The NWO connection to Men's March Madness
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Northwest Ohio men have made nearly 200 appearances in March Madness since its inception in 1939. This season, odds are for Jamiya Neal (Toledo Rogers) of Creighton and Zeb Jackson (Maumee VCD) of VCU to make the field.
The following is a look back on those from Northwest Ohio to appear in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
1939-1949
In the very first iteration of March Madness, the Ohio State Buckeyes finished as runners-up. On that team was all-time Sandusky great Charles Maag who played in the paint.
James Sims of Port Clinton would appear for Ohio State in 1945 and Wayne Wells of Lima Central for the Buckeyes in 1946.
Toledo Woodward’s Bob Harrison made the tournament with the Michigan Wolverines in 1948 before going on to win three NBA titles and being named to the 1956 NBA All-Star team.
1950-59
Sandusky legend Dick Schnittker partnered with Bluffton’s Robert Burkholder to help the Ohio State Buckeye’s to an Elite Eight Appearance in 1950. Schnittker was named a First Team All-American that season before going on to play six season in the NBA.
In 1952, the Dayton Flyers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in part to two Toledo Central Catholic grads, Don Donoher and Gene Hickey. Donoher would go on to coach the Flyers to eight NCAA tournament appearances and have the arena named in his honor.
Notre Dame made their first March Madness appearance in 1953 where they made the Elite Eight. On that team were two NWO catholic school graduates in Gerald McCloskey of Toledo Central Catholic and Dick Honigford of Delphos St. John’s. Honigford would again help the Fighting Irish to the Elite Eight in 1954.
In 1954 the Toledo Rockets made their first ever NCAA Tournament. That team featured four Toledo City League stars. Three were from DeVilbiss in Burt Spice, John Pazdzior and Jim Maher. The other, Jim Ray, was from Toledo Woodward. That was also the first year the Rockets won the MAC title.
Bowling Green State won their first conference title and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1959. That team featured Oregon Clay’s Jim Rouston, Macomber’s Dick Kuzma and Woodward’s Ben Williams (who would later become a legendary coach at Toledo Scott).
1960-69
Although 1960’s featured tremendous Ohio State basketball teams, only a handful of Northwest Ohioans made the NCAA Tournament with the Buckeyes. Doug McDonald of Fostoria was on both national runner-up teams in 1961 and 1962. The 1968 third place team featured future NBAer and Findlay native Dave Soreson, as well as, Jeff Miller of Lima Shawnee, Gary McDavid of Galion and John Halley of Vermilion.
The 1960’s were the golden age of Bowling Green State basketball. They reached the tournament in 1962, 1963 and 1968. The 1962 team featured future NBAer and Woodward legend Butch Komives, along with Portage grad Bill Reynolds and Sylvania Burnham grad Dan Knepper. All three then came back in 1963 and helped the Falcons reach the Sweet 16. The 1968 squad had six local athletes on it, Adrian Zuber of Lima Shawnee, Sid Rodeheffer of Bowling Green, Mark Hoffman of Bellevue, Al Dixon of Toledo Scott, Carl Assenheimer of Tiffin Columbian and future NBAer Walt Piatkowski of Toledo Woodward.
The beginning of the Dayton dynasty came into shape at this time, coached by Toledo Central Catholic grad Don Donoher, the Flyers made four NCAA tournaments in the decade. The 1965 team featured Wayne Taubken of Wapakoneta St. Joseph, Gene Klaus of Delphos St. John’s and Jim Wannemacher of Ottoville. Klaus and Wannemacher then returned the next year in 1966. Both teams made the Sweet 16. The 1967 national runner-up team also featured Wannemacher and Klaus, as well as, Dan Sadler of Lima Central Catholic and Tom Heckman of Ottawa-Glandorf. The 1969 team also featured Sadler and Heckman, along with Steve Turnwald of Ottoville.
