Matt Terwilliger (official thread)

[jwinslow]

Originally Posted by ScriptOhio

Hopefully it was a laparoscopic procedure with no complications. I have no idea what the recovery time would be. Where is Tibor75 (aka doctorb) for an expert medical explanation when we need him?

Originally Posted by exhawg

I have a cousin that had an appendectomy when he was younger and was able to take batting practice in 4 days. IIRC they can do appendectomies arthroscopicly now so that they don't have to cut a hole through your abs like they used to. That greatly reduces recovery time.

talked to a doctor about it (who regularly performs this type of surgery), and while it's not impossible, he was very surprised that he would make it back that soon.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by BuckTwenty

If we had had Twigs for the Iowa game alone, I think we'd have been hoisting another trophy to add to the case. Iowa scored darn near 20 in the 1st half in the paint because our only two big men available were on the bench with 2 fouls. It would have been a whole different ball game with Terwilliger down there.

interestingly enough the first half wasnt the problem, theOSU got outscored by 10 in the second half. also interesting to me was dials and sylvester combined for a mere 43 minutes. they average 56 or so. twigs plays about 11 mins a game.

the 20 point comment is inaccurate. iowa made 4 3s (12pts) of their 13 baskets. so i have 18 2 point shots. dials played 8 minutes. without the shot chart its hard to say exactly what the breakdown was, but 20 is exaggerated.

ohio state was significantly outrebounded, by 6 in the first half and 7 in the first half. turnover difference of plus 3 for osu in the first half and even in the second half.

ohio state gave up 10 extra poessions to iowa, thats the difference in the game...

like i said before twigs role is solidly underestimated by many, including myself. his ability to eat space and steal minutes is understated.

[briegg]

Having Twigs for a potential matchup with Georgetown on Sunday would be a huge benefit. It has been mentioned how big G-Town is - I think it could be a high scoring affair without anyone to matchup with their size if Twigs isn't available. That would make hitting our 3s just that much more important. Get well soon Matt.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

3/16/06

Troy's Terwilliger may sit out OSU opener

Buckeyes' backup big man recovering from appendectomy

By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News

COLUMBUS | An appendectomy last week may have given Ohio State's Matt Terwilliger relief from cramps and abdominal pain, but that didn't put an end to all of his suffering.

The backup center from Troy was sidelined for the Big Ten tournament, and he was sorely missed. Starter Terence Dials succumbed to foul trouble in the championship game Sunday, lasting just 22 minutes, and the short-handed Buckeyes eventually wore down in a 67-60 loss to Iowa.

After averaging more than 10 minutes per game, Terwilliger was reduced to being a spectator for three straight outings.

"It was hard to watch — especially on Sunday," he said.

The Buckeyes will play a first-round NCAA tourney game against Davidson on Friday. And while the 6-foot-9 Terwilliger is progressing on schedule, he may not be recovered in time to see action in the opener.

"This is my first chance to play in the NCAA tournament, but I'm not going to rush back and risk a bigger injury," the sophomore said. "I feel pretty good, but it's more about taking a direct shot on that incision."

Terwilliger's father, John, a health teacher and girls golf coach at Troy High School, doesn't expect Matt to see action Friday, and the odds of playing in the second round Sunday may not be in his favor, either.

"There are still some stitches, and it's still a bit tight," the elder Terwilliger said. "He says every day it gets better. But it's that jump, get-your-hands-above-your-head stretching thing (that's a problem)."

John Terwilliger would prefer that his son work on building up stamina for a possible Sweet 16 berth instead of trying to gut out an ambitious comeback.

"He would like to play. That's what he wants to do. We'll just have to see what happens in the next 48 (hours)," the elder Terwilliger said. "But it's difficult to 'gut out' your body's healing. Your brain's ready. Your heart's ready. But the tissue has to fix itself."

After being rated among the top 75 players nationally as a senior at Troy, Terwilliger appeared in just 15 games as a freshman at OSU. But he spent much of the offseason buffing up in the weight room and then made a fruitful overseas tour last summer with a hand-picked Big Ten squad.

