| Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball | |||||||||||||||
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| University | Ohio State University | ||||||||||||||
| First season | 1898 | ||||||||||||||
| All-time record | 1,765–1,143 (.607) | ||||||||||||||
| Athletic director | Ross Bjork | ||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Jake Diebler (3rd season) | ||||||||||||||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Columbus, Ohio | ||||||||||||||
| Arena | Value City Arena St. John Arena(Secondary) (capacity: 18,809) | ||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Buckeyes | ||||||||||||||
| Student section | Nuthouse | ||||||||||||||
| Colors | Scarlet and gray[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||||
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| NCAA tournament champions | |||||||||||||||
| 1960 | |||||||||||||||
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| Conference tournament champions | |||||||||||||||
| 2002*, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013 | |||||||||||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||||||||||
| 1925, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971, 1991, 1992, 2000*, 2002*, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 | |||||||||||||||
* - vacated by NCAA | |||||||||||||||
TheOhio State Buckeyes men's basketball team representsOhio State University inNCAA Division Icollege basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of theBig Ten Conference.
The Buckeyes play their home games atValue City Arena in the Jerome Schottenstein Center inColumbus, Ohio, which opened in 1998. The official capacity of the center is 19,200. Ohio State ranked 28th in the nation in average home attendance as of the 2016 season.[2]
The Buckeyes have won one national championship (1960), been the national runner-up four times, appeared in 10 Final Fours (one additional appearance has been vacated by the NCAA), and appeared in 27 NCAA Tournaments (four other appearances have been vacated).
Thad Matta was named the head coach of Ohio State in 2004 to replace coachJim O'Brien, who was fired due to NCAA violations which made Ohio State vacate 113 games between 1998 and 2002.[3][4] On June 5, 2017, after consecutive years of missing the NCAA Tournament, the school announced Matta would not return as head coach after 13 years and 337 wins at Ohio State. On June 9, 2017, the school hiredButler head coachChris Holtmann as head coach.[5]
The program is presently led byJake Diebler, Holtmann's former assistant coach who was initially hired as an interim coach following Holtmann's firing in 2024.
The first basketball team at Ohio State University was formed in1898, playing its first game againstEast High. Sparing success followed the Buckeyes throughout their time as an independent school. In 1912, some 13 years after forming their first basketball team, the Buckeyes joined the Big Nine Conference, which would eventually be known as theBig Ten. At first, the Buckeyes were not able to mount a sustained run, never finishing higher than second in the conference standings[1]. In 1923,Harold Olsen became head coach, launching the longest basketball coaching dynasty for OSU (24 seasons). Olsen began to see success with the Buckeyes' first conference championship during the 1922–1923 season. The Olsen era is also highlighted by appearing in thenational championship game for thefirst NCAA Championship tournament in 1939, where the Buckeyes lost toOregon 33–46. The Buckeyes would make three moreFinal Four appearances under Olsen, along with winning five Big Ten championships. Following Olsen as head coach,Tippy Dye andFloyd Stahl led the Buckeyes. Not seeing the same amount of success as Olsen did, Dye and Stahl had one NCAA Tournament appearance between them. With the closing of the 1950s, the Ohio State basketball team was not considered a national powerhouse. But it continued to develop and led to the hiring of a man who would change basketball at Ohio State and bring it national fame.
Of all Buckeye coaches, it wasFred Taylor who would put Ohio State basketball on the map. With the hiring of Taylor in 1958, not much was expected following an 11–11 record during the 1958–1959 season. However, in 1960, the second-year coach, Taylor, and futureNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame playersJerry Lucas andJohn Havlicek led the Buckeyes to their firstnational championship, defeatingCalifornia 75–55 in the final game. The 1960 season is the only NCAA Tournament championship that the Buckeyes have claimed. Taylor's team returned to the national championship game in both1961 and1962, but they would lose both to in-state foeCincinnati. The Buckeyes made a total of five tournament appearances during Taylor's 18 seasons tenure, which included four trips to the Final Four (1960,1961,1962,1968). With the departure of his championship team, Taylor began to see teams accustomed to Ohio State basketball of the past. Taylor's last season at Ohio State in 1976 had the Buckeyes going 6–20, their worst record, only to be eclipsed by the team in 1995. Taylor achieved seven conference titles and an impressive overall winning percentage of over 65%. Past the Taylor era, Ohio State sawEldon Miller,Gary Williams, andRandy Ayers take the reins as head coach. Between 1976 and 1997, the Buckeyes made the NCAA bracket only eight times, while being crowned conference champions only twice.
