The first Ohio basketball game occurred in 1907 when the Bobcats defeated the ParkersburgYMCA 46–9.[3] Through the 2022–23 season, Ohio has posted a .574 winning percentage over its 117-year history and a .561 winning percentage in its 78 years in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats have won seven Mid-American Conference tournament titles (1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2021), as well as 10 MAC regular-season titles (1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1985, 1994 and 2013). Prior to joining the MAC, the Bobcats won an Ohio Athletic Conference title in 1921 and three Buckeye Athletic Association championships (1931, 1933, and 1937). In addition, Ohio has played in the NCAA tournament 14 times (second most in the MAC), appearing in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2021. The Bobcats have been selected for the National Invitation Tournament five times: in 1941 (runner-up), 1969, 1986, 1995, and 2013. Ohio also appeared in the College Basketball Invitational in 2008, 2016, and 2022 and the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2011 and 2014. The program was ranked 86th in Street & Smith's 100 Greatest Basketball Programs of All Time, published in 2005.
The first intercollegiate men's basketball game involving an Ohio University team was played in Athens in 1907 against the ParkersburgYMCA. Under the direction of coach James Jones, the Bobcats won the game by a score of 46–9 and continued their victories with a 5-game winning streak to start the season. The 'Cats would go on to lose 4 games that season and earn a 7–4 record.
Coach Jones would only be at Ohio for two more seasons, leading the team to records of 1–1 in the 1908–09 campaign and 2–5 during the 1909–10 season. Over the next three seasons, the basketball program was in a state of flux, with a new coach taking over the reins every year. Ohio joined the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1911, and started out poorly under coach Arthur Hinaman with a 2–9 record.
A bit of stability arrived to Athens with the hiring of coach Mark Banks in 1913. Banks would lead the program to a 3–10 season in his first year, but the 'Cats surged to 11–4 in Bank's second year at the helm. That 1914–1915 squad beat the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Miami Redskins twice, while also impressively defeating Wooster by a score of 51–20. Banks teams would fall off over the next several seasons, with the low point being a 2–14 mark in the 1916–1917 campaign. Banks would coach only one more year, with the Bobcats posting a 4–8 record in the 1918–1919 season.
Bank's successor was Frank Gullum, who in his two years at the helm was 5–4 and 5–6, respectively. Gullum was succeeded by Russell Finsterwald, who led the team to an outstanding 15–2 season in his first year at the helm. That 1920–1921 team defeated the Miami Redskins and Cincinnati Bearcats each twice, and also earned Ohio's first Ohio Athletic Association title. Finsterwald's 1921–1922 squad was equally impressive, posting a 19–4 mark with two wins against the Bowling Green Falcons. Though Finsterwald would only last these two seasons, his work cannot be underestimated in steering the 'Cats towards a legacy of success.
1922–1949: The Grover-Trautwein era
Butch Grover took the reins of the Ohio program in 1922, and led the team to a newfound level of success. His inaugural 1922–1923 season was marked by an 11–8 record, and wins over teams such as the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Marietta Pioneers. In 1923-24, the Bobcats marked their move into the brand new Men's Gymnasium with a 16–5 record and a near miss of an Ohio Athletic Conference title. Several winning seasons later, the Bobcats moved into the Buckeye Athletic Association in 1926 and started off with an 8–13 mark in the 1926–1927 season. Ohio won its first Buckeye Athletic Association title during the 1930–31 season with a 12–4 mark. Just two seasons later in 1933–1934, the Bobcats won another Buckeye Athletic Association championship with a 16–4 record and two wins over the archrival Miami Redskins. The 1936–1937 season marked Grover's third and final Buckeye Athletic Association championship. The Bobcats were 18–3 that year, and earned wins over programs such as Xavier and Dayton. William J. "Dutch" Trautwein took over the Bobcat basketball program in 1938. He led the team to 12–8 and 19–6 records in his first and second seasons. In the 1940–41 season, the team earned a record of 18–4, and was selected for the National Invitation Tournament after a season which included wins over Xavier, Akron, Toledo, Cincinnati, and archrival Miami. With the play of Frank Baumholtz, the Bobcats finished as runners-up in the tournament to perennial power Long Island University. Baumholtz, known as the "Midvale Marvel", earned tournament MVP honors and All-American status for his NIT performance. Following his Ohio career, he became one of a few to play two professional sports – basketball with the Cleveland Rebels in 1946–47 and baseball with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies over a 10-year career.
