived in Columbus. Turner, like Greg Oden and Mike Conley, was highly rated coming out of high school. He certainly lived up to the hype. Turner spent three seasons at Ohio State, from 2007-2010. All three seasons were highly memorable for both Turner and the Buckeyes. He started 30 of 37 games in his freshman season, as the Buckeyes reached the Final Four.
As Turner got older, he got even better. His sophomore season saw him breakout and earn First-Team All-Big Ten. That made his confidence even higher going into the 2009-10 season. It would be his last in an Ohio State basketball jersey, but Turner sure made it memorable. Not only was he a consensus All-American, Turner was the best college basketball player that season. He won both the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award. He also hit a very memorable shot during the Big Ten Tournament, that no one will forget especially in the history of Ohio State versus Michigan in basketball.
Turner left Ohio State after scoring over 1,500 career points and even had his No. 21 jersey retired by the school. His great Buckeye career earned him a huge opportunity in the NBA, as he was the second overall pick in 2010, just behind Kentucky’s John Wall. Turner spent 10 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2020. He last served as an assistant with the Boston Celtics coaching staff. Turner won’t soon be forgotten in the history of Ohio State basketball.
Forward: John Havlicek
What better way to describe this next player, than legendary. That is exactly how you define John Havlicek. He was an elite college and pro player. That’s part of why he’s in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. John was part of the Buckeyes during a very elite time in the team’s history. He alongside fellow forward Jerry Lucas, who also made this lineup, were a frontcourt made in heaven. Both were a key part in leading Ohio State to the 1960 NCAA Championship.
That happened when Havlicek was in his first season of playing for the scarlet and grey. He followed up the title with back-to-back All-American seasons and two All-Big Ten honors. His success didn’t end in Columbus, as he was drafted ninth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1962. He joined forces with Bill Russell and went on to win eight NBA championships. Havilicek was also named an NBA All-Star 13 times and won Finals MVP in 1974. His basketball career is still one of the greatest of all-time, and he won eight NBA titles.
Sadly Halvlicek passed away in 2019, but his name and skill will be remembered forever, and he’s still one of the best to ever play at Ohio State.
Forward: Jerry Lucas
Another important piece on the Ohio State basketball 1960 National Championship team was Jerry Lucas. Lucas might not have had the same NBA career as Havlicek, but he certainly was a huge player in college. The six-foot-eight center, was a High School All-American out of Middletown, Ohio. Lucas was the centerpiece to three-straight Final Four appearances for the Buckeyes from 1960-1962. They played for the National Championship in all three seasons, but only claimed one title in 1960.
Lucas was also a three-time First Team All-American. Add in being a two-time National Player of the Year, and Lucas certainly was one of the best players that the Big Ten had ever seen at the time. His rebounding skills were outstanding as well, leading the country in rebounding in 1961 and 1962.
After scoring 1,990 points and grabbing 1,441 rebounds, Lucas was a territorial pick by the Cincinnati Royals in 1962. Lucas was a seven-time All-Star and luckily enough won an NBA Championship in 1973 with the New York Knicks. Lucas was also fortunate enough during his basketball career to win an Olympic gold medal in 1960. This Basketball Hall of Famer, like his teammate Havlicek is certainly deserving of his place on this all-time lineup.
Center: Gary Bradds
Yet another key player from the 1960s who helped put Ohio State amongst the elite in college basketball, Gary Bradds, is an interesting player. After initially enrolling at Kentucky, he transferred to Ohio State after two days. It appeared to be all for the better as Bradds quickly became a key player alongside the elder Havlicek and Lucas. Like that outstanding pair, Bradds followed right in their footsteps.
After a slow season in 1961-62, Bradds took his game to a whole new level, as he quickly became one of the best players in the country after Lucas and Havlicek graduated and moved on. Bradds became the focal point for the Buckeyes. In his senior season, he earned a lot of national accolades. That included First Team All-Big Ten and National Player of the Year Awards. He beat out the likes of UCLA’s Walt Hazzard and Princeton’s Bill Bradley for that honor.
Bradds went 3rd overall in the 1964 NBA Draft. However, he spent more time playing the ABA at that time, where he was a part of the 1969 ABA Championship-winning Oakland Oaks. Gary only played briefly in the NBA for two seasons, before making a name for himself in the ABA. He called it a career in 1971. Sadly he passed away in 1983 at the age of 40 from cancer. So in truth, no one got to see what Bradds could’ve done with his whole life. Gary’s number 35 remains special to Buckeyes everywhere.
See Previous All-Time Big Ten Teams Below:
Illinois Fighting Illini All-Time Starting Lineup
Indiana Hooisers All-Time Starting Lineup
Iowa Hawkeyes All-Time Starting Lineup
Maryland Terrapins All-Time Starting Lineup
Michigan Wolverines All-Time Starting Lineup
Michigan State Spartans All-Time Starting Lineup
Minnesota Gophers All-Time Starting Lineup
