Tag: Thad Matta

Could former Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta be on his way back to the coaching ranks?

Thad Matta’s name is being mentioned as a possible coaching candidate at Wichita State should the position come open as it’s expected to.

Thad Matta is arguable the most successful head coach in Ohio State basketball history. With a school record of 337 wins, five Big Ten regular-season titles, four Big Ten tournament titles, nine NCAA tournament appearances, and two trips to the Final Four, a strong case can be made for Matta.

Unfortunately for Matta, persistent back issues left him with the inability to be as involved as he would’ve liked in his final few years on the OSU bench. Matta was relieved of his coaching duties in an odd fashion in June of 2017, leading some to speculate there were internal issues between him and Ohio State athletic director, Gene Smith.

Regardless, Matta handled the situation with class and has yet to officially retire. Enter Wichita State.

The Shockers have had an ongoing investigation of troubling allegations of player abuse and are expected to part ways with current head coach, Gregg Marshall. It is reported that Matta is tops on Wichita State’s wish list.

Seth Davis posted on Twitter that the Shockers could make Matta their new head coach “right away.” However, it’s hard to believe that any program would bring in a new coach two weeks before the season is set to begin.

Could Thad Matta be the next coach at Wichita State University? Having a few years to rest that ailing back has probably done wonders and a guy as competitive as Matta most likely feels like he still has something to offer.

It seems Wichita would be a great landing spot for the former OSU head coach if it pans out that way. Time will tell and we wish nothing but the best for one of the class acts in college sports.

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Ohio State basketball’s ‘Thad-Five’ ranked one of top 25 recruiting classes of the one-and-done era

ESPN ranked the 25-best one-and-done era recruiting classes in college basketball, and the Thad Five class of 2006 made the cut.

It’s hard to believe it’s been that long ago, but Ohio State’s “Thad-Five” recruiting class was all the way back in 2006 — now fourteen years ago. It was new head coach Thad Matta’s first real recruiting class, and it helped set the bar going forward.

The cornerstone commit of that class was Greg Oden, but you also had current NBA star Mike Conley, Jr., Daequon Cook, David Lighty, and JUCO Othello Hunter. That class would make an immediate splash by helping win Big Ten regular-season and conference tournament titles, and an eventual journey to the Final Four and national championship game appearance.

Shortly after that, both Oden and Conely were off to the NBA as one-and-dones, but the program continued to excel. Getting the premier player — if even for just a year — became a Matta principle in recruiting until his departure from the program just three years ago.

And while Ohio State isn’t the king of the one-and-done athlete, that class does rank among one of the best during the era of one-year players heading off to the NBA.

ESPN took a look at 25 of the best one-and-done era college basketball recruiting classes and included that 2006 squad along with a slew of Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina teams. You can get a look (subscription required) at all the classes the worldwide leader in sports programming ranked, but it’s worth noting that the 2013 Kentucky class with Julius Randle and the Harrison twins came in as No. 1.

But back to that unbelievable OSU recruiting class. Here’s what Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway say about one of the best hauls the Buckeye program has ever brought into the program, and where they rank it.

Next … The narrative on the 2006 Ohio State class

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