After several more winning seasons under Trautwein, the Bobcats undertook a new challenge in 1946 when they joined the new Mid-American Conference. The 'Cats were 13–10 in their first year in the MAC, and followed that up with a 10–10 mark in the 1947–1948 season. The 1948–1949 season was Trautwein's last, with the team compiling a 6–16 record.
1949–1974: Jim Snyder
Ohio alumnus Jim Snyder took over for Trautwein in 1949. Ohio's winningest coach, dubbed "Gentleman Jim", guided the Bobcats for a quarter century. With star players like Jim Betts, Bunk Adams, Jerry Jackson, Don Hilt, Gerald McKee and Sports Illustrated cover boy Walter Luckett, Snyder won a total of seven MAC titles. His teams made seven NCAA appearances and finished with a winning record 21 times in 25 years.
Snyder's first season was rather lackluster, with the 'Cats posting a 6–14 record. He followed that up with a slight improvement in the 1950–1951 season and a 13–11 mark. The 1954–1955 season was a breakout year for Ohio, and the team earned a 16–5 record and key wins over Morehead State and Miami University. In 1960, Ohio won its first championship under Snyder, with the team taking the MAC by way of a 10–2 league record (17–8 overall). That squad defeated the likes of the Toledo Rockets, Bowling Green Falcons, and Miami Redskins en route to a 74–66 win over Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The 1959–1960 championship team was quickly followed up by another title in the very next year. The 1960–1961 team celebrated its move into the brand new Grover Center with a stunning 10–2 league record (17–7 overall), including a first-place finish at the Canton Intercollegiate Tournament. A few years later, the 1963–1964 team made its mark as perhaps the best in Ohio history. That team won the MAC title with a 10–2 league mark, and followed it up with NCAA tournament wins over the Louisville Cardinals and the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats. Snyder's 'Cats ultimately lost to the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in the "Elite Eight".
Though the 1963–1964 team produced a record that was hard to top, the 1964–1965 edition did its best to compete with the previous year's squad. They posted an 11–1 MAC record and a 19–7 overall mark, though fell to Dayton in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Snyder's teams would go through a slight drought until the 1968–1969 season, when they open up the Convocation Center with a win over the Indiana Hoosiers and subsequent postseason NIT appearance and a 17–9 record. The very next season, Ohio scored wins over No. 16 Ohio State and No. 13 Purdue and achieved a midseason #5 national ranking while marching their way to another MAC championship before losing in the NCAA tournament to Notre Dame.[5]
The Bobcats won another MAC title under Snyder in the 1971–1972 season. Though the 'Cats were just 15–11 that year, they were 7–3 in the MAC with wins over the No. 12 Indiana Hoosiers and the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes. Snyder's Bobcats won a final MAC title in the 1973–1974 season, with a 16–11 record and wins over the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
1974–1989
Jim Snyder was immediately succeeded by his assistant Dale Bandy, who struggled to a 69–89 record over his six-year tenure at Ohio. Bandy was replaced by Danny Nee in 1980, with the Bobcats beginning a road back to prominence. His teams – led by the likes of John Devereaux, Robert Tatum, Paul Baron, John Rhodes, Eddie Hicks and Vic Alexander –tallied four consecutive 20-win seasons from 1983 to 1986. The 1982-83 team won the MAC Tournament title with a subsequent win in the NCAA tournament. In 1985 the Bobcats won both the MAC regular season and tournament but lost to Kansas in the NCAA tournament. The 1986 team finished with an NIT matchup in the Convo versus the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Despite offensive stars, Hahn's teams struggled on the court. Hahn was replaced in 1989 by Larry Hunter, an Ohio alum who would lead the Bobcats throughout the 1990s. Forward Gary Trent joined Graham and Jamerson atop the 2,000-point plateau, and was the MAC's only three-time Player of the Year. Trent teamed with three-point marksman Geno Ford to guide Larry Hunter's Bobcats to a MAC Championship in the 1993–1994 season. Ohio captured the conference tournament that season with an 89–66 victory over archrival Miami in the finals on ESPN.
