Sunday, May 1, 2005 </MCC DATE>
<MCC HEAD>
Illini fans still kind to Matta </MCC HEAD>
<MCC BYLINE1>By Jim Benson </MCC BYLINE1>
<MCC BYLINE2>
[email protected] </MCC BYLINE2>
<!--***** BEGIN 180x150 IN-STORY RECTANGLE AD *****--><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--function adShell(src,url) { var output = '<table class="infoBox" width="188" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0" align="right">'; output += '<tr><td>
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'; output += ''; if (url != null) output += ''; output += '</center></td></tr></table>'; return output;}function GoldsGym() { return adShell("http://www.pantagraph.com/advertising/isr/GoldsISR.gif","http://www.goldsgym.com");}var pfKill = false; // Kill switch for printer-friendly windowif (opener) { if (opener.location.href.indexOf("stories") != -1) pfKill = true;}if (!pfKill) { if (Math.random() > 0.500) document.write(GoldsGym()); else document.write(GoldsGym());}//--></SCRIPT><!--***** END 180x150 IN-STORY AD *****--><MCC STORY>NORMAL -- Thad Matta returned to his home state for the first time in a while this weekend. He didn't have to hide out, either.
The Ohio State basketball coach was at Illinois State's Bone Student Center Saturday night to be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Matta was a former standout player for Hoopeston-East Lynn High School in the mid-1980s.
Matta's first season as Ohio State coach was capped by the Buckeyes' 66-65 victory over No. 1-ranked Illinois in the regular-season finale as Matt Sylvester sank a 3-pointer with six seconds left. It was the Illini's first loss after opening with 29 straight victories and denied Illinois the chance to become the first team to go undefeated in Big Ten Conference play since 1976.
"The people in Hoopeston that I know, they're all Illinois fans," said Matta. "But if Illinois was going to lose, I think they were happy it was to us."
Matta guided the Buckeyes to a 20-12 record. Ohio State probably would have made the NCAA Tournament field, but the Buckeyes were on a self-imposed post-season ban for possible NCAA violations committed under former coach Jim O'Brien.
Watching two Big Ten Conference teams -- Illinois and Michigan State -- play during the Final Four in St. Louis didn't surprise Matta. He said Illinois' dominance overshadowed the rest of the Big Ten during the season.
After North Carolina beat Illinois 75-70 for the NCAA title, an Illini fan spotted Matta.
"Some guy yelled at me after the championship game and said, 'Hey, you're not the only team to beat us anymore,'" said Matta. "I thought Carolina was awesome. I thought for the first time in I do not know how many years the two best teams made it to the championship game. They were the two best teams, by far, in college basketball."
It was a family affair for the Mattas Saturday night. Thad Matta's older brother, Greg (who played at Eureka College), also was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"To get in here tonight and see the old coaches, it's a great honor," said Matta. "I think Illinois is one of the best, if not the best, basketball state. I know somehow my stats got better than when I played."
The 37-year-old Matta is considered one of the fastest rising stars in the college coaching world. He led his alma mater, Butler, to the second round of the NCAA tourney in his only season as head coach in 2001 before leaving for Xavier. Xavier went to three NCAA tourneys under Matta in three seasons. The Musketeers handed St. Joseph's its first loss of the 2003-04 season in the Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament and surprised everyone by going to the Elite Eight before losing to Duke.