That's why God made coaches. If Matta is worth his salt everyone will have a role and those that are confused about what it is will watch from the bench til they figure it out.
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That's why God made coaches. If Matta is worth his salt everyone will have a role and those that are confused about what it is will watch from the bench til they figure it out.
Yertle
Pounding out aggression, turns into obsession
Thanks! I always wondered where coaches came from. My mom just told me that she'd tell me when I was older. Then I'd say, "Dammit Mom! I'm 33 fricking years old! I'm not some stupid baby that poops in the bed and eats mulch and falls down the stairs. Now put away my bedrail, change my diaper, and tell me where coaches come from!" Then she'd say, "It's 8:30. Time for bed."Oh8ch said:
Seriously though, I have a funny feeling that Matta is worth his salt. This whole thing is just way too amazing. Seeing those pictures with 5-star b-ball recruits wearing OSU hats at news conferences is something my brain doesn't know how to handle....yet.
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Yertle said:
For those worried about him being left out, realize he was hasn't been playing on this AAU team with the other three who've been doing it thru junior high.
He's actually ranked higher than conley, so this is no slouch. This rating is in spite of the fact that he's been nursing a torn ACL and missed a lot of key events to maintain his rating.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com (free)
6/30/05
6/30/05
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Bucknuts Mag Excerpts: The Foundation Is Set
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
David Lighty
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Bucknuts.com Staff
Date: Jun 30, 2005
With all the talk surrounding basketball recruiting (for good reason), we thought we'd make this week's version of Bucknuts Magazine Excerpts fit that topic. In the most recent issue (Summer '05), Steve Helwagen addressed the state of basketball recruiting, which at the time was looking at the possibility of commits from Greg Oden and Mike Conley after earlier commitments from Daequan Cook and David Lighty. Read on for a look back at Cook and Lighty's thoughts on choosing Ohio State.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
It was just one year ago when the fortunes of the Ohio State men’s basketball program looked pretty bleak.
Athletic director Andy Geiger fired head coach Jim O’Brien after the coach admitted he had committed recruiting violations. The program was sent into limbo as Geiger began a monthlong search for the new coach.
Of course, by early July Geiger introduced his selection, former Xavier head coach Thad Matta.
Fast forward a year and, well, things look pretty bleak – for the rest of the Big Ten, that is.
Matta enjoyed a 20-win season in his debut as the OSU coach, capping the year with an upset of previously unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Illinois.
It was just a few weeks after that landmark win when Matta and the Buckeyes reaped the rewards of their sudden success. Dayton Dunbar junior guard Daequan Cook, the state’s top junior and the nation’s eighth-best junior prospect according to ScoutHoops.com, ended the suspense when he committed to OSU on March 23.
The good news kept coming on May 2, when Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph wing David Lighty, the state’s No. 2 junior and No. 21 nationally, committed to the Buckeyes.
But, as the deadline for this edition of Bucknuts The Magazine had passed, Matta seemed to only be warming up.
It seemed entirely possible that Matta and the Buckeyes could also land a pair of national top-30 prospects from Indianapolis Lawrence North in center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley Jr. Oden was USA Today’s national player of the year as a junior and ScoutHoops.com’s No. 1 overall junior prospect. Conley checked in at No. 26 nationally. Oden and Conley, AAU teammates of Cook’s, were pretty much down to OSU and Wake Forest.
And OSU was also working hard to go after more top-30 talent in Memphis standout Thaddeus Young (No. 5) and New Jersey star Lance Thomas (No. 15).
And, even better, this class – which some were already comparing to Michigan’s famed Fab Five of 1991 – was seen by many as just the beginning.
Ohio State and Matta were already in good shape on some of the nation’s top sophomores, including Indianapolis North Central point guard Eric Gordon (also a member of the Spiece Indy Heat AAU team that includes Cook, Oden and Conley) and Solon, Ohio, power forward Dallas Lauderdale.
Of course, the Buckeyes already have a verbal for the Class of 2008 in Canal Winchester (Ohio) World Harvest Prep center B.J. Mullens. Several of Mullens’ talented AAU teammates in that class were also strongly considering the Buckeyes.
Add it all up and it is quite clear that Matta and his staff of assistants – John Groce, Alan Major and Dan Peters – have kept themselves pretty busy over their first year on the job at Ohio State.
The prospect that OSU would land a Duke-like four or five national top-30 prospects in the Class of 2006 was not lost on recruiting analysts.
“Talking in general, the ability for Ohio State to get all four of those guys is unbelievable,” said Dave Telep, national recruiting editor for ScoutHoops.com. “Now, whether Greg Oden becomes a Pacer or a Buckeye or a Spartan or whatever, you have to look at the big picture. The state and the region are so loaded over the next three years behind this class.
“There are a handful of guys who if they’re able to get them you can say they are loading up to make a run at the big one. That’s how good the talent is there for ’06, ’07 and ’08. They have a chance here over the next five years to make a run (at a national title).”
Chris Johnson, the Ohio editor of HoopScoopOnline.com, said the verbals by Cook and Lighty give OSU a dynamite backcourt.
“They have two wings now,” Johnson said. “Obviously, Conley is their point guard of choice. After that, they are after several bigs who can rebound, whether that is Oden or Thaddeus Young. It seems like they are trying to get in on some other big kids.
“It is a lot easier to sell out-of-state guys on the program when they have this kind of credibility. Any time you can land the top two players in Ohio, that’s quite an accomplishment. To top it off, they are two recruits in the top 30 nationally. This also sends a message that they intend to build a fence around the state of Ohio. More important, it sends the message nationally that this is shaping up to be a tremendous recruiting class. If you can get the ball rolling sometimes you have that domino effect.”
Telep believes a Lighty-Cook backcourt could be dynamite.
“In college, the way the whole thing sets up you can play two guys like this together,” Telep said. “Lighty can probably play a little bit of the three. The big thing is the size of each of these players. This is not like they got a 5-11 point guard and a 6-1 shooting guard. These guys are each in the 6-5 range.”
Cook Sets The Tone
Cook will be remembered as the first player in this class, the one that got the ball rolling.
The 6-5 Cook averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds per game as a junior, earning co-state player of the year honors and leading Dunbar to a 22-5 record and a berth in the Division II state semifinals. Cook attended OSU's win over No. 1-ranked Illinois in early March, then enjoyed playing in Value City Arena for the state tournament.
He ended up picking Ohio State over the likes of Illinois, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State and North Carolina.
Cook was asked if there were any specific players he would like to see commit to OSU.
“Well, a few of my AAU friends, like Greg, Mike, and David Lighty. We have all been talking about going to the same school and playing together.”
