Former Rocket Legend to be Inducted into Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday

University of Toledo men's basketball legend Tom Kozelko will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame this week.

Kozelko is part of a class of 12 outstanding athletes, coaches and contributors, along with two teams, who will enter the hall in a ceremony at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus.

A native of Traverse City, Michigan, Kozelko played three seasons for the Rockets (1970-73) and ranks third in program history with a career scoring average of 20.8 ppg. Kozelko is a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and member of the 1971-72 MAC Championship squad, and his 24.3 ppg in the 1971-72 campaign ranks second in UT's record book. He also scored a career-high 39 points at Western Michigan in 1972 that are the most points scored by a Rocket in the last 50 years.

Following the 1972 season, Kozelko was one of 66 players chosen to compete for the U.S. Olympic Team and was chosen as an alternate for the team that went to Munich, Germany. A third-round selection in the 1973 NBA Draft, Kozelko played professionally for three years (1973-76) for the Washington Bullets. He then played professionally in Italy until a back injury forced his retirement from the game in 1977.

Kozelko was inducted into Toledo's Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1983.

Legendary Toledo basketball figures previously inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame include Chuck Chuckovitz (2016 inductee), Kim Knuth-Klaer (2011 inductee), Larry Jones (2011 inductee), Steve Mix (2007 inductee) and Bob Nichols (2010 inductee).

Kozelko is joined in the 2025 class by Marie Anthony, Tay Baker, Joe Balogh, Bonnie Beachy, Calvin Booth, Carla Chapman, Mike Fratello, Dave Grube, Jerry Hallabrin, Ed Heintschel, Ellen Lawrence, Joe Roberts, Paul 'Bucky' Walters, the 1965-66 University of Cincinnati men's team and the 1993 and 1994 Upper Scioto Valley High School girls state championship teams.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame's web page.

Founded in 2005, the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes the remarkable achievements of male and female athletes across high school, college and professional basketball - along with phenomenal coaches and individuals who've impacted the game along the way.

Together with a dedicated collection of coaches and basketball enthusiasts, Doc Daugherty and the late Don Henderson led the charge to establish the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame with a mission of preserving legacies, celebrating greatness and honoring excellence.

The list of charter members of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame reads like a Who's Who of some of the sport's most recognizable figures: Wayne Embry, Jerry Lucas, Katie Smith, Jimmy Jackson, Oscar Robertson, Clark Kellogg, Bill Hosket Jr., Fred Taylor, Paul Walker, Jay Burson, John Havlicek, Bob Knight and Nate Thurmond.