All-Time Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball Roster

Shooting Guards

Dennis Hopson (1983-1987) started an era of strong scorers for Ohio State. During his time in Columbus, Dennis showcased his natural shooting ability. During the 1986-87 season, Hopson’s scoring hit its highest mark as he finished second in the country in scoring. In fact, during that season, Hopson averaged 29 points per game. He scored 958 points during that campaign. That pushed Dennis to the top of the Ohio State all-time scoring list. His 2,096 career points still stand to this day. He only had the three-point line during that senior campaign, so he could have very well put an even higher mark up. He was a consensus All-American for his efforts as a senior, not to mention he was the best player in the Big Ten for that season, easily cementing his place on this Ohio State roster.

That Big Ten Player of the Year award from Hopson certainly made a mark on this next player. Jim Jackson (1989-1992) followed closely in Hopson’s footsteps, doing one thing better. Jackson was the Big Ten Player of the Year twice. He broke out quickly as a freshman, starting every game and averaging 16 points per game. That output only grew during his sophomore and junior seasons as Jimmy quickly turned into a superstar nationally. As his scoring averages went up, the accolades quickly followed. Jackson left Ohio State after his junior season in 1991-92. His No.22 hangs proudly at Ohio State, especially after being named a first-team All-American twice. Jackson was part of a very special era in the Big Ten, as was the final shooting guard who made the roster.

Michael Redd (1997-2000) got lucky when Scoonie transferred to the Buckeyes in 1998. He helped take a lot of pressure off of Michael, and it allowed Redd to consistently showcase his all-around game. Redd’s scoring average may have dropped after averaging 21 points as a freshman in 1997-98, which led to him being named the Big Ten’s best freshman. It didn’t stop him from leaving his mark on the Buckeyes. Twice, he led the Big Ten in points during his three-year Ohio State career.

Small Forwards

Now we have reached the group that arguably has two of the best players in Ohio State basketball history. One of whom is probably the greatest Buckeye player ever. John Havlicek was a champion from the day he arrived in Columbus. He played 84 career games for Ohio State from 1959 to 1962. In each of his three seasons, John played for a National Championship. Yep, Ohio State reached the National Championship Game in 1960, 1961, and 1962. That 1960 team won it all, as Havlicek, alongside Siegfried and fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas, along with Bobby Knight, cut down the nets. Havlicek made the No. 5 jersey famous in Columbus, so it hangs inside Value City Arena. The eventual eight-time NBA Champion learned exactly what it took to be a champion during his time at Ohio State.

Evan Turner (2007-2010) is the most recent Buckeye to have his jersey number retired—for good reason, Turner stayed loyal to the Buckeyes at a time when they had a lot of talent that left early for the NBA. From dramatic shots to being the best player in the country, Evan was special during his three seasons at Ohio State. The 2010 National Player of the Year will always be remembered by rival Michigan for his buzzer-beating shot to beat the Wolverines in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament. It’s still one of the biggest highlight shots in the tournament’s history. No. 21 more than earned his place on this Ohio State roster.

Keita Bates-Diop (2014-2018) is one of the players you think about. How did he accomplish what he did? Keita finished his Ohio State career with plenty of individual accolades. That included winning the Big Ten Player of the Year Award in 2017-18. He beat out the likes of Miles Bridges, Carsen Edwards, and Ethan Happ for that honor. Each of those players certainly made a case that they could’ve won the award. However, they didn’t, and Bates-Diop ended up bringing home consensus 2nd-team All-American honors as well. After being more of a bench guy in his early years and missing most of the 2016-17 season due to injury, what Bates-Diop accomplished in his final season was pretty impressive.

Power Forwards

Before he was famously talking about college basketball, Clark Kellogg (1979-1982) was making a name for himself on the court for Ohio State. The Cleveland, Ohio, native still holds the state finals record of 51 points in a finals game in 1979. Clark took his high-level scoring and rebounding ability to the Buckeyes, and he was able to build a nice career for himself. He spent three seasons as a Buckeye and finished with a career average of 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. It was during the 1981-82 season that Kellogg earned All-Big Ten honors. He finished his Ohio State career with 872 rebounds, which is seventh on the all-time list in school history. The 8th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft gave it his all during his time in Columbus.

