The downfall was the 2013-14 team that got bounced by Dayton in the first round. They brought back a Senior PG in Craft (also Lenzelle Smith) along with a very experienced Junior class with Ross, Williams, Shannon Scott and Sam Thompson. Mark Loving was a highly rated Freshman as well. This was, on paper, a team that had a core of very solid recruits, all of who were pretty much busts for their career. Not because they didn't have good careers, but if you get a crop of top 100 players like this to stay 3-4 years, they should be able to be a near elite team by the back end of their careers.

The next year, D'Angelo Russell masked a lot of the problems and the last 2 years, the talent just hasn't been there. Matta is no longer recruiting well at all and even when he puts together a roster full of solid players, he's yet to show he can mold a team into a legit top 15 team without the elite talents. He's been passed in this regard within the Big Ten by the likes of Purdue and Michigan, and the rise of Indiana has correlated with a decline for OSU. While it's going to be difficult for OSU to find a better overall coach than Matta, if they are no longer getting elite players, they need to find someone with a different style and a different approach.

Archie Miller loses a TON at Dayton this year and would be an optimal time to jump ship. However, that would take a big hunk of cash and a commitment to not wait on replacing Matta. Miller will field offers if he's interested and the Buckeyes can't afford to wait.

from a commenter on 11W...pretty much echoes my feelings regarding OSU basketball

OldColumbusTown 8 hours ago8 hours ago
This team and this program have become unwatchable.
Thad Matta is a man of tremendous character. He's done unthinkable things with this basketball program. Unfortunately, I think we've reached a point of no return. The program has plateaued.
I don't know how it has gotten to this point, but this team (actually the past 2-3 years) has become the antithesis of what we've known of Thad Matta-coaches teams. They foul too much, choke under pressure, turn the ball over far too much, and have terrible shot selection. The tenets of OSU basketball that we've been accustomed to seeing over Thad's first 9-10 seasons have vanished. Disappeared. Gone.
I don't know the answer right now, but with an 0-5 start to B1G play looming, the NCAA tournament is already almost certainly out of the picture. It's sad, frustrating and disappointing to watch, but the time has come where something drastic needs to happen. There is no change in sight if the program remains as is...
And this all comes from someone who has vehemently opposed those calling for Matta's job the past 2 years. He earned the right to turn this around, but unfortunately nothing has changed this season and instead we've almost seen regression.

The only things that really need to be said are:

1. The new guys coming in to replace all the dead weight that transferred out are no better and possibly worse overall. Jackson's a pure shooter who isn't getting his shots to fall; Potter could be a solid starter (or key reserve) down the road, but doesn't seem quite ready for "prime time" now; Wesson is a future role player and Funderburk (aka: the highest-regarded guy coming in) was redshirted.

2. The only returnee who's noticeably better than last year is Thompson, who would probably be a double-double machine if not for issues staying out of foul trouble. But it seems no one is consistently good. Last night, Thompson was good and Tate did good at being aggressive and scoring WHEN HE WASN'T TURNING THE BALL OVER EVERY OTHER POSSESSION. But no one else really stood out positively and Kam was a black hole of suck on offense.

When you look at the margins of defeat and the box scores, it's easy to be optimistic and say that the problem is simply that they haven't put together a complete game and are still close and if they can put it all together, things will start falling in their favor. But when this same nucleus has been together for a couple seasons and things haven't improved, it's kind of wishful thinking to believe anything is actually going to get better. Which is a shame. The B1G seems weak this year, with a bunch of decent-to-good teams and no great ones. If they simply had progressed from how they finished last year, they'd be an easy pick to finish near the top of the conference and make the tournament (probably getting beat in the first or second round, but at least getting there). But what I'm seeing -- they'll be keeping Buttgers company towards the bottom.

There's just no clutchness there. I knew how last night was going to end exactly when they stalled after coming back to within 3-5 points. They're the kind of team that'll fight and claw and stay in the game, but when it comes to really grabbing the momentum and making that big play to get over the hump, they melt down.

Makes me sad honestly because Thad Matta and OSU basketball have been so awesome to watch over the years. But as previously mentioned that team with Craft as a frosh should have been way better, the Russell team I believe was a 10 seed, and now we have two years of shitball. I honestly couldn't care less about OSU basketball because it's that bad to watch, absolutely no flow at all

Heretic;1831991 wrote:But when this same nucleus has been together for a couple seasons and things haven't improved...

