Ohio State Buckeyes

Item Description

This Baden Official Size basketball was hand-signed by Jim Foster, Ohio State Head Women's Basketball Coach, on November 21, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio.

Jim Foster is in his 10th season at Ohio State and his 34th overall as a head coach in 2011-12.  At Ohio State, he has helped the Buckeyes qualify for a school-record 9 consecutive NCAA tournaments and rank in the national Top 10 in four of the last the last six seasons.  Foster has mentored seven McDonald's High School All-Americans, six WNBA Draft picks and two State Farm/WBCA All-Americans in Jantel Lavender (2009, '10, and ‘11) and Jessica Davenport (2005, '06, and ‘07).  In the process, he and his players have turned Value City Arena into one of the most intimidating venues for opposing teams as his Buckeyes have posted a remarkable 113-9 record at home over the last seven years and a 140-13 mark overall.

He is the eighth-winningest active coach in Division I and is just the second collegiate coach - men's or women's at any level - to win at least 200 games at three different schools.   A four-time Big Ten coach of the year (2005-07, '09), he led the Buckeyes to a record-setting sixth consecutive Big Ten regular season title and a second straight tournament title in 2010 while setting a program record with 31 wins. 

During the last seven seasons, Ohio State has the ninth-most wins (193) in Division I women's college basketball and is one of nine schools to win at least 20 games over the last nine years.

But probably the most impressive statistic goes way beyond wins, tournament births and championships. Throughout his coaching career, Coach Foster has preached the importance of academics. And in addition to his players consistently earning high marks in the classroom, every student-athlete who has played for Foster at St. Joe's, Vanderbilt and Ohio State has gone on to earn their degree. Most recently, the women's basketball squad was honored once again with an APR (Academic Progress Rate) score in the top 10 percent of all Division I squads in the sport.

Item Special Note

Winning bidder may choose to pick up the item or have it shipped.  Winner will be contacted after the auction closes to make arrangements.

PICK-UP:  Item can be picked up at the Jerome Schottenstein Center administrative offices (555 Borror Drive, Columbus, OH 43210) during regular business hours.

SHIPPING:  Bidder is responsible for shipping and handling fees, which will be added to the winning bid amount. Items will be shipped via UPS and billed at standard industry rates.