James R. Hull (February 15, 1917 – November 2, 1991) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

who led the

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 ...

to the championship game in the first-ever NCAA basketball tournament. The Buckeyes finished the season with a 16–7 record, and lost to the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conferenc ...

in the finals. Hull was named the Most Outstanding Player of that first tournament. Hull was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes. As a senior and captain of the 1938–1939 team he was the leading scorer in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

and was a consensus

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

selection. In 1977 Hull was inducted as a charter member of the

Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame The Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame is the athletic hall of fame for The Ohio State University. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have contributed to the honor and fame of the university in the field of athletics. An athlete must h ...

. In 2007 he was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Rocky Mountain Orthodontics Dentist Athletic Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, Jimmy 1917 births 1991 deaths All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Forwards (basketball) Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players People from Highland County, Ohio