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http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigten/2005-07-19-ohio-state-recruits_x.htm
Ohio State rebounds with top recruits
By Malcolm Moran, USA TODAY
John Groce, an assistant basketball coach at Ohio State, glanced at his watch and smiled as he recognized a milestone. He was sitting in a Boston Market restaurant in Teaneck, N.J., between sessions at the ABCD Camp of prospective recruits. He was living the summertime existence of a college coach: dinner on a plastic plate atop a tray, followed by a quick walk back to a gym for an evening of games, followed by more rushed meals, more games and judgments that determine a program's future.
Mike Conley, left, Daequan Cook, center, and Greg Oden all will attend Ohio State in 2006. The threesome, along with David Lightly, are being compared to the Fab Five.
By Michael Conroy, AP
It was 6:30 p.m. July 7, a year from the moment Groce was hired to work with head coach Thad Matta to repair a program jolted by scandal. In those 12 months, as a frantic start-up pace became a carefully constructed approach, Ohio State has produced the nation's most highly anticipated recruiting class in more than a decade.
"I thought I knew the power of Ohio State and what it meant," Groce said, "but I had no clue."
A team that endured a self-imposed ban from the 2005 NCAA Tournament, one that faces the potential of more sanctions for alleged violations under former coach Jim O'Brien, is being restocked beyond reasonable expectation. Greg Oden, a 7-0, 245-pounder from Lawrence North High in Indianapolis, and Mike Conley, a 6-1 high school teammate with a smooth left-handed jump shot, announced June 29 they would enroll at Ohio State for the 2006-07 season.
Oden, considered a likely No. 1 choice for the 2006 NBA draft, had quietly and consistently maintained he wanted to go to college. Eight days after the June 21 announcement of the league's new collective bargaining agreement and its 19-year-old age minimum for entry to the draft, Oden's intentions were confirmed.
But Ohio State, the place that will benefit from his skill and a dignified bearing reminiscent of a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was not on Oden's list when Matta arrived at camp a year ago.
Say hello to the Thad Five
Daequan Cook of Dayton, Ohio, a 6-5 AAU teammate of Oden and Conley, and 6-6 David Lighty of Cleveland already had committed. Immediately, the group was compared with Michigan's Fab Five, the 1991 signing class led by Chris Webber that produced five starters before the end of their freshman season and reached consecutive NCAA championship games. Several Ohio newspapers already have christened the group the Thad Five, even if it's one player short.
The summertime mating dance demands that adults wear colorful clothing with school logos and strategically position themselves to attract the unspoken attention of teens playing nearby, all without public acknowledgement of a school's interest. Coaches are prohibited from contact with players during the evaluation period through much of July, and they are not allowed to discuss recruits publicly until letters of intent are signed in November.
But the anatomy of a recruiting class can be found in detailed observations of the Buckeyes' prospects that reveal a plan dating from last year, when Matta was hired from Xavier and raced to the first day of ABCD camp. He had not yet been introduced at a news conference.
He had not yet received scarlet and gray Buckeyes gear.
Matta and Groce, newest representatives of the Ohio State basketball tradition, had spent just three hours on the campus. They appeared at the camp in the unfortunate position of Logoless Coaches, dressed for distress, limited to improvised hints of their new allegiance.
Matta wore a gray shirt, and Groce wore one he attempted to describe as scarlet. During his anniversary dinner, he acknowledged it was "maroonish."
Matta returned to Cincinnati to pick up a suit, traveled to Columbus for a news conference, conducted meetings with players until 2 a.m. and was on a flight back to New Jersey by 6 a.m. The coaches were concerned that the players might not know about the change. Conley, whose father, the gold medal winning Olympic triple jumper, coaches their AAU team, began to notice.
"I saw him with an Ohio State shirt on," Conley remembered. "I had already liked Xavier. When he moved over, I basically put Ohio State in mind, and as it went on he became more and more important. Everything he does, little things, I notice."
