Some would argue the one-and-done era of college basketball has watered down the product. And while there’s probably some truth to that, at least we get to see the best of the best high school basketball prospects for one year until they are eligible for the NBA (for now at least).
Ohio State was also a part of that movement, though it may not seem like it any longer with the philosophy Chris Holtmann has of recruiting kids that have the potential of being around the program for a few years. Under Thad Matta though, OSU had some of the bigger names that went on to the NBA.
But, we digress.
Officially speaking, the one-and-done era began in 2007, and ESPN’s John Gasaway did a look back at the best individual player season (subscription required) over the last 14 years — ranking the top fifty. Just because it’s labeled as such however, doesn’t mean all of the selections came from players that were there just one year. And yes, Ohio State is included, with three players appearing on the list.
Here’s who ESPN picked from Ohio State and their respective ranking.