Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball Legends

Last Updated on March 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Ohio State’s basketball history is built on championship-level peaks and an unusually deep All-America tradition. The Buckeyes claim the 1960 NCAA title, four Final Four appearances, 23 Big Ten championships, and 22 consensus All-Americans, which gives the program one of the stronger résumés in the sport. The best Ohio State legends are the players who led title teams, won major national awards, dominated the school record book, or became inseparable from the program’s identity.

1. Jerry Lucas

Years at Ohio State: 1959–1962
Position: Center/Forward
Notable Achievements:
- Three-time first-team All-American
- 1961 and 1962 National Player of the Year
- Led Ohio State to the 1960 NCAA championship
- Helped Ohio State reach the 1961 and 1962 national title games
- NCAA Final Four MVP in 1961 and 1962
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Lucas is the clear No. 1 because no Buckeye has a cleaner combination of team success, individual dominance, and historical stature. Ohio State’s Hall of Fame bio calls him a basketball legend, notes that he was the school’s first three-time basketball All-American, and says the Buckeyes went 78-6 with three Big Ten titles, one NCAA championship, and two runner-up finishes during his era. (Ohio State)

2. John Havlicek

Years at Ohio State: 1960–1962
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable Achievements:
- All-American
- Three Big Ten titles
- Member of the 1960 NCAA championship team
- Helped Ohio State reach three straight NCAA title games
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
- Jersey retired by Ohio State

Havlicek ranks this high because he was an elite star on the greatest sustained run in Buckeye history and later became one of the most decorated basketball figures ever produced by the school. Ohio State’s Hall of Fame bio says the Buckeyes won 78 of 84 games, captured three Big Ten titles, and won a national championship with Havlicek in the lineup. (Ohio State)

3. Jim Jackson

Years at Ohio State: 1989–1992
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable Achievements:
- Two-time All-American
- 1992 National Player of the Year
- Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year
- Led Ohio State to Big Ten titles in 1991 and 1992
- Jersey retired by Ohio State
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Jackson has one of the strongest modern Buckeye cases because he combined major national awards with conference-title leadership and elite production in a short span. Ohio State’s Hall of Fame bio says he led the Buckeyes to three NCAA tournament appearances, two Big Ten championships, and won Big Ten Player of the Year in both 1991 and 1992 before becoming National Player of the Year in 1992. (Ohio State)

4. Evan Turner

Years at Ohio State: 2007–2010
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable Achievements:
- 2010 National Player of the Year
- 2010 consensus first-team All-American
- Big Ten Player of the Year
- No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft
- Jersey retired by Ohio State

Turner sits this high because his 2009-10 season is one of the best individual seasons any Buckeye has ever produced. Ohio State’s record book lists him as the 2010 National Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American, which places his peak squarely in the program’s rarest air.

5. Dennis Hopson

Years at Ohio State: 1984–1987
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- All-American
- 1987 Big Ten Player of the Year
- Led Ohio State to the 1987 NCAA Tournament
- Finished with 2,096 career points
- Former Ohio State career scoring leader

Hopson belongs in the upper tier because he was one of the greatest scorers the program has ever had and capped his career with a huge senior season. Ohio State’s Hall of Fame bio says he was second nationally in scoring at 29.0 points per game as a senior, won All-America and all-Big Ten honors, and finished his career with 2,096 points. (Ohio State)

6. Gary Bradds

Years at Ohio State: 1962–1964
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- Consensus first-team All-American
- Big Ten Player of the Year
- One of Ohio State’s top post-Lucas stars
- Key figure in the tail end of the Fred Taylor powerhouse era

Bradds makes this list because he kept Ohio State nationally relevant immediately after the Lucas-Havlicek years, which was no small task. Ohio State’s official record book lists him as a 1964 first-team consensus All-American, putting him among the program’s most decorated individual stars.

7. Greg Oden

Years at Ohio State: 2006–2007
Position: Center
Notable Achievements:
- Consensus second-team All-American
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
- NABC Defensive Player of the Year
- Pete Newell Big Man Award winner
- Led Ohio State to the 2007 NCAA title game
- Helped lead Ohio State to a school-record 35 wins

Oden’s Buckeye career was brief, but the peak was absolutely legend-level. Ohio State’s Hall of Fame bio says he averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks in his lone season while anchoring a team that won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles and reached the national championship game. (Ohio State)

8. Michael Redd

Years at Ohio State: 1998–2000
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- All-American
- Led Ohio State in scoring in all three of his seasons
- Helped lead Ohio State to the 1999 Final Four
- One of only three Buckeyes with three 500-point seasons
- Sixth on Ohio State’s all-time scoring list

Redd’s case is built on elite scoring and major program relevance in the late 1990s. Ohio State’s 2025 Hall of Fame-related coverage notes that he led the Buckeyes in scoring every year, sits sixth all-time in career points, and is one of only three Buckeyes to have three 500-point seasons.

9. Clark Kellogg

Years at Ohio State: 1980–1982
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- Big Ten MVP
- Led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore and junior
- Averaged a double-double for his career
- One of the best all-around forwards in program history

Kellogg deserves a place because he was one of the most complete players Ohio State has ever had. His Hall of Fame bio says he led the Buckeyes in both scoring and rebounding in each of his final two seasons and finished with 1,285 points and 872 rebounds in just 86 games. (Ohio State)

10. Scoonie Penn

Years at Ohio State: 1998–2000
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2000 second-team All-American
- 1999 NCAA South Regional Most Outstanding Player
- Team captain in 1999 and 2000
- Co-MVP in both of his Buckeye seasons
- Key leader on the 1999 Final Four team

Penn was the heartbeat of one of Ohio State’s best modern tournament teams, and his short Buckeye run packed in a lot of high-level impact. Ohio State’s Buckeye Greats section says he was a second-team All-American in 2000, captained the team both seasons, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1999 NCAA South Regional.

11. Jared Sullinger

Years at Ohio State: 2010–2012
Position: Forward/Center
Notable Achievements:
- Two-time first-team All-American
- Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year
- Led Ohio State to the 2012 Final Four
- One of the best frontcourt stars of the Thad Matta era

Sullinger has a strong legends argument because his résumé is unusually decorated for a two-year player. Ohio State’s official All-America listings show that he was a first-team consensus All-American in both 2011 and 2012, a standard that only a few Buckeyes have reached more than once.

12. Jimmy Hull

Years at Ohio State: 1938–1939
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- 1939 consensus first-team All-American
- Star of Ohio State’s first NCAA tournament team
- Led Ohio State to the 1939 national title game
- One of the foundational greats in program history

Hull rounds out the list because early-era legends still matter in a program with real prewar history. Ohio State’s record book lists him as a 1939 consensus first-team All-American, and he was the star of the Buckeyes’ run to the 1939 NCAA final.

Strong Honorable Mentions

Mike Conley Jr.
Herb Williams
Allan Hornyak
Kelvin Ransey
Dick Schnittker
William Buford
Deshaun Thomas

The toughest cuts are Conley and Williams. Conley was brilliant in 2007 and helped lead Ohio State to the national title game while setting the program’s single-season assist record, while Williams remains the only Buckeye with both 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. (Ohio State)

Ohio State Buckeyes Men’s Basketball Legends