Former Ohio State basketball player makes the Western Conference Finals

Back in 2007, the Ohio State basketball team played for a national championship. They took on the Florida Gators and were led by Greg Oden and Mike Conley. Everyone thought that Oden was going to be the better pro between the two and he was drafted first overall. Conley was the fourth pick.

As we know, Oden's career was derailed by injuries and he never came close to living up to his potential. He's now on Thad Matta's staff at Butler and is looking to become a head coach at some point.

Conley, meanwhile, is still kicking in the NBA. Not only that, he's thriving. Conley is 36 years old and has just helped his team win a Game 7 against the defending champs to make the Western Conference Finals.

Conley has been with the Minnesota Timberwolves for each of the last two seasons. He has been a key member of the Wolves all season long and does a great job orchestrating the offense. He's one of the few connectors and playmakers that they have on the team.

In Game 7 in Denver, Conley had 10 points and 8 rebounds and drilled three three-pointers to help the Timberwolves roar back for a victory. Now, they have just one more team to beat before they make the first NBA Finals appearance in team history.

This is the closest Conley has been to the Finals in over a decade. That was back when he was with the Grizzlies. He's won everywhere he's been. While he's only been an All-Star one time, it's not because he hasn't had a good career. He's just been stuck in the West when it was loaded with point guards.

As an Ohio State basketball fan, I love seeing Conley stick around in the league for so long and still play at a high level. He's the veteran that this young Minnesota needs as they go into uncharted territory.