In 1997,Jim O'Brien was hired to replace head coachRandy Ayers. During his seven years as head coach, O'Brien drove the team to four 20+ win seasons, twoBig Ten regular season co-championships, the2002 Big Ten tournament championship, and a school record four-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Controversy erupted when Ohio State athletic directorAndy Geiger fired O'Brien over alleged NCAA rules violations. A two-year NCAA investigation found that playerBoban Savovic might have received improper benefits while he played for Ohio State. On March 10, 2006, the NCAA gave Ohio State three years' probation and ordered it to pay back all tournament money earned from 1999–2002 when Boban Savovic was on the Buckeyes' roster. In addition, Ohio State was forced to remove all references to team accomplishments by the NCAA directorate from those years including a 1999 visit to theFinal Four.[4]
Thad Matta, former head coach atButler andXavier, was hired by Ohio State in July 2004.[6]
During Matta's first season at Ohio State, the Buckeyes compiled a 20–12 record, highlighted by a win in the final game of the season over top-rankedIllinois, which was undefeated up until that game. Ohio State was defeated byWisconsin in theBig Ten tournament quarterfinals, and the team was ineligible for further postseason due to self-imposed sanctions related to Jim O'Brien's time at the school. The2005–06 season opened with the Buckeyes 11–0 heading into Big Ten play. Ohio State ended the season with a 26–6 record and 12–4 record in conference, the Buckeyes' first outright Big Ten championship since the 1991–92 season. Ohio State lost to Iowa in theBig Ten tournament championship game, but received a No. 2 seed in theNCAA tournament. After a first round win, the Buckeyes lost to No. 7 seedGeorgetown 70–52 in the second round.
Matta's2006–07 Ohio State team entered the season with the second-rated recruiting class in the nation, headed byGreg Oden andMike Conley Jr., and ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls. Ohio State entered conference play with an 11–2 record, with the only defeats coming at No. 6North Carolina and at No. 4Florida.[7] Ohio State's loss against No. 4Wisconsin on January 9, 2007, was the last loss of the regular season as the Buckeyes won 14 straight games to end the season with a 27–3 record. Ohio State defeated No. 20Tennessee and No. 2 Wisconsin during this winning streak and ended the season as the top-ranked team in the nation. Ohio State won theBig Ten tournament, defeating Wisconsin 66–49 in the championship game, and entered theNCAA tournament as the overall No. 1 seed. Ohio State advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time under Matta after an overtime victory against Xavier, which Matta had previously coached. A one-point victory over Tennessee and a 92–76 victory over No. 2Memphis advanced the Buckeyes to the Final Four. Ohio State defeatedGeorgetown 67–60 in the national semifinal, but lost to Florida 84–75 in thenational championship game. Oden and Conley both would enter theNBA draft following the season, with Oden being drafted number one overall and Conley going fourth.
The2007–08 season was a rebuilding one. Ohio State ended the season with a 19–12 record, finishing fifth in the Big Ten. It lost toMichigan State in theBig Ten tournament quarterfinals and missed out on theNCAA tournament. The Buckeyes did receive a No. 1 seed in theNational Invitation Tournament, where Ohio State would defeatMassachusetts 92–85 in the championship to take the NIT title.
Ohio State began the2008–09 season with a 9–0 record and would finish 20–9. Ohio State defeatedWisconsin and No. 7Michigan State to advance to theBig Ten tournament championship, where the Buckeyes lost to No. 24Purdue. They received a bid to theNCAA tournament as a No. 8 seed, where they lost to No. 9Siena in the first round.
The2009–10 season marked Matta's sixth at Ohio State, with the team entering the season ranked No. 17 in the nation. The Buckeyes had compiled a 7–1 record beforeEvan Turner, who was averaging 20.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, was injured.[8] Turner returned later in the season and help finish the season with a 24–7 record and a share of the Big Ten regular season championship. A victory overMinnesota in theBig Ten tournament gave Matta his second Big Ten tournament title and the Buckeyes a No. 2 seed in theNCAA tournament. Ohio State advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to No. 6-seededTennessee 76–73. Turner was named theNational Player of the Year and entered theNBA draft, where he was selected second overall.
