The Front Row

Good point on what Matta has done. Taylor won 7 Big Ten titles between 1960-71. Between 1971-2004, OSU won 4 titles (1991, 1992, 2000 and 2002).

Matta arrived in 2004-05 and in 8 years, he has 5 titles and two Final Fours.

I agree with your assessment totally. In addition, bringing in 5 or 6 recruits in one class (with only a couple of seniors in the program) is bound to generate transfers. I would prefer to bring in 2 or 3 players per class and have a more normal rotation of players coming in and going out. I know with players leaving early for the NBA, it's tough to predict the staffing needs and I can't blame Matta for his latest recruiting stategy. I do think the bench play could have been expanded more at times during this season, but that probably wouldn't have change the outcome of these transfers. Keeping and developing Ross and Williams is key for the futrue of OSU basketball success for the next two years.

Consider that the solution may extend the problem, e.g., if Ross or Williams has a great year, then he might go to the NBA. That is why the baseball rule - play pro immediately or play minimum of three years college - is so badly needed.

Interesting piece Lee. Matta would be wise to take more developmental players that will fill in the gaps when NBA prospects inevitably leave early.

Instead, we've seen Matta fill in the gaps with below level prospects in a rush for depth. The only coach who has consistently been able to replace NBA defections is Callipari at Kentucky. For the rest of college basketball, it's not a sustainable strategy.

Some games this year, Lenzelle was awful in, but those games allowed him to grow his game. I don't think Matta needs a deep bench for the tournament, but these regular season fluff games are a great way to teach these young players in actual game situations.

Nice write-up Lee, as always!

I like the baseball rule and I really think the 'one year rule' is hurting college basketball. It doesn't make much sense to me, but it does help out the NBA in determining talent rather than just potential. Although there are just as many kids leaving early now as there was a few years ago before the rule.

I have no problem with kids moving on and pursuing basketball elsewhere. Transfers are healthy, to an extent, because like you said it doesn't help players toiling on the bench. It also gives the player an opportunity to play on the court during games, rather than just practice. Although, every team needs bench players to practice and get better everyday. I'm not surprised to see two transfers this year especially the 'log jam' effect that is going on right now with so many kids being the same relative age (FR and SO).

I'm not sure Coach Matta and Co. have a problem developing players. Look at the guys who have been here 3 and 4 years and they are fairly successful college players that play sound basketball for the most part (Willy Buford Clause). I have no doubt that if Sibert and Weatherspoon would have stayed 4 years, they too would have become solid contributers and players.

Go Bucks!!

Flat out one of the best articles I've read on this site - definitely the best one on basketball. Terrific analysis by Lee. Great, great job.

The key is better evaluation of a recruit, and tell thm up front that you EXPECT THEM TO to be here at least three years or don't come to OSU. "Young man OSU is about the team, not individuals, TEAMS WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ... INDIVIDUALS DO NOT! If you want to be a winner and develop your skills for the NBA, you need thre years of Big Ten BB."

georgianut - What a jerk!! What do you know about basketball? Doesn't seem like much. Lee is right on with his comments - Matta should be the recruiting coordinator, and leave the coaching to someone else. He's no Pitino or Calipari, for sure. They are real coaches with basketball skills.

Matta's titles were won on the backs of kids who were only here for the one-year free ride. I would rather have the Bo Ryan successes any day . . .

Great read Lee!

I'm thankful the great effort and sacrifice Coach Matta's and his coaches make year around. Very few know the time and travel involved. I said before in another thread, I love Coach Matta's program. I also love the way Coach Matta embraces the success of the football program, the past success of Buckeye basketball, and he isn't afraid to compete at the highest level.

Agreed, transfers can be a healthy thing, and I'm not in a position to know what progress has or hasn't been made in the case of our transfers. The fact that our top players have done so very well while most of the transfers have not done particularly well after leaving tOSU is a credit to the coaches evaluation.

Unfortunately, transfers can also be a waste of investment if a coach AND a player has made progress together. The coach will have to start a new player over in his system, and the transfer will have to start over in a new system, too. A strong bench seems to be a rarity and a valuable commodity these days. IMO, relying on an 8-9 man rotation in big games is ideal, or if a team plays uptempo, a 9-10 man rotation is ideal. Even with that, there will always be a couple of potential transfers on the bench.

Is Lee really saying this: "Matta should be the recruiting coordinator, and leave the coaching to someone else. He's no Pitino or Calipari, for sure. They are real coaches with basketball skills." It is shocking the lack of respect Matta gets on these boards. He is a great coach, really solid guy and has done more at OSU in 8 years than we have seen in the the last several decades combined. All of this has come without a hint of any off the court problems. Also, it's odd to say that Calipari is a real coach and then follow-up the next paragraph with this statement: "Matta's titles were won on the backs of kids who were only here for the one-year free ride."

How many 25+ win seasons, final 4's and big ten titles does a guy need to get respect? Matta has made OSU an elite basketball school and any reasonable examination would demonstrate that we weren't that close before he came.

...very thoughtful piece...darn good writing.