jcollingsworth
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Making The List: 3-Time Appearance to the Show… For Starters
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Well there will be no football entry for Making The List this week.
I know! I know! I said I would stay with football while it was football season. Believe me too, as you know, there are certainly a multifold of names from the gridiron remaining who could easily be participants for Making The List.
But, if you recall, I said it would remain with football during football season unless I had an epiphany, or the sorts!
Well this is exactly what has happened.
The Buckeyes 117th season in basketball begins on Nov. 8th (If you want to count when the first team dressed for action in 1898). So even though football season is in full swing with unlimited drama added as Buckeye Nation awaits the season’s outcome to see if The Ohio State University heads back to the College Football Playoffs, we shall dance off the field and onto the court, as basketball is more than deserving of recognition as its season begins.
Just as in the process that began with football the question immediately upfront was how in the world could the choice be a player (student) over the Coach (Teacher)? Thus was born the most logical decision for football’s first entry into Making The List – The Great Woody Hayes.
The same principles must be equally applied for Basketball.
So the Buckeye most deserving of being the first basketball mention in Making The List is Fred Taylor.
Coach Taylor’s story began in 1924 in Zanesville, Ohio. The journey of life than would take him for a jaunt in The U.S. Air Force from 1943-46. Once discharged honorably from the Service he enrolled as a student in The Ohio State University. He went out for the basketball team even though he had zero experience from his High School days. He soon flourished as an exceptional player – becoming a starting forward on the 1950 Big 10 Championship team.
Coach Taylor was also a professional baseball player for a spell – landing with the Washington Senators organization beginning in 1950. It was there he worked his way up to the Majors. Eventually he would bounce around in baseball’s minor league system until he finally surrendered the hope of returning to the Majors in 1953 – giving it up forever.
In 1958 Taylor returned to The Ohio State University as an Assistant Coach. He would become their head coach the following year – 1959. In just his second year as Head Coach in the 1959-60 Season – the Buckeyes would be the NCAA Champions. The next two seasons 1960-61 & 1961-62 the Buckeyes would be NCAA Runner-ups. In his tenth year as Head Coach OSU would make the Final Four. In 1970-71 they would reach the Elite 8.
Taylor’s squads won or shared seven Big 10 Championships. He would be elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.
Coach Taylor’s overall record with The Ohio State University is 297-158. He would hold that distinction – as the Coach with most wins at OSU for 38 years until Thad Matta surpassed it last season (w/ a 299-94 overall record).
Such players under his learning were: Jerry Lucas, John Havlieck, Jim Cleamons, Bill Hosket, Jr., and Jerry Siegfried. And, oh yes, there was this guy named Bobby Knight too.
The Ohio State University is basketball too. This is because of a man named Fred Taylor. He single handedly brought immediate success to a program that was rather nonexistent at a Football School.
So, just as Woody was Football’s first mention for Making The List Fred Taylor will be the First mention for basketball. Because, well … how could it be anyone else?
The post Making The List: 3-Time Appearance to the Show… For Starters appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Well there will be no football entry for Making The List this week.
I know! I know! I said I would stay with football while it was football season. Believe me too, as you know, there are certainly a multifold of names from the gridiron remaining who could easily be participants for Making The List.
But, if you recall, I said it would remain with football during football season unless I had an epiphany, or the sorts!
Well this is exactly what has happened.
The Buckeyes 117th season in basketball begins on Nov. 8th (If you want to count when the first team dressed for action in 1898). So even though football season is in full swing with unlimited drama added as Buckeye Nation awaits the season’s outcome to see if The Ohio State University heads back to the College Football Playoffs, we shall dance off the field and onto the court, as basketball is more than deserving of recognition as its season begins.
Just as in the process that began with football the question immediately upfront was how in the world could the choice be a player (student) over the Coach (Teacher)? Thus was born the most logical decision for football’s first entry into Making The List – The Great Woody Hayes.
The same principles must be equally applied for Basketball.
So the Buckeye most deserving of being the first basketball mention in Making The List is Fred Taylor.
Coach Taylor’s story began in 1924 in Zanesville, Ohio. The journey of life than would take him for a jaunt in The U.S. Air Force from 1943-46. Once discharged honorably from the Service he enrolled as a student in The Ohio State University. He went out for the basketball team even though he had zero experience from his High School days. He soon flourished as an exceptional player – becoming a starting forward on the 1950 Big 10 Championship team.
Coach Taylor was also a professional baseball player for a spell – landing with the Washington Senators organization beginning in 1950. It was there he worked his way up to the Majors. Eventually he would bounce around in baseball’s minor league system until he finally surrendered the hope of returning to the Majors in 1953 – giving it up forever.
In 1958 Taylor returned to The Ohio State University as an Assistant Coach. He would become their head coach the following year – 1959. In just his second year as Head Coach in the 1959-60 Season – the Buckeyes would be the NCAA Champions. The next two seasons 1960-61 & 1961-62 the Buckeyes would be NCAA Runner-ups. In his tenth year as Head Coach OSU would make the Final Four. In 1970-71 they would reach the Elite 8.
Taylor’s squads won or shared seven Big 10 Championships. He would be elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.
Coach Taylor’s overall record with The Ohio State University is 297-158. He would hold that distinction – as the Coach with most wins at OSU for 38 years until Thad Matta surpassed it last season (w/ a 299-94 overall record).
Such players under his learning were: Jerry Lucas, John Havlieck, Jim Cleamons, Bill Hosket, Jr., and Jerry Siegfried. And, oh yes, there was this guy named Bobby Knight too.
The Ohio State University is basketball too. This is because of a man named Fred Taylor. He single handedly brought immediate success to a program that was rather nonexistent at a Football School.
So, just as Woody was Football’s first mention for Making The List Fred Taylor will be the First mention for basketball. Because, well … how could it be anyone else?
The post Making The List: 3-Time Appearance to the Show… For Starters appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...