"This year, he felt he was developing an identity with the team," John Terwilliger said. "And to sit and not be much help (during his recuperation), he doesn't like that much."

The Buckeyes opted for an eight-player rotation during their drive to the Big Ten regular-season title, and Terwilliger's absence would leave them without an experienced inside player on the bench.

OSU coach Thad Matta said he won't make a decision on the status of his defensive stalwart until just before Friday's tipoff.

"The one thing we're not going to is jeopardize his health for the game of basketball," Matta said. "But he's been doing cardiovascular stuff, and hopefully we'll get him back for at least a few minutes.

"He's very important. He's come a long way and made a lot of strides. He's a very valuable part of what we're doing."

Contact Doug Harris at 225-2125.

[crazybuckfan40]

Man I sure hope he can get back for Sunday but if not, and we pull through we are really going to need him after that.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Obviously, we need him to take some minutes away from Dials. I think we will see him on Sunday.

A note from the Akron Beacon Journal this morning...

Matta said backup center Matt Terwilliger, who underwent an appendectomy March 8, was not medically cleared to play. ``One more day of complete non-contact,'' Matta said, referring to Friday....

[CrabMan]

Twigs likely to play today


Dispatch

OHIO STATE | NOTEBOOK
Terwilliger likely to play vs. Georgetown
‘Flak jacket’ will provide needed protection
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



DAYTON — One reason Ohio State coach Thad Matta might not have felt comfortable playing Matt Terwilliger in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was because Terwilliger, who had an appendectomy March 8, had nothing protecting his abdomen.

That won’t be the case against Georgetown today.

Terwilliger, the Buckeyes’ backup center, practiced yesterday in University of Dayton Arena wearing a wrap that included a hard plastic pad covering the incisions made during the surgery.

"I’ve got my little flak jacket figured out and I’m ready to go," Terwilliger said.

Terwilliger has not played since March 5. He averaged 10.7 minutes this season in relief of Terence Dials.



Ah , to be young again

Matta is 8-2 as a coach in UD Arena and has won five consecutive games in the building with Xavier and Ohio State. But he admitted his fondest memory here was from his sophomore year at Butler as a player.

"I’m not going to lie," Matta said. "We were down seven points with 1:52 left and I scored the final eight points of the game, including a last-second shot."

A wire-service account of the story reported Matta making two three-point shots in the final two minutes and the winning layup with one second left. Butler beat Dayton 62-61.

"To show you how good of a player I was, I only had 10 for the game," Matta said.

That might have been why Matta was the only scoring option the Butler coach overlooked when he set up the final play during a timeout — despite the fact Matta had scored the team’s previous six points.

"Luckily," Matta said, "my teammates got me the ball and I got the shot in."



Late flip flop

Tournament officials did not explain, but Michigan State’s first-round loss Friday — which blew up a potential second-round matchup between the Spartans and North Carolina — ostensibly influenced CBS to change the order of the second-round games at about midnight Friday.

Ohio State and Georgetown, which were scheduled to play at 2:20 p.m., will tip off about 4:40 p.m., when audience ratings are higher. North Carolina will face 11 th-seeded George Mason, which upset the Spartans, at 2:20.



They’re done

Neither will be able to attend commencement today, but J.J. Sullinger and Dials are OSU graduates. The athletics department announced yesterday that Dials had earned a degree in sociology and Sullinger in African-American and African studies.

bbaptist@dispatch.com

[crazybuckfan40]

Very good news. I think he could provide a spark off the bench since his legs are well rested.

[Oh8ch]

With Oden out til God knows when a huge load has fallen on Mr. Terwilliger.

Til Oden recovers we will have three players on the roster listed at over 6' 5". Last season we had five and rebounding was still an issue. (Georgetown knocked us out of the tourney because we simply had no answer for their size.)

Harris is barely physical enough to play forward. Hunter is the tallest of the lot but is a forward as well and is all we have to replace Bell, Syl and Dials on the front line.

MT is also a natural forward who was slated to return to that position this season. Now he has gone from a role player to THE man in the middle.

