This week’s trivia question is sponsored by: ClearSaleing

Contact Us if you have an idea for a poll or trivia question.

The answer to last week’s trivia question: How many Big Ten Championships did Woody Hayes win? ; 13

Popularity: 5% [?]

Four former Ohio State men’s lacrosse players are on Major League Lacrosse rosters for the 2008 season. A trio of Buckeyes – Kevin Buchanan, Greg Bice and Anthony Kelly - play for the Los Angeles Riptide, while Shaun Lyons is a member of the Philadelphia Barrage.

Following his senior season this year, Buchanan was drafted by the Riptide fifth overall, the highest MLL draft pick in Buckeye history. The 2008 Great Western Lacrosse League Player of the Year and a second-team All-American, Buchanan has played in four games for the Riptide, scoring three goals and adding three assists for six points. He has five groundballs and 20 shots.

Kelly, a Buckeye from 2000-03, is in his third year with Los Angeles. He has seen action in all six games and has won 93-of-191 faceoffs (48.7 percent). He has 28 groundballs and has chipped in two goals.

Bice, a Buckeye from 2001-04, the 2004 GWLL Co-Player of the Year and a two-time All-American (second team 2004, honorable mention 2003), was named to the 2007 MLL Western Conference All-Star team. He has played for the Riptide in all six games this season and has 12 groundballs, along with one goal and four shots. He is in his third year with the Riptide and spent 2004 and ’05 on the Philadelphia roster, seeing action in just one game.

Lyons, a Buckeye from 2001-04 and an honorable mention All-American as a senior, is in his third season in the MLL. He has played in three games for the Barrage this year and has six shots. He played two games for Long Island in 2004 and saw action in three games for Philadelphia in 2007. He began 2008 with Long Island before joining the Barrage.

Popularity: 5% [?]

This week’s trivia question is sponsored by: ClearSaleing

Contact Us if you have an idea for a poll or trivia question.

The answer to last week’s trivia question: What was the score of the 1969 Rose Bowl game when Ohio State beat No.1 USC Heiman Trophy Winner O.J. Simpson and won the National Championship? ; Ohio State 27, University of Southern California 16

Popularity: 8% [?]

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)

Popularity: 9% [?]

John Havlicek, a former Oho State basketball great, headlined an event at the TD Banknorth Garden Tuesday in Boston.

Havlicek was honored at the Tradition ceremony, the New England Sports Museum’s seventh annual Hall of Fame event.

Havlicek, the Hall of Fame guard-forward with the Celtics, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions on and off the court. The award was presented by legendary college coach Bobby Knight. Knight and Havlicek played college basketball together at Ohio State from 1960-62.

The Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA National Championship game each year Havlicek lettered with the Buckeyes. Ohio State won the NCAA title in 1960, Havlicek’s sophomore season, and then fell to Cincinnati each of the next two years. In three seasons playing for the legendary Fred Taylor, Havlicek led Ohio State to a record of 78-6.

He was a two time All-Big Ten selection and a first team All-American as a senior.

Havlicek’s No. 5 jersey is retired at Ohio State, one of just four Buckeye basketball players to be so honored.

Popularity: 9% [?]

More than 30 former Ohio State women’s basketball players, coaches and staff members from the 1980-85 era came together the weekend of June 14 in Columbus, reuniting some Buckeye greats who have been away for more than 20 years. The event was organized by former players Theresa Busch-Wiper (’82-85) and Kristin Watt (’82-85).

Among those in attendance was former coach and current Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer, who recorded a 110-37 (.748) record for the Buckeyes from 1980-85. Also taking part in the reunion festivities was Phyllis Bailey, the first women’s coach at Ohio State. In addition to coaching, Bailey also served as an instructor, advisor, coordinator of intramurals and recreation and the coordinator of women’s sports programs in the physical education department. She finished her career with 20 years of service as an assistant athletics director.

