When you’re born in Ohio, being a fan of Ohio State is inherent.
In a state whose professional teams are routinely in the doldrums, the Buckeyes dominate the sports landscape. Buckeye football and basketball runs in the blood of every Ohioan.
For some, having a blood connection to Ohio State is literal. Take Wisconsin basketball stars and Ohio natives Traevon Jackson and Nigel Hayes.
Jackson’s father, Jim, played basketball at Ohio State for three seasons in the early 1990s. He had one of the most prolific careers in school history and had his jersey retired in 2001.
For Hayes, playing for the Buckeyes was always a dream. His older brother briefly played football for Ohio State and his aunt graduated from the university.
Hayes, a forward in his first year at UW, grew up in Toledo, a city located on the border between Michigan and Ohio. It’s right in the heart of one of the most passionate rivalries in college sports.
“You’re either a Michigan fan, which there are very few, but the majority of us are Ohio State fans,” Hayes said. “It’s just the life you live and you’re immersed in it.”
Jackson, a junior point guard from Westerville, Ohio, had a similar experience to his teammate, and loved fall weekends when he could watch the football team take the field at The Horseshoe.
“That was the thing to do in central Ohio,” Jackson said. “It was everything Buckeyes on Saturdays.”
However, Jackson reserved his fandom for Buckeye football only. Despite having a former campus superstar for a dad, he instead preferred to watch Florida and UCLA basketball because Ohio State was not as good in the early 2000s as it is today.
“I never had a desire to do that,” Jackson said when asked if he ever wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and play basketball in Columbus. “I wanted to make my own path and go somewhere where I could make my own niche.”
Without a direct paternal connection to the basketball team, Hayes wanted to become a part of the university he had rooted for during his childhood.
“That was always my dream school,” Hayes said. “Growing up, I always wanted to be a Buckeye and be home with my parents.”
Hayes was a nationally ranked recruit coming out of Whitmer High School. He earned second-team all-state honors during his sophomore and junior seasons, and led his team to an appearance in the Division 1 state title game in 2012. Hayes also finished his career as Whitmer’s all-time leader in blocks with 163.
With so much achievement in high school, Ohio State had its eye on the young forward from Toledo, believing he could add to the school’s decade of domination as a basketball powerhouse.
Since Thad Matta took over as head coach in 2004, the Buckeyes have won five Big Ten regular season championships, four conference tournament championships and appeared in two Final Fours.
While Ohio State’s elite status has allowed it to bring in top recruits from across the country, Matta never overlooked the talent in his own backyard. Recent Ohioans to play for the Buckeyes include Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger and Daequan Cook.
When Ohio State goes after a local product and extends a scholarship offer, the player more often than not accepts. The Buckeyes signed both of the players they pursued on ESPN’s list of top Ohio recruits for the class of 2014.
There’s a prestige associated with the basketball program, and local talent often heeds the call.
But ultimately, Hayes stepped away from his childhood dreams and enrolled at Wisconsin. The Badgers wooed him with a unique atmosphere that coincided with his strong academic background.
“I felt like this was the best fit for me,” Hayes said. “Not only athletically, but also academically because I want to be a business major and they have one of the best business programs in the country.”
associate head Coach Greg Gard said that Hayes’ decision was as much about the intangible as it was the tangible.
“Players usually go places because of relationships. Obviously, buildings and name and school are one thing,” Gard said. “But it’s still about the relationships you have with the people there.”
Gard gave a lot of credit for Hayes’ arrival to assistant coach Lamont Paris, his primary recruiter. Paris’ countless hours with the family created a strong trust factor that brought the Toledo star to Madison. Gard also believed the current players were just as influential as the coaching staff.
“He had a great interaction with our players,” Gard said. “They’re always your best recruiters because they tell it how it is.”
While Hayes was a renowned prep player, Jackson was not as heavily recruited nor did Ohio State pursue him. Gard was Jackson’s primary recruiter, and sensed that Jackson had natural leadership skills that could not be passed up.
“I saw a personality in terms of how he dealt with people and how he dealt with his teammates,” Gard said. “He had the mindset and the toughness mentally to be able to play here and play at this level.”
As a freshman, Jackson’s confidence bloomed. Though he came to Wisconsin as a shooting guard and spent most of his first season on the bench, he knew that starting point guard Jordan Taylor was graduating, creating an opportunity for playing time.
“I came in with the expectation of playing point guard,” Jackson said. “Being able to refine my skills each and every year has been a challenge, but it’s been good.”
While both Jackson and Hayes are thriving with Wisconsin, each has the ability to step outside their current situation and root for Ohio State as long as the Buckeyes are not playing the Badgers.
“I know some of the guys on the [football] team, so I root for those guys just because you have a connection with them,” Jackson said. “I grew up playing basketball with [Buckeye quarterback] Braxton Miller. It’s pretty cool to see a guy you grew up with doing so well.”
Their perception of Ohio State hasn’t changed. The Buckeye blood remains with you no matter where you go.
