When Ohio State made it to the Final Four
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
- 8 Replies
Just sayin': In case you would like to remember and/or just read about the times Ohio State did make the Final Four.
Ohio State has made 10-11official appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, with the 1999 trip vacated due to NCAA sanctions. Their most recent appearance was in 2012, with a storied history including three straight trips from 1960–62 and 1944–46, and a national title in 1960.
Ohio State Final Four Appearances:
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It was considered quite the accomplishment to even make the NCAA Tournament field this year after Chris Holtmann's squad went 18-13 during the regular season but deep tournament runs aren't as scarce in program history as one might think.
Yes, Ohio State owns just one national title, coming way back in 1960, but the school boasts 11 Final Four appearances which is good for sixth-most in NCAA history.
For perspective, that's three more than both Indiana and Michigan and one more than Michigan State. (I'm, of course, counting the vacated 1999 Final Four but it happened, I saw it.)
With the 2019 Final Four set to tip-off this Saturday, here's a look at Ohio State's 11 trips in school history.
Only eight teams were invited to participate, while the NIT hosted its own six-team field, and the Buckeyes did work beating Wake Forest and Villanova over a two-day stretch in Philadelphia to reach the title game.
In Evanston, Illinois nine days later, Ohio State fell 46-33 to the Oregon Webfoots in the title tilt as Jimmy Hull became the only Buckeye not named Jerry Lucas to win the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Interestingly, both came in losing efforts.
Harold Olsen's squad (who is a hoops legend you should read about) went 16-7 on the season and 10-2 in Big Ten play to earn a bid in the Big Waltz or whatever they called it back then.
Two-time All-American Dick Grate paced the '44 and '45 squads to Final Four trips leading both to 10-2 records in conference play.
With the field still just at eight teams, Ohio State beat Temple in Madison Square Garden to reach the 1944 Final Four but fell to Dartmouth, 60-53, the following day. The next season, Grate led the Buckeyes to a win over Kentucky vaulting them into the Final Four but two days later they would fall to New York University, again in Madison Square Garden, in a 70-65 overtime heartbreaker.
In 1946, Ohio State again made the eight-team field and won the first game, a 46-38 decision over Harvard, before again losing its Final Four match up in overtime, this time against North Carolina. The Buckeyes did go on to beat Cal in the third-place game.
Olsen hung up his whistle after the '46 season and his 259 career wins at Ohio State rank third on the school's all-time list behind Thad Matta (337) and Fred Taylor (297).
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Ohio State has made 10-11official appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, with the 1999 trip vacated due to NCAA sanctions. Their most recent appearance was in 2012, with a storied history including three straight trips from 1960–62 and 1944–46, and a national title in 1960.
Ohio State Final Four Appearances:
- 1939: Lost in the Championship game to Oregon.
- 1944: Lost in the Semifinals to Dartmouth.
- 1945: Lost in the Semifinals to NYU.
- 1946: Lost in the Semifinals to UNC.
- 1960: Won National Championship vs. California (Coach Fred Taylor).
- 1961: Lost in the Championship game to Cincinnati.
- 1962: Lost in the Championship game to Cincinnati.
- 1968: Lost in the Semifinals.
- 1999: Vacated (Originally reached Semifinals under Coach Jim O'Brien).
- 2007: Lost in the Championship game to Florida (Coach Thad Matta).
- 2012: Lost in the Semifinals to Kansas (Coach Thad Matta).
The Buckeyes have four National Runner-up finishes (1939, 1961, 1962, 2007) in addition to their 1960 championship title
Looking Back at Ohio State Basketball's 11 Trips to the Final Four
Just making the Dance was a success for Chris Holtmann's squad this year but here's a look at the 11 Buckeye squads in school history to reach the Final Four.
Looking Back at Ohio State Basketball's 11 Trips to the Final Four
It was considered quite the accomplishment to even make the NCAA Tournament field this year after Chris Holtmann's squad went 18-13 during the regular season but deep tournament runs aren't as scarce in program history as one might think.
Yes, Ohio State owns just one national title, coming way back in 1960, but the school boasts 11 Final Four appearances which is good for sixth-most in NCAA history.
For perspective, that's three more than both Indiana and Michigan and one more than Michigan State. (I'm, of course, counting the vacated 1999 Final Four but it happened, I saw it.)
With the 2019 Final Four set to tip-off this Saturday, here's a look at Ohio State's 11 trips in school history.
THE FIRST EVER...
Ohio State's first Final Four came in 1939 which also served as the first ever version of the NCAA Tournament.Only eight teams were invited to participate, while the NIT hosted its own six-team field, and the Buckeyes did work beating Wake Forest and Villanova over a two-day stretch in Philadelphia to reach the title game.
In Evanston, Illinois nine days later, Ohio State fell 46-33 to the Oregon Webfoots in the title tilt as Jimmy Hull became the only Buckeye not named Jerry Lucas to win the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Interestingly, both came in losing efforts.
Harold Olsen's squad (who is a hoops legend you should read about) went 16-7 on the season and 10-2 in Big Ten play to earn a bid in the Big Waltz or whatever they called it back then.
THREE IN A ROW
With coach Olsen still at the controls, Ohio State made it to three-straight Final Fours from 1944 through 1946.Two-time All-American Dick Grate paced the '44 and '45 squads to Final Four trips leading both to 10-2 records in conference play.
With the field still just at eight teams, Ohio State beat Temple in Madison Square Garden to reach the 1944 Final Four but fell to Dartmouth, 60-53, the following day. The next season, Grate led the Buckeyes to a win over Kentucky vaulting them into the Final Four but two days later they would fall to New York University, again in Madison Square Garden, in a 70-65 overtime heartbreaker.
In 1946, Ohio State again made the eight-team field and won the first game, a 46-38 decision over Harvard, before again losing its Final Four match up in overtime, this time against North Carolina. The Buckeyes did go on to beat Cal in the third-place game.
Olsen hung up his whistle after the '46 season and his 259 career wins at Ohio State rank third on the school's all-time list behind Thad Matta (337) and Fred Taylor (297).
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