Hunter, who played for Snyder, saw Ohio defeat Ohio State in the Preseason NIT to open the following season. Wins over 14th-ranked Virginia, George Washington and New Mexico State earned the Bobcats a Preseason NIT title and an accompanying national ranking. That team would go on to post a 24–10 (13–5 MAC) record, en route to an appearance in the post-season NIT and a win over George Washington University in the first round.
The Bobcats would struggle in the next few years under Hunter, with the low point being a 5–21 season in the 1997–1998 campaign. Though Hunter's teams would rebound to post 18, 20, and 19 wins over the next three seasons, he was relieved of his duties in 2001 due to a lack of success in the postseason.[6][7] His successor would be Tim O'Shea.
2001–2008: Tim O'Shea
A new era in Ohio basketball began in 2001 when Boston College assistant Tim O'Shea became the Bobcats' 15th head coach. His teams featured Patrick Flomo, Brandon Hunter and Steve Esterkamp and saw the creation The Convo's new student section, the O Zone. Hunter was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2003 draft. Esterkamp continues to play professionally overseas as well.
In the 2004–2005 season Ohio went 13–1 in The Convo and won 13 of their final 17 games. The team defeated Marshall, Kent State, and Miami in the preliminary rounds of the MAC tournament before scoring an 80–79 overtime victory over Buffalo in the championship to earn an NCAA tournament berth. Despite a second-half comeback against the Southeastern Conference champion Florida, the Bobcats' season ended in the first round.
The Bobcats finished the 2009–2010 regular season with a 17–14 overall record and a 7–9 record in MAC play, earning them the ninth seed in their conference tournament. They won four straight games in the conference tournament to claim the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Placed into the Midwest region as a 14 seed, Ohio upset 3rd-seeded and 12th ranked Georgetown 97–83. The Bobcats took a 12-point lead into halftime and the Hoyas never got closer than a 7-point deficit the rest of the way.
After a mildly disappointing 2010–11 season, resulting in a 19–16 record and a 2011 CIT Quarterfinal berth, the Bobcats came back in 2011–12, with a 2012 MAC tournament championship. The Bobcats received a No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2012 NCAA tournament. Like 2010, Ohio pulled off a first round upset, defeating 4th seeded and 13th ranked Michigan 65–60, and followed by a 62–56 victory over 12th seeded South Florida to advance to their first Sweet Sixteen since 1964. The Bobcats run ended in the Sweet Sixteen, as they fell in overtime to fourth ranked and top seeded North Carolina by a score of 73–65.
As a result of the teams' success, John Groce was offered and accepted the head coaching position at the University of Illinois on March 28, 2012.[8]
2012–2014: Jim Christian
On April 3, 2012, Ohio hired former TCU and Kent State coach Jim Christian to replace John Groce. Christian had considerable success in the MAC at the helm of Kent State, eclipsing the 20 win plateau in each of his six seasons.[9]
In Christian's first season with the Bobcats, they finished with a 24–10 overall record and 14–2 in the MAC. Tied for first in the MAC East, the Bobcats were the 2nd seed in the MAC tournament falling to Akron in the championship 65–46. Akron was the only MAC opponent the Bobcats had failed to defeat all season. The Bobcats earned a spot in the 2013 National Invitation Tournament but came up short with a 61–57 loss to Denver in the first round.
