With March Madness upon us, here's a look at 10 underrated players from Ohio colleges, in no particular order, with name, final year of college, school, height and position. Feel free to add your own in the comments section below.
1. Ken "Mouse" McFadden, 1989, Cleveland State, 6-1, point guard
Product of New York City. Was the frontman for the most memorable period in Vikings history. Their upset of Bobby Knight and Indiana in the NCAA tournament played a big role in helping "Season on the Brink" become a New York Times bestseller. Still CSU's all-time leading scorer. Was listed at 6-1 but pro scouts said that number was actually probably closer to 5-9. Went undrafted, drew interest from the 76ers and Spurs, but never made it to the NBA. Put together a nice career in the minors, though.
2. Brian Grant, 1994, Xavier, 6-9, power forward/center
Product of the little farming community of Georgetown, not far from Cincinnati. Tenacious rebounder and determined defender, played a rugged all-around game. Always seemed to appreciate the fact he got to play basketball after spending a portion of his childhood bailing hay and digging potatoes. Led Muskateers in rebounding all four seasons and remains among program's all-time scoring leaders. Selected by the Kings with the eighth overall pick. Put together a really nice pro career that lasted 12 seasons. Best years came with the Heat. Also spent time with the Kings, Trail Blazers, Lakers and Suns.
3. David Lighty, 2011, Ohio State, 6-6, shooting guard/small forward
Product of Cleveland. Lockdown defender among all-time Buckeyes fan favorites. Played for some stacked teams at OSU and never forced a shot, but made lots of winning decisions. Sort of a silent assassin on the floor. Went undrafted, signed overseas, and drew continuous interest from the Hawks. Eventually signed with the Hawks but was waived before playing an NBA game. Has had a nice career overseas.
4. Negele Knight, 1990, Dayton, 6-1, point guard
Product of Detroit. Best guard in Flyers history. Super fast, could jump out of gym, athletically superior to most people at the collegiate level. Found that wasn't the case in the NBA, but still had a solid pro career. Drafted by the Pistons in the second round. Eight-year pro career featured four seasons with Suns, and one apiece with Trail Blazers, Pistons, Raptors and Spurs.
5. Rod Swartz, 1987, Hiram College, 6-2, shooting guard
Product of Mogadore. Probably the greatest Division III player in Ohio history. Could've played in the Big Ten and done well. Tough, excellent shooter who found ways to score. Averaged 29.4 points his senior season. Still ranks among top 30 all-time in NCAA D-III in career points (2,252) and points per game. First team all-Division III in both junior and senior seasons. Heck of a baseball player, too. Currently the head coach at Norton High School.
David Lighty, a lockdown defender, is among all-time Buckeyes fan favorites.
6. Franklin Edwards, 1982, Cleveland State, 6-1, point guard
Product of New York City. No. 14 hangs in rafters at CSU. Never averaged less than 18.7 points in four seasons with the Vikings. Could do it all, from distribute to score without forcing shots. Intelligent player who mastered the fundamentals while incorporating the city game. Shot 53 percent from the floor his senior season. Drafted by the 76ers with the No. 22 overall pick. Had a nice career as an NBA backup, spending three seasons with the Sixers, two with the Clippers and two with the Kings.
7. Jay Burson, 1989, Ohio State, 6-1, guard
Product of little New Concord, near Cambridge. Was Ohio's high school scoring leader for 22 years, until record was broken by Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler, another eventual Buckeye. Averaged 22.1 points during his senior year at Ohio State, was on his way to becoming a first-round NBA draft pick. But neck injury suffered in collision vs. Iowa sidelined him for final three months of season. Invited to camp by Rockets, was among final cuts. Had a nice stint in the minors for a couple seasons.
8. Gary Trent, 1995, Ohio, 6-8, power forward
Product of Columbus. Strong inside presence who was called "The Shaq of the MAC." Simply overpowered people on way to basket. Ohio retired his No. 20 jersey in 2012. Member of the MAC Hall of Fame. Drafted by the Bucks with the No. 11 overall pick. Played in the NBA for 10 seasons with the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Mavericks and Raptors.
9. Dave Jamerson, 1990, Ohio, 6-5, shooting guard
Product of Stow. Among the greatest shooters in the history of Ohio U. Scored 60 against Charleston (W.Va.) his senior season. Drafted by the Heat with the No. 15 overall pick. Played in the NBA for parts of four seasons with the Rockets, Nets and Jazz. Major knee injury prevented him from reaching his potential in pros.
10. Joe Jakubick, 1984, Akron, 6-foot-5, shooting guard
Product of Mansfield. Led nation in scoring during his senior season (30.1 ppg). A lefty with highly-unconventional form, making his shots difficult to block. Drafted by the Cavs in the seventh round (yes, there were seven rounds back then), but cut in training camp. Also drew interest from the Trail Blazers. Never played in the NBA. Currently the head coach at Mansfield St. Peter's High School.