Cook would be eligible to sign in the early signing period for college recruits in November and would be a freshman at his college of choice in 2006-07.
If it is, indeed, Ohio State, Cook, as a national top-10 prospect, could be viewed as OSU's biggest basketball recruit since Jim Jackson committed to head coach Gary Williams and assistant Randy Ayers in 1989.
Cook says there is still about a “30 percent chance” he will opt for the NBA directly out of high school. He says it will depend on whether or not he is expected to be a lottery pick.
Cook talked about what it will take to put OSU on top: “Work and players. That’s it. I can’t say much about the team they have because I’m not there. But when I get there, I’m going to make it big time. The guys I’m going to bring with me will help us get there.”
He said Matta’s move from Xavier to Ohio State was huge in his eyes.
“When I heard he moved from Xavier to Ohio State, that made me like Ohio State even more,” Cook said. “At one point in time, I did like Ohio State until they had that incident.
“I just love Coach Matta,” Cook said. “He’s been a winning coach everywhere he’s been. He has been in March Madness and has pulled out some big wins. I just like his coaching.
“I love Ohio State,” he added.
Dayton Dunbar boys basketball coach Peter Pullen talked about some of Cook’s qualities as a player.
“He is able to handle pressure,” Pullen said. “He is determined. I tell him he’s one of those guys early in the game who is laid back and then decides to take over games in the last minute. I said, ‘Daequan, you’ve got to play hard all the time. You can’t turn it on and turn it off all the time.’ In the state tournament, he tried to turn it on and it wasn’t there for him.
“He just brings so much to the team. He makes everybody around him a lot better. He likes it that way. The more quality players there are on the floor, the better he does. He rebounds and makes good passes to set his teammates up for easy baskets. That’s what I like to see.”
Pullen said Cook is a competitor all the way. That’s why his lackluster showing in a state semifinal game – Cook was 10 of 23 from the floor and had 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 95-90 loss to eventual state champion Upper Sandusky – upset him a bit.
“After the state tournament he said, ‘I’m disappointed I let you down,’ ” Pullen said. “But I said, ‘You didn’t. You played. Their shots were falling and ours (weren’t).’ We played a good game and we showed we didn’t have any quit in us and we fought back. It really hurt him after the game because he thought this was the game where he needed to turn it on.”
Turning On Lighty
The 6-5 Lighty verbaled to Ohio State over Syracuse, Michigan, Arizona and many others.
“For the last two years or so, I've been trying to decide on what college I'm going to go to,” Lighty said at the beginning of the conference. “To extend my career at the next level, I have decided to attend Ohio State.”
Lighty put on an OSU cap during the announcement to a round of applause.
“It was a long process, a tough process,” Lighty added, after thanking all the schools that had recruited him.
Lighty averaged 24.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a game last season, although his season was cut short by an ACL tear. Lighty is currently rehabilitating his injury.
He discussed the fact that he will be playing with Cook.
“It really didn't have much to do with me going there, but it's good that he's going there, too. We could have one of the best backcourts in the nation,” Lighty said.
An outstanding athlete, Lighty was also among the top football prospects in his class and for a while was rated as the No. 1 overall prospect by Ohio High recruiting editor Duane Long. Lighty chose to give up football and concentrate on basketball before the start of the 2004 football season.
Now, Lighty is setting his sights on doing being things on the hardwood with the Buckeyes.
“Hopefully we can be the next North Carolina, have like a new Fab Five and hopefully win a national championship,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a good camaraderie and everyone is going to get along I feel, because they already play together. And me, I like to share the ball all the time and get people involved in the game so it’s going to work out real good.”
But first, Lighty has to get back to becoming the player that he was before he injured his knee on a dunk in the district finals this past season.
“I came down on it wrong after a dunk,” Lighty said. “I got up and I thought I was fine, my knee just got a little tight. I fell on the ground wrong but I just got up and finished the game and the next morning it was swollen. I finished the game; there was about six minutes left in the third quarter. I played through it. I was happy and I got to cut down the nets. The next morning it was swollen the size of the watermelon.”
It was an injury that cost him and his Viking teammates a legitimate shot at winning a state title last year.
“We were going down to the regionals, trying to get to the state championship, and I couldn’t play and I couldn’t help my team any more,” Lighty said. “So it was real devastating to me.”
But he’s certainly learned from the whole experience.
“I appreciate things a lot more now, like walking. You really don’t notice it until you can’t walk any more. It would take me like 20 minutes to go from my room to the kitchen,” Lighty said. “So the little things mean a lot more to me now.”
Lighty gives Matta much of the credit for bringing in the guys like himself and Cook to try to win a national title at OSU.
“I don’t really know if I would be a Buckeye if he wasn’t there because he had a lot to do with it,” Lighty said of Matta. “But I like the whole campus, the atmosphere, the fans and the location. Everyone there is about Ohio State and that’s what I like the most about it.
“I feel very excited when you talk about Ohio State. I took a couple of visits down there and watched a couple of football games and it’s just something that you’ll always remember. When you go down there (to Ohio State) you feel like you’re a part of it all.”
Gary Housteau contributed to this report.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
link
7/1/05
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">
basketball recruiting
Is this the finest class of all time?
<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=210 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10>
</TD><TD><!--MAIN PHOTO--><!--RELATED ARTICLES--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Related articles
• Ohio State expects more penalties
<!--RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--RELATED PHOTO GALLERIES--><!----><!--RELATED PHOTOS GALLERIES AND MULTIMEDIA ASSETS--><!--MAIN FACTS BOX--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Great class
Ohio State's Class of 2006 has a chance to join the debate for best ever. Other contenders for the crown:
Indiana, 1972
Scott May, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson, Tom Abernethy, Jim Crews -- last unbeaten season in 1976
Michigan, 1991
Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson -- reached two NCAA finals before breaking up
Duke, 2002
J.J. Redick, Shavlik Randolph, Shelden Williams, Sean Dockery -- reached 2004 Final Four
North Carolina, 2002
Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants -- won 2005 NCAA championship
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--ADDITIONAL FACTS --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- STORY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->
By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]
Though Ohio State's recruiting class isn't complete, it already has a nickname: the Thad Five.
Never mind that only four players have orally committed to play for the Buckeyes and coach Thad Matta. With Lawrence North High School teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley heading to Ohio State, the Buckeyes are lining up an incoming class for 2006-07 that is being mentioned with the best of all time.
Oden is the No. 1 player in the Class of 2006; the other three who plan to join him are also among the highest ranked in the nation.
