Vote now for Ohio State’s best basketball team
“Ohio State Alumni Magazine” is running our own March Madness tourney, seeding teams that made the Final Four since 1960.
Voting open till midnight Feb. 5!
For college basketball fans, March is the best time of the year as the Big Dance—aka the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments—comes to dominate the sports landscape. The brainchild of then-Ohio State men’s basketball coach Harold Olsen, the NCAA championship tournament began in 1939 as a rival to the more popular National Invitational Tournament. Olsen’s Buckeyes were one of the first eight participants, falling in the final to the Oregon then-Webfoots. (Ohio State would get its revenge 76 years later by defeating Oregon in the final of the very first playoff in another sport—football.)
To celebrate the Madness that is March, we seeded the eight men’s and women’s Ohio State squads that made it to the Final Four since 1960 in a bracket of our own. (We only chose teams from the era when the NCAA Tournament was the preeminent college basketball tournament in the land, so the ’39 Bucks and a few teams from the ’40s didn’t make the cut. Sorry, Coach Olsen!) Teams were seeded based on how far they advanced in the tournament and their eventual margin of defeat.
Now, here’s the part where you come in, dear readers: You can choose which teams advance to the next round. Use your scarlet and gray heart to vote for your favorite teams or tally up team approaches and strengths and compare—whatever feels best to you. Then click on the polls below each matchup to vote for the squad that you believe deserves to move on. Come back next week to see who is still dancing.
No. 1 seed: 1960 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Champion
Ohio State’s lone national champ in basketball, this squad boasted three future Hall of Famers in sophomores Jerry Lucas ’62, John Havlicek ’62 and Bobby Knight ’62. (Not a starter on this squad, Knight would build his resume years later stalking the sidelines as three-time national champion coach of the Indiana Hoosiers.) Coached by Fred Taylor ’50, the squad excelled at defense and blitzed opponents with a fast break initiated by Lucas’ outlet passing. The 1960 team blew through the tournament with a 19.5-point average margin of victory.
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No. 8 seed: 1968 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Final Four (14-point margin of defeat)
Few would have expected the 1968 Buckeyes to even make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament that year, let alone make it to the Final Four. Picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten, the Taylor-coached team lost its star player, Jeff Miller ’70, before the season started. But the underdog Bucks rallied around All-Big Ten big man Bill Hosket ’68 and managed to win the league and make a run in the tourney, ultimately falling to North Carolina. During this era, the losing Final Four teams would play a consolation game, in which the Buckeyes prevailed over Houston.
Who should advance? 1960 Men vs. 1968 Men
No. 2 seed: 1993 Women
NCAA Tournament result: Runner-up (2-point margin of defeat)
Led by talented freshman (and future Hall of Famer) Katie Smith ’08, ’14 MS, ’22 DRH and buoyed by a close-knit group of seniors, the hard-nosed, defense-minded Buckeyes spent much of the regular season ranked in the Top 10. The team entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, earning a trip to the finals with narrow victories over Virginia and Iowa. The Buckeyes threw an aggressive trapping zone defense against Texas Tech in the finals. Unfortunately for us, future Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes managed to break down the Ohio State defense for a then-record 47 points, leading Tech to a narrow victory.
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No. 7 seed: 1999 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Final Four (6-point margin of defeat)
The 1999 squad was a surprise participant in the Final Four, emerging as a No. 4 seed from the South Regional. Led by spark-plug point guard Scoonie Penn ’01 and future NBA All-Star Michael Redd ’15, these Buckeyes gelled at just the right moment in the Big Dance, beating talented Auburn and St. John’s squads on the road to the Final Four before ultimately falling to eventual national champion UConn. Unfortunately, Ohio State later vacated nearly the entire season due to recruiting violations by head coach Jim O’Brien.
Who should advance? 1993 Women vs. 1999 Men
No. 3 seed: 1961 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Runner-up (5-point margin of defeat)
The 1960-61 men’s squad returned four starters from the previous year’s championship-winning squad. Once again led by Lucas, who earned College Player of the Year honors, the Bucks demolished the Big Ten during the regular season and headed to the NCAA Tournament with an undefeated record. The squad fell in a thrilling overtime final game to another Ohio college basketball powerhouse of the time—the Cincinnati Bearcats.
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No. 6 seed: 1962 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Runner-up (12-point margin of defeat)
Motivated by their loss in the championship game the previous year, the 1961-62 Buckeyes won 22 consecutive games to start the season, only dropping their second-to-last game of the season to Wisconsin. Once again led by seniors Lucas, Havlicek and guard Mel Nowell ’64, the team went the entire regular season ranked No. 1. Unfortunately, they fell once again to the defending champion Cincinnati Bearcats in the NCAA Tournament final.
Who should advance? 1961 Men vs. 1962 Men
No. 4 seed: 2007 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Runner-up (9-point margin of defeat)
In 2006, coach Thad Matta brought in a highly touted recruiting class led by Indiana high-school teammates Greg Oden ’19, ’24 MSPCOACH and Mike Conley Jr. Powered by the so-called Thad Five, the Buckeyes won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. The team’s tournament run included thrilling victories over Xavier and Tennessee, eventually coming to an end at the hands of the reigning champion Florida Gators.
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No. 5 seed: 2012 Men
NCAA Tournament result: Final Four (2-point margin of defeat)
With Player of the Year candidate Jared Sullinger manning the paint and fan-favorite point guard (and current practicing physician) Aaron Craft ’14, ’24 MD at the top of the key, this Buckeye squad spent most of the season ranked in the Top 10. Coached by Matta, the co-Big Ten regular season champs boasted wins over No. 3 Duke and No. 5 Michigan State. The Buckeyes fell by only 2 points in the NCAA Tournament semifinals to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Who should advance? 2007 Men vs. 2012 Men
Vote in our Final Four
Want to vote in the next round? The teams that make our Final Four will be revealed on our homepage Monday, Feb. 10. Mark your calendars!