Matta's recruiting class heading into the2010–11 season was highly regard and the Buckeyes returned some key seniors such asDavid Lighty andJon Diebler. Ohio State was ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls and entered Big Ten conference play undefeated at 13–0, defeating No. 9Florida and moving up to No. 2 in the nation. Ohio State continued to dominate the opposition during the regular season, pushing its record to 24–0 and 11–0 in conference play before losing the first game at No. 13Wisconsin. Another loss at No. 11Purdue marked their last loss in the regular season. Ohio State ended the season with a 29–2 record and 16–2 record in the Big Ten, winning the outright Big Ten regular season championship. OSU defeatedPenn State for theBig Ten tournament championship, giving the Buckeyes their second tournament championship in a row and Matta's third tournament championship as head coach. Ohio State entered theNCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed for the second time under Matta. However, for the second year in a row, the Buckeyes failed to advance past the Sweet Sixteen, losing toKentucky 62–60.
The Buckeyes, led by returning startersJared Sullinger,Deshaun Thomas andAaron Craft, entered the2011–12 season ranked No. 3 in the nation. Ohio State entered Big Ten play with a 12–1 record, losing at No. 13Kansas without Sullinger, who was injured. Ohio State finished the season winning a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and lost toMichigan State in theBig Ten tournament championship. Ohio State received a No. 2 seed in theNCAA tournament and advanced to the Final Four for the second time under Matta after a 77–70 victory over No. 1-seeded Syracuse. The Buckeye season would end with another loss to Kansas, 64–62. Following the season, Sullinger entered theNBA draft and was taken 21st overall.
The 2012–13 Buckeyes entered the season ranked No. 4 in the country. Led by Deshaun Thomas and Aaron Craft, they enteredBig Ten play with only two losses, at No. 2Duke and at home against No. 9Kansas. They finished the season 13–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for second place, but would beat No. 8Michigan State and No. 22Wisconsin to win theBig Ten tournament. As a No. 2 seed in theNCAA tournament, they advanced to the Elite Eight before losing toWichita State. Following the season, Thomas declared for theNBA draft.
With the early departure of Thomas, the Buckeyes struggled in2013–14, finishing the season 25–10, 10–8 in fifth place inBig Ten play. They advanced to the semifinals of theBig Ten tournament before losing toMichigan. As a No. 6 seed in theNCAA tournament, they lost toDayton in the second round (formerly known as the first round).
The2015 Buckeyes were led by freshmanD'Angelo Russell, but still finished in sixth place in Big Ten play with an 11–7 record. Despite losing toMichigan State in the quarterfinals of theBig Ten tournament, OSU received a No. 10 seed in theNCAA tournament. They upset No. 7-seededVCU in the second round, before losing to No. 5Arizona in the third round. Following the season, Russell declared for theNBA draft and was selected second overall.
Without Russell, the2016 Buckeyes finished 21–14, 11–7 inBig Ten play to finish in seventh place. They lost in the quarterfinals of theBig Ten tournament toMichigan State and failed to receive an invite to theNCAA tournament. They did receive a bid to theNIT, where they lost in the second round toFlorida.
In2016–17, OSU finished the season 17–15, 7–11 inBig Ten play to finish in a tie for 10th place. As the No. 11 seed in theBig Ten tournament, the Buckeyes lost in the first round toRutgers. They did not receive an invite to a postseason tournament.
In a surprise move more than two months after the season ended, the school announced that, after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2017, Matta would not return as head coach for the2017–18 season.[9] Ohio State won 20 or more games in 12 of Matta's 13 seasons, received a berth in the NCAA Tournament eight times, made it to the Sweet Sixteen four times, and to the Final Four twice. Ohio State won the Big Ten regular-season championship five times and Big Ten tournament championship four times, appearing in the championship game six times under Matta.
