Top three former Ohio State basketball players in the NBA
By Zane Harris
#1: Mike Conley
The best former Ohio State Buckeye currently in the NBA is Mike Conley. Conley was a part of the Buckeye team that made a National Championship run in which they were defeated by the Florida Gators. He spent only one season with the Buckeyes, however, it was a very successful one.
On top of the championship appearance, Conley was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team, the NCAA All-Region team, a High School Parade All-American, a member of the 2006-2007 All-Big Ten team, the 2007 All-Big Ten Tournament team, and a Big Ten All-Freshman.
He also averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 assists. These scoring numbers were rather impressive considering he was playing with Greg Oden who at the time was an absolute force to be reckoned with and went on to be the number one pick in the 2007 NBA draft.
Conley was the fourth pick of that draft and was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent most of his career with the Grizzlies where he became one of the faces of the franchise and personified the “Grit and Grind Grizzlies”.
Conley does not have career averages that really jump off of the page, however, he has been great for a long time. He was never much of a scorer, but he was serviceable. Pairing this with his playmaking, defensive, and leadership skills, and you have a perfect point guard for the modern era.
He has career averages of 14.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Over his career, he has only made one All-Star game. This is a number that many believe should be much higher, however, as Conley has played in the Western Conference his entire career, his competition for an All-Star spot has been much steeper.
Along with the All-Star appearance, Conley was named to the All-Defensive team in the 2012-2013 season. Lastly, he is a class act and one of the most well-tempered players in league history.
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Throughout his many games in the league, Conley has never received a technical foul. This levelheadedness paired with his skillset makes him an incredible leader and a player that teams are always more than happy to add to their roster.