Ohio State has long been considered the big boy in the state, even when it comes to hoops. Sure, there’s Cincinnati, Xavier, Dayton, and other state schools that have had their time in the limelight, but the Buckeyes are still king. Not by the wide margin football is, but no other state school can boast as many NCAA Tournament appearances, Final Fours, and All-American players.
For that reason, Ohio State has long been a destination for the state’s best basketball players. To illustrate that point, of the 28 winners of the Ohio Mr. Basketball award, eleven of them have gone on to play for OSU, and that’s without the benefit of having three-time winner LeBron James who went straight to the NBA.
You might be surprised by some of the state prep players that were named to the prestigious award in high school and went on to make their mark on the banks of the Olentangy. We’re naming all eleven here so that you can impress your friends, especially with another being added to the list with incoming freshman Malaki Branham.