NCAA Basketball: Mount Rushmores for the top 25 programs of all-time
By Brian Rauf
Ohio State Basketball Mount Rushmore: John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas, Dennis Hopson, Evan Turner
John Havlicek
One of the stars of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ only national championship team in 1960, John Havlicek was a quality college player. He was named an All-American in both 1961 and 1962, as he showcased his scoring and rebounding prowess.
Though his No. 5 is retired by Ohio State, “Hondo” is best known for his career with the Boston Celtics in the NBA. He won eight NBA titles with the Celtics and made 13 NBA All-Star teams.
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas and Havlicek were roommates at Ohio State on that national championship team, and Lucas actually had the better collegiate career. He was a three-time consensus All-American and two-time National Player of the Year that was a double-double machine, averaging 24.3 points and 17.2 rebounds per game for his career.
Lucas and Havlicek made the national championship game in all three of their seasons playing for the Buckeyes, but came up short in both 1961 and 1962. Still, they highlight the most successful stretch in program history.
Dennis Hopson
Dennis Hopson was a solid player for the Buckeyes during his freshman and sophomore season, but was still only a role player. That changed during his junior season when he averaged 20.9 points per game. Yet, he took his game to yet another level as a senior in 1986-87, averaging 29.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
Hopson was named Big Ten Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American in 1987, which led to him being selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the then-New Jersey Nets. Hopson didn’t pan out in the NBA, playing only five seasons in the league before continuing his career overseas.
Evan Turner
Evan Turner’s three seasons in Columbus were filled with significant all-around success. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Turner had a spectacular junior season that earned him a number of accolades.
He averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in 2009-10 and was named a consensus All-American and won National Player of the Year. Those averages made him the first player in Big Ten history to finish in the top two in the conference in all three categories. His two triple-doubles that season were the second and third in program history, and he owns the Big Ten record for most Conference Player of the Week awards.