Shooting guard Daequan Cook of Dayton, Ohio, is No. 8; shooting guard David Lighty of Cleveland is No. 21; and Conley, a point guard, is No. 26, according to scout.com.
"This is shaping up to be one of the best recruiting classes in the history of Ohio State and certainly in my estimation could be better than the Fab Five class," said Bob Gibbons, who has been scouting and ranking high school basketball players for more than two decades.
The standard of reference in college basketball recruiting is the Fab Five, which entered Michigan in the fall of 1991.
Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson all started by the end of their freshman year. They reached consecutive national title games, losing to Duke in 1992 and to North Carolina in 1993, before the group broke up as players began heading to the NBA.
Whether that is the best class is one of those never-ending sports debates, but it is the most well-known. Ohio State now is on the verge of matching or even surpassing it.
The Buckeyes have three more scholarships available, and the current thinking in basketball circles is that the four players already committed will be a magnet for others.
"We could be talking about a super six or sensational seven," Gibbons said.
No matter who else joins, Ohio State's Class of 2006 already has an enormous buzz in basketball circles.
"It really is amazing, and they're not done; that's the scary thing," said Rob Matera of rivals.com.
Oden is the headliner. He is considered one of the best high school players ever to head to college. He has been compared to Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who was a star at Power Memorial in New York before going to UCLA, and former Celtics great Bill Russell.
Oden was projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft until new rules were adopted that bar players from the draft until they are at least one year out of high school.
"When you think of him as a college player, this is a guy if you put him on a team that would finish in the middle of a league, it automatically becomes a contender to win the league and go to the Sweet Sixteen," said Dave Telep of scout.com. "You package him with the quality of Cook and Conley and the athleticism of Lighty, and the expectations of your program rise."
On paper, the class needs a power forward. Ohio State has been recruiting 6-8 Thaddeus Young of Memphis, the No. 5 player in the 2006 class. Raymar Morgan, a 6-7 forward from Canton, Ohio, ranked No. 49, has the Buckeyes high on his list. Gary West's Jamil Tucker, a 6-9 forward ranked No. 54, has stated his interest in playing for Ohio State.
There also has been talk connecting Ohio State and Vernon Macklin, a 6-9 forward ranked No. 10, from Portsmouth, Va.
The group should have some cohesiveness immediately. Oden and Conley, in addition to being high school teammates, are on the same AAU team with Cook.
So how good can this group be?
"With Thad Matta coaching, I feel we can get as far as the national championship," Conley said.
Dream teams
Where the players were ranked in two of the most heralded classes of all time:
<TABLE rules=all width="100%" border=0 frame=box><TBODY><TR><TD class=related colSpan=2>Michigan's Fab Five class of 1991*</TD><TD class=related colSpan=2>Ohio State's class of 2006**</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>Rank</TD><TD class=related>Player, Pos.</TD><TD class=related>Rank</TD><TD class=related>Player, Pos.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>1.</TD><TD class=related>Chris Webber, forward</TD><TD class=related>1.</TD><TD class=related>Greg Oden, center</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>5.</TD><TD class=related>Juwan Howard, forward</TD><TD class=related>8.</TD><TD class=related>Daequan Cook, guard</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>8.</TD><TD class=related>Jalen Rose, guard</TD><TD class=related>21.</TD><TD class=related>David Lighty, guard</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>18.</TD><TD class=related>Jimmy King, guard</TD><TD class=related>26.</TD><TD class=related>Mike Conley, guard</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>48.</TD><TD class=related>Ray Jackson, guard</TD><TD class=related></TD><TD class=related></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
* - rankings by Bob Gibbons
** - rankings by scout.com
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
7/1/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">
basketball recruiting
Is this the finest class of all time?
<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=210 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10>
• Ohio State expects more penalties
<!--RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--RELATED PHOTO GALLERIES--><!----><!--RELATED PHOTOS GALLERIES AND MULTIMEDIA ASSETS--><!--MAIN FACTS BOX--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Great class
Ohio State's Class of 2006 has a chance to join the debate for best ever. Other contenders for the crown:
Indiana, 1972
Scott May, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson, Tom Abernethy, Jim Crews -- last unbeaten season in 1976
Michigan, 1991
Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson -- reached two NCAA finals before breaking up
Duke, 2002
J.J. Redick, Shavlik Randolph, Shelden Williams, Sean Dockery -- reached 2004 Final Four
North Carolina, 2002
Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants -- won 2005 NCAA championship
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--ADDITIONAL FACTS --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- STORY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->
By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]
Though Ohio State's recruiting class isn't complete, it already has a nickname: the Thad Five.
Never mind that only four players have orally committed to play for the Buckeyes and coach Thad Matta. With Lawrence North High School teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley heading to Ohio State, the Buckeyes are lining up an incoming class for 2006-07 that is being mentioned with the best of all time.
Oden is the No. 1 player in the Class of 2006; the other three who plan to join him are also among the highest ranked in the nation.
Shooting guard Daequan Cook of Dayton, Ohio, is No. 8; shooting guard David Lighty of Cleveland is No. 21; and Conley, a point guard, is No. 26, according to scout.com.
"This is shaping up to be one of the best recruiting classes in the history of Ohio State and certainly in my estimation could be better than the Fab Five class," said Bob Gibbons, who has been scouting and ranking high school basketball players for more than two decades.
The standard of reference in college basketball recruiting is the Fab Five, which entered Michigan in the fall of 1991.
Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson all started by the end of their freshman year. They reached consecutive national title games, losing to Duke in 1992 and to North Carolina in 1993, before the group broke up as players began heading to the NBA.
Whether that is the best class is one of those never-ending sports debates, but it is the most well-known. Ohio State now is on the verge of matching or even surpassing it.
The Buckeyes have three more scholarships available, and the current thinking in basketball circles is that the four players already committed will be a magnet for others.
"We could be talking about a super six or sensational seven," Gibbons said.
No matter who else joins, Ohio State's Class of 2006 already has an enormous buzz in basketball circles.
"It really is amazing, and they're not done; that's the scary thing," said Rob Matera of rivals.com.
Oden is the headliner. He is considered one of the best high school players ever to head to college. He has been compared to Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who was a star at Power Memorial in New York before going to UCLA, and former Celtics great Bill Russell.
Oden was projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft until new rules were adopted that bar players from the draft until they are at least one year out of high school.
"When you think of him as a college player, this is a guy if you put him on a team that would finish in the middle of a league, it automatically becomes a contender to win the league and go to the Sweet Sixteen," said Dave Telep of scout.com. "You package him with the quality of Cook and Conley and the athleticism of Lighty, and the expectations of your program rise."