One of the highlights was Saturday morning’s “open gym” at St. John Arena, where the former Buckeyes spent about an hour and a half taking photos and playing pick-up games while reminiscing and sharing plenty of laughs.

The weekend included a Friday night gathering at the Varsity Club on Lane Avenue, a Saturday morning tour of the Ohio State campus and its new facilities, pick-up games at St. John Arena, a tour of Value City Arena, dinner at Plank’s Café in German Village and a Sunday cookout.

While just about everyone enjoyed playing again in historic St. John Arena, most of the former players said they were most impressed with the new facilities in and around the OSU campus.

Buckeye teams from the era combined for four Big Ten championships and three NCAA tournament appearances. The 1984-85 squad was one of the best in program history, finishing 28-3 overall, 18-0 in the Big Ten and came within one win from advancing to the Women’s Final Four.

Popularity: 9% [?]

This week’s trivia question is sponsored by: ClearSaleing

Contact Us if you have an idea for a poll or trivia question.

The answer to last week’s trivia question: Who is the only kicker to win the team MVP Award? ; Mike Nugent, 2004

Popularity: 12% [?]

Led by second-round selection Zac Dalpe, three incoming Ohio State men’s hockey players were drafted in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft Saturday in Ottawa, Ontario. The Carolina Hurricanes drafted Dalpe, a forward from Paris, Ontario, with the 45th pick, making him the second second-round selection in Buckeye history. Forward Taylor Stefishen was chosen by Nashville in the fifth round (No. 136) and defenseman Matt Bartkowski was selected by Florida in the seventh round (No. 190). The trio all signed NCAA National Letters of Intent with Ohio State in November 2007.

In one of many trades during the first round Friday night, former Buckeye All-American R.J. Umberger was traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Jackets’ 19th and 67th picks in the 2008 draft. Umberger, the 2001 Central Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year, was a three-year letterwinnner for the Buckeyes (2001-03) and was the fifth Buckeye to earn All-America honors when he was named to the second team in 2003, when he also was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist. He is the highest NHL draft pick in Ohio State history, as he was selected in the first round, 16th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in 2001. Umberger has played for the Flyers in the NHL the last four years and has seen action in 228 regular-season games, posting 49 goals and 67 assists for 116 points. He had a career-best 37 assists and 50 points last season and during the Flyers’ run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Umberger had 10 goals and 15 points in 17 games.

Dalpe, 6-foot and 170-pounds, is the second player with Buckeye ties to be drafted in the second round, joining Tom Fritsche (2005-08), who was drafted 47th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2005. A member of the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Dalpe tied for fifth among league rookies with 63 points (27g, 36a) in 46 games during the regular season. He helped lead the Vees to the BCHL Championship and had 17 points in 15 playoff games. He scored a hat trick as Canada West won the gold medal at the 2007 World Junior “A” Challenge.

Stefishen, a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, is a 5-11, 170-pound left wing. He spent 2007-08 with the Langley Chiefs in the BCHL, tallying 81 points, on 33 goals and 48 assists, in 57 games. He also played for the Chiefs in 2006-07, posting 56 points, including 25 goals and 31 assists, in 59 games.

Bartkowski, a 6-1, 203-pound left-shot defenseman from Pittsburgh, Pa., played for the Lincoln Stars in the USHL in 2007-08. In his second year with the team, he had 41 points, including a team-best 37 assists, in 60 regular-season games to rank fourth on his team in scoring.

The trio selected Saturday join four current Buckeye NHL draft picks - goalie Joseph Palmer (Chicago 2006), sophomore defenseman Shane Sims (New York Islanders 2006) and sophomore forwards John Albert (Atlanta 2007) and C.J. Severyn (Calgary 2007).

Popularity: 11% [?]

