Buckeye Blogger Network
Gone is the month of March and all the greatness on the hardwood we look forward to all year long. As basketball fans, we strive for one more shining moment. We wait anxiously as football takes center stage until old man winter strikes again. Here at tBBC, we are reliving March Madness this morning as we bring you the semi finals of the All-Time Tourney. Pitted against each other today are two of the best overall teams in Ohio State history. Today, we feature the only Ohio State championship squad against a 2011 squad that many believe had all the tools to win a second championship in school history.
When members of this 2011 squad met the 1960 team during their 50th Anniversary reunion in 2010, they took something from it. But what if they could learn first hand from one of the most impressive teams in college basketball history? How would the likes of Jared Sullinger, Jon Diebler and David Lighty stack up with Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, and Mel Nowell? Today, we breakdown a dream match-up of two very good teams. With only one moving on to the Finals to take on the winner of the 1992/2007 semi-final winner. Here’s WVaBuckeye and my breakdown of tBBC Semi-final #1.
Make sure you vote for who you believe would win this match-up on the top left hand corner of the web page.
The 1960 National Champions are a one of a kind team. They are the only team in Ohio State history to win a national title and then played for two more. They possessed three players that would become All-Americans and first round draft picks to the NBA. All five starters played in the NBA and don’t forget that the team also produced one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history in Bob Knight. They face a 1987 squad led by Dennis Hopson who is the all-time leading scorer both in a career and single season. The Hopson led squad enjoyed good success in a season dominated by Coaches Knight and Thompson and just about pulled off the biggest upset ever against Thompson’s Hoyas in the NCAA tourney. This match-up would be interesting in many ways but the best is the two most prolific scorers in the history of the program getting a chance to go against each other.
What are to follow will be several comparisons of each team’s makeup. We will be including our opinions of each comparison with who has the advantage and at the end will be guest appearances. We hope you enjoy our tournament as we look forward to the outcome!
The tBBC All-Time Tourney is back with another barn-burner as the number 4 seeded improbable 1968 Buckeyes take on the unforgettable 2011 squad. JoeD and WVaBuckeye break down today’s match-up.
Ohio State’s true Cinderella — the 1967-68 Buckeyes got second life at the very end of the season thanks to some help from our friends up north. In early March, players had turned their uniforms in. They thought they had played their last game against Illinois. They still practiced, but without any expectations of playing again.
All Iowa needed to do in securing the only spot for the Big Ten in the 23 team post-season tournament was beat a Michigan team that was 5-8 in the conference. After jumping out to a 22-8 lead, Michigan was able to hold on by one to force a one game playoff between the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes at the brand new Mackey Arena in boilermaker country.
Fred Taylor was so thankful for the Wolverines’ effort, that he sent soon to be fired Michigan coach Dave Strack a varsity O blanket to keep warm over the spring.
The Buckeyes would go on to beat the Hawkeyes and entered the tournament as a member of the Mideast regional in Lexington Kentucky. After a win over East Tennessee State, the Buckeyes would meet the heavily favored home Kentucky Wildcats and survive by one point. Wildcat Head Coach Adolph Rupp was so upset after the game, he refused to make an appearance at the post-game press conference. That’s when Guard Bruce Schnabel came up with a poem that rings wonderment in Ohio State fan’s ears.
“Some say we were good, some say we were lucky, all I know is we’re in L.A. and Rupp is still in Kentucky.”
