Fansided

College basketball blue bloods ranked by all-time legacy

By Mike Phillips

Michael Jordan is all smiles along with coach Dean Smith as Jordan announces at a 1984 press conference that he will forgo his senior year in college to play professional basketball. (Raleigh News & Observer/TNS via Getty Images)
Michael Jordan is all smiles along with coach Dean Smith as Jordan announces at a 1984 press conference that he will forgo his senior year in college to play professional basketball. (Raleigh News & Observer/TNS via Getty Images) /
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March 15, 2014: Ohio State Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft (4) battles in action during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game between the Michigan Wolverines vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty Images)
March 15, 2014: Ohio State Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft (4) battles in action during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game between the Michigan Wolverines vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty Images) /

14. Ohio State

  • Record: 1,768-1,118 (.613 Winning Percentage)
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances: 33
  • Final Fours: 11 (1939, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1999, 2007, 2012)
  • National Titles: One (1960)
  • Notable Alums: John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas, Jim Jackson

We hit our next Big Ten school with Ohio State, which was an early basketball powerhouse. Even though the Buckeyes have been known for their football prowess, the Ohio State basketball program is quite accomplished.

The Buckeyes have been to 11 Final Fours in their history, and they had dominant stretches in the 1940s and 1960s. Ohio State’s lone national championship came back in 1960, but they lost in the title game to Cincinnati in both 1961 and 1962.

The program wasn’t as successful in the 1970s and 1980s, but things began to turn around in the mid-2000s when Thad Matta took over as head coach. Ohio State quickly built a Big Ten powerhouse, riding Greg Oden and Mike Conley all the way to the national championship game in 2007, where they lost to the Florida Gators, who were returning the entire lineup of their previous title winner.

The Buckeyes made more deep runs under Matta, but he was let go after the 2017 season due to declines in performance and recruiting as well as concerns over Matta’s health. Chris Holtmann succeeded Matta as the head man and has taken the Buckeyes to back-to-back tournament appearances.

Many have felt that the Buckeyes have overachieved under Holtmann so their chances of claiming another title with better players may be on the rise.