Thad Matta's record at Ohio State
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thad Matta(Big Ten Conference)(2004–2017) | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | Ohio State | 20–12 | 8–8 | 6th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Ohio State | 26–6 | 12–4 | 1st | NCAA second round | ||||
| 2006–07 | Ohio State | 35–4 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up | ||||
| 2007–08 | Ohio State | 24–13 | 10–8 | 5th | NIT Champions | ||||
| 2008–09 | Ohio State | 22–11 | 10–8 | T–4th | NCAA first round | ||||
| 2009–10 | Ohio State | 29–8 | 14–4 | T–1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2010–11 | Ohio State | 34–3 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2011–12 | Ohio State | 31–8 | 13–5 | T–1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 2012–13 | Ohio State | 29–8 | 13–5 | T–2nd | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 2013–14 | Ohio State | 25–10 | 10–8 | 5th | NCAA first round | ||||
| 2014–15 | Ohio State | 24–11 | 11–7 | 6th | NCAA second round | ||||
| 2015–16 | Ohio State | 21–14 | 11–7 | 7th | NIT second round | ||||
| 2016–17 | Ohio State | 17–15 | 7–11 | T–10th | |||||
| Thad Matta: | 337–123 | 150–78 | |||||||
| Total: | 337–123 (.733) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
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On June 9, 2017, the school hiredButler head coachChris Holtmann as head coach.[5] The Buckeyes exceeded any and all expectations in Holtmann's first season in Columbus. Picked to finish no better than 11th in preseason media polls, the Buckeyes stormed out to a 9–0 record in Big Ten. Highlighting the 2017–18 season were home wins over Michigan, overcoming a first-half 20-point deficit, and No. 1 Michigan State along with a road victory at No. 3 Purdue, the Boilermakers’ only home loss of the season. Holtmann was named the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Buckeyes to a 25–9 overall record, a second-place finish in the Big Ten regular-season standings (15–3). The Buckeyes were led by Big Ten Player of the Year, Keita Bates-Diop, and a four-year starter, Jae’Sean Tate; both of which are now in the NBA. The season ended on a somber note as the Buckeyes were eliminated in the second round of the 2018 NCAA tournament by Gonzaga.
In 2018–19, Holtmann's Buckeyes went 20–15, marking the sixth consecutive season a Holtmann team had won 20 or more games. As an 11-seed the Buckeyes knocked off 6-seed Iowa State to advance to the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament, before being eliminated by Houston.
The 2019–20 season was cut short with the cancellation of the 2020 Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. The Buckeyes posted an overall record of 21–10, which included four wins vs. Top 10 opponents (Villanova, at North Carolina, Kentucky and Maryland). Ohio State finished tied for fifth in the Big Ten at 11–9. Despite no postseason tournament, the Buckeyes managed 20 wins, marking the seventh consecutive season Holtmann-coach teams reached that plateau.
In a season shortened by COVID-19 implications, the 2020–21 Buckeyes went 21–10 record overall. Ohio State finished tied for fifth in the B1G (12–8) and reached the championship game of the 2021 Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes were led by 1st Team All-Big Ten forward EJ Liddell, and 3rd Team All-Big Ten guard Duane Washington Jr. Ohio State appeared in the AP Top 10 for the final seven weeks of the season and earned a #2 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, only to lose to 15-seed Oral Roberts in the first round.
The 2021–22 Buckeyes posted a 20–12 record and 12–8 conference record. The team lost in the second round of the 2022 NCAA tournament to Villanova.
Holtmann is the second Ohio State coach to win 20 or more games in his first five seasons in Columbus, joining Thad Matta (12 from 2005 to 2016). However, he has not won a conference championship, and his teams have struggled in postseason play: through his first 11 seasons as a head coach, his teams had never won a conference tournament, and had advanced beyond the first weekend of the NCAA tournament only once, leading to some criticism from fans.
The criticism of Holtmann continued in the 2022–23 season, as after starting the season with 10 wins in 13 games, the Buckeyes went into an extended tailspin, losing 14 of 15 games. On February 12, the Buckeyes scored just 41 points in a home blowout loss to Michigan State, the program's lowest point total in 27 years.
Holtmann was fired on February 14, 2024, as the team continued to struggle in conference play as the team lost 9 out of his final 11 games. Assistant coach Jake Diebler was named interim head coach after his firing.
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Holtmann(Big Ten Conference)(2017–present) | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Ohio State | 25–9 | 15–3 | T–2nd | NCAA second round | ||||
| 2018–19 | Ohio State | 20–15 | 8–12 | T–8th | NCAA second round | ||||
| 2019–20 | Ohio State | 21–10 | 11–9 | T–5th | Cancelled (COVID Outbreak) | ||||
| 2020–21 | Ohio State | 21–10 | 12–8 | 5th | NCAA first round | ||||
| 2021–22 | Ohio State | 20–12 | 12–8 | T–4th | NCAA second round | ||||
| 2022–23 | Ohio State | 16–19 | 5–15 | 13th | |||||
| 2023–24 | Ohio State | 14–11 | 4–10 | ||||||
| Chris Holtmann: | 137–86 | 67–65 | |||||||
| Total: | 137–86 (.614) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
The Ohio State Buckeyes presently play their home games in the 19,200-seatValue City Arena. The first official home court for the Buckeyes was theOhio Expo Center Coliseum. Constructed in 1918, the Buckeyes called this arena home between the years 1920 to 1955. The facility had a capacity of 7,000 people.
