The Ohio State University men's basketball program has retired four numbers in it's 113 year history. Dennis Hopson's #32 is not one of them. One prerequisite, aside from John Havlicek, to having this honor bestowed upon you at Ohio State is to have won the National Player of the Year Award in college basketball, of which three former Buckeyes have been selected for.
In 1961 and 1962 Jerry Lucas was chosen as the NCAA Division 1 Player of the Year, the United Press International Player of the Year, and the Associated Press Player of the Year. His #11 was retired on February 23rd, 2000. In 1964 Gary Bradds was chosen as the NCAA Division 1 Player of the Year, the United Press International Player of the Year, and the Associated Press Player of the Year. His #35 was retired on January 27th, 2001. In 1992 Jim Jackson was chosen as the United Press International Player of the Year. His #22 was retired on February 10th, 2001.
In an honorary ceremony at halftime of a game against Wisconsin in 2005, John Havlicek had his #5 retired without having won NPOY.
So what has kept Dennis Hopson, an All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year, from hoisting his jersey into the rafters at Value City Arena, even though he is the University's all-time leading scorer and record holder for most points scored in a season?
David Robinson | Navy Midshipmen | 1987 National Player of the Year
This is the second of a five-part series documenting the Ohio State career of Mr. Dennis Hopson - and why we should never again see a #32 in Scarlet and Gray.
"The Admiral" David Robinson was the national story of 1987. He was enrolled at one of our prestigious military academies - Navy - and was a unique seven-footer, for the time, with his combination of power, grace, and athleticism. He was a consensus All-American following his junior year of 1986 and followed that up with a senior season performance that earned him a clean sweep of all major national college basketball awards: Consensus All-American; AP Player of the Year; NABC Player of the Year; Naismith Award; Rupp Trophy; Sporting News Player of the Year; UPI Player of the Year; USBWA Player of the Year; Wooden Award.
In 1986-87 Robinson averaged 28.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in the Colonial Athletic Association against teams like American, William & Mary and North Carolina-Wilmington. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated two months into his senior season, sparking a following that gained him national attention that he would sustain until being knocked out of the NCAA's first round by the Big Ten's fifth best team - Michigan (20-12).
Meanwhile Dennis Hopson was lighting up the old St. John Arena night after night, averaging 29.1 points-per-game - ranking him second in the nation and first among all Big Ten players - while also leading Ohio State in ten statistical categories. He broke the Ohio State record for most points in a season (958) while becoming the University's all-time leading scorer with 2,096 points. Twenty-five years later both records still stand. And who watched his beyond-spectacular 1986-87 senior season? Just us.
