Kosta Koufos, a 7-foot center, became the fourth Ohio State freshman to be selected in the opening round of the annual National Basketball Association Draft in the last two seasons when the Utah Jazz selected the Canton, Ohio, native with the 23rd pick Thursday.

The 2008 NBA Draft was held at Madison Square Garden in New York, site of Koufos’ last collegiate game as a Buckeye. He earned MVP honors in helping Ohio State win the 2008 National Invitation Tournament with a 92-85 win over Massachusetts April 3.

Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook, all freshmen from Ohio State’s 2007 NCAA runner up squad, were taken in the opening round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

Portland, with the first overall pick in 2007, selected Oden. He was the first Buckeye selected with the opening pick. Conley went to the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 4 pick and Cook was selected by Philadelphia with the 21st pick of the opening round.

Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, said Koufos was focused on this day.

“Kosta Koufos meant a great deal to our program,” Matta said. “We are excited for him because he had a goal to play at the next level and he’ll now have a chance to do so.”

Since 1947, 45 Ohio State basketball players have been drafted by NBA teams, including 20 first round selections.

Koufos joins Oden, Conley, Cook and Michael Redd, now in his ninth year with the Milwaukee Bucks, as former Buckeyes currently active in the NBA. Redd recently was selected to represent the United States on the men’s senior national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics later this summer.

“We tell our guys to take advantage of the opportunities and resources available in college to reach their goals,” Matta said. “Over the last two years we’ve had four freshmen realize their dreams by being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. I am proud of the players who have gone on to the next level and look forward to watching them compete for many years to come.”

Koufos topped Ohio State in rebounding (6.7 ppg.) and blocks (67) in 2007-08. He was second in scoring with 14.4 points a game.

Ohio State made its eighth appearance in the postseason NIT and won its second championship after a five-game win streak to end the season. The Buckeyes finished 24-13 overall, the fourth-consecutive season with 20 or more wins and Matta’s eighth-consecutive year with 20-plus wins as a head coach.

Ohio State’s NBA First Round Draft History Year Player At OSU NBA Team Round (pick)
1947 Jack Underman 1946-47 St. Louis 1 (7)
1947 Paul Huston 1945-47 Chicago 1 (8)
1950 Dick Schnittker 1948-50 Washington Capitols 1 (5)
1961 Larry Siegfried 1959-61 Boston Celtics 1 (3)
1962 Jerry Lucas 1960-62 Cincinnati Royals 1 (6)
1962 John Havlicek 1960-62 Boston Celtics 1 (9)
1964 Gary Bradds 1962-64 Baltimore Bullets 1 (3)
1968 Bill Hosket 1966-68 New York Knicks 1 (10)
1971 Jim Cleamons 1969-71 Los Angeles 1 (13)
1980 Kelvin Ransey 1977-80 Chicago Bulls 1 (4)
1981 Herb Williams 1978-81 Indiana Pacers 1 (14)
1982 Clark Kellogg 1980-82 Indiana Pacers 1 (8)
1984 Tony Campbell 1981-84 Detroit Pistons 1 (20)
1986 Brad Sellers 1985-86 Chicago Bulls 1 (9)
1987 Dennis Hopson 1984-87 New Jersey Nets 1 (3)
1992 Jim Jackson 1990-92 Atlanta Hawks 1 (4)
2007 Greg Oden 2007 Portland Trailblazers 1 (1)
2007 Mike Conley Jr. 2007 Memphis Grizzlies 1 (4)
2007 Daequan Cook 2007 Philadelphia 76ers 1 (21)
2008 Kosta Koufos 2008 Utah Jazz 1 (23)

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