A statement had been made, but Matta quickly discovered the handicap of being hired in July. By the time the NCAA recruiting calendar allowed contact with players, seniors had plans elsewhere. "They said, 'I didn't know you were there,' " Matta said, "or, 'I didn't know you had an interest, and I've already cut my list.' "
The staff decided to concentrate on underclassmen, an approach that would provide them with added time to establish relationships. They targeted Cook, a charismatic friend of Oden and Conley since eighth grade. Cook was informed he could be the most influential Ohio State recruit since Jim Jackson in 1989, if not earlier. His talent, unselfish effort and economical style were valuable, but as the vision of the coaches was explained to him, his outgoing personality was essential. "I get along with everybody," Cook said. "I give everybody a chance to prove they're a good person. I feel comfortable around players. I always respect them, and they respect me."
When Matta took the Ohio State job, the national perception of the program was dominated by the depth of the NCAA violations and the eventual harshness of the consequences.
Matta's strategy was to provide direct answers to questions from recruits and their families. But the staff would not initiate a discussion of the issue. "I told the staff, 'I'm not going to waste one second worrying about what happened in the past,' " Matta said.
Recruit lends big hand
Now Cook was being enlisted to change the direction of the program. "They were just trying to build family between us three," Cook said. "Since we had the chance of going to the same college, why blow the chance?"
The question would change the national landscape. A program viewed as a liability was now seen as offering a rare opportunity. "The beginning factor," is how Oden described Cook's initial enthusiasm for Matta and the school.
"We already knew he liked Ohio State," Oden said. "We started looking at it a lot harder."
Oden, who last summer evaluated his game by saying, "I really have no offensive skills," was evolving into a dominant player at both ends of the floor. He averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks for Lawrence North and was named USA TODAY national player of the year.
Oden, an unfailing holder of doors for others, had always been courteous around adults with varying agendas. Now, as he became more comfortable with players he did not know or had just met, his friendship with Cook faced a potential test.
The new reality of the recruiting process and Ohio State's enlistment of Cook could have created an awkward element to the relationship, but the friends did not allow that. "I really never pressured them into making a decision," Cook said. "It was always buddy-buddy. We talked about other things. I'd talk to them about (Ohio State) sometimes, but it wasn't the main topic."
Cook and Conley were scheduled to visit Ohio State for the March 6 game against undefeated, No. 1-ranked Illinois. Conley saw Matta at Lawrence North's sectional championship Saturday night. When he figured the coach would not arrive in Columbus until 1 a.m. Sunday, Conley decided not to make the trip for the Ohio State game.
"I was too tired from the night before," Conley said. "If (Matta) can do it, my hat's off to him. Because I couldn't get up, and I'm young. He's got a lot of energy for a ..."
Conley paused and smiled. "... coach."
Cook was behind the Buckeyes bench that Sunday afternoon, visible on TV to his friends, as Ohio State created its late comeback to wreck the perfect Illini season. It appeared that he was one of the few in the sellout crowd of 19,200 who did not rush the floor. He remembered the cathartic scene in the dressing room. "Loud music. A lot of family and friends. I could just see myself there," Cook said.
Cook told Oden and Conley he planned to make a commitment, and by the end of March it was done. Also, Ohio State agreed to a four-game home-and-home series with Butler, Matta's alma mater and the school in Indianapolis where he first became a head coach. The Buckeyes agreed to play in the 2006 Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis. Oden and Conley could be home for Thanksgiving.
Mike Conley Sr. advised his son and Oden to make their announcement after the NBA settled its collective bargaining agreement.
"We just waited," Oden said. "We already knew we were going to college."
But did they know it would be Ohio State?
Oden stopped to think.
"Yeah," he said.
"Wait. No, actually."
His serious look was replaced by a smile. "Well, yes, I did," Oden said. "It was like a day before, though, because we had talked about it the night before. When it came out, I was like, 'OK, I'm ready.' "
Hold that thought. The Baby Bucks have another year to improve.
