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)
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.
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.
Former Ohio State women’s basketball players, coaches and support staff from the 1980-85 era have been invited to attend a player reunion this weekend June 13-15 on the Ohio State campus and throughout Columbus.
The weekend will include a Friday night dinner at the Varsity Club on Lane Avenue, a 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, a Sunday cookout and more.
Kristin Watt (’81-85), who is helping the planning chair, Theresa Wiper (’81-85), said “the event has been in the planning stages for quite some time. We finally got our act together, a date in the books and found almost everyone who was associated with the program at that time. We have folks flying in from all across the country and we are all very excited for the weekend’s festivities.”
As of last week, more than 45 former players and staff members are scheduled to attend the event. Buckeye teams from the 1980-85 era combined for three Big Ten championships, a Big Ten Tournament title 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 — falling to eventual national champion Old Dominion, 72-68, in the east regional finals.
Former head coach Tara VanDerveer, who recorded a 110-37 (.748) record from 1980-85, will be in attendance along with current head coach Jim Foster and his staff.
Headlined by three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) and two-time Olympic gold medalist and former Buckeye great Katie Smith (Detroit Shock), USA Basketball today announced the first nine members of the eventual 12-member 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team that will head to Beijing in hopes of defending the USA’s string of three consecutive Olympic gold medals. In addition to Leslie and Smith, the initial roster includes 2004 Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets); while Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury) will participate in their first Olympic Games.
The USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team Committee will continue to discuss the final three roster spots before finalizing the 12-member team by July 1.
“I’m just thrilled to have these nine players officially named to the team,” said U.S. Olympic head coach Anne Donovan. “It’s such a great mixture of Olympic gold medalists with some really tremendous young talent. I love the combination of players that we have. We have Olympians who have experienced multiple Games like Lisa Leslie and Katie Smith, some who are returning for their second Olympics and then we have a very talented group of first-timers. Looking at these nine players, we’ve really covered the gamut in terms of experience and we have a tremendous balance of perimeter and post play.”
“We know it will not be an easy road to the gold medal in Beijing, the rest of the world has gotten much better over the last four years,” said USA Basketball vice president for senior women and chair of the selection committee Reneé Brown, WNBA chief of basketball operations and player relations. “However, we feel that this group will continue to represent their country with pride and honor and compete at the highest level that is expected when representing USA Basketball. All of these athletes have played for Anne in the past, work well together and know her system. These are nine great players who are ready to face any challenge.
“We still have three more players to add to the team and we’re hoping to add a tough defensive stopper on the perimeter who can also score for us, as well as at least another post player. The Committee will continue to look at all the remaining players in our pool, it’s not a decision we take lightly. It will be a tough decision.”
Not only does the ’08 squad possess a combined eight Olympic gold medals, the athletes own a wealth of international experience. All nine have worn red, white and blue and returned to the United States with at least one gold. Included are seven who have competed at a FIBA World Championship, including Leslie and Smith, who garnered gold in 1998 and 2002. Also winning gold at the 2002 Worlds, where Leslie captured MVP honors, were Bird and Thompson; while Augustus, Bird, Parker, Smith, Taurasi and Thompson were all members of the 2006 USA World Championship Team that took the bronze medal with an 8-1 slate.
In 2007, Augustus, Bird, Parker, Pondexter, Smith, Taurasi and Thompson played key roles in the USA’s Olympic qualifying berth. The seven helped the U.S. strike gold with an unblemished 5-0 record at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship where only the winner earned the right to advance to Beijing.
FIBA conducted the draw to determine the Olympic preliminary round pools and schedule on April 26 in Beijing. The U.S. women were selected for Group B, as were host China, Africa champ Mali, New Zealand and two teams to be determined through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament that takes place June 9-15 in Madrid, Spain.
Group A for the women’s competition features 2006 FIBA world champion Australia, Russia, South Korea, and three teams that will be determined through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Olympic women’s basketball competition will be held Aug. 9-23. Preliminary play is scheduled for August 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17; quarterfinal action takes place Aug. 19; semifinal play is slated for Aug. 21; and the women’s finals will be held Aug. 23.
The U.S. Women’s Olympic Team opens Aug. 9 versus an opponent to be determined through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and next faces host China on Aug. 11, Mali on Aug. 13 and another opponent to be determined on Aug. 15. The U.S. finishes off its preliminary play Aug. 17 against New Zealand. All game times are still to be assigned.
The defending Olympic champs, the USA women in fact will be vying for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold. Since women’s basketball was officially staged at the 1976 Olympics, the Americans have collected a record five gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal, while compiling a 42-3 (.933) overall record in seven Olympic appearances (the United States chose not to participate in the 1980 Olympic Games).
