Thank you, ChipJonez. What a splendid thing for you to say!
Your point/insight our schools (…and polarizing “ho hum” coaches) have common ground is one I espouse.
I’m humbled to be included in this space.
This forum’s perspective on what’s going on in the Big 10 is one I value and I think being able to post here has enriched the experience I used to merely glean by reading.
Thanks again!
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I’ve always wondered what was responsible for the 2015 class mass exodus.
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Thanks for the info and your insights. That pattern of trying to follow up some big success with a change in recruiting philosophy that doesn’t necessarily work out is definitely not limited to Matta, as it happened, at least to some extent, to Jay Wright and our own Beilein and others. And Matta did pull Conley and Oden out of Indiana and others out of Chicago and elsewhere, so he had some success.
I have to say, as a Michigan fan, I wouldn’t mind if OSU got rid of Matta. Maybe he has lost a step but I remember vividly that 8-year span where he had the best program in the league. Miller would obviously seem like a good fit though and seems to have the chops.
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I have always thought of Motta as a so-so game coach, but a good recruiter of talent. Having said that, although his team’s have had talent, they often didn’t seem to mesh well together.
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I’ve always thought of Matta as a great defensive coach and only a pretty good offensive coach, often over-reliant on stars (Oden/Conley, Sulllinger, Turner). But his numbers are pretty impressive.
In Matta’s first 10 years at OSU, he had 5 years top 7 kenpom rankings, 8 top 20 finishes, and never finished below 34 overall. 7 of those offenses finished top 23 (with another at 33), and only one defense outside the top 31 (with 6 in the top 16). In ten eligible years, he made the NCAAs nine times including two final fours (one runner up), an E8 and a S16. He had five B1G titles and four B1G tourney titles in there.
He’s obviously had a tough couple years (although he did go 11-7 in the B1G last year and really had his out of conference scheduling to blame for not making the NCAAs). But while OSU won a title a while back, Matt’s got to have put together by far the best decade in OSU basketball in a long time. Twenty years ago they might be naming the court after this guy.
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Wow - I just noticed OSU went 11-7 in the BT last year and didn’t make the tournament. I don’t remember what happened? 11-7 this year would have tied for 4th!
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Some bad losses in the non-conference plus unbalanced schedule. They beat 3 tourney teams last year I believe: Kentucky, Michigan, Iowa.
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guestavo gets it right every once in awhile I suppose. still waiting on that dynamic wolverine offense though.
We can win this tourney. We really have to if we wanna get a nice seed and avoid a top ten team.We gotta move our seed up. If we somehow ran the gauntlet and added a second win versus Purdue a win versus minny or state then say another win versus Wisconsin or Maryland? That would do wonder for our resumes. I think we’d be a six for sure, maybe a five.
Don’t have much time this morning but I’ll answer anything posed above asap = likely tonight…
What I know, or think I know, about the mass exodus…
Austin Grandstaff ----> I believe the major factor in his leaving was that his girlfriend had his son just before classes started…he wasn’t getting big minutes and he thought he should have been…he let himself doubt why he was there…that was all she wrote…P.S. His little boy is a good looking kid and Austin seems to truly adore him…in the end that’s the best thing he is doing with his life and I applaud him for that…
Daniel Giddens → His mother is ill and he wanted to be closer to home…he was the guy I was most sad for Ohio State to lose…a beast of an athlete…a totally aggressive player, but he needed a ton of refinement…final thought = It’s been said Giddens felt he had stretch four capabliites…???..
Mickey Mitchell —>He was asked to play a PF position and he thought a perimeter position (PG) more suited his capabilities…he passes the ball well and can hold his dribble but also possesses a non-existent jump shot…I saw him as a four year player at the PF position…I think he wants a coach to allow him to start the offense with the ball in his hands…chalk one up for him seeing the writing on the wall…
AJ Harris - This is the guy I truly wonder about…read into that all you want and if you know what Matta has said surrounding the disappearance of this class (minus JaQuan Lyle) then I question Harris’s role…
One big issue that seemed to resonate was that players were not spending enough time in the gym…it was a sore spot with veterans and the coaching staff…grades/time spent studying was another issue…
There are many answers I’ll never know…these are my best guesses at what happened…
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Poor Thad Matta. First the dreaded “vote of confidence” (kinda) and then this happened… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WNVCmxhmSU
Yes, the old “You know, he’s going to die” recruiting trick. He’ll never survive…LOL…
Next thing you know OSU AD Gene Smith will sit in a visible court side seat and appear to be evaluating Matta.
Remember the votes of confidence given to Bruce Weber at Illinois and Kelvin Sampson at Indiana? Soon thereafter their AD’s sat in a prominent spot beside the court at home games with a paper tablet and writing utensil in hand. Soon they were fired.
I wish Matta would have stuck more so with Midwest kids but I think it’s natural for head coaches to ask the question “How far can I go with this?” and then try to cash in, if possible.
I believe Thad thought he had both Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and UCLA’s Tony Parker ready to sign. As well, I think he felt the same about Texas/Indiana Pacer Myles Turner. Those are great shots to take but he didn’t land any of them.
His program is at its best when it has a low post presence. Surprising to some, Amir Williams had offers from some high quality programs but there was just something missing with him. Wish I knew what. It’s not like Amir didn’t have ability.
Sounds like next season is the big one in determining Thad’s future at OSU. Remember the name Kaleb Wesson. He’s the low post presence they need. He and Nick Ward had some great battles in Central Ohio games when Nick was a senior at Gahanna Lincoln. Kaleb got the better of Nick last season when it counted but they are a lot alike.
At least Dr. Gee isn’t around anymore to worry if Thad Matta’s going to fire him.
EDIT: This is one entertaining read, as Wikipedia pages go… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Gordon_Gee
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Well played
: ) That gets the Jim Tressel seal of approval tattoo : )
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He has been a good recruiter of talent. That he may well be a so-so game coach is a viewpoint I won’t argue. I neither am for or against that opinion. My take is it depends on which season one is referring to whether he deserves or doesn’t deserve that criticism.
There have been a couple OSU teams I wished meshed better. When BJ Mullens and Kosta Koufos played prominent roles as freshman in back to back seasons are two good examples.
All great points. I agree. Thus the thought he has earned the chance to revive what has been stale.