The Toledo Rockets made their second ever tournament appearance in 1967. The leader of the locals on that team was longtime NBAer and only Rocket to ever have their number retired, Steve Mix of Rogers. The team also featured Calvin Lawshe of Macomber, Mark Paulszak of Toledo St. Francis, Dennis Perzynski of Toledo Central Catholic and Willie Babione of Fremont St. Joseph.
Others to make the tournament were James Myers of Defiance who helped Michigan finish in third place in 1964, finish runner-up in 1965 and make the Elite Eight in 1966. Richard Clark of North Balitmore helped Eastern Kentucky reach the tournament in 1965.
1970-79
The biggest local to make a splash in March Madness was undoubtly Scott May from Sandusky. May helped the Hoosiers reach the tournament in both 1975 and 1976. May would have led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season in 1975 but he broke his left arm in the tournament. In 1976, he and the Hoosiers became the last NCAA champions to finish undefeated. He was a two time First-Team All-American and won multiple college Player of the Year Awards.
The Dayton Flyers again made two more tournament appearances in the seventies. The 1970 first round team featured Steve Turnwald of Ottoville and Pat Murnen of Toledo Central Catholic. The 1974 Sweet 16 team featured Joe Fisher of Lima Central Catholic.
The SEC featured local athletes for both Kentucky and Tennessee. Jim Andrews of Lima Bath made the tournament with the Wildcats for three straight seasons. The 1971 team made the Sweet 16 while the 1972 and 1973 teams made the Elite Eight. Joining Andrews on the 1971 team was former high school teammate Steve Penhorwood. The 1972 team also featured Lima Shawnee standout Dan Perry. Toledo Scott legend Truman Claytor also made the tournament with Kentucky. In 1977 they made the Elite Eight and in 1978 Claytor and the Wildcats won it all. Toledo DeVilbiss legend Terry Crosby made the NCAA Tournament three times with the Tennessee Volunteers, in 1976, 1977 and 1979.
Locally in the Big Ten, Ohio State’s 1971 Elite Eight team featured Joseph Newell of Bryan, David Merchant of Marion Harding and Wendell Heximer of Fayette. Meanwhile, just north of the state border, Charles Rogers of Findlay made the tournament with Michigan in 1974.
Three other schools helped locals make the big dance in the 1970’s. The first was Western Michigan in 1976 who had Fremont Ross graduate Mike Reardon on their squad. The next two both came in 1979 when Oklahoma and Toledo both made the Sweet 16. Oklahoma featured Lima Senior legend John McCullough at guard, while Toledo featured Mitch Seemann of Toledo Central Catholic, Kevin Appel of Fairview, Tim Selgo of Pettisville and Jay Lehman of Defiance.
1980-89
The 1980 season saw the last Toledo Rockets team to make the tournament. The squad featured Tim Frost of Wynford, Dave Reiker of Findlay, along with Selgo, Lehman and Seemann.
The 80’s saw three Toledo City League stars head out of state and take their teams to March Madness. The first was PAC-10 Player of the Year Don Collins of Toledo Scott who in 1980 helped the Cougars reach the big dance. The second was Toledo St. Francis superstar Todd Mitchell who went to four straight NCAA tournaments with Purdue from 1985-88. The last was Melvin Newbern of Toledo Scott who in 1989 took Minnesota to the Sweet 16.
Toledo Macomber’s Kelvin Ransey and Defiance’s Mark Hetz helped Ohio State to the Sweet 16 in 1980. Then in 1983, Delphos St. John’s phenom Alan Kortokrax was on the Buckeye’s Sweet 16 team. Toledo Bowsher all-timer Dennis Hopson helped Ohio State to the tournament in 1985 and 1987, he is all-time leading scorer in Buckeyes history. Jim Honigford of Coldwater was also on the 1985 squad.
The 1984 and 1985 Dayton squads both featured Ed Young of Upper Sandusky and Damon Goodwin of St. Marys Memorial. The 1984 squad made it all the way to the Elite Eight.
