Originally published at: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/most-underrated-osu-hoopers-mo-baker-and-lebryan-nash/
Porter and OKC Dave start their lists of the most underrated basketball players in OSU’s history.
Moe’s senior year was shaping up to be a special year for OSU. Ranked in the top 15 to start the year I believe with Moe, Jonzen, Victor Williams, and Melvin Sanders as returning starters. Imac joined that group in the starting 5 as a redshirt freshman. That team was set up to make a run. Moe hurt his hip/groin and then his ankle that year, and never returned to his normal form. Cost him from getting drafted. That team finished as a 6 seed I believe in the tournament and lost to Kent State and Antonio Gates in the first round upset. Kent State made it to the Elite 8 that year.
I was just thinking about this yesterday and I do not want to spoil your list, but I was re-watching the greatest college game of all-time and I left with many thoughts.
- I completely forget about Mario Boggan, and he was amazing
- JamesOn was an elite scorer, but again, the Sean era feels so lost
- That team should have had Gerald Green and Keith Brumbaugh
Is this where I proclaim my love for Lebryan (King) Nash? He was an incredibly underrated player. If he was like 1% smarter and had 1% more work ethic he may be int he nba.
1 Like
I remember being in GIA when Mo got hurt. We all knew the season would be tough from that point on. Like you said, that team was a little under the radar to that point but they had a chance at a good run until Mo got hurt.
He was the quietest scorer ever. You look up near the end of the game and think, when did LB score 15 points? I can’t recall a singe basket…
1 Like
exactly. I remember thinking, man if Lebryan would score we’d be crushing teams… look at the box score and he’s our leading scorer like what??
Watching Le’Bryan Nash jog up and down the court and Travis Ford coach was the end of my love for
OSU Basketball.
1 Like
I once played whiffle ball with Le’Bryan Nash on Library Lawn. Went 0-3 with 3 Ks. Other than that, mad respect.
Just wonder what it would’ve looked like if he sprinted.
1 Like
Nash: look like Tarzan; play like Jane.
1 Like
Looking forward to seeing this play out and then I’ll add mine. As a hint, I took what I thought was @OKCDave 's PER formula and extended it back to include the 80’s. (I say “thought” because the number I have for Mo Baker is slightly different than in the post). Bottom line, I’ve got two guys from the 80’s who most of you have never heard about who have numbers higher than everyone but Houston, Country, Baker, and Anderson.
Submitting a guess: LeRoy Combs?
1 Like
Hands down …Mo Baker was the finest of all in Sutton era IMO…watched him courtside for 2 years …and left GIA in awe everytime …in 20 yrs have yet to see another come close to how Mo Baker played the game …
1 Like
Yep, he’s the higher of the two. 1982-83 season, he had 17.3 pts, 8.7 rbs, 1.5 asts, 1.4 stls, and 1.9 bks per game on 58% shooting.
Probably not Richard Dumas?
Nope. Before him.
Welp, I’m out. My pre-90s knowledge of OSU basketball has been exhausted.
And I didn’t even look to see when Dumas played, so my guess could have been way off base and you were nice enough to not point it out. 
1 Like
Daniel Bobik!
Richard Dumas was supremely gifted player. If not for his problems he might have been our best NBA player
Our 95 Final Four team was led by Andra Owens, a very steady , glue to that team
1 Like
I was here in Phoenix for the 93 run to the NBA finals and Dumas was a key contributor on that team, despite the headline players like Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Danny Ainge, Dan Majerle, Tom Chambers, and Cedric Ceballos. That team had 7 players average in double figures. Dumas was 4th in ppg at 15.8 (behind Barkley, Majerle, and Johnson).
1 Like