Buckeye Fever

Ohio State is number one in the A.P. poll for the first time since their legendary teams of the early 60's, when John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas formed the core of the greatest basketball team in Buckeye history, one that went to three consecutive NCAA Finals and won the school's only national championship in 1960.

Despite being sophomores, Havlicek and Lucas were undoubtedly the stars of that 1960 team, but there was more than enough talent to go around on the court. Every one of the Buckeyes starting five was ultimately drafted to play in the NBA, a rarity back in the day. They lambasted Cal 75-55 to win the championship, after Cal unexpectedly had made the finals by upsetting Cincinnati and their all-world guard, Oscar Robertson.

Though Robertson would leave the Bearcats after that season for the NBA, Cincinnati would still manage to defeat the Buckeyes in the next two NCAA Finals with a team anchored by future Celtic, Ron Bonham, and future Knick, Paul Hogue. Havlicek, Lucas and stalwart guard Mel Nowell all graduated from Ohio State in 1962 and went on to the NBA, and the school would not attain the A.P. number one ranking again until Greg Oden and company did so this week.

Below are the starting lineups of the '60, '61 and '62 Buckeye squads:

1960 (25-3)
John Havlicek
Joe Roberts (CC)
Jerry Lucas
Larry Siegfried
Mel Nowell

1961 (27-1)
John Havlicek
Richie Hoyt
Jerry Lucas
Mel Nowell
Larry Siegfried (C)

1962 (26-2)
John Havlicek (C)
Doug McDonald
Jerry Lucas
Mel Nowell
Dick Reasbeck