Canton Rep
5/23
Comment on this story.
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Koufus will be a Buck[/FONT]
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]
PLAIN TWP. - After an unofficial visit to Ohio State last week, Kosta Koufus thought it was time to take his relationship with the university to another level.
And Ohio State basketball Coach Thad Matta sealed it with a kiss on Koufus’ cheek. That came after GlenOak High School’s 7-foot-1 1/2 star delivered the words to Matta’s ears.
Koufus is going to be a Buckeye. One of the country’s top high school junior recruits, Koufus picked OSU over Maryland, Louisville, North Carolina, Duke and others.
“The comfort level at Ohio State was higher than any other college,” Koufus said. “That will affect my performance. I believe I can play better at Ohio State than, say, Louisville, because I will feel more comfortable on campus.”
Koufus broke a bone in his right foot during a GlenOak practice in mid-January. He missed the rest of his junior season, but since has returned to the AAU circuit. He averaged 21 points during the LeBron James Classic this month. Koufus returned to the court a little taller and stronger than he left; he now weighs 255 pounds.
He so impressed scouts that one of James’ representatives extended a personal invitation to play in open gyms that James holds throughout the summer in Northeast Ohio.
OSU had perhaps the best recruiting class in the country this season. The Buckeyes signed the nation’s No. 1 recruit, 7-foot center Greg Oden; his teammate 6-1 point guard Mike Conley; and Ohio’s top recruit, 6-5 shooting guard Daequan Cook. Matta’s 2006-07 team is an early favorite to be a national title contender.
Koufus has another year before he arrives in Columbus. By that time, basketball could be at a fevered pitch, and Oden likely will be off to the NBA after one season at OSU.
The Buckeyes will play Koufus at power forward.
“Oden and I are completely different players,” Koufus said. “His role is in the post. Coach Matta does a four-out-and-one-in scheme, and I’ll be on the wing creating mismatches.”
Koufus’ athleticism makes him one of the country’s top recruits. He can post up, score and rebound, but his shooting from the perimeter and ability to handle the basketball make him an outside threat.
“The recruiting class they just had played a role in my decision,” Koufus said. “Ohio State is regarded as one of the top teams in the country. I love the campus, too.
“I know the tradition is it’s a ‘football school.’ It’s soon to be a basketball school, too. ... I’m real excited to commit to Coach Matta’s program. I feel like I will flourish there.”
Another bonus that pushed Koufus to OSU was Matta’s visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club. It was the beginning of establishing an OSU basketball base in Stark County.
The last Stark County players to sign with Ohio State were Jackson’s Jami Bosley and East Canton’s Mark Howard prior to the 1995-96 season.
“Coach Matta’s visit here helped greatly,” Koufus said. “He is always doing the things he needs to do. It shows a great deal of respect that he came to Canton and shared his opinion about different things.”
While GlenOak is on break, it will be anything but for Koufus. He’ll attend Nike, NBA and AAU camps, a couple of workouts and the open gyms with LeBron and other pros.
“I went to one (camp) and guarded LeBron a couple of times,” Koufus said. “It was pretty cool. I did a good job, but he wasn’t going 100 percent. Still, 50 percent of LeBron is pretty good.”
Koufus also plans to travel to Greece in July and begin to establish dual citizenship. He could play for the Greek National team in the Olympics.
“... I’m trying to work hard to bring a state championship to GlenOak,” he said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play basketball at the highest level. But I’ve got a lot of work to do to get there.”
The next stop, though, is Columbus.
(and paulas)
