The Ohio State basketball program only has a few players who are truly contributing in the NBA at the moment. The number of players they have put in the lead has slowed down ever since they fired Thad Matta. Chris Holtmann put a few guys in, but they haven't played at a high level. Jake Diebler is trying to change that.
One former Buckeye who has been in the league for a long time is Mike Conley Jr. Conley has been in the league since the 2007 draft. He was the fourth overall pick in that draft, while his Buckeye teammate Greg Oden was the number one overall pick.
Conley has had by far the better career. He is still a starting point guard at this stage of his career, starting for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not only is he starting, but he is contributing at a high level. He made his Buckeyes proud in Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors.
Ohio State guard Mike Conley helps the Timberwolves take down the Warriors
Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes will respect what Conley did in the series-clinching game. In fact, he was the biggest reason why Minnesota ended up winning the game. He had 16 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. He hit 4/6 from beyond the three-point arc, as well.
Conley's shooting really opened up Minnesota's offense, allowing them to spread the floor and get easy shots. His play has helped them advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season. This time, they are hoping to advance to the NBA Finals.
For as long as Conley has played, he has never made the NBA Finals. He had some really good chances to make it with both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz. This would be a crowning achievement for him in his career if he could reach that point.
The Ohio State Buckeyes would love to see Conley win an NBA title at this stage of his career. If he did somehow win a title this year, he very well might retire on top. The Wolves are going to need him if they want to get to that point.