The 2007–08

Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes play their home games at Value City Arena in ...

finished in fifth place in the Big Ten, squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble. However, they were not selected, marking the only time in coach

Thad Matta Thad Michael Matta (born July 11, 1967) is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team. From 2004 to 2017, Matta led the Ohio State Buckeyes to five Big Ten Conference regular seas ...

's head coaching career his team missed the NCAA tournament while being eligible. The team dominated in the

2008 National Invitation Tournament The 2008 National Invitation Tournament (known through sponsorship as the MasterCard NIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2008 NCAA Div ...

on their way to a 92–85 victory over Massachusetts in the final.

Preseason

The Buckeyes lost three important players from their 2006–07 NCAA Runners-up team to the NBA draft.

Greg Oden Gregory Wayne Oden Jr. (born January 22, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. Oden, a 7'0" (2.13m) center (basketball), center, played college basketball at Ohio State University for 2006–07 Ohio State Buckeyes men's bask ...

, the 2007 Second Team All-American, was selected in the lottery of the 2007 NBA Draft, going #1 to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

. Mike Conley, Jr. and

Daequan Cook Daequan Cook (born April 28, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Ironi Nes Ziona of the Israeli Premier League. He was taken 21st overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers then subsequently ...

also were drafted in the first round, by the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

and

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

, but traded to

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

, respectively. Senior guard

Ron Lewis Ronald Edward Lewis (born September 14, 1946) is an American retired politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1994 to 2009, having represented the 2nd congressional district of Kentucky. Lewis a ...

also declared to the draft but was undrafted.

Recruiting

, - !colspan=6, Junior College/Transfers

Roster

2007–08 Schedule

, - !colspan=9, Exhibition , - !colspan=9, Regular season , - !colspan=9, Big Ten tournament , - !colspan=9,

NIT tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...

Awards and honors

Kosta Koufos Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos ( Greek: ; born February 24, 1989) is a Greek-American professional basketball player who plays for the London Lions of the British Basketball League (BBL). He played one season at Ohio State before being sel ...

, NIT Most Valuable Player

Team players drafted into the NBA

2008 NBA Draft on databaseBasketball.com

2008 Recruiting Class

, - !colspan=6, Junior College/Transfers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2007-08 Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball Team

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

National Invitation Tournament championship seasons Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball seasons

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...