Editor's Note: Ohio State coach Thad Matta will be featured on "Northwestern Mutual Presents NCAA Men of March" airing Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on CBS right after an episode on Arizona coach Sean Miller at 12 p.m.
Ohio State has become a one-stop shop for one-and-dones in recent years, with players like Greg Oden, Mike Conley, and Kosta Koufos all only spending one season in Columbus before departing. Soon, D'Angelo Russell will likely join that group of players as a one-and-done first-rounder this season.
In fact, since 2006 (when the NBA Draft age limit was put into place), Ohio State has had more one-and-dones come through its doors (five) than anyone else outside of Kentucky (who has had 13), and Kansas (tied with OSU at five).
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The one constant at the top of all of that roster turnover -- as well as the man responsible for recruiting these players -- is Thad Matta.
Matta -- over his decade-plus now in Columbus as coach of the Buckeyes -- has developed one of the best track records of simultaneously developing professional prospects while still having team-level success. Among all schools that have had six early entrants into the NBA Draft since 2006, Matta's winning percentage is fourth-best behind Kansas, Duke and Memphis. He has also made two Final Fours, been to two other Elite Eights and two other Sweet 16s, and won either the Big Ten regular season or tournament title in six of his 10 seasons.
Basically, Matta is the complete package for any prospective recruit that would consider Ohio State. He's also quite teacher for assistants to learn from as well. Currently, four of Matta's former assistants are college head coaches, two are former head coaches, and one is now an NBA head man:
- Sean Miller, current Arizona coach who was with Matta at Xavier.
- Archie Miller, current Dayton coach who coached under Matta at OSU
- John Groce, current Illinois coach who was at Butler, Xavier and OSU with Matta
- Alan Major, current Charlotte coach, who was with Matta for a decade at various stops
- Todd Lickliter, former Butler and Iowa coach who was Matta's main assistant at Hinkle
- Brandon Miller, former Butler coach who got his first job as a video coordinator from Matta
- Finally, Brad Stevens, current Boston Celtics coach who gave Stevens the coordinator of basketball operations job at Butler in 2000.
So he prepares players for their next job, prepares coaches for their next job, and creates a culture of success and winning that has permeated and made Ohio State one of the best basketball schools in the country -- not an easy thing to accomplish given that it's a football school.
That means there's only one thing left for Matta to accomplish: a national championship. He came within nine points of getting it in 2007 with Greg Oden and Mike Conley in town. Then, in 2012, with a twosome of Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas leading the way, he came within two points of reaching another championship game in a heartbreaking loss to Kansas. Given the resources he has at OSU and his sheer level of success, one would think that championship is only a matter of time.
Once that happens, it becomes clear we're looking at a Hall of Famer.
