tBBC All-TIME Tourney #3 1992 versus #6 1999

One team (1992) could go down as one of the best to ever play at THE Ohio State University and the other (1999) can never be honored for their accomplishments because of NCAA violations committed by their head coach. That in itself doesn’t change the fact that the Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn led squad did make it to the final four and was a gritty squad. They are facing a Jim Jackson and Lawrence Funderburke led squad that quite possibly played in one of the best seasons for NCAA men’s basketball.

This was the year of the Christian Laettner long court catch and shot against Kentucky in the East Regional final. The Buckeyes were a favorite to reach the final four that year and were upset by you know who in the regional final. TTUN went on to lose by 20 to Duke in the final. The thing I remember the most about that season was thinking our Buckeyes would have given the Blue Devils a great game in the final. In 1999, Redd and Penn led the Buckeyes out of a tough four seed draw in the south regional and lost to eventual champion Connecticut in the semifinals.

What are to follow will be several comparisons of each team’s makeup. We will be including our opinions of each comparison with who has the advantage and at the end will be guest appearances. We hope you enjoy our tournament as we look forward to the outcome!

1992 Starters and Stats

1992 Team Stats

1999 Starters and Stats

1999 Team Stats

Jim Jackson and Michael Redd in the Record Books

Jim Jackson and Michael Redd are on every list imaginable for records in Ohio State basketball history and they are just about neck and neck in all of them. Both only played three seasons for the scarlet and gray and would have easily eclipsed the all time scoring mark of Dennis Hopson’s 2,096 points. Redd finished 5^th on the list with 1,879 and Jackson finished right behind him with 1,785. Both players scored more than 500 points in a season, Jackson doing it two times and Redd and astonishing three times making him only the second to do so along with Jerry Lucas. They both hit the list in single season scoring as well coming in at number 4 all-time with 718 points is Jackson and Redd isn’t too far behind amassing 703 and number 6. Again they are back to back in career field goals made with Redd at 5^th and 699 and Jackson at 6^th with 686. They both had great final seasons for the Buckeyes and Jackson edges Redd here in FG’s made in a season 264 to 261. Both Redd and Jackson are also on the career steals list coming in at 9^th and 10^th respectively with 149 and 147. Record Books Advantage is a TIE

Playmaker

There’s no denying that Jim Jackson is one of the all time greats in all of men’s college basketball. He had what it took to make plays when the team needed it and many times put them on his shoulders. He had the ability to get to the basket like no other in the 91-92 season and had many opportunities on national TV on his way to the UPI National POY and becoming the two-time B1G POY. I am still a believer that if the Buckeyes didn’t have to face TTUN for a third time that season in the NCAA’s, they would have won it all. Michael Redd had something about him that sparked interest as soon as he stepped on the court as a freshman. By the time his junior year rolled around he had Scoonie Penn helping take some of the attention off of him and that’s what made him the playmaker he was. Even though as a team this season didn’t count in the record books, Redd made sure people would remember him because of his scoring and late game heroics. It’s interesting to note that both players didn’t finish their careers at Ohio State having played for the coaches that recruited them. Advantage 1992

Post Presence

Neither team had a dominant post player and neither wanted to. The 1992 squad started the year out with Bill Robinson at center for 20 games and they changed over to power forward Lawrence Funderburke. This enabled the guard heavy buckeyes to do what they do best and that was get up and down the floor. The 1999 squad saw glimpses’ of what would become the best shot blocker the B1G and Ohio Sate ever saw in Ken Johnson, however; he wasn’t there just yet. Both of these teams were led in rebounding by their star guards and typically out rebounded the opposition even without superior post play. As match ups have it, Ken Johnson would have taken care of Bill Robinson in the post in my opinion. Advantage 1999

Ball Handler

Had Scoonie Penn not had to sit a year after following Jim O’Brien from BC and could have brought his numbers with him,  he quite possibly could have ended up the career leader in steals and assists before graduating. Good scoring off of ball screens and the ability to find the open man, his best place was in the open court offensively and defensively. As good as he was as a floor general this would have been a great match up between him and Jamaal Brown. Jamaal was the quintessential team player and did whatever he needed to do to help the team. There were times in the crunch that Coach Ayers would put the ball in his hands and let him do his thing. Scoonie wound up one the single season steals and assist lists and Jamaal landed on the career lists. I believe both of these players would love this match-up and the intensity of it. Advantage 1992

Head Coach

The sad distinction that both Randy Ayers and Jim O’Brien share together is that neither have coached college basketball since being the head coaches at THE Ohio State University. Coach Ayers inherited a loaded program thanks to the turn around by Gary Williams and didn’t waste time being successful. Considered one of the more likable coaches in the industry it was a recruiting mess that ended his career eventually and he moved on to the NBA. The 1992 season was truly Coach Ayers one season to win it all and he had the studs to do it. He also had a poor draw in the NCAA’s and had to face a FAB 5 for the third time that year, losing in the regional final. Coach Ayers finished his 8 year career with Ohio State with 124 wins and 108 losses and a sub .500 B1G record of 64 wins and 80 losses but won two conference championships. Jim O’Brien put in 7 seasons with Ohio State and had his best team with this 1999 team that made the final four on the shoulders of Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd. It was a recruiting mess that got Coach O’Brien fired and led to many games being vacated by the NCAA’s including the trip to the final four. He finished his career with 51 wins and 57 losses overall (officially) and a B1G record of 20 wins and 36 losses. This is a tough call as I believe coaching got the 1999 team to the final four, but wasn’t the reason the 1992 team failed to make it. Coaching Advantage is a TIE

 Who do you think would win between these two juggernauts? Share your opinion in the comments, and make sure you vote on our poll on the top left side of the page to see who will move on in the tBBC All-Time Tourney!