We are going to have some incredible talent on the perimeter, but I am trying to recall a team that had so little muscle in the middle that was successful.

Quite a challenge for Coach Matta. (I know I would be laying awake with visions of Tyler Hansbrough running through my head.)

Anyone have any reassuring words?

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Anyone have any reassuring words?

Oh8ch, I don't have any reassuring words other than we will be very talented on the perimeter and regardless of all the speculation, I like to believe that Oden will be back by the start of the Big Ten.

Twigs will play a key role obviously, but I think the unknown is what we will get out of Hunter, can he be that body we need to rebound at the 4? He needs to be that type of player early.

With key games against Tennessee, Florida and UNC possibly being played without Oden, Twigs and Hunter have to get the job done inside.

We are going to have some incredible talent on the perimeter, but I am trying to recall a team that had so little muscle in the middle that was successful.

Villanova was successful last year with a similar line-up. I think the fact Oden will not be available for most likely all of the non-conference will only help us when he returns. I am trying to be positive.

[AirForceBuck]

Originally Posted by Oh8ch

With Oden out til God knows when a huge load has fallen on Mr. Terwilliger.

Til Oden recovers we will have three players on the roster listed at over 6' 5". Last season we had five and rebounding was still an issue. (Georgetown knocked us out of the tourney because we simply had no answer for their size.)

Harris is barely physical enough to play forward. Hunter is the tallest of the lot but is a forward as well and is all we have to replace Bell, Syl and Dials on the front line.

MT is also a natural forward who was slated to return to that position this season. Now he has gone from a role player to THE man in the middle.

We are going to have some incredible talent on the perimeter, but I am trying to recall a team that had so little muscle in the middle that was successful.

Quite a challenge for Coach Matta. (I know I would be laying awake with visions of Tyler Hansbrough running through my head.)

Anyone have any reassuring words?

I agree 100%. I was screaming all of last year that for Terwilliger to be as successful as he wants, he needs to add weight. Not just fat, but muscle. Hopefully this offseason he has been visiting GNC and stocking up on weight gain formula, because this is a brutal league and he will need to be a leader for this young team. We have some tough early opponents and will need all the muscle we can get....He has the frame to add weight, lets just hope he did.


Reassuring words for Matt would be (two words): Thad Matta

There was a write up last year in the Columbus Dispatch about Matta's dedication to his players being in shape. He called it his "7 at 7 for 7". If a player came into camp overweight, he would make them run 7 miles at 7am for 7 days to instill discipline.

[BuckWrestler141]

Originally Posted by Clarity

Regardless, terrific recruit, score another one for Obie the "subpar" recruiter.

Clarity, three years later, I bet you wish you removed the "s and the wink from that post.

I'm nervious for the first half of this season too, I think has become VERY important that Hunter gets into this class (as i don't beleive that has been confirmed yet) as I like his chances of backing up Twigs more then I like Harris playing center.

[RhodeIslandBuck]

The first half of the season is the key to our season IMO, but all the first half has to be is just "pretty good" and when we get Oden back is when we will have to have a "Tremendous" second half of the season.

[osugrad21]

DDN

Troy junior takes leadership role

Matt Terwilliger will start at center for the highly touted Ohio State basketball team.


By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer

Friday, October 13, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Reporters and photographers gathered around Ohio State's probable starting center Thursday, wanting perspective on the hyped Buckeyes basketball team.
Matt Terwilliger answered all questions during Media Day at the Schottenstein Center.


"It kind of puts me in a leadership role," said Terwilliger, a 6-foot-8 junior from Troy. "It's a chance for me to showcase what I can do and help the team."
Greg Oden? Yeah, he was there, too. But all the heralded newcomers are under OSU's don't-ask-they-can't-talk policy.
Until the 7-foot-1 Oden recovers from wrist surgery, Terwilliger, junior college transfer Othello Hunter (6-9) and Ivan Harris (6-7) are the tallest. Harris and Terwilliger averaged 9.1 and 10.4 minutes, respectively.
Before Oden's projected