To have a good time SLAM’s thirtieth anniversary, we’re spotlighting the 30 most influential males’s school groups from our previous 30 years. Stats, information and chips aren’t the primary issue right here, it’s all about their contribution to the sport’s cultural cloth.
For the following 30 days—Monday by means of Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve additionally acquired an unique retro collegiate assortment, out now, that pays homage to every squad’s threads. Shop here.
Within the heartland of basketball, the place scarlet and grey reign supreme, the ‘06-’07 Ohio State Buckeyes emerged as recreation icons, stealing the nation’s hearts with their mix of youth, expertise and tenacity.
Underneath the steerage of Coach Thad Matta, the Buckeyes performed basketball prefer it was an artwork type. They zapped the ball round effortlessly in the hunt for an open man, giving up attractiveness for higher appears to be like. The ball moved seamlessly from one set of palms to a different till it will definitely discovered its approach down the online.
That isn’t to say that the Buckeyes didn’t let the person prowess of their gamers shine. Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook dinner made up the core of this Buckeyes squad. Freshman phenoms with the composure of seasoned vets, these Buckeyes had been able to make a reputation for themselves from the very first recreation.
Oden was a towering drive hailing from Lawrence North Excessive College, the place he developed shut on-court chemistry with fellow freshman guard Mike Conley. Oden’s sheer drive within the paint was unmatched, whereas his comfortable contact across the rim solidified him as a sure-fire top-two choose within the NBA Draft. In the meantime, Conley’s crossovers would go away defenders frozen, whereas his acrobatic finishes surprised 1000’s of followers.
Their dominance and chemistry could be the motor on which the Buckeyes operated. Conley would blow by defenders and discover Oden within the paint, who mercilessly punished anybody who dared to leap with him. In a press release win in opposition to Iowa within the common season, Oden exploded for 29 factors and 10 rebounds, with Conley working the present with 10 dimes.
The scariest factor about this Ohio State workforce was that the offense didn’t simply finish with Oden and Conley. Senior guard Ron Lewis may catch hearth rapidly, whereas Daequan Cook dinner would put the workforce on his again together with his momentum-swinging pictures. And there was Jamar Butler, a rim-punishing presence within the paint.
The Buckeyes workforce was dynamite with sufficient firepower to blow up at any on the spot and ignite the gang with their exhilarating play.
And explode they did within the Massive Ten, cruising previous groups on the way in which to a league-best 15 wins, solely shedding one alongside the way in which. The Massive Ten wasn’t simply their playground; it was their empire, and so they dominated it with an iron fist.
But it surely was within the insanity of March that the Buckeyes actually shined. With the eyes of the nation upon them, Ohio State launched into a postseason journey that will showcase the expertise and grit of the workforce. Victories over powerhouses like Georgetown and Memphis showcased their expertise and resilience, displaying the world that this workforce had what it took to hoist the nationwide championship trophy.
For all Buckeyes followers, these had been heart-crushing moments that also hang-out them to at the present time. However so long as the scarlet and grey flies excessive, the legend of the ’07 Buckeyes—for the celebrities it produced, the historic comebacks and dominance—will stay on.
Pictures through Getty Pictures.
