Question of the Week

Richard, Cincinnati, OH
Subj: Buckeyes Basketball
Is it true that Hall of Famer John Havlicek tried out for the Cleveland Browns after leaving Ohio State?

That’s correct, Richard. Hondo first started popping up on the NFL’s radar in high school when he was an all-state quarterback. Although he elected not to play on the gridiron in college teams still kept tabs on his physical development and he was drafted by both the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Browns in 1962. The idea of starring in two separate sports clearly appealed to him and he reported to the Browns training camp that summer where he was groomed as a lanky wide receiver. Unfortunately, the team was already loaded at his position and Havlicek was cut just before the first game of the season. He later called the incident the most crushing disappointment of his otherwise distinguished athletic career. On the positive side, the demotion made Havlicek work even harder at basketball and he went onto become a 13-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time world champion before hanging up his sneakers in 1978.

Question of the Week

Calvin, Boston, MA
Subj: Two for the show
Who do you think is the greatest tandem in NCAA basketball history?

From the automatic scoring of Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble to the devastating defense of Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, there’s no shortage of classic combinations to choose from. However, I’m going to side with Ohio State and select Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek. From the moment they first suited up for the red and white, “Luke” and “Hondo” transformed the Buckeyes from an NCAA also ran into a national powerhouse, guiding the team to its first – and only – national championship in 1960. Havilcek, who averaged 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, was the undisputable heart and soul of the team, while the 6’8” Lucas was the NCAA’s most dominant offensive weapon. During his three years with the Buckeyes, “Luke” averaged 24.3 points and 17.2 rebounds per game and was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year three years in a row. Both players have since been inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame and are synonymous not only with Ohio State but also with basketball excellence.

Ask Ryan - All You Need Is Love

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like baseball and congressional hearings. This week's mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about Kevin Youkilis' new energy drink, John Havlicek's brief football career and Kevin Love's original claim to fame. Read all about it at: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7683502