By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com

Basketball fans are in for a special treat this weekend – but only if they tune in to Iconic Rock 92.7’s Phoneboard shows on both Friday and Saturday evenings. I promise listeners these are two shows that will be a real treat.

They will feature two basketball hall-of-famers.

Friday Night Phoneboard host Don Diosi will have as his guest Ohio State and NBA all-time great Jerry Lucas.

Lucas was an Ohio high school legend at Middletown High School where his teams lost just one game his entire career – the state championship game his senior season which broke a 76-game winning streak. That year, 1958, was the first time the state championships were played in Ohio State’s St. John Arena.

However, Lucas would continue to call St. John’s and The Ohio State University home for the next four years. Lucas attended Ohio State on an academic scholarship, not one for athletics. It is said Lucas chose the academic scholarship to allow him the freedom to end his basketball career should he ever tire of the sport.

Ohio State fans are glad he didn’t. Lucas led the Buckeyes to three straight NCAA tournament finals and in 1960 they won a national title. Lucas was also a gold medal Olympian in 1960 and remains the only three-time Big Ten Player of the Year.

Luas went on to a stellar career in the NBA where he was Rookie of the Year. Lucas was a six-time NBA all-star and named one of the top 50 players in league history. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in 1980.

Dave Hirschy has taken over the Saturday Night Phoneboard microphone and, judging by the response of listeners to the show, is a huge hit after just three weeks. Dave will also be doing color commentary on our Friday night basketball broadcasts.

Dave is very excited about his guest this week as well – Crawford County and Wynford legend, former Royals’ basketball coach Rob Sheldon.

Sheldon coached basketball at Wynford for 24 seasons where he amassed a record of 401-56. Including his four-year stint at North Central, his career mark was 450-195.

Sheldon was inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003. Sheldon has also been inducted into the Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame, and Wyandot County Sports Hall of Fame. Other honors for Sheldon include Class A Coach of the Year, several times Crawford County Coach of the Year and District 6 Coach of the Year, the Bob Arnzen and Paul Walker awards.

Twelve different Royals were named All-Ohio while playing for Sheldon. While at Wynford, Sheldon-led teams finished in the AP top 10 five times, won nine NCC titles, 18 sectional crowns, seven district and two regional championships. The Royals’ best finish under Sheldon was 1987 when they were state runners-up.

Sheldon’s coaching tree and family tree are intertwined with his daughter-in-law Amy the current coach of the Lady Royals and sons David and Chris the head coaches at Colonel Crawford and Western Reserve, respectively.

This is, indeed, a very special Phoneboard weekend on Iconic Rock Q92.7. Don’t miss either night.