Junior swimmer Niksa Roki has made the Croatian Olympic swimming team. The Zagreb, Croatia native swam a personal best time of 4:25.40 in the 400 individual medley at a meet in Zagreb Saturday (June 21) to earn his chance to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“It is just an unbelievable accomplishment for Niksa and I am so happy for him,” Bill Wadley, Ohio State men’s swimming coach said. “He called me three times this morning. We were both in tears.”

Roki just missed qualifying for his country’s Olympic team when he swam a 4:28.1 time at the Toyota Grand Prix in April at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. He shattered the standard in Zagreb, finishing more than a second-and-a-half below the 4:27.00 time needed to make the Croatian team. His time is the fastest for a Croatian swimmer in the 400 IM.

“This is such a special moment in a young person’s life,” Wadley said. “Words cannot describe how happy I am for this young man.”

Roki is the 11th Ohio State Buckeye to earn a spot on a Summer Olympics team. The list of Buckeyes/former Buckeyes heading to Beijing includes:

Siobhan Byrne – Ireland (Fencing)
Itai Chammah – Israel (Swimming)
Kristi DeVries – Netherlands (Softball)
Gulsah Gunenc – Turkey (Swimming)
Kate Hooven – United States (Synchronized Swimming)
Becky Kim – United States (Synchronized Swimming)
Devin Mullings – Bahamas (Tennis)
Jason Rogers – United States (Fencing)
Niksa Roki – Croatia (Swimming)
Katie Smith – United States (Basketball)
Hannah Thompson – United States (Fencing)

The number of Buckeyes in Beijing could grow to 12 Monday. Published reports indicate that former basketball star Michael Redd, now an all-star guard with the Milwaukee Bucks, will be named to the U.S. Olympic basketball team at a news conference Monday in Chicago.

Popularity: 11% [?]

The Ohio State women’s track and field team had two of its young hurdlers on display this weekend at the USA Junior Outdoor track and field championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.

Letecia Wright continued her excellent first season with the Buckeyes with a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.70 — a World Junior Championships qualifying time. Wright earns a provisional spot on the U.S. team that will compete at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland in July. Wright was the only hurdler to qualify for the Big Ten and Mideast Regional final in the 100-meter hurdles. Wright was second among freshman at the NCAA Championships in the 100-meter hurdles and 18th overall. She was the top qualifier in this weekend’s event with a time of 13.67.

Christina Manning took 18th in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.72. Manning is the Maryland state champion in the indoor 55-meter hurdles and will attend Ohio State starting this fall.

The Ohio State men’s track and field team had their young stars on display this weekend at the USA Junior Outdoor track and field championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

The event allowed many of the Ohio State track and field athletes redshirting this season to be a part of a meet in 2008 with out losing eligibility by competing unattached. Five Buckeyes that redshirted the 2008 season for Ohio State competed over the course of the weekend.

A trio of redshirt throwers made their Jesse Owens Stadium debut on the second day of the meet in the shot put. Matt DeChant, who was one the top high school throwers in 2007, finished sixth in the shot put a toss of 61 feet, 1 1/4 inches. The toss was a World Junior Championships qualifying distance and the best shot toss by a Buckeye this season. The toss is also the fifth-best toss in Ohio State history and the best by a first-year thrower in Buckeye history, topping the old freshman mark of former Buckeye and national champion Dan Taylor. Tyler Branch, the 2007 Division III Ohio High School state champion in the shot put, finished 10th with a toss of 57 feet, 3 3/4 inches. Aaron Crabtree, who was second-team all-state in football in Ohio in 2007, took 13th with a toss of 56 feet, 3 1/4 inches.

Daniel White, who finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships during the outdoor season in the 800-meter run and was a NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier, took 11th in the 800m with a time of 1:52.82. White was the only Buckeye freshman who competed for Ohio State during the 2008 season.

Brian Gallagher, who redshirted this season for the Buckeyes, took 13th in the 5,000-meter run with at time of 15:28.75. Taylor Williams posted a Top 5 finish in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 31:40.24.

Popularity: 10% [?]