The 2007-08 USA Basketball Women’s National Team participated in six different training camps over the past 15 months, while the USA Select Team, featuring members of the USA National Team, competed in the 2007 FIBA World League Tournament. During the team’s training the USA compiled a 25-2 mark against nine different national teams and five professional club teams, earned the gold medal at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship and the silver medal at the 2008 Good Luck Beijing Tournament. Additionally, the USA Select Team posted a 3-2 slate, brought home the silver medal from the 2007 FIBA World League Tournament and notched victories against a pair of Russia’s top professional teams and the defending Australia WNBL champs.
Donovan is being assisted on the sidelines by Mike Thibault, head coach of the WNBA Connecticut Sun and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of the University of Texas and the University of South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.
The 2007-08 USA Basketball Women’s National Team features a total of 29 athletes on its roster, which was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee. The final three members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team will come from the USA National Team roster.
In addition to Brown, the USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team Committee includes: athlete representatives Jennifer Azzi, a 1996 U.S. Olympic Team member, and Teresa Edwards, a five-time Olympian; New York Liberty Vice President and General Manager Carol Blazejowski, Minnesota Lynx Chief Operating Officer Roger Griffith, Indiana Fever Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf and Los Angeles Sparks General Manager Penny Toler serve as the WNBA representatives on the Committee; while University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt is the NCAA representative.
USA Basketball is the national governing body responsible for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States and is responsible for representing the USA in international competitions.
The selected players will be nominated to the United States Olympic Committee to participate in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Bob Knight, who started his college coaching career at Army and led the Black Knights to four NIT appearances in six seasons, has been selected for induction into the Army Sports Hall of Fame.
Knight attended Ohio State and was a member of the Buckeye team that won the NCAA championship in 1960. After graduating with a degree in history and government, Knight was an assistant coach at Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) High School for one year before entering the U.S. Army. He was assigned to assist coach Tates Locke at West Point, and when Locke became head coach at Miami (Ohio) University in 1965, Knight was named to succeed him at age 24.
Knight, who holds the all-time record for wins in men’s Division I college basketball with 902, led Army to a 102-50 record before leaving for Indiana.
I don’t know if you watched the Ohio State v Purdue game last night but I was so happy to see Jamar Butler carry the Buckeyes to a “must win” victory over the Boilermakers. With only 2 points in the first half, Butler came on to score 23 in the second and made some huge buckets in OT to help the Bucks stay in the Tournament race.
This team has had some serious ups and downs due to their youth. I love the way they play defense, but turnovers and strength inside are really hurting them. I wouldn’t say Koufos is overrated but he should be much more dominant especially against a Purdue team that is a little undersized. He had 15 points but mostly layups and dunks. Coach Matta stayed with Terwilliger for much of the second half even with 4 fouls, Matt exerted himself on defense and on the boards not to mention hitting a key jumper down the stretch.
The Bucks looked to Butler and frosh Turner for much of the scoring in the second half and overtime. Even as much as Turner makes some mistakes, he plays hard and was very good in one-on-one opportunities. Butler was just stroking it in the second half. Using screens he gave himself open looks and buried them when he had the chance. The biggest shots may have been his two free throws in OT that sealed the win. Nothing but net.
The guys are playing hard but again due to their youth, they are not capitalizing when they have the chance and make mistakes when they can’t afford them. I like they way they extend the D with their reach but need to hit the D boards harder. Their offense may rely too much on threes especially Lighty, who always gives great effort, but his stroke leaves something to be desired. Othello Hunter has really come on and once he gets the ball on the block, he goes to the hole strong.
They have their work cut out for them against MSU. The Spartans are a VERY physical and athletic team and are still vying for the Big 10 Championship. The Bucks need to play an almost flawless game and catch a couple breaks along the way. I honestly hope that the Bucks make the Tourney as an at large bid. It always makes March Madness that much more fun. But if they do, I don’t expect them to go too far.
If everyone stays, and they should, the Bucks could really be a contender with the recruits they have coming in. Put Mullins in the post and Koufos out facing the basket, pick up another pure shooter with Diebler, add a much improving Lauderdale with Hunter, and get a point guard to replace Butler, and this could be a very good team in 09.
Filed under: Basketball, Buckeyes on the Move, Community by Katie Bernal
Katie Bernal has written 227 posts. Read other posts by Katie Bernal.
Related Posts:
This week's poll question is sponsored b...
There is no doubt that Ohio State fans h...
No NFL team’s first-round draft choice...