A select few players have their jerseys hanging in the rafters of the Schottenstein Center, high above the same floor where Matt Sylvester stunned top-ranked Illinois and E.J. Liddell’s stepback vanquished the assumedly unbeatable Blue Devils.
John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas, Evan Turner, Jim Jackson, and Gary Bradds are the only five that hang high above the upper level of seats, along with the name of the greatest head coach in program history, Thad Matta.
With the announcement this week that the University
of Michigan will retire Columbus-native Trey Burke’s No. 3 jersey on Jan. 23 when the Wolverines face the Buckeyes, it got us thinking — are there any other Buckeyes whose jerseys deserve to hang high above the crowd?
Last week, Connor and Justin debated where Ohio State will finish in the Big Ten. Connor picked Ohio State to finish in eighth, just ahead of Nebraska but behind Wisconsin. Justin was more optimistic, picking Ohio State to finish sixth.
Earlier this week, SB Nation’s preseason Big Ten media poll was released, with the collection of SBN College sites also picking Ohio State to finish eighth.
Previously, Ohio State’s policy on retiring jerseys was that the player had to have won National Player of the Year. That is no longer the case, as well as the fact that Ohio State no longer retires numbers. Instead, the player’s jersey is hung up, but the jersey number stays in circulation.
If a player wants to wear one of those retired numbers, he needs to ask permission from that player. Jim Jackson’s No. 22 jersey was retired in 2001, but Malaki Branham wanted to wear it in 2021. Branham and Chris Holtmann both contacted Jackson to ask permission, and it was granted.
Ohio State has not had a National Player of the Year since Turner, but it has not had a shortage of elite, program-altering players. Do any of them deserve to some day have their jersey hanging in the rafters of the Schottenstein Center?
This week’s question: Which former Buckeye deserves to have their jersey retired some day?
Connor: Michael Redd
A native son of Columbus, Michael Redd remains one of the greatest all-around scorers in program history.
After attending West High School in the Hilltop area of the city, Redd went on to Ohio State won Big Ten Freshman of the Year, averaging 21.9 points per game and leading the conference in scoring. He also led the Big Ten in minutes per game at 37.9.
As a sophomore, Redd teamed up with Scoonie Penn to help carry the Buckeyes to its ninth ever Final Four, although the NCAA would later force the program to vacate that appearance due to head coach Jim O’Brien allegedly facilitating improper benefits for a player. Redd and Penn — a first-year transfer from Boston College — combined to score 36.4 points per game that season to lift Ohio State to a 27-9 record.
After his three years at Ohio State, Redd was drafted with the 43rd overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. While his NBA accomplishments shouldn’t be considered for this type of thing, he did go on to be one of the great players of that franchise, averaging 20+ points per game every season from 2003-2009.
Redd still lives in central Ohio and remains involved with the program. Last weekend he was the honorary “bell ringer” at Ohio Stadium leading up to Ohio State’s 42-3 win over Minnesota in Ohio Stadium. He remains one of the most talented and productive players in Ohio State history, is a product of Columbus City Schools, and represents the home grown aspect of the program Jake Diebler wants to strengthen moving forward.
If there’s ever another player who should see their jersey lifted up amongst the greats, Michael Redd is as good a candidate as anyone.
Justin: Jared Sullinger
Who wouldn’t want to see the Columbus kid get his recognition as an all-time Buckeye?
Sullinger was at Ohio State from 2010-2012, and is one of the best players in the school’s history. In his two seasons at Ohio State, Sullinger averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the field.
Sullinger had 19 points and 14 rebounds in his Ohio State debut. For the 2010–11 season Jared Sullinger averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 31.7 minutes for the Buckeyes. He helped lead the Buckeyes to a 2011 Big Ten Tournament championship as the most outstanding player.
Ohio State finished the regular season at 32–2 and was 2011 NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. The Buckeyes made it to the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to Kentucky, 62–60.
In 2011-12, Sullinger led the Buckeyes to a 31–8 overall record and averaged 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The Buckeyes advanced to the Final Four of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, where the team lost to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Sullinger was able to accumulate a ton of accolades in his two years in Columbus, as a first-team All-American in 2011 and 2012, the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He was a two-time First-team All-Big Ten selection and made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Prior to his time in Columbus, Sullinger was the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, the McDonald’s All-American Game Co-MVP, a First-team Parade All-American and was two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball.
Also, in his two years at Ohio State, the two Naismith National Players of the Year were Jimmer Fredette and Anthony Davis, two all-time college basketball players.
He won a Big Ten title, he made a Final Four and is one of the best players in school history.