This has been my biggest pet peeve over the last few seasons..the players just aren't getting any stronger or better. Matta's a helluva guy and a good coach, but maybe it's time for a new coach with a fresh approach.

vball10set;1832000 wrote:This has been my biggest pet peeve over the last few seasons..the players just aren't getting any stronger or better. Matta's a helluva guy and a good coach, but maybe it's time for a new coach with a fresh approach.

Yeah, it's getting disheartening to see these guys come in as freshmen with all this star potential (in particular a guy like Sam Thompson), but when they leave, they're essentially the same guy they were when they came -- maybe able to do some things better, but not enough to really come close to realizing that potential. Especially after watching guys like David Lighty and Lenzelle Smith Jr. evolve from role players to quality players with good leadership abilities in the past. They've had a lot of 3-4 year players blossom over the course of their careers in the past and now, it seems like that isn't happening and everyone has their strong and weak points and those weak points never get fixed and the strong ones never get stronger.

http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/743497?referrer_id=878183

This is not to say Thad Matta should be fired. A good man and a good coach, he deserves to leave on his terms. In 13 seasons at Ohio State, the school’s all-time wins leader reached remarkable heights in the towering shadow of football.
Two Final Fours. Five Sweet 16s. Six Big Ten titles. Not long ago, he was as good as it got anywhere.
But time waits for no man paid $3.4 million per year to deliver big results.
Think about this: The last Buckeyes football coach to leave on his own volition was Paul Brown in 1944. Heck, even Fred Taylor, the legendary basketball coach who led Ohio State to the 1960 national title, was forced out.
No one wants the same for the classy Matta, but since 2013, the Buckeyes have drifted from a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament to a 6 seed to a 10 seed to out of the dance entirely last season. This year is more of the same, a team that returned its top six players — including St. John’s Jesuit graduate Marc Loving — showing little improvement.

This year is more of the same, a team that returned its top six players — including St. John’s Jesuit graduate Marc Loving — showing little improvement.

In fact, I would say that this player has gotten worse as the years have gone on. Not sure this is Matta's fault as Loving has absolutely no heart.

He was better when he was toking a few years back.

It's his fault if he builds entire rosters of those type of guys.

In today's college basketball you either A) get the elite players or B) can get the underrated guys who develop a lot in 3-4 years.

Matta, outside of Russell, hasn't really done either in the last 5 years and that's why it's time to think about a replacement. I'm not an OSU fan obviously, but I enjoy going to games and enjoy good basketball. Right now, outside of maybe 1-2 conference games every year, OSU basketball just puts me to sleep.

That escalated quickly. 40-22 Wisconsin.

Matta might not get on the plane. This team has given up

Hard to defend...

I don't think they will fire him(even though they should), but he'll probably "retire" at season's end.

wildcats20;1832610 wrote:I don't think they will fire him(even though they should), but he'll probably "retire" at season's end.

I mentioned this in an earlier post--no way they fire him, but he'll resign due to health reasons...great guy, good coach, it's just that the program needs a transfusion of new blood and new energy.

Turned the game on last night....turned it off after about 8 minutes.

Unwatchable

wkfan;1832628 wrote:Turned the game on last night....turned it off after about 8 minutes.

Unwatchable

It started off horribly with Jim "Porky Pig Stutter" Calhoun being near-incoherent trying to speak. Then the game began and it just went downhill from there.

Heretic;1832668 wrote:It started off horribly with Jim "Porky Pig Stutter" Calhoun being near-incoherent trying to speak. Then the game began and it just went downhill from there.

and I know the coaching fraternity is a close one, but his game long defending of Matta was nauseating...he's a good guy and a good coach, we know it--but good lord, the team sucks, so enough already.

This will be the 4th consecutive season of being worse than the year before. Unless some huge turnaround occurs, a change is needed.

Loving...smdh

HOLY FUCKING SHIT THEY WON A GAME IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!

Or something like that.

I don't think I realized Loving is the only senior. Maybe with another year of experience these younger guys can improve and have a better season next year.

Nice win today

Great win on Sunday against Sparty and now down 8 at half in Lincoln.

Got the win at the buzzer.

Good win