From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes, from the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history to underappreciated icons to the athletes who will eventually become all-time Buckeye greats.
You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
When some people think of sports heroes, oftentimes it is someone who is on a team for an extended period of time. Even though Mike Conley was only at Ohio State for a year, he was not only tremendous on the court for the Buckeyes, but after turning professional, he has been one of the most respected players in sports.
Just look at the way Conley has conducted himself while in the NBA, appearing in over 1,200 games without being whistled for a technical foul.
The prize of Ohio State basketball’s 2006 recruiting class was undoubtedly Greg Oden. Conley played alongside Oden at Lawrence North in Indianapolis, winning three state championships in four years. Oden and Conley decided to commit to Ohio State together, where they would lead the Buckeyes to an appearance in the national title game in the one year of college basketball they would play before declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft.
During his freshman season at Ohio State, Conley averaged 11.3 points per game and dished out 6.1 assists per game, which would be the top mark in the Big Ten. The point guard would be named to the All-Big Ten First Team, as the Buckeyes would win the regular season and conference tournament titles.
Conley’s most memorable performance came in the thrilling overtime victory against Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Oden fouled in the second half, leading to Conley willing the Buckeyes to victory by scoring 11 of his 21 points in the game in overtime.
Following the title game loss to Florida, Conley, Oden, and Daequan Cook all declared for the 2007 NBA Draft. Oden was selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, while Conley was drafted with the fourth pick by the Memphis Grizzlies.
In his first professional season, Conley averaged 9.4 points per game and 4.2 assists per game as he adjusted to life in the NBA. Starting with his sophomore campaign, Conley became a reliable piece for the Grizzlies, appearing in at least 70 games in six of the next seven seasons.
In 2011, Conley made the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career, helping the Grizzlies beat San Antonio in the first round before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in the conference semifinals. The 2012-13 season would not only see Conley be named to the NBA’s All-Defense Second Team, but Memphis would also make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before being swept by the Spurs.
After inking a five-year contract with the Grizzlies in July 2016, Conley was eventually traded to the Utah Jazz in July 2019, since it became obvious Memphis was going to be rebuilding. Conley’s first season with the Jazz was interrupted by COVID-19, but it did give the guard a unique opportunity to help raise money for charity.
By winning a virtual H-O-R-S-E competition, Conley and the NBA raised $200,000 for charities.
Despite taking the top spot in the Western Conference during the 2020-21 regular season, Conley and the Jazz were never able to make it past the second round in the three full seasons he was in Salt Lake City. One positive to come from his time in Utah is that Conley was named an All-Star for the first time in his career after being voted into the 2021 game.
Teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert left Utah prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, and eventually, Conley was traded to Minnesota in the middle of the season. After a first-round exit in his first season with the Timberwolves, Conley and Minnesota have made it to the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons.
If the Timberwolves are able to beat San Antonio on Tuesday night, Conley will be one win away from his fourth appearance in the WCF.
Including the playoffs, Conley has played in nearly 1,350 games in the NBA. It’s obvious he isn’t quite the same player as he used to be, but he is still a valuable piece to Minnesota, giving the team veteran depth, which has been needed in the playoffs after the Timberwolves have dealt with injuries to Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, and Donte DiVincenzo.
The most impactful performance so far in the playoffs from Conley came in the first game against San Antonio when he scored 12 points and dished out six assists in the 104-102 win over the Spurs.
Despite not yet making the NBA Finals or winning a title as a pro, one thing Conley can hang his hat on is that he has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award four times, which is the most of all time. It’s hard to remember there ever being anything negative said about how Conley handles himself on and off the court.
Even though he was only in Columbus for a short amount of time, he has been a player that all future Buckeyes should model themselves after when it comes to carrying themselves.