On paper, the class needs a power forward. Ohio State has been recruiting 6-8 Thaddeus Young of Memphis, the No. 5 player in the 2006 class. Raymar Morgan, a 6-7 forward from Canton, Ohio, ranked No. 49, has the Buckeyes high on his list. Gary West's Jamil Tucker, a 6-9 forward ranked No. 54, has stated his interest in playing for Ohio State.
There also has been talk connecting Ohio State and Vernon Macklin, a 6-9 forward ranked No. 10, from Portsmouth, Va.
The group should have some cohesiveness immediately. Oden and Conley, in addition to being high school teammates, are on the same AAU team with Cook.
So how good can this group be?
"With Thad Matta coaching, I feel we can get as far as the national championship," Conley said.
Dream teams
Where the players were ranked in two of the most heralded classes of all time:
<TABLE rules=all width="100%" border=0 frame=box><TBODY><TR><TD class=related colSpan=2>Michigan's Fab Five class of 1991*</TD><TD class=related colSpan=2>Ohio State's class of 2006**</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>Rank</TD><TD class=related>Player, Pos.</TD><TD class=related>Rank</TD><TD class=related>Player, Pos.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>1.</TD><TD class=related>Chris Webber, forward</TD><TD class=related>1.</TD><TD class=related>Greg Oden, center</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>5.</TD><TD class=related>Juwan Howard, forward</TD><TD class=related>8.</TD><TD class=related>Daequan Cook, guard</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>8.</TD><TD class=related>Jalen Rose, guard</TD><TD class=related>21.</TD><TD class=related>David Lighty, guard</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>18.</TD><TD class=related>Jimmy King, guard</TD><TD class=related>26.</TD><TD class=related>Mike Conley, guard</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>48.</TD><TD class=related>Ray Jackson, guard</TD><TD class=related></TD><TD class=related></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
* - rankings by Bob Gibbons
** - rankings by scout.com
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Upvote
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
LINK
7/1/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">With Matta in charge, OSU men’s hoops starts to matter again
By JIM NAVEAU
419-993-2087
[email protected]
COLUMBUS — Who’s going to drive the school bus? Who is going to write the insurance policies?
Who is going to pick up the garbage?
Why worry about those average work-day activities?
Well, in this state where obsessing about Ohio State football is almost a full-time activity, the Buckeyes’ men’s basketball program seems to be providing reasons to really care also.
So, how is an OSU-flag-flying-out-the-car-window, inflatable-Brutus-on-the-lawn Buckeyes fan going to fit it all in? Something is going to suffer and it certainly isn’t going to be football. It might just be the 9-to-5 job.
The reason for all the excitement about men’s basketball is that second-year coach Thad Matta has gotten four high school seniors ranked by some scouting services as among the top 25 in the country to verbally commit to Ohio State.
The big catch is 7-foot, 245-pound Greg Oden, an Indianapolis high school star who is rated the top high school basketball recruit in the country.
He and his buddy, point guard Mike Conley, verbally committed Wednesday. Earlier this spring, Dayton Dunbar guard Daequan Cook and Cleveland St. Joseph small forward David Lighty also said they will sign with OSU in November.
Some compare that recruiting class with Michigan’s 1991 “Fab Five” class, which included future NBA players Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard. Another comparison might be Duke’s 1997 freshmen, who included three future first-round NBA draft choices in Shane Battier, Elton Brand and William Avery.
Cook told the Dayton Daily News earlier this week that this showed there was more than one sport at Ohio State now.
It also showed that the recruiting philosophy and abilities of coach Thad Matta are very different from the involuntarily departed Jim O’Brien.
O’Brien wanted guys who would stay four years. Unfortunately, Big Ten opponents were thrilled to line up against a lot of them for four years.
Matta seems to have a little more up-to-date approach. But even he wouldn’t have landed Oden if the NBA had not recently ruled that a player has to be 19 years old to be eligible for its draft.
Without that rule, Oden almost certainly would have been the No. 1 choice in next June’s NBA draft.
The naïve, or idealistic if you prefer, would say that rule was enacted to protect immature high school kids from being thrown to the wolves in the NBA. The more cynical would say the owners were just protecting themselves from giving big contracts to unproven high school kids.
Interestingly, it is not just fresh-from-the-prom NBA players who have sometimes trouble with money.
The Boston Globe’s Jackie MacMullan wrote recently about NBA players who have hit hard times financially. A lot of them weren’t kids when they squandered their money.
Some of the names she mentioned included ex-Lakers guard Michael Cooper, ex-Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins, ex-Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell.
Charles Barkley, as usual, had a good story to tell. He told The Globe that when he was a rookie he went out and bought six cars. Luckily for him, veterans Julius Erving and Moses Malone told him he had to return five of them.
Yes, Barkley was a rookie. But he was a 21-year-old rookie who had spent three years in college at Auburn.
Oden might mature in a year at Ohio State, if he indeed signs with the Buckeyes in November. Or maybe he would have been able to handle the NBA right out of high school.
Either way, his commitment is a sign that OSU men’s basketball is growing up in a hurry, even with the NCAA yet to render a final decision on violations from the O’Brien era.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
7/1/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">With Matta in charge, OSU men’s hoops starts to matter again
By JIM NAVEAU
419-993-2087
[email protected]
COLUMBUS — Who’s going to drive the school bus? Who is going to write the insurance policies?
Who is going to pick up the garbage?
Why worry about those average work-day activities?
Well, in this state where obsessing about Ohio State football is almost a full-time activity, the Buckeyes’ men’s basketball program seems to be providing reasons to really care also.
So, how is an OSU-flag-flying-out-the-car-window, inflatable-Brutus-on-the-lawn Buckeyes fan going to fit it all in? Something is going to suffer and it certainly isn’t going to be football. It might just be the 9-to-5 job.
The reason for all the excitement about men’s basketball is that second-year coach Thad Matta has gotten four high school seniors ranked by some scouting services as among the top 25 in the country to verbally commit to Ohio State.
The big catch is 7-foot, 245-pound Greg Oden, an Indianapolis high school star who is rated the top high school basketball recruit in the country.
He and his buddy, point guard Mike Conley, verbally committed Wednesday. Earlier this spring, Dayton Dunbar guard Daequan Cook and Cleveland St. Joseph small forward David Lighty also said they will sign with OSU in November.
Some compare that recruiting class with Michigan’s 1991 “Fab Five” class, which included future NBA players Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard. Another comparison might be Duke’s 1997 freshmen, who included three future first-round NBA draft choices in Shane Battier, Elton Brand and William Avery.
Cook told the Dayton Daily News earlier this week that this showed there was more than one sport at Ohio State now.
It also showed that the recruiting philosophy and abilities of coach Thad Matta are very different from the involuntarily departed Jim O’Brien.
O’Brien wanted guys who would stay four years. Unfortunately, Big Ten opponents were thrilled to line up against a lot of them for four years.
Matta seems to have a little more up-to-date approach. But even he wouldn’t have landed Oden if the NBA had not recently ruled that a player has to be 19 years old to be eligible for its draft.
Without that rule, Oden almost certainly would have been the No. 1 choice in next June’s NBA draft.
The naïve, or idealistic if you prefer, would say that rule was enacted to protect immature high school kids from being thrown to the wolves in the NBA. The more cynical would say the owners were just protecting themselves from giving big contracts to unproven high school kids.
Interestingly, it is not just fresh-from-the-prom NBA players who have sometimes trouble with money.
The Boston Globe’s Jackie MacMullan wrote recently about NBA players who have hit hard times financially. A lot of them weren’t kids when they squandered their money.
Some of the names she mentioned included ex-Lakers guard Michael Cooper, ex-Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins, ex-Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell.
Charles Barkley, as usual, had a good story to tell. He told The Globe that when he was a rookie he went out and bought six cars. Luckily for him, veterans Julius Erving and Moses Malone told him he had to return five of them.
Yes, Barkley was a rookie. But he was a 21-year-old rookie who had spent three years in college at Auburn.
Oden might mature in a year at Ohio State, if he indeed signs with the Buckeyes in November. Or maybe he would have been able to handle the NBA right out of high school.
Either way, his commitment is a sign that OSU men’s basketball is growing up in a hurry, even with the NCAA yet to render a final decision on violations from the O’Brien era.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Upvote
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
rivals.com (free)
7/2/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>July 2, 2005
Who's next on the hoops radar? <HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1></TD></TR><TR><TD>Jeff Rapp
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Writer </TD><TD noWrap align=right>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Gordon Gekko once surmised that "greed is good." While that is a debatable point at best, it may not hurt Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta as he now looks to add to what already is being hailed as the best recruiting class in the country.
<!--Start Matta Image--><SCRIPT language=Javascript>document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/917/163623.jpg', '163623.jpg', 1, 322, 276, 1, 'Ohio State coach Thad Matta\'s tireless work ethic is enticing many of the nation\'s top players.', '', 1120253844000, 'Matta', 917, 'Align=Left'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=284 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=278>
</TD><TD width=6 rowSpan=4>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Associated Press</TD></TR><TR><TD height=3>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Ohio State coach Thad Matta's tireless work ethic is enticing many of the nation's top players.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Matta Image-->Matta was able to land verbal commitments from consensus No. 1 schoolboy Greg Oden and his prep teammate Mike Conley (No. 40 among seniors-to-be according to Rivals.com) with their landmark announcement Wednesday at Indianapolis Lawrence North High School.
They doubled a recruiting class that already included the top seniors-to-be in Ohio -- 6-4 Daequan Cook of Dayton Dunbar (No. 8) and 6-5 David Lighty of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (No. 20).
Matta has as many as three more scholarships at his disposal for the class and is all but certain to spend at least one of them on a power forward or combo forward, meaning the class could one day share the court like the storied "Fab Five."
Not coincidentally, OSU is right in the mix for as many as six such players, and that doesn't even count 6-8 Josh Chichester of West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West (No. 136), a two-sport star who committed to the Ohio State football program July 1 but admitted he is entertaining the idea of joining the men's basketball team.
Chichester has promise as a collegiate four-man but would not be able to join the Buckeyes on the hardwood until January 2007 at the earliest, and that would be as a walk-on. He told BuckeyeSports.com earlier this summer that Matta had given his blessing for such a scenario but he wasn't sure if he would indeed try to play both sports.
That then begs the question, who is going to complete the Thad Five?
The most prominent candidates at the moment appear to be 6-8 Thaddeus Young of Memphis (Tenn.) Mitchell (No. 3 on the recently updated Rivals Top 150), 6-8 Lance Thomas of Fanwood (N.J.) St. Benedict's (No. 22), 6-9 Jamil Tucker of Gary (Ind.) West (No. 45), 6-7 Luke Harangody of Shereville (Ind.) Andrean (No. 80) and 6-7 Raymar Morgan of Canton (Ohio) McKinley (No. 85).
Another possibility is 6-9 Bryce Webster of Mendota Heights (Minn.) St. Thomas Academy (No. 113), but his interest in OSU has apparently wavered.
Cook said he chatted up Young while the two played together in the USA Basketball Youth Developmental Festival in San Diego in early June.
"We talked a lot," he said. "We talked about what it's going to be like in college ball. It wasn't about what school he was going to go to, we just talked about how fun it would be to play together."
Cook and Conley also popped the idea on Thomas, who like Young is a premier athlete and scorer but not a classic power forward.
Conley and Oden got their first look at Harangody recently when the three played together in a state all-star series. Harangody reportedly is favoring Notre Dame but could get a full-court press from Matta soon since Conley offered him a glowing report.
"He was very good," Conley said. "I like the way he played. He's physical and tough and would do all the dirty work, and I feel that we need somebody like that. We don't need all superstars who can jump out of the gym. We need big men who can do the little things as well."
Tucker has listed OSU as a favorite along with Purdue and Indiana. Somewhat soft inside but well-skilled, Tucker has not yet received a firm offer but one could be on the way.
"He really likes Ohio State a lot," Conley said. "He wants to be with us and go to the same college with us. I think he's really sold on Ohio State. If the scholarship's open for him, I think he would take it."
Morgan also has not been offered yet as he is trying to attain a qualifying test score. He has had two clear favorites for months: Michigan State and Ohio State. Like the four commitments, Morgan is a winner, having led McKinley to the 2005 state title.
He is considered a 3-4 but can rebound in the trees when the situation calls and has the athleticism and passing ability to mesh in with the likes of Conley, Cook, Lighty and Oden.
"We need somebody that can rebound and play defense, score some," Cook said. "That's about it."
Matta may agree and go after Harangody, a classic banger who could take a lot of physical toll away from Oden. Or he could play it safe and tab Tucker or Morgan, who apparently wouldn't take long to jump on board.
However, the inside word is that Matta will go the way of Gekko and hold out for Young or Thomas -- whose recruiting likely will stretch into the late fall if not next spring -- with dreamy thoughts of employing four players flanking Oden who all can shoot outside, score, handle, pass and drive.
As it is he'll have Conley, Cook, Lighty, Sylvester Mayes, Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler in 2006-07.
Maybe greed is good.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
7/2/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>July 2, 2005
Who's next on the hoops radar? <HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1></TD></TR><TR><TD>Jeff Rapp
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Writer </TD><TD noWrap align=right>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Gordon Gekko once surmised that "greed is good." While that is a debatable point at best, it may not hurt Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta as he now looks to add to what already is being hailed as the best recruiting class in the country.
<!--Start Matta Image--><SCRIPT language=Javascript>document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/917/163623.jpg', '163623.jpg', 1, 322, 276, 1, 'Ohio State coach Thad Matta\'s tireless work ethic is enticing many of the nation\'s top players.', '', 1120253844000, 'Matta', 917, 'Align=Left'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=284 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=278>
They doubled a recruiting class that already included the top seniors-to-be in Ohio -- 6-4 Daequan Cook of Dayton Dunbar (No. 8) and 6-5 David Lighty of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (No. 20).
Matta has as many as three more scholarships at his disposal for the class and is all but certain to spend at least one of them on a power forward or combo forward, meaning the class could one day share the court like the storied "Fab Five."
Not coincidentally, OSU is right in the mix for as many as six such players, and that doesn't even count 6-8 Josh Chichester of West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West (No. 136), a two-sport star who committed to the Ohio State football program July 1 but admitted he is entertaining the idea of joining the men's basketball team.
Chichester has promise as a collegiate four-man but would not be able to join the Buckeyes on the hardwood until January 2007 at the earliest, and that would be as a walk-on. He told BuckeyeSports.com earlier this summer that Matta had given his blessing for such a scenario but he wasn't sure if he would indeed try to play both sports.
That then begs the question, who is going to complete the Thad Five?
The most prominent candidates at the moment appear to be 6-8 Thaddeus Young of Memphis (Tenn.) Mitchell (No. 3 on the recently updated Rivals Top 150), 6-8 Lance Thomas of Fanwood (N.J.) St. Benedict's (No. 22), 6-9 Jamil Tucker of Gary (Ind.) West (No. 45), 6-7 Luke Harangody of Shereville (Ind.) Andrean (No. 80) and 6-7 Raymar Morgan of Canton (Ohio) McKinley (No. 85).
Another possibility is 6-9 Bryce Webster of Mendota Heights (Minn.) St. Thomas Academy (No. 113), but his interest in OSU has apparently wavered.
Cook said he chatted up Young while the two played together in the USA Basketball Youth Developmental Festival in San Diego in early June.
"We talked a lot," he said. "We talked about what it's going to be like in college ball. It wasn't about what school he was going to go to, we just talked about how fun it would be to play together."
Cook and Conley also popped the idea on Thomas, who like Young is a premier athlete and scorer but not a classic power forward.
Conley and Oden got their first look at Harangody recently when the three played together in a state all-star series. Harangody reportedly is favoring Notre Dame but could get a full-court press from Matta soon since Conley offered him a glowing report.
"He was very good," Conley said. "I like the way he played. He's physical and tough and would do all the dirty work, and I feel that we need somebody like that. We don't need all superstars who can jump out of the gym. We need big men who can do the little things as well."
Tucker has listed OSU as a favorite along with Purdue and Indiana. Somewhat soft inside but well-skilled, Tucker has not yet received a firm offer but one could be on the way.
"He really likes Ohio State a lot," Conley said. "He wants to be with us and go to the same college with us. I think he's really sold on Ohio State. If the scholarship's open for him, I think he would take it."
Morgan also has not been offered yet as he is trying to attain a qualifying test score. He has had two clear favorites for months: Michigan State and Ohio State. Like the four commitments, Morgan is a winner, having led McKinley to the 2005 state title.
He is considered a 3-4 but can rebound in the trees when the situation calls and has the athleticism and passing ability to mesh in with the likes of Conley, Cook, Lighty and Oden.
"We need somebody that can rebound and play defense, score some," Cook said. "That's about it."
Matta may agree and go after Harangody, a classic banger who could take a lot of physical toll away from Oden. Or he could play it safe and tab Tucker or Morgan, who apparently wouldn't take long to jump on board.
However, the inside word is that Matta will go the way of Gekko and hold out for Young or Thomas -- whose recruiting likely will stretch into the late fall if not next spring -- with dreamy thoughts of employing four players flanking Oden who all can shoot outside, score, handle, pass and drive.
As it is he'll have Conley, Cook, Lighty, Sylvester Mayes, Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler in 2006-07.
Maybe greed is good.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Upvote
0
OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
rivals.com$
7/4/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2><!--matta0701--><!--matta0701--></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><!--PLACE MAIN PHOTO CODE BELOW HERE --><!--ThadMatta385--><!--ThadMatta385--> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
<!----------- MAIN STORY SUMMARY ----------------->Ohio State is a football school, and that will probably always be the case. But thanks to the recent recruiting efforts of coach Thad Matta, Buckeyes fans are dreaming big hoops dreams. How is Matta drawing top basektball talent to Columbus?
[more]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
A good read about how Matta has sold this class on bringing National Championships to Ohio State in basketball.
7/4/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2><!--matta0701--><!--matta0701--></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><!--PLACE MAIN PHOTO CODE BELOW HERE --><!--ThadMatta385--><!--ThadMatta385--> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
<!----------- MAIN STORY SUMMARY ----------------->Ohio State is a football school, and that will probably always be the case. But thanks to the recent recruiting efforts of coach Thad Matta, Buckeyes fans are dreaming big hoops dreams. How is Matta drawing top basektball talent to Columbus?
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
A good read about how Matta has sold this class on bringing National Championships to Ohio State in basketball.
Last edited:
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com$
7/5/05
Lighty will not be participating in the ABCD camp this week in Teaneck, NJ. He is still recovering from his knee injury.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
7/5/05
Lighty will not be participating in the ABCD camp this week in Teaneck, NJ. He is still recovering from his knee injury.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
There are reports that Lighty is attending the camp but not participating in the event.
Upvote
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
link
7/7/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">COMMENTARY: OSU basketball talk of the town
<!--REPLACE WITH TEASER-->
By Jon Shecket The Lantern
Columbus, OH (U-WIRE) -- Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of traveling to Indianapolis at The Lantern's expense to report on the verbal commitments of Lawrence North High School center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley, Jr. to play basketball at Ohio State. One day I will tell my grandchildren that I was there the day that OSU began to emerge as a "basketball school."
That's not to say that the mighty King Football will be relinquishing his throne. There will be no jumping into Mirror Lake in February, no Script Ohio on the hardwood, and the millionaire lawyers that populate the Schottenstein Center still won't make any significant noise until late in the second half.
What has changed, however, is OSU has a coach in Thad Matta who has the charisma and the vision necessary to recruit top young athletic talents. For the first time in memory, instead of rebuilding, the Buckeyes will be reloading.
Oden and Conley joined guards Daequan Cook of Dayton and David Lighty of Cleveland in committing to OSU. In addition, 6-foot-8-inch, 205-pound small forward Josh Chichester of Lakota West became the latest member of the class Sunday, committing to play both basketball and football.
There potentially could be one more big name small forward. Possibilities include 6-foot-8-inch Thaddeus Young of Memphis, Tenn., and 6-foot-9-inch Jamil Tucker of Gary, Ind.
No matter what happens, the "Thad Five" (or six) have already generated plenty of hype. A palpable buzz is spreading around the water coolers, dinner tables and online message boards throughout the Buckeye nation. It is as though a national championship is already in the bag for 2006-07. In the meantime, there is much to look forward to in the upcoming season.
The Buckeyes will be led by four capable seniors: guards J.J. Sullinger and Je'Kel Foster, center Terence Dials, and clutch forward Matt Sylvester. Together, the four averaged 41.3 points per game last season. <!-- STORY AD BEGINS HERE -->
New additions include 6-foot-9-inch power forward Brayden Bell, junior college transfer and shooting guard Sylvester Mayes and ex-Bowling Green guard Ron Lewis.
Best of all, the self-enforced post-season ban will no longer be in effect, potentially allowing Buckeye fans their first taste of March Madness in four years.
With all of the excitement surrounding the team itself, this is just as good a time as any for the OSU Department of Athletics to do the things fans have long asked for.
First, it's time to improve the game-day atmosphere at the Schottenstein Center. The NutHouse should be moved from behind the west basket to the front rows along the length of the court. This might ruffle the feathers of the aforementioned millionaire lawyers, but home-court advantage is well worth the cost.
Second, who wouldn't love to watch the Buckeyes play Cincinnati, Xavier or Dayton? Too many years have passed since OSU last played a quality in-state opponent. Win or lose, it pays to give players as much big-game experience as possible.
Third, it's time to bring back "Midnight Madness." Big-time college basketball is supposed to be exciting, so kick the season off with a party. With the personnel this team will have, it can end the season the same way.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
7/7/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">COMMENTARY: OSU basketball talk of the town
<!--REPLACE WITH TEASER-->
By Jon Shecket The Lantern
Columbus, OH (U-WIRE) -- Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of traveling to Indianapolis at The Lantern's expense to report on the verbal commitments of Lawrence North High School center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley, Jr. to play basketball at Ohio State. One day I will tell my grandchildren that I was there the day that OSU began to emerge as a "basketball school."
That's not to say that the mighty King Football will be relinquishing his throne. There will be no jumping into Mirror Lake in February, no Script Ohio on the hardwood, and the millionaire lawyers that populate the Schottenstein Center still won't make any significant noise until late in the second half.
What has changed, however, is OSU has a coach in Thad Matta who has the charisma and the vision necessary to recruit top young athletic talents. For the first time in memory, instead of rebuilding, the Buckeyes will be reloading.
Oden and Conley joined guards Daequan Cook of Dayton and David Lighty of Cleveland in committing to OSU. In addition, 6-foot-8-inch, 205-pound small forward Josh Chichester of Lakota West became the latest member of the class Sunday, committing to play both basketball and football.
There potentially could be one more big name small forward. Possibilities include 6-foot-8-inch Thaddeus Young of Memphis, Tenn., and 6-foot-9-inch Jamil Tucker of Gary, Ind.
No matter what happens, the "Thad Five" (or six) have already generated plenty of hype. A palpable buzz is spreading around the water coolers, dinner tables and online message boards throughout the Buckeye nation. It is as though a national championship is already in the bag for 2006-07. In the meantime, there is much to look forward to in the upcoming season.
The Buckeyes will be led by four capable seniors: guards J.J. Sullinger and Je'Kel Foster, center Terence Dials, and clutch forward Matt Sylvester. Together, the four averaged 41.3 points per game last season. <!-- STORY AD BEGINS HERE -->
New additions include 6-foot-9-inch power forward Brayden Bell, junior college transfer and shooting guard Sylvester Mayes and ex-Bowling Green guard Ron Lewis.
Best of all, the self-enforced post-season ban will no longer be in effect, potentially allowing Buckeye fans their first taste of March Madness in four years.
With all of the excitement surrounding the team itself, this is just as good a time as any for the OSU Department of Athletics to do the things fans have long asked for.
First, it's time to improve the game-day atmosphere at the Schottenstein Center. The NutHouse should be moved from behind the west basket to the front rows along the length of the court. This might ruffle the feathers of the aforementioned millionaire lawyers, but home-court advantage is well worth the cost.
Second, who wouldn't love to watch the Buckeyes play Cincinnati, Xavier or Dayton? Too many years have passed since OSU last played a quality in-state opponent. Win or lose, it pays to give players as much big-game experience as possible.
Third, it's time to bring back "Midnight Madness." Big-time college basketball is supposed to be exciting, so kick the season off with a party. With the personnel this team will have, it can end the season the same way.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Upvote
0
aurorabuckeye13
Heisman
Article about Matta, the program and the recruiting class from SI.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/luke_winn/07/07/ohio.state/index.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/luke_winn/07/07/ohio.state/index.html
Focus on the future
Buckeyes building for success, putting scandal behind
Posted: Thursday July 7, 2005 9:40AM
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=310 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10></TD><TD class=cnnImgAdPad width=300>
Mike Conley, Daequan Cook and Greg Oden are three of the recruits who will enter OSU in 2006.
AP
</TD></TR><TR><TD width=10></TD><TD width=300><TABLE class=cnnTMbox cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=cnnIEBoxTitle>OHIO STATE'S CLASS OF 2006</TD></TR><TR><TD class=cnnTMcontent><TABLE class=cnnTM cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Ps.</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Name</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>Ht.</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>Wt.</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>HS (City)</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">Rk.</TD></TR><TR class=cnnIERowAltBG><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>C</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Greg Oden</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC><NOBR>7-0</NOBR></TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>235</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Lawrence North (Indianapolis)</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">1*</TD></TR><TR><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>SG</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Daequan Cook</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>6-5</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>210</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Dunbar (Dayton, Ohio)</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">8</TD></TR><TR class=cnnIERowAltBG><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>SF</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>David Lighty</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>6-6</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>205</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Villa Angela St. Joe's (Cleveland)</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">21</TD></TR><TR><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>PG</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Mike Conley Jr.</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>6-1</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC>165</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtL>Lawrence North (Indianapolis)</TD><TD class=cnnIEColTxtC style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">24</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=cnnTMfooter>* National player rank, according to Scout.com</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD width=10></TD><TD width=300></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Thad Matta, while on his way to the opening games of the Reebok ABCD camp at Fairleigh Dickinson University Wednesday, turned to assistant John Groce, laughed and said, "It's amazing what a difference a year makes."
It was the morning of July 7, 2004 -- exactly 365 days ago -- that then Xavier head coach Matta was in Columbus, meeting with OSU athletic director Andy Geiger about the Buckeyes' basketball vacancy. By 6:30 p.m., a deal was done: After consulting with his wife and the Musketeers staff, Matta accepted the job.
The next day, Matta and Groce (who followed him from Xavier to OSU) took a flight to the East Coast and arrived at the '04 ABCD camp in street clothes -- not the customary school-logo attire -- to observe recruits, because as Matta recalled, "we didn't even have any Ohio State gear at the time."
They were anonymous suitors in a gym full of coaches vying for the nation's top prep prospects. Both had, on the heels of an Elite Eight run with the Muskies, given up a successful, private-school squad in the basketball-mad Queen City for a sub-.500, state-U team in football-crazy Columbus -- not to mention a program facing the possibility of heavy NCAA sanctions following the firing of Jim O'Brien, who admitted to paying a recruit $6,700. Matta and Groce traded job security for a new challenge. Their bigger paychecks came with increased pressure to revitalize a once-great -- now scandal-marred -- OSU program.
Return to the present day, and Matta and Groce sit side-by-side in the stands at the '05 ABCD, sporting Buckeyes shirts and gazing happily down at the court, where the fruits of their first-year recruiting efforts are dominating on the camp's Sonics squad. No. 1-overall player (according to Scout.com) Greg Oden, a 7-foot center; No. 8-ranked Daequan Cook, a 6-5 shooting guard; and No. 24-ranked Mike Conley Jr., a 6-1 point guard -- the three golden apples of the Class of 2006 -- have all verbally committed to the Buckeyes. A fourth, No. 21-ranked David Lighty, a 6-5 swingman, is also on board, but is sitting out the camp to rehab a knee injury.
Matta returned respect to OSU during the '04-05 regular season, leading the team to a 20-12 record despite a school-imposed ban on postseason play as a result of the O'Brien violations, and handed Illinois its lone regular-season loss. Matta's recruiting, however, is what has put Buckeye hoops back on the national map. By landing Oden -- who, before the NBA's new age-limit rule was instituted, was expected to be the No. 1 pick in the '06 draft -- and his teammate Conley on June 29, OSU left other recruiting classes in the dust.
"It's amazing how Matta was able to do this -- OSU didn't have any big-name guys, and it all changed pretty quick," said Jeff Goodman, a national recruiting analyst for Scout.com. "There is little chance that OSU won't be No. 1 [in the '06 class rankings]."
Although he is widely believed to be a one-year rental for Matta and the Buckeyes on his way to the NBA, Oden is the crown jewel of OSU's '06 recruiting class, which is being compared to Michigan's famous haul in 1991 -- Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Oden, who resembles a young Bill Russell, was dunking at will on opponents in ABCD's morning session Wednesday -- he shot 12-of-15 from the field in two games. "Certainly," said Goodman, the talent OSU has compiled "would compare with the Fab Five."
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The class -- Oden, Conley, Cook and Lighty -- has been tabbed the Thad Five; never mind it's still a quartet. OSU has seven scholarships available for '06, and may use up to six of them. The Buckeyes will likely add a power forward or another center to back up Oden and take the 7-footer's place in the starting lineup once he turns pro.
Matta had an assist in pulling the class together from Conley, the son of 1992 Olympic triple-jump champion Mike Conley. As Oden's omnipresent right-hand-man -- at Lawrence North High, on the Spiece Indy Heat AAU team and at ABCD, where he displayed skill as a passer and ambidextrous shooter in the lane -- Conley has plenty of influence on the blue-chip center. "Once Mike started to want to go [to Ohio State], I knew I wanted to go there, too," Oden said.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD width=10></TD><TD width=300></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Credit Matta for selling Conley on OSU, impressing the young floor general by attending Lawrence North's sectional championship game March 5, then driving back to Columbus late that evening to knock off No. 1 Illinois the next day. "I watched him coach that game against Illinois, I was amazed to see how he handled himself," Conley said. "Normal coaches would jump around and go crazy -- he tried to stay cool and act like he had done it before."
With this heralded crop of recruits, Matta won't be sneaking up on anyone -- and with Oden likely to be one-and-done, there will be a sense of immediacy to make a tournament run. Cook, a two-guard whose shooting talents have kept him from being overshadowed by his AAU teammates Oden and Conley, is aware of the pressure awaiting in Columbus. "I'm very excited," Cook said at the camp Wednesday, "but there's going to be a lot expected of us when we get there."
Conley and Oden were just as wary of the Fab Five/Thad Five label. "I don't really like it that much -- I'd rather just go to college and be able to play ball," Conley said. "We've got to focus even harder, though, because everyone's comparing us."
The ever-modest Oden -- who regularly insists he's not the best player on the floor, despite visual evidence to the contrary said, "I don't think we're there yet [at a Fab Five level]. ... We haven't even finished our last year of high school."
While the Buckeyes' future foursome worry about the weight of expectations, there is one other concern: whether or not the program will be eligible for the NCAA tournament in the 2006-07 season. All the people involved in the O'Brien scandal are gone from OSU -- the coaches, the athletic director and the players -- and the school voluntarily barred itself from the '04-05 postseason, but the NCAA's official ruling on OSU's penalty won't be revealed until this fall. Oden said the coaches told him it "most likely won't affect our class' postseason" -- but the possibility remains. It is the only cloud still lingering from the mess that created Matta's job opening, and something upon which he would rather not dwell.
"What's happened, happened, and nobody involved with our program now had anything to do with it," Matta said Wednesday. "We're just focused on the future -- and we think the future is going to be in good shape."
One year ago, had Matta made that last statement at his introductory press conference in Columbus, it could've easily been dismissed as run-of-the-mill, optimistic coach-speak. But with Oden and Co. running on the hardwood below at ABCD, and the Buckeye program reinvigorated with hope, when Matta spoke of the future, he was speaking the truth.
Luke Winn covers college sports for SI.com.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Lighty spent some time with Oden, Cook and Conley at the ABCD camp. David is still rehabbing his injured knee, but by all accounts, its progressing smoothly. Should be full go by the fall.
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