In 1955, a new facility was built on the campus of Ohio State named theSt. John Arena named afterLynn St. John, an Ohio State basketball coach and athletic director. This building, while hosting the men's basketball team, also hosted (and still to this day hosts) volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling. The capacity of St. John Arena is 13,276. This building is the only Buckeye arena to serve as home for an Ohio State men's basketball championship team in 1960.
With the aging St. John Arena over 40 years old, Ohio State University decided to build Value City Arena to hold men's and women's basketball as well as hockey. The 770,000 sq foot arena was completed in 1998 and seats 19,500 for basketball games.
Ohio State University completed a $19 million renovation to the Schottenstein Center in 2013 that includes updated locker rooms for the Men's and Women's Basketball teams, a new training room with hydrotherapy pools, a new weight room, and a new practice gym to complement the existing gym. A $34 million renovation completed in 2018 improved the concourse as well as added new space for the coaches, team shop, ticket office, and building administration.
During the team's formative years the Buckeyes played their home games at theOhio State University Armory. Built in 1897 at a cost of $115,000, the massive brick medieval style building was demolished in 1958 after damage caused by a fire.[10] From 1897 to 1917 the Buckeyes used the building known as "Drill Hall" or "The Gymnasium" as their home court, only being asked to leave due to the outbreak of World War I. The team's overall record at the Armory was 178–104. In 1919, without a definite home, the team played some of their games atIndianola Park as well as the Coliseum and the Armory. Finally, in 1920, the team officially moved to the Ohio State Fairgrounds and played in their home games at theOhio Expo Center Coliseum. During their time at the Coliseum, the Buckeyes played in five national title games.[11]
The Buckeyes have had 14 coaches in their 110-year history.Thad Matta, who was hired in 2004, and led the Buckeyes to five NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Four appearances during the2006–07 and2011–12 seasons. The only Ohio State coach to win a national championship wasFred Taylor in1960.
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| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Jake Diebler | Head coach |
| Joel Justus | Associate head coach |
| Dave Dickerson | Assistant coach |
| Jamall Walker | Assistant coach |
| Luke Simons | Assistant coach |
| Quadrian Banks | Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning |
| David Egelhoff | Director of Basketball Operations |
| Terence Dials | Director of Professional Development |
| Nicholas Kellogg | Special Assistant to Head Coach |
| Robbie Rucki | Video Coordinator |
| Tony Laurenzi | Athletic Trainer |
| Season | Coach | Opponent | Score | Site | Overall record | Big Ten Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–60 | Fred Taylor | California | 75–55 | San Francisco, CA | 25–3 | 13–1 |
| National Championships | 1 | |||||
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Semifinals | Western Kentucky | 98–79 |
| Regional Finals | Georgia Tech | 86–69 |
| Final Four | NYU | 76–54 |
| Championship | California | 75–55 |
| 1939–Finalist | 1944–Semifinalist | 1945–Semifinalist | 1946–Semifinalist |
| 1960–Champion | 1961–Finalist | 1962–Finalist | 1968–Semifinalist |
| 1999–Semifinalist (vacated) | 2007–Finalist | 2012–Semifinalist |
TheNCAA began seeding the tournament with the1979 edition.
| Years → | '80 | '82 | '83 | '85 | '87 | '90 | '91 | '92 | '99 | '00 | '01 | '02 | '06 | '07 | '09 | '10 | '11 | '12 | '13 | '14 | '15 | '18 | '19 | '21 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds → | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 7 |
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | Wake Forest Villanova Oregon | W 64–52 W 53–36 L 33–46 |
| 1944 | Elite Eight Final Four | Temple Dartmouth | W 57–47 L 53–60 |
| 1945 | Elite Eight Final Four | Kentucky New York University | W 45–37 L 65–70 |
| 1946 | Elite Eight Final Four Regional 3rd Place Game | Harvard North Carolina California | W 46–38 L 57–60 W 63–45 |
| 1950 | Elite Eight 3rd Place Game | City College of New York Holy Cross | L 55–56 W 72–52 |
| 1960 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | Western Kentucky Georgia Tech New York University California | W 98–79 W 86–69 W 76–54 W 75–55 |
| 1961 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | Louisville Kentucky Saint Joseph's Cincinnati | W 56–55 W 87–44 W 95–69 L 65–70 |
| 1962 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | Western Kentucky Kentucky Wake Forest Cincinnati | W 93–73 W 74–64 W 84–68 L 59–71 |
| 1968 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four 3rd Place Game | East Tennessee State Kentucky North Carolina Houston | W 79–72 W 82–81 L 66–80 W 89–85 |
| 1971 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Marquette Western Kentucky | W 60–59 L 78–81 |
| 1980 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #5Arizona State #8UCLA | W 89–75 L 68–72 |
| 1982 | First Round | #8 James Madison | L 48–55 |
| 1983 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #6Syracuse #2 North Carolina | W 79–74 L 51–64 |
| 1985 | First Round Second Round | #13 Iowa State #5 Louisiana Tech | W 75–64 L 67–79 |
| 1987 | First Round Second Round | #8 Kentucky #1 Georgetown | W 91–77 L 79–82 |
| 1990 | First Round Second Round | #9 Providence #1 UNLV | W 84–83 L 65–76 |
| 1991 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Towson #8 Georgia Tech #4 St. John's | W 97–86 W 65–61 L 74–91 |
| 1992 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16 Mississippi Valley State #9 Connecticut #4 North Carolina #6 Michigan | W 83–56 W 78–55 W 80–73 L 71–75 |
| 1999 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #13 Murray State #12 Detroit #1 Auburn #3 St. John's #1 Connecticut | W 72–58 W 75–44 W 72–64 W 77–74 L 58–64 |
| 2000 | First Round Second Round | #14 Appalachian St #6 Miami, FL | W 87–61 L 62–75 |
| 2001 | First Round | #12 Utah State | L 68–77 |
| 2002 | First Round Second Round | #13 Davidson #12 Missouri | W 69–64 L 67–83 |
| 2006 | First Round Second Round | #15 Davidson #7 Georgetown | W 70–60 L 52–70 |
| 2007 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | #16 Central Connecticut State #9 Xavier #5 Tennessee #2 Memphis #2 Georgetown #1 Florida | W 78–57 W 78–71 W 85–84 W 92–76 W 67–60 L 75–84 |
| 2009 | First Round | #9 Siena | L 72–74 |
| 2010 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #15 UC Santa Barbara #10 Georgia Tech #6 Tennessee | W 68–51 W 75–66 L 73–76 |
| 2011 | Second Round Third Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Texas–San Antonio #8 George Mason #4 Kentucky | W 75–46 W 98–66 L 60–62 |
| 2012 | Second Round Third Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #15 Loyola (MD) #7 Gonzaga #6 Cincinnati #1 Syracuse #2 Kansas | W 78–59 W 73–66 W 81–76 W 77–70 L 62–64 |
| 2013 | Second Round Third Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #15 Iona #10 Iowa State #6 Arizona #9 Wichita State | W 95–70 W 78–75 W 73–70 L 66–70 |
| 2014 | Second Round | #11 Dayton | L 59–60 |
| 2015 | Second Round Third Round | #7 VCU #2 Arizona | W 75–72OT L 58–73 |
| 2018 | First Round Second Round | #12 South Dakota State #4 Gonzaga | W 81–73 L 84–90 |
| 2019 | First Round Second Round | #6 Iowa State #3 Houston | W 62–59 L 59–74 |
| 2021 | First Round | #15 Oral Roberts | L 72–75OT |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | #10 Loyola-Chicago #2 Villanova | W 54–41 L 61–71 |
The Buckeyes are two time NIT champions (1986, 2008).
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | First Round Second Round Semifinals 3rd Place Game | St. Joseph's Maryland Indiana Alabama | W 80–66 W 79–72 L 55–64 L 86–96 |
| 1984 | First Round | Xavier | L 57–60 |
| 1986 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Ohio Texas BYU Louisiana Tech Wyoming | W 65–62 W 71–65 W 79–68 W 79–66 W 73–63 |
| 1988 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Old Dominion Cleveland State New Mexico Colorado State Connecticut | W 86–73 W 86–80 W 68–65 W 64–62 L 67–72 |
| 1989 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Akron Nebraska St. John's | W 81–70 W 85–74 L 80–83 |
| 1993 | First Round | Miami (OH) | L 53–56 |
| 2003 | First Round | Georgia Tech | L 58–72 |
| 2008 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | UNC–Asheville California Dayton Ole Miss Massachusetts | W 84–66 W 73–56 W 74–63 W 81–69 W 92–85 |
| 2016 | First Round Second Round | Akron Florida | W 72–63 L 66–74 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinal | Cornell Virginia Tech Georgia | W 88–83 W 81–73 L 79–77 |
Ohio State has won 4 Big Ten tournament championships since its inception during the 1997–98 season. Ohio State won their first title in 2002 under Jim O'Brien (later vacated), while winning 4 under head coach Thad Matta. Under Matta, the Buckeyes appeared in the Big Ten tournament championship five consecutive seasons from2009 to2013.
| Season | Coach | Opponent | Score | Site | Overall record | Big Ten record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Thad Matta | Wisconsin | 66–49 | Chicago, IL | 35–4 | 15–1 |
| 2009–10 | Thad Matta | Minnesota | 90–61 | Indianapolis, IN | 29–8 | 14–4 |
| 2010–11 | Thad Matta | Penn State | 71–60 | Indianapolis, IN | 34–3 | 16–2 |
| 2012–13 | Thad Matta | Wisconsin | 50–43 | Chicago, IL | 26–7 | 13–5 |
| Big Ten tournament championships | 4 | |||||
| Season | Coach | Overall record | Big Ten record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1924–25 | Harold Olsen | 14–2 | 11–1 |
| 1932–33 | Harold Olsen | 17–3 | 10–2 |
| 1938–39 | Harold Olsen | 16–7 | 9–2 |
| 1943–44 | Harold Olsen | 15–6 | 10–2 |
| 1945–46 | Harold Olsen | 16–5 | 10–2 |
| 1949–50 | Tippy Dye | 22–4 | 12–1 |
| 1959–60 | Fred Taylor | 25–3 | 13–1 |
| 1960–61 | Fred Taylor | 27–1 | 14–0 |
| 1961–62 | Fred Taylor | 26–2 | 13–1 |
| 1962–63 | Fred Taylor | 20–4 | 11–3 |
| 1963–64 | Fred Taylor | 16–8 | 11–3 |
| 1967–68 | Fred Taylor | 21–8 | 10–4 |
| 1970–71 | Fred Taylor | 20–6 | 13–1 |
| 1990–91 | Randy Ayers | 27–4 | 15–3 |
| 1991–92 | Randy Ayers | 26–6 | 15–3 |
| 2005–06 | Thad Matta | 26–6 | 12–4 |
| 2006–07 | Thad Matta | 35–4 | 15–1 |
| 2009–10 | Thad Matta | 29–8 | 14–4 |
| 2010–11 | Thad Matta | 34–3 | 16–2 |
| 2011–12 | Thad Matta | 31–8 | 13–5 |
| Big Ten regular season championships | 20 | ||
The Ohio State Buckeyes lead the all-time series vs. seven Big Ten opponents. Two of the all-time series are within three games. These records do not include vacated games (e.g. Purdue does count all their games played against Ohio State and tie the series 94–94 according to their records. Iowa counts all games played against OSU and lead the series 85–84 according to their records).[13][14]
| Opponent | Wins | Losses | Pct. | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 76 | 109 | .417 | ILL 3 |
| Indiana | 84 | 112 | .439 | IU 5 |
| Iowa | 80 | 83 | .490 | Iowa 1 |
| Michigan | 101 | 77 | .573 | Mich 1 |
| Michigan State | 62 | 79 | .434 | MSU 2 |
| Minnesota | 91 | 63 | .595 | Minn 2 |
| Nebraska | 21 | 8 | .826 | OSU 1 |
| Northwestern | 122 | 51 | .716 | NW 3 |
| Penn State | 41 | 20 | .679 | OSU 1 |
| Purdue | 88 | 94 | .48 | OSU 2 |
| Wisconsin | 91 | 78 | .549 | WIS 3 |
| Maryland | 11 | 12 | .471 | OSU 1 |
| Rutgers | 15 | 5 | .769 | OSU 3 |
| Oregon | 2 | 2 | .500 | Oregon 1 |
| Washington | 4 | 3 | .550 | OSU 2 |
| UCLA | 4 | 7 | .400 | UCLA 2 |
| USC | 4 | 3 | .555 | OSU 2 |
*National Player of the Year
| Harold "Cookie" Cunningham (1925) | Johnny Miner (1925) | Adam Bales (1926) | Bill Hunt (1927) | Wes Fesler (1931) |
| Bill Hosket Sr. (1933) | Tippy Dye (1936, 1937) | Bob Lynch (1939) | Jimmy Hull (1939) | |
| Dick Fisher (1941) | Arnold "Smokes" Risen (1944) | Don Grate (1944, 1945) | Jack Underman (1946) | Paul Huston (1946) |
| Dick Schnittker (1949, 1950) | Bob Donham (1950) | Paul Ebert (1952, 1953, 1954) | Robin Freeman (1955, 1956) | Frank Howard (1957, 1958) |
| Jerry Lucas (1960, 1961, 1962) | Larry Siegfried (1961) | John Havlicek (1961, 1962) | Gary Bradds (1963, 1964) | Bill Hosket Jr. (1967, 1968) |
| Dave Sorenson (1969, 1970) | Jim Cleamons (1971) | Luke Witte (1971) | Allan Hornyak (1971, 1972, 1973) | Kelvin Ransey (1978, 1979, 1980) |
| Herb Williams (1980) | Clark Kellogg (1982) | Tony Campbell (1983, 1984) | Brad Sellers (1986) | Dennis Hopson (1987) |