1990-99
The Ohio State Buckeyes made three straight tournaments from 1990-92. They were led by Toledo Basketball legend Jim Jackson of Macomber. Joining him in 1990 and 1991 was Nick Hodak of Toledo St. John’s. Wayne Trace star Steve Hall also made an appearance each three years. The 1992 squad also saw the addition of Doug Etzler from Convoy Crestview.
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Melvin Newbern again led Minnesota to the tournament in 1990. While AJ Granger of Liberty-Benton made the Sweet 16 in 1998 and Final Four in 1999 for Michigan State.
In the southeast portion of the state, Dayton, Xavier and Cincinnati all featured locals in the big dance. Noland Robinson of Willard made the tournament with Dayton in 1990. Larry Sykes of Toledo St. Francis made the tournament with Xavier in both 1993 and 1995. While sharpshooter LaZelle Durden of Rossford made the tournament with Cincinnati from 1993-95.
Donnie Dobbs of Toledo Macomber also made the tournament in 1994 with Saint Louis and Dashay Jones of Sandusky made the tournament with Tennessee in 1998.
2000-09
AJ Granger of Liberty-Benton became the first champion of the new millenia when he and Michigan State won it all in 2000. Travis Walton of Lima Senior then made four straight tournaments with the Spartans from 2006-09, finishing runner-up in 2009.
Marion Catholic star Ed McCants helped Milwaukee win their first ever tournament games in 2005 when he led the Panthers to the Sweet 16.
BJ Raymond of Toledo St. John’s made four straight tournaments with Xavier from 2006-09. Raymond led the team to the Elite Eight in 2008 and Sweet 16 in 2009.
Jamar Butler of Lima Shawnee led Ohio State to March Madness in 2006 and 2007. Making all the way to the finals in 2007. In 2009 William Buford of Toledo Libbey and Jon Diebler of Upper Sandusky both helped lead the Buckeyes to the big dance.
Also making the tournament in the decade was Zach Hillesland of Toledo St. John’s with Notre Dame in 2007 and 2008 and Jimmy Langhurst of Willard with Robert Morris in 2009.
2010-Present
Ohio State made every tournament from 2010-2015. The 2010 Sweet 16 squad featured both Diebler and Buford. The 2011 Sweet 16 team featured Diebler, Buford and the addition of Liberty-Benton standout Aaron Craft. Buford and Craft were back in 2012 to lead the Buckeyes to the Final Four. In 2013 Craft led Ohio State to the Elite Eight. The 2014 team had Aaron Craft and Toledo St. John’s grad Marc Loving. Marc Loving then returned in 2015 to take the Buckeyes to the round of 32.
Other local athletes showcased their talents in March Madness elsewhere in the Big Ten. Garrick Sherman was on Michigan State’s 2010 Final Four team and their 2011 tournament team (He then appeared on the Notre Dame 2013 tournament team after transfering). Vitto Brown of Bowling Green and Nigel Hayes-Davis of Whitmer made four straight tournaments with Wisconsin from 2014-2017, including finishing runners-up in 2015. Dakota Mathias of Elida made for straight tournaments with Purdue from 2015-2018. Mark Donnal of Anthony Wayne made the tournament with Michigan in 2016 and 2017. Zavier Simpson of Lima Senior led the Wolverines to the tournament from 2017-2019, including national runner-up in 2018.
Reggie McAdams of Elida helped Akron make the big dance in 2013. Ryan Mikesell of St. Henry made the tournament in 2016 and 2017 with Dayton. Lima Central Catholic’s Tre Cobbs and Dantez Walton were on Northern Kentucky’s first ever tournament team in 2017. Walton and the Norse made it again in 2019. Chris Darrington of Toledo Scott made tournament in his one year at Tennessee in 2018. Jeff Thomas of Norwalk made two straight tournaments in 2018 and 2019 with Georgia State. Vince Williams Jr. of Toledo St. John’s made the tournament with VCU in 2019 and 2021, while Zeb Jackson of Maumee VCD made the tournament with Michigan in 2021 and 2022 and with VCU in 2023. 2023 was also the year Toledo Rogers grad Jamiya Neal made the tournament with Arizona State.