"When I get there," Oden said, "I want to be good."
Ohio State rebounds with top recruits
By Malcolm Moran, USA TODAY
John Groce, an assistant basketball coach at Ohio State, glanced at his watch and smiled as he recognized a milestone. He was sitting in a Boston Market restaurant in Teaneck, N.J., between sessions at the ABCD Camp of prospective recruits. He was living the summertime existence of a college coach: dinner on a plastic plate atop a tray, followed by a quick walk back to a gym for an evening of games, followed by more rushed meals, more games and judgments that determine a program's future.
Mike Conley, left, Daequan Cook, center, and Greg Oden all will attend Ohio State in 2006. The threesome, along with David Lightly, are being compared to the Fab Five.
By Michael Conroy, AP
It was 6:30 p.m. July 7, a year from the moment Groce was hired to work with head coach Thad Matta to repair a program jolted by scandal. In those 12 months, as a frantic start-up pace became a carefully constructed approach, Ohio State has produced the nation's most highly anticipated recruiting class in more than a decade.
"I thought I knew the power of Ohio State and what it meant," Groce said, "but I had no clue."
A team that endured a self-imposed ban from the 2005 NCAA Tournament, one that faces the potential of more sanctions for alleged violations under former coach Jim O'Brien, is being restocked beyond reasonable expectation. Greg Oden, a 7-0, 245-pounder from Lawrence North High in Indianapolis, and Mike Conley, a 6-1 high school teammate with a smooth left-handed jump shot, announced June 29 they would enroll at Ohio State for the 2006-07 season.
Oden, considered a likely No. 1 choice for the 2006 NBA draft, had quietly and consistently maintained he wanted to go to college. Eight days after the June 21 announcement of the league's new collective bargaining agreement and its 19-year-old age minimum for entry to the draft, Oden's intentions were confirmed.
But Ohio State, the place that will benefit from his skill and a dignified bearing reminiscent of a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was not on Oden's list when Matta arrived at camp a year ago.
Say hello to the Thad Five
Daequan Cook of Dayton, Ohio, a 6-5 AAU teammate of Oden and Conley, and 6-6 David Lighty of Cleveland already had committed. Immediately, the group was compared with Michigan's Fab Five, the 1991 signing class led by Chris Webber that produced five starters before the end of their freshman season and reached consecutive NCAA championship games. Several Ohio newspapers already have christened the group the Thad Five, even if it's one player short.
The summertime mating dance demands that adults wear colorful clothing with school logos and strategically position themselves to attract the unspoken attention of teens playing nearby, all without public acknowledgement of a school's interest. Coaches are prohibited from contact with players during the evaluation period through much of July, and they are not allowed to discuss recruits publicly until letters of intent are signed in November.
But the anatomy of a recruiting class can be found in detailed observations of the Buckeyes' prospects that reveal a plan dating from last year, when Matta was hired from Xavier and raced to the first day of ABCD camp. He had not yet been introduced at a news conference.
He had not yet received scarlet and gray Buckeyes gear.
Matta and Groce, newest representatives of the Ohio State basketball tradition, had spent just three hours on the campus. They appeared at the camp in the unfortunate position of Logoless Coaches, dressed for distress, limited to improvised hints of their new allegiance.
Matta wore a gray shirt, and Groce wore one he attempted to describe as scarlet. During his anniversary dinner, he acknowledged it was "maroonish."
Matta returned to Cincinnati to pick up a suit, traveled to Columbus for a news conference, conducted meetings with players until 2 a.m. and was on a flight back to New Jersey by 6 a.m. The coaches were concerned that the players might not know about the change. Conley, whose father, the gold medal winning Olympic triple jumper, coaches their AAU team, began to notice.
"I saw him with an Ohio State shirt on," Conley remembered. "I had already liked Xavier. When he moved over, I basically put Ohio State in mind, and as it went on he became more and more important. Everything he does, little things, I notice."