| Jay Burson (1989) | Jim Jackson (1991, 1992) | Scoonie Penn (1999, 2000) | Michael Redd (2000) | Ken Johnson (2001) |
| Terence Dials (2006) | Mike Conley Jr. (2007) | Greg Oden (2007) | Evan Turner (2009, 2010) | |
| Jared Sullinger (2011, 2012) | Deshaun Thomas (2013) | D'Angelo Russell (2015) | Keita Bates-Diop (2018) | E.J. Liddell (2021, 2022) |
All award data taken from[15]
| Name | Position | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Bradds | F | 1961–64 | 1964 AP Player of the Year 1964 UPI College Player of the Year 1964 Adolph Rupp Trophy Winner 1962-63 Consensus Second Team All-American 1963-64 Consensus First Team All-American 2x Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball (Big Ten MVP) (1963–64) ABA Champion (1969) 1963 Pan American Games Men's Basketball Gold Medalist |
| Wes Fesler | G | 1928–31 | 1930-31 Consensus First Team All-American |
| Robin Freeman | G | 1953-56 | 1954-55 Consensus Second Team All-American 1955-56 Consensus First Team All-American 1956 Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball |
| Jimmy Hull | F | 1938–39 | 1938-39 Consensus First Team All-American 1939 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player |
| Jim Jackson | G | 1989–92 | 1992 UPI College Player of the Year 2× Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (1991–1992) 2× Consensus First Team All-American (1991–1992) 1991 Pan American Games Men's Basketball Bronze Medalist |
| Jerry Lucas | C | 1959–62 | 2× AP Player of the Year (1961–1962) 2× NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1960–1961) 3× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1960–1962) NCAA Champion (1960) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team NBA Champion (1973) 7× NBA All-Star (1964–1969, 1971) NBA All-Star Game MVP (1965) 3× All-NBA First Team (1965–1966, 1968) 2× All-NBA Second Team (1964, 1967) NBA Rookie of the Year (1964) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1964) |
| John Havlicek | F | 1959-62 | Consensus NCAA All-America Second Team (1962) AP Third-Team All-American (1962) NCAA Champion (1960) 8x NBA Champion (1963–1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976) NBA Finals MVP (1974) 13x NBA All-Star (1966–1978) 4x All-NBA First Team (1971–1974) 7× All-NBA Second Team (1964, 1966, 1968–1970, 1975, 1976) |
| Dick Schnittker | F | 1948–50 | 1950 Consensus First Team All-American 2x NBA Champion (1953, 1954) |
| Evan Turner | F | 2007–10 | Consensus First Team All-American (2010) 2010 National Player of the Year (AP, NABC, Naismith, Robertson, Wooden) Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (2010) Big Ten tournament MVP (2010) |
Ohio State has retired five jersey numbers.
| Ohio State Buckeyes retired numbers | |||||
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | John Havlicek | F | 1959–62 | [16] | |
| 11 | Jerry Lucas | C | 1959–62 | [16] | |
| 21 | Evan Turner | G/F | 2007–10 | [16] | |
| 22 | Jim Jackson | G | 1989–92 | [16] | |
| 35 | Gary Bradds | C | 1961–64 | [16] | |
Two longtime head coaches have been honored with banners which hang alongside the retired numbers:
| Honored Coaches | ||||||
| Coach | Years | Record | Conf. Titles | Tourney Apps. | Final Four Apps. | National Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Taylor | 1959–1976 | 297–158 (.653) | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Thad Matta | 2004–2017 | 337–123 (.733) | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
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