COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s connection with the National Basketball Association goes well beyond the Cleveland Cavaliers, and even the Cincinnati Royals.

Sure, players like Evan Turner (Ohio State), Wally Szczerbiak (Miami University), Vitaly Potapenko (Wright State), Nick Van Exel (Cincinnati), David West (Xavier), and Paul Graham (Ohio) got to the NBA through playing at Ohio colleges.

However, more than 175 players charted a path to the NBA by playing high school basketball in Ohio, and 74 of them helped lead their prep teams to the state tournament, which is being hosted for the 98th time this weekend.

The NBA began play as the Basketball Association of America in the 1946-47 season. Going back to the OHSAA State Tournament in 1936, there have been 54 of the 84 tournaments with at least one future NBA player in it.

Some other impressive numbers; in an 18-year stretch from 1995 through 2012, 17 of those tournaments had a future NBA player. Since 1995 (25 tournaments), 19 of those years had at least one player in the final four that would later appear in the NBA.

Who knows, maybe that number will go up in the coming years, as recent tournaments have also boasted star power. Just two years ago, the most recent state tournament played featured Miles McBride of Cincinnati Moeller, who is currently the leading scorer for West Virginia, which has been a top 10 team for most of the year. Amari Davis, from Trotwood, was the leading scorer (17.2 PPG) for Wisconsin-Green Bay as a sophomore, but decided to enter the transfer portal after the season ended.

In 2018, Michael Bothwell took Cornerstone Christian to the championship game, and led Furman in scoring this season. Devone “Dae Dae” Grant went from Lorain to Miami University, leading the RedHawks in scoring, and was named third-team All-MAC. Jaxson Hayes, the Moeller product that spent one year at the University of Texas, was a 2019 NBA Draft first-round selection by Atlanta, who traded his rights to New Orleans, where he’s spent his first two seasons.

The year before, Hayes and Moeller lost in the Division I championship game to future-Buckeye Kyle Young. That tournament also featured Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Jayvon Graves, a second-team All-MAC performer at Buffalo this year. Trotwood’s Torrey Patton was Cleveland State’s leading scorer, helping the Vikings reach their first NCAA Tournament since 2009. Columbus Eastmoor’s Taevion Kinsey was Marshall’s second leading scorer in 2020-21.

Fifteen years ago, five future NBA players shared the same state tournament. Division II state champion Dayton Dunbar featured Daequan Cook and Norris Cole. The Division III winners from Cincinnati North College Hill had O.J. Mayo and Henry “Bill” Walker. Division I semifinalist Trotwood was led by Chris Wright.

Four times, there were four in the same year, most recently in 2012. Division I champion Pickerington Central sent Caris LeVert and Jae’Sean Tate to “The Association” where they can be found this year in Indianapolis and Houston, respectively. Toledo Whitmer had Nigel Hayes, and Elida roster contained Dakota Mathias.

Three years prior, Columbus Northland won a Division I title on the strength of Trey Burke and Jared Sullinger. They defeated Cincinnati Princeton and Jordan Sibert in that title game. JaKarr Sampson played for Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

In 2005, Mayo, Walker, Cook and Cole also appeared in the state tournament.

Finally, back in 1944, a trio of Toledo Woodward players (Bob Harrison, Johnny Payak and Paul Seymour) were early NBA pioneers. Alex Groza of Martins Ferry also participated that year. That Woodward team is the only one in OHSAA history to feature three on the same state tournament team. There has been a duo on the same squad 13 times.

The full list of these players stretches from 2018 all the way back to 1936:

  • 2018 Jaxson Hayes (Cincinnati Moeller)
  • 2017 Jaxson Hayes (Cincinnati Moeller)
  • 2012 Dakota Mathias (Elida); Jae’Sean Tate (Pickerington Central); Caris LeVert (Pickerington Central); Nigel Hayes (Toledo Whitmer)
  • 2011 Trey Burke (Columbus Northland)
  • 2010 Adrien Payne (Dayton Jefferson)
  • 2009 Trey Burke (Columbus Northland); Jared Sullinger (Columbus Northland); Jordan Sibert (Cincinnati Princeton); JaKarr Sampson (Akron SVSM)
  • 2007 Kosta Koufos (Canton GlenOak); C.J. McCollum (Canton GlenOak); Norris Cole (Dayton Dunbar)
  • 2006 O.J. Mayo (Cincinnati North College Hill); Henry “Bill” Walker (Cincinnati North College Hill); Daequan Cook (Dayton Dunbar); Norris Cole (Dayton Dunbar); Chris Wright (Trotwood)
  • 2005 O.J. Mayo (Cincinnati North College Hill); Henry “Bill” Walker (Cincinnati North College Hill); Daequan Cook (Dayton Dunbar); Norris Cole (Dayton Dunbar)
  • 2004 Derrick Brown (Dayton Chaminade Julienne); Brian Roberts (Toledo St. John’s)
  • 2003 LeBron James (Akron SVSM); Brian Roberts (Toledo St. John’s)
  • 2002 LeBron James (Akron SVSM); Robert Hite (Cincinnati Winton Woods)
  • 2001 LeBron James (Akron SVSM)
  • 2000 LeBron James (Akron SVSM)
  • 1999 Devin Green (Columbus Beechcroft)
  • 1998 Keith McLeon (Canton McKinley); Jawad Williams (Lakewood St. Edward); Brandon Hunter (Cincinnati Withrow) 
  • 1997 J.R. Bremer (Cleveland Heights)
  • 1996 Jason Collier (Springfield Central Catholic)
  • 1995 Jason Collier (Springfield Central Catholic)
  • 1993 Samaki Walker (Whitehall)
  • 1991 Jamie Feick (Lexington)
  • 1990 Eric Snow (Canton McKinley); Michael Hawkins (Canton McKinley)
  • 1989 Jim Jackson (Toledo Macomber)
  • 1988 Lawrence Funderburke (Columbus Wehrle)
  • 1987 Mark Baker (Dayton Dunbar); Eric Riley (Cleveland VASJ)
  • 1984 Gary Grant (Canton McKinley); Jerome Lane (Akron SVSM)
  • 1983 Todd Mitchell (Toledo St. Francis); Jerome Lane (Akron SVSM)
  • 1981 Clinton Smith (Cleveland John Adams)
  • 1979 Granville Waiters (Columbus East); Clark Kellogg (Cleveland SJ)
  • 1978 John Paxon (Kettering Alter)
  • 1976 Butch Carter (Middletown); Don Collins (Toledo Scott)
  • 1975 Jim Paxson (Kettering Alter); Phil Hubbard (Canton McKinley); Frankie Sanders (Dayton Stivers)
  • 1974 Phil Hubbard (Canton McKinley)
  • 1969 Bo Lamar (Columbus East); Ed Ratleff (Columbus East); Nick Weatherspoon (Canton McKinley)
  • 1968 Bo Lamar (Columbus East); Ed Ratleff (Columbus East)
  • 1967 Jim Cleamons (Columbus Linden)
  • 1966 Joe Cooke (Toledo Libbey)
  • 1965 Bob Arnzen (Cincinnati St. Xavier)
  • 1964 Don May (Dayton Belmont); Bill Hosket (Dayton Belmont); Manny Leaks (Cleveland East)
  • 1958 Jerry Lucas (Middletown)
  • 1957 Jerry Lucas (Middletown)
  • 1956 Jerry Lucas (Middletown)
  • 1955 Joe Roberts (Columbus East); Mel Nowell (Columbus East)
  • 1954 Boo Ellis (Hamilton)
  • 1950 Jimmy Darrow (Akron South)
  • 1948 Jimmy Holstein (Hamilton Catholic)
  • 1944 Alex Groza (Martins Ferry); Paul Seymour (Toledo Woodward); Johnny Payak (Toledo Woodward); Bob Harrison (Toledo Woodward)
  • 1943 Alex Groza (Martins Ferry); Fred Schaus (Newark)
  • 1942 Paul Huston (Xenia Central)
  • 1941 Paul Huston (Xenia Central); Dick Shrider (Glenford)
  • 1940  Wyndol Gray (Akron South); Fritz Nagy (Akron South); Dick Shrider (Glenford)
  • 1939 Don Otten (Bellefontaine); Dick Shrider (Glenford)
  • 1937 Frank Baumholtz (Midvale)
  • 1936 Ned Endress (Akron South)

You may watch the 2021 OHSAA state tournament add to the legacy of great basketball players in the state of Ohio on Spectrum News 1 this weekend.

Friday’s semifinal games available on channel 314. Saturday’s Division II and Division I semifinals can be seen on Spectrum News 1, and the Spectrum News App, as can all four championship games on Sunday, with the following game times:

10:45 a.m. – Division IV
2 p.m. – Division III
5:15 p.m. – Division II
8:30 p.m. – Division I

OHSAA Championship Gameday airs 15 minutes before each game.

You might want play close attention. Someday you could be watching an NBA game, and flash back to “I remember watching him in the high school tournament.”