During the 2013–14 season, Christian led the Bobcats to a 25–12 record making the senior class the winningest class in school history with 97 total wins. Ohio failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, losing to Akron once again in the MAC Tournament. The team received an invitation to participate in the 2014 CIT and reached the quarterfinals losing to VMI 90–92.[10]
On April 3, 2014, Christian left Ohio and accepted an offer to become the head coach for the Boston College Eagles.[11]
2014–2019: Saul Phillips
Ohio vs NIU, February 6, 2016
Ohio hired Saul Phillips to replace Christian as the head coach for the Bobcats on April 6, 2014.[12] Phillips had tremendous success coaching for NDSU the previous 7 years, including a second round NCAA tournament win in 2014 and two Summit League championships in 2009 and 2014. His first season at Ohio was a disappointment as the 2014–15 Bobcats finished with a 10–20 overall record and only 5 wins in the MAC to put them last place in their division.
Phillips was told he would not return next season on March 13, 2019.
2019–present: Jeff Boals
Ohio hired alumnus Jeff Boals to replace Phillips as the head coach for the Bobcats on March 17, 2019. Boals (pronounced BOWLS) spent the prior three seasons as the head coach at Stony Brook going 55–41 overall and 31–17 in America East play. The Bobcats went 17-15 in Boals first season with Ohio. Following the 2019-2020 season, the MAC tournament was cancelled due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The next season Boals lead his 2020-21 team to a 17-8 record including 3 wins in the MAC tournament. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 13 seed in the West region. There they upset No. 4-seeded Virginia in the First Round[17] before falling to No. 5-seeded Creighton in the Second Round.[18][19] The 2021-22 team opened the season 22–4 but struggled down the stretch to finish 25–10[20][21] His 2022-23 team had a lot of roster turnover and slipped to 19–14.[22] His 2023-24 team finished 20–13.[23]
Ohio is a tradition-rich school, and many of those traditions are associated with athletics events, especially basketball. Some Ohio traditions include:
Rufus the Bobcat — The school mascot, a fierce yet friendly looking Bobcat that always sports an Ohio jersey with a number "1" on the back.
Ohio Varsity Band — The pep band which performs at every basketball game.
"Stand Up and Cheer" — Ohio's fight song
"Alma Mater, Ohio" — Ohio's alma mater song
The "O Zone" — The student cheering section at every Ohio men's basketball game.
"D-Lo's Crew" — A subgroup of The "O Zone" named after the first member of the O Zone Daniel Lowe who died at the Convo in a pick up game in 2005.
Rivalries
Ohio's most heated rival is with Miami University.[citation needed] "The Battle of the Bricks" is an annual all-sports rivalry competition between the Ohio Bobcats and the Miami RedHawks athletic programs. The name "Battle of the Bricks" evolved from each school's reputation of having a campus of red brick buildings. Each varsity athletic competition in which the Bobcats and RedHawks meet including tournament play is counted as part of the years series record. At the conclusion of each academic year, the school with the most varsity wins takes the trophy back to their campus for the following year. Ohio also has a rival with Marshall called the Battle of the Bell.
The Bobcats have won 7 Mid-American Conference tournament titles in 1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2021 as well as 10 MAC regular-season titles in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974,1985, 1994, and 2013. Through March 8, 2024, Ohio owns an all-time MAC record of 657–513 (.561) in 78 seasons of league competition. The following are the records against MAC times in regular-season play:
The Ohio Bobcats are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, United States. Ohio University is a charter member (1946) of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), is currently in the East Division of that conference, and sponsors teams in six men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. The football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level for college football.
Thad Michael Matta is an American college basketball coach who is currently in his second stint as head coach of the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team, having been head coach of the Bulldogs for the 2000–01 season. From 2004 to 2017, Matta led the Ohio State Buckeyes to five Big Ten Conference regular season championships, four Big Ten tournament titles, two Final Four appearances, and the 2008 NIT Championship. He is the winningest coach in Ohio State history.
The Ohio Bobcats football team is a major intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as the senior member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), playing at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Bobcats have played their home games in Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio since 1929.
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division. The Zips are currently coached by John Groce. Prior to becoming members of the MAC in 1992, the Zips were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and the Mid-Continent Conference. They had played in NCAA Division II into the mid 1970s, where they reached the National Championship Game twice, both of which they lost.
Saul Edward Phillips is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach of the Northern State Wolves men's basketball team. Phillips is a graduate of University of Wisconsin–Platteville.
James Patrick Christian is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Canisius Golden Griffins. He previously served as the head coach at Boston College, Kent State, TCU and Ohio.
John Gordon Groce is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Akron Zips men's basketball team. Prior to coaching for Akron, he was the head coach at Illinois and Ohio.
The Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball team represents Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. They compete in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Thundering Herd are led by head coach Cornelius Jackson and play their home games at the on-campus Cam Henderson Center which opened in 1981.
The 2009–10 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team was coached by John Groce and played their homes game at the Convocation Center.
Jeff Boals is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team. Boals spent seven years as an assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team under the tutelage of Thad Matta. In his first head coaching job, he replaced Steve Pikiell as the head coach for the Stony Brook Seawolves for three years.
The 2011–12 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats, led by fourth year head coach John Groce, played their home games at the Convocation Center and are members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 29–8, 11–5 in MAC play to finish in third place in the East Division. They were champions of the MAC Basketball tournament and earned an automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA tournament where the 13th seeded Bobcats defeated Michigan in the second round and South Florida in the third round to advance to school's first Sweet Sixteen since 1964. They lost in the Sweet Sixteen to top-seed North Carolina in overtime. After the season Groce accepted the head coach position at Illinois
Christopher Adam Holtmann is an American college basketball who is currently the head coach at DePaul University.
The 2013–14 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats, led by second year head coach Jim Christian, played their home games at the Convocation Center as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 25–12, 11–7 in MAC play to finish in third place in the East Division. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the MAC tournament where they lost to Akron. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated Cleveland State and Wright State to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to VMI. After the season Christian accepted the head coach position at Boston College.
Nick Kellogg is an American professional basketball player who plays for Paris Basketball. He is the son of former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Clark Kellogg. He went to St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio where he played basketball and competed in consecutive state Final Fours. He played collegiate basketball for Ohio University.
The Ohio Bobcats women's basketball team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East Division competing in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bobcats have played their home games in the Convocation Center since 1973.
The 2016–17 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats, led by third-year head coach Saul Phillips, will play its home games at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the regular season 20–10, 11–7 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place in the East Division. As the No. 2 seed in the MAC tournament, they defeated Toledo before losing to eventual tournament champion Kent State in the semifinals.
The 2018–19 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats, led by fifth-year head coach Saul Phillips, played their home games at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. In non-conference play they had wins over eventual MAAC champion Iona, and both co-champions of the Big South in Radford and Campbell as well as a win over their rival and eventual CIT champion Marshall. They finished the season 14–17 overall, 6–12 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division. As the No. 10 seed in the MAC tournament, they were defeated in the first round by Northern Illinois.
The 2021–22 Ohio University Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University for the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats were led by third-year head coach Jeff Boals, who was a 1995 graduate of Ohio University. The team played their home games at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio as a member of the Mid-American Conference.
The 2022–23 Ohio University Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University for the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats were led by fourth-year head coach Jeff Boals, who was a 1995 graduate of Ohio University. They played their home games at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio as a member of the Mid-American Conference.
The 2022–23 Ohio Bobcats women's basketball team represented Ohio University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bobcats, led by tenth-year head coach Bob Boldon, played their home games at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). They finished 6–23 and 4–14 in MAC play, to finish tied for eleventh in the MAC. They failed to qualify for the MAC tournament.
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