Jared Sullinger (2010-2012) was another highly touted power forward coming out of high school. Sullinger was a high school All-American from right in Columbus. The hometown kid went on to have a very productive Ohio State career. He was named a 1st-team All-American in each of his two seasons. He helped the Buckeyes win back-to-back Big Ten regular-season championships in 2011 and 2012. Jared was a double-double machine. He averaged 17 points per game in both of his seasons. He also finished with 717 career rebounds in just two seasons, which was just 44 boards away from the top 10 all-time at Ohio State.

EJ Liddell (2019-2022) was a defensive menace despite only being 6-foot-6. He could play the power forward spot. He was certainly built in the same mold as four-time NBA Champion Draymond Green. Liddell highlighted his defense during his three seasons at Ohio State. After just being a bench player as a freshman in 2019-20, Liddell quickly became the best post-player for the Buckeyes in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Both seasons saw him score more than 16 points per game, along with seven rebounds per game. EJ was named All-Big Ten twice and was also named one of the best defenders in the Big Ten during his final season in Columbus. He was named a third-team All-American during the 2021-22 season. He led the Big Ten in blocks that season with 83, and also finished with 143 career blocks. That is seventh all-time in Buckeye history.

Centers

Jerry Lucas (1959-1962) defined the center position. The 1960 NCAA Champion brought home all the accolades while at Ohio State. A three-time All-Big Ten Player, he was also a three-time consensus All-American. Not to mention, he won the AP Player of the Year in college basketball twice. Lucas, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, helped define Ohio State basketball. He is the only three-time Big Ten player of the Year ever. He averaged over 21 points per game and 16 rebounds in each of his three seasons. Lucas remains third all-time in Buckeye scoring with 1990 career points. Not to mention, he has a pretty much untouchable mark with 1,411 career rebounds. That mark remains the most in Big Ten history. You can make the case that Jerry Lucas is the best big man the Big Ten has ever seen.

Like Lucas, Gary Bradds was destined to play a big role in the post. He did once he got the playing time. After only scoring 4.7 points per game during the 1961-62 season, Bradds filled the void of the graduated Lucas well. Gary averaged 28 points per game as a junior before putting down an impressive 30.6 points per game as a senior. A two-time All-American, Bradds put his name at the top of the country in 1963-64 as he was named the AP Player of the Year in college basketball. It was during his senior season that he had a run of six-straight 40-point games. That included a career high of 49 points against Illinois. Bradds remains in the top 10 all-time in both scoring and rebounding in Ohio State history.

Herb Williams (1977-1981) had his way with other Big Ten big men during his time at Ohio State at both ends of the floor. He could score, he could rebound, but most of all, he could defend. He’s one of only two Buckeyes to score over 2,000 points. He is the all-time leader in Ohio State history with field goals made. Not to mention he’s the only Buckeye other than Jerry Lucas to reach 1,000 career rebounds. He trails only Ken Johnson in career blocks with 328.

Look no further than Greg Oden for one of the biggest what-ifs in post-player history. Oden was probably the best center prospect since the days of Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. He delivered on his two-time high school National Player of the Year honors in his lone season with the Buckeyes. Greg looked destined for stardom, following Ohio State’s run to the National Championship Game in 2007. During that season, Oden nearly took home every Big Ten award, except for Player of the Year.

Greg was the best freshman in the Big Ten and the best defender, not to mention he won Big Ten Tournament MVP. He put up a heck of a show in his final game, despite the Buckeyes falling short in the Championship Game against Florida. He had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks. Oden had 306 rebounds that season to go along with 501 points and 105 blocks. It was a very impressive one season in Columbus for Greg. The 2007 1st overall pick, unfortunately, became one of the biggest NBA busts in history.

Honorable Mentions

Jon Diebler (2007-2011)

D’Angelo Russell (2014-2015)

Duane Washington Jr (2018-2021)

Malaki Branham (2021-2022)

Check Out Other All-Time Big Ten Teams

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