1968 Buckeye Basketball

[osugrad21]

Good read...

CPD

1968: When Cinderella was really a Buckeye


Wednesday, March 12, 200oug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Forty years ago today, a blizzard blew through West Lafayette, Ind., layering a blanket of white on an Ohio State basketball team that had been buried once already.
On March 12, 1968, the Buckeyes and Iowa met in a one-game playoff for the Big Ten title and the league's one - and only - bid to the 23-team NCAA Tournament. On the neutral court of months-old Purdue Arena, to be christened Mackey Arena years later; before a crowd of 4,816 mostly curious Purdue fans limited by the snow and paying $1 and $3 a ticket, the Buckeyes started a Final Four run that never should have been.
"We thought our season was over," recalled point guard Denny Meadors. "We got a second life."

On March 4, Ohio State beat Illinois in what the players thought was their final game of the season.


Cont...

 

[Steve19]

Well, who knows? Nobody thought the 1968 team had a prayer of making it to the Final Four. Maybe our young Bucks can make it to the NCAA?

That was really a notable year. Bill Hosket was the third big man at Ohio State to get national attention, following Bradds and Lucas. Meaders was a good guard and Dave Sorenson was another standout on the team, as I remember them.

The showdown between the legendary Adolph Rupp and Fred Taylor in Lexington was a barn burner. A one-point win in a game in which I remember us being homered repeatedly by the refs. Personally, I think that game was one of Taylor's finest wins.

 

[BB73]

Good article, but it needs one correction. The 1968 team was tOSU's 8th Final Four.

1939
1944
1945
1946
1960 - NCAA Champions
1961
1962
1968
[strike] 1999 [/strike]
2007

 

[ScriptOhio]

1968: When Cinderella was really a Buckeye

Great article. I remember watching the NCAA Regional final game on TV that year. Ohio State stunned #5 Kentucky (on their home floor) 82-81 on a shot by Dave Sorenson (after an in bound pass pretty close to the basket) with only 3 seconds to go.

Dave Sorenson

Courtesy of The Ohio State University
Ohio State's most improbable run to the NCAA Final Four came in 1968, when the Buckeyes squeaked into the tournament in a Big Ten title playoff and eventually won the consolation game against Houston for third place.


:osu:

Edit: Come to think of it the 1968 Ohio State football team had a Cinderella season too.

 

[LitlBuck]

1968: When Cinderella was really a Buckeye

Great article. I remember watching the NCAA Regional final game on TV that year. Ohio State stunned #5 Kentucky (on their home floor) 82-81 on a shot by Dave Sorenson (after an in bound pass pretty close to the basket) with only 3 seconds to go.

Dave Sorenson

Edit: Come to think of it the 1968 Ohio State football team had a Cinderella season too.

Good memory. As I recall the jump shot it was a 10' from the left side of the basket after the inbounds pass. Read recently that Sorensen passed away. Had not known that:(