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SG Walter Offutt (Asst. BBall Coach Toledo Rockets)

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Watching the Bobcats take on Ball U on ESPNU and I have to say- it's really nice to see Walter Offutt get back on his feet after a few knee injuries. Very hard worker and a great kid.

I remember watching him in high school and I saw David Lighty type of player written all over him. Glue guy that maybe doesn't do one thing exceptionally, but can do it all. High Bball IQ.

Just good to see him playing again and it looks like he still has another year left after this one. :)
 
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Mens basketball: Offutt ready for prime time
Little-used as Buckeye, he?s now a leader for Ohio
By Tim May
The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday March 20, 2012

This time two years ago, Walter

Offutt was adrift in college basketball, but he didn?t run aground.

He stormed ashore at Ohio University in 2010 and, after sitting out last season, has provided leadership and big plays for a team that is making school history.

?This is amazing,? Offutt said after helping the 13th-seeded Bobcats dispose of No. 4 Michigan and No. 12 South Florida over the weekend, putting them in a Midwest regional semifinal against No. 1 North Carolina on Friday, their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1964. ?I really couldn?t picture myself coming here and doing the things that ... it?s one thing to talk about it, and another thing to actually do it.

?This has been unreal, and let?s just continue the run.?

Consider this juxtaposition: The third game of his sophomore season at Ohio State, Offutt sat and watched as the Buckeyes lost to North Carolina in Madison Square Garden. He wasn?t called on that night and, less than a month later, he decided to transfer.

Now he?s a key player for the Bobcats (29-7), who already have set a school record for wins, as they prepare to take on the Tar Heels in arguably the most important basketball game in school history.

?It?s going to be different knowing that I?m going into the game and that I have to contribute for our team to possibly win the game,? Offutt said.

He left OSU for just such an opportunity, even it didn?t seem to make sense to some longtime friends back in Indianapolis, where he had been a three-year star at Warren Central High School and one of the prized recruits in the 2008 OSU class.

?People don?t really know what really goes on ? ?Why weren?t you playing at Ohio State?? ? Offutt said. ?But I got stuck behind some really great guards, in Evan Turner, the No. 2 guy picked (in the NBA draft), and Jon Diebler, David Lighty and Willam Buford.

?But if you know basketball, you know how stuff works out, and you know you?re still a good player.?

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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/03/20/offutt-ready-for-prime-time.html
 
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Ohio boasts an experienced backcourt with juniors Walter Offutt and D.J. Cooper leading the Bobcats in scoring. Offutt paced Ohio with 21 points in their round-of-32 win over South Florida and Cooper had 21 to propel the Bobcats to a round-of-64 upset of 4th-seeded Michigan.

But the bigger concern for the Tar Heels should be the duo?s defensive prowess. Through two tournament games, Offutt already has six steals, while Cooper had two against South Florida. Their active hands could cause issues for an inexperienced ball-handler, and with North Carolina?s focus on pushing the ball up the floor nearly every possession, turnovers could pile up.
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Roy Williams: North Carolina preparing to play without Kendall Marshall in Sweet 16
 
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Ohio's Offutt follows a long road to Athens
BY KATHLEEN NELSON ? [email protected]
Posted: Friday, March 23, 2012

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Ohio guard Walter Offutt during a practice session before Sweet 16 games on Thursday, March 22, 2012, at the NCAA Midwest Regional at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Photo by Chris Lee, [email protected]

Seldom does a college coach get to crack jokes about the age of one of his players, but Ohio's John Groce seems to revel in the opportunity with guard Walter Offutt.

"I tease him sometimes because he has transferred twice, 'Walt, heck, you're older than me,'" Groce said. "He's like an old, wise man."

For the record, Groce is 40. Offutt is a redshirt junior and will turn 23 in July. For a college basketball player, though, Offutt qualifies as a man of the world. His experiences at three schools has helped put the Bobcats (29-7) on equal footing, for at least one night, with top-seeded North Carolina (31-5), their opponent in tonight's first semifinal.

"I've tabbed him as the culture changer," Groce said, 'something we've been working diligently at since we arrived in 2008."

Offutt and Groce first met three years earlier, when Groce was an assistant to Thad Matta at Ohio State and the Buckeyes were pursuing Offutt. Despite suffering a pair of ACL tears during his high school career in Indianapolis, Offutt remained on the Buckeyes' radar, and he arrived in Columbus about the time Groce departed for the job with the Bobcats.

Offutt appeared in 21 games as a freshman in 2008-09, when the Buckeyes lost to Siena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He spent much of the year absorbing lessons from his more seasoned teammates, such as David Lighty and Evan Turner.

"I didn't play much, but I think I took a lot in from those guys, and I think it really prepared me as far as my leadership role and the ability to lead on this team," Offutt said.

He needed to pack his bags before he was ready to lead, though. Offutt decided to transfer in the middle of his sophomore season and appeared headed to New Mexico to play for former Indiana star Steve Alford. Instead, he transferred to Wright State, near Dayton. When coach Brad Brownell left for Clemson just a few months later, Offutt decided to look around again. He considered playing for Indiana as a walk-on, then remembered the comfort factor with Groce.

"He recruited me when he was at Ohio State, so that's where I felt more like home than anywhere," Offutt said. "I've been through a couple stops, and I was fortunate that I was coming to him at Ohio University."

Groce was looking for a player to bring grit, attitude and maturity to his mid-major program in Athens, 75 miles from Columbus, Ohio.

"He's the epitome of what a student-athlete should be, both on and off the court," Groce said. "He's an extremely hard worker. He always gives you his best. He cares about the team more than he cares about himself. We've had some other guys grow and mature, which is what the college experience is all about. But I think Walt has helped our program accelerate in that area.

"He does a great job of connecting with people, cares about people and obviously is a big part of what we do."

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Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/coll...fb6-5b89-816f-ef4f1fabdfc3.html#ixzz1pwKcm1xu

Despite struggles, Offutt kept the faith
Mar. 23, 2012
Written by
Phillip B. Wilson

Walter Offutt's basketball journey always has been about the unexpected.

The former Warren Central High School star's prep career was derailed by knee injuries: his right knee hurt after his freshman year and the left knee two games into his senior season of high school.

College also has been an adventure with two transfers. When he decided two games into his second year at Ohio State that he had to leave, his mother, Darlene, sent him a Bible verse. She often shared scriptures, and this one resonated.

On Offutt's Twitter page @OUOffutt3, he lists Galatians 6:9: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

This is Offutt's season.

The junior shooting guard has led Ohio University to its first Sweet Sixteen.

"I used that verse as motivation," said Offutt, who was ranked among the top 10 freshmen in the country in high school. "A lot of people doubted me."

But he didn't lose faith, not in God nor in his ability.

"Never. Not ever," he said. "I knew I could play with the best players in the country. It makes this all worth it."

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http://www.indystar.com/article/20120323/SPORTS02/203230351/Despite-struggles-Offutt-kept-faith
 
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