The face of March Madness helped Ashland University's men's basketball team and its supporters get ready for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
On Wednesday (Oct. 15) night at Mount Vernon Estates, 1041 U.S. 250 in Ashland, "A Night With
Clark Kellogg" featured the long-time CBS College Basketball studio analyst.
"This is a special privilege to have a chance to do what I've been able to do in and through the game," Kellogg said. "This is one of those branches on that tree. I have a great love and affection for the game, for every level of the game, and any time I can be involved in supporting what coaches and programs are attempting to do in the game, I think that's part of my responsibility to be able to do that and make time to do that.
"Sports programs here have been extremely successful, great facilities, terrific school. One my high school teammates,
Phil Williams, actually played here. I enjoy being a part of the ecosystem of the game, and try to pay it back, even though I don't think I can ever pay the game back in my lifetime."
Said Ashland head coach
John Ellenwood, "I've told everybody, his message is inspirational. He's a tremendous leader. You might know everything, you might be the smartest person in the room, but if you don't know how to express yourself to people, if you don't know how to listen, and then communicate with them, nobody cares how smart you are.
"We were talking about Clark Kellogg, he has a job where he is very intelligent in the game of basketball, and he has to know how to articulate to people who aren't as knowledgeable in basketball, and that's a hard thing to do. For him to do that, is a testament to what we preach to our guys all the time."
Kellogg, 64, has been a college basketball analyst for CBS Sports for more than three decades. He mentioned in a talk with the Eagle men prior to the start of the program how many games and teams he watches throughout a season to prepare for the NCAA Tournament.
"I love the work, I love the process of it," said Kellogg. "I was kind of that way as a player, to where you only can get out of something what you put into it. My father drove that point home quite a bit, and that's a Biblical principle that we reap what we sow.
"I've always been one to try to be intentional and consistent in putting in the work, to do whatever God gives me to do well."
The 1982 Big Ten Most Valuable Player while playing for Ohio State, Kellogg was the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick (No. 8 overall) later that year, and made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1982-83.
In part of all of five NBA seasons (1982-83 to 1986-87) for the Pacers, Kellogg averaged 20.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 260 games, and made 49.7 percent from the field and 75.7 percent from the free-throw line.
He is a member of the 2006 class of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame and the 2001 class of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
"I'm rooting for them if I'm not calling the game," Kellogg said about his alma mater. "If I'm in the studio, I'm rooting for Ohio State. If I'm on the game, I have to be much more objective, but people know where my heart and my loyalty is."
Kellogg talked about how his faith in God informs his everyday life.
"It's everything," he said. "Since I yielded and surrendered my life to God through faith in Christ in November of '86, it's really been the foundation of who I attempt to be and who I hope to become through the transformation of the heart by way of God's spirit and word and fellowship with other like-minded folks.
"To be a bearer of the image that God gives all of us, to shine a light on who He is and who we can be because of Him. There's no separation. The Lord is the foundation and anchor of who I am and who I'm becoming. I'm representing Him, and I seek to do that consistently and faithfully through my thinking, my attitude, my words, my actions. I fall short often, but the grace is abundant."
Ashland men's basketball has earned 210 victories and two conference championships, and made four NCAA Division II postseason appearances, over the last 11 seasons. In 2024-25, the Eagles went 15-13 overall and 11-9 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and qualified for a conference tournament for the 11
th straight season.
Ashland's men will play an exhibition game on Monday (Oct. 20) at 6 p.m. vs. Northern Kentucky in Dayton, Ohio, then begin the new season on Nov. 14 vs. Grand Valley State at Owens Community College.
"No matter what happens, it's about figuring out your team," Ellenwood said of the exhibition. "We're still trying to figure out lineups. We're just glad to play against a good opponent."
