Ohio State Buckeyes: Worst 10 NCAA Heartbreaks

When it comes to Ohio State Buckeyes’ basketball, there’s a rich tradition, but there’s also a ton of heartbreak that accompanies a program that often finds itself competing in the NCAA Tournament.

Here are the 10 worst NCAA Tournament heartbreaks:

1939 National Championship Game: Oregon 46 , Ohio State 33

The 1938-39 Buckeyes played in the first NCAA Tournament, and lost to the Oregon Ducks. The fact that it was the FIRST tournament is what makes this lost hurt. How good would that banner look hanging from the Schottenstein Center?

OK, the truth is the NIT Tournament was actually the biggest game in town back then because the NCAA Tournament was limited to conference champions. Back then, a lot of powerhouse schools played as independents, which meant they were left out of the NCAAs.

The first NCAA Tournament had a field of eight teams–a far cry from today’s 68. And the Buckeyes earned double-digit victories over Wake Forest and Villanova before falling by 13 in the final.

That season, the Bucks went 16-7 overall, and 10-2 in Big Ten play. Jimmy Hull led the Buckeyes with 12 points in the championship game.

Oregon played a lot more games that season, compiling a 25-7 record, while winning the Pacific Coast Conference with a mark of 14-2.

The championship video is provided courtesy of Oregon, to zip right to the title game, fast forward to 7:35.

Next: Next Ohio State Heartbreaker