In 1997 , Jim O'Brien was hired to replace head coach Randy Ayers . During his seven years as head coach , O'Brien drove the team to four 20 win seasons , two Big Ten regular-season co-championships , the 2002 Big Ten Tournament Championship , and a school record four-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances . Controversy erupted when Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger fired O'Brien over alleged NCAA rules violations . A two-year NCAA investigation found that player Boban Savovic might have received improper benefits while he played for Ohio State . On March 10 , 2006 , the NCAA gave Ohio State three years ' probation and ordered it to pay back all tournament money earned from 1999 &ndash; 2002 when Boban Savovic was on the Buckeyes ' roster . In addition , Ohio State was forced to remove all references to team accomplishments by the NCAA directorate from those years including a 1999 visit to the Final Four
2002 Big Ten Tournament Championship
2002 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball