In basketball Ebert was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and voted team MVP every year he played for the Buckeyes, 1951–52, 1952–53, and 1953–54. He led his team in scoring in each of those years. He finished his collegiate basketball career with the team record in points scored (1,436), surpassed in 1956 by Robin Freeman. Ebert scored 516 points in his senior year, becoming the first Ohio State player to score at least 500 points in a season. That year Ebert served as team captain and was named a third-team All-America selection by the United Press International.