A statement had been made, but Matta quickly discovered the handicap of being hired in July. By the time the NCAA recruiting calendar allowed contact with players, seniors had plans elsewhere. "They said, 'I didn't know you were there,' " Matta said, "or, 'I didn't know you had an interest, and I've already cut my list.' "
The staff decided to concentrate on underclassmen, an approach that would provide them with added time to establish relationships. They targeted Cook, a charismatic friend of Oden and Conley since eighth grade. Cook was informed he could be the most influential Ohio State recruit since Jim Jackson in 1989, if not earlier. His talent, unselfish effort and economical style were valuable, but as the vision of the coaches was explained to him, his outgoing personality was essential. "I get along with everybody," Cook said. "I give everybody a chance to prove they're a good person. I feel comfortable around players. I always respect them, and they respect me."
When Matta took the Ohio State job, the national perception of the program was dominated by the depth of the NCAA violations and the eventual harshness of the consequences.
Matta's strategy was to provide direct answers to questions from recruits and their families. But the staff would not initiate a discussion of the issue. "I told the staff, 'I'm not going to waste one second worrying about what happened in the past,' " Matta said.
Recruit lends big hand
Now Cook was being enlisted to change the direction of the program. "They were just trying to build family between us three," Cook said. "Since we had the chance of going to the same college, why blow the chance?"
The question would change the national landscape. A program viewed as a liability was now seen as offering a rare opportunity. "The beginning factor," is how Oden described Cook's initial enthusiasm for Matta and the school.
"We already knew he liked Ohio State," Oden said. "We started looking at it a lot harder."
Oden, who last summer evaluated his game by saying, "I really have no offensive skills," was evolving into a dominant player at both ends of the floor. He averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks for Lawrence North and was named USA TODAY national player of the year.
Oden, an unfailing holder of doors for others, had always been courteous around adults with varying agendas. Now, as he became more comfortable with players he did not know or had just met, his friendship with Cook faced a potential test.
The new reality of the recruiting process and Ohio State's enlistment of Cook could have created an awkward element to the relationship, but the friends did not allow that. "I really never pressured them into making a decision," Cook said. "It was always buddy-buddy. We talked about other things. I'd talk to them about (Ohio State) sometimes, but it wasn't the main topic."
Cook and Conley were scheduled to visit Ohio State for the March 6 game against undefeated, No. 1-ranked Illinois. Conley saw Matta at Lawrence North's sectional championship Saturday night. When he figured the coach would not arrive in Columbus until 1 a.m. Sunday, Conley decided not to make the trip for the Ohio State game.
"I was too tired from the night before," Conley said. "If (Matta) can do it, my hat's off to him. Because I couldn't get up, and I'm young. He's got a lot of energy for a ..."
Conley paused and smiled. "... coach."
Cook was behind the Buckeyes bench that Sunday afternoon, visible on TV to his friends, as Ohio State created its late comeback to wreck the perfect Illini season. It appeared that he was one of the few in the sellout crowd of 19,200 who did not rush the floor. He remembered the cathartic scene in the dressing room. "Loud music. A lot of family and friends. I could just see myself there," Cook said.
Cook told Oden and Conley he planned to make a commitment, and by the end of March it was done. Also, Ohio State agreed to a four-game home-and-home series with Butler, Matta's alma mater and the school in Indianapolis where he first became a head coach. The Buckeyes agreed to play in the 2006 Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis. Oden and Conley could be home for Thanksgiving.
Mike Conley Sr. advised his son and Oden to make their announcement after the NBA settled its collective bargaining agreement.
"We just waited," Oden said. "We already knew we were going to college."
But did they know it would be Ohio State?
Oden stopped to think.
"Yeah," he said.
"Wait. No, actually."
His serious look was replaced by a smile. "Well, yes, I did," Oden said. "It was like a day before, though, because we had talked about it the night before. When it came out, I was like, 'OK, I'm ready.' "
Hold that thought. The Baby Bucks have another year to improve.
"When I get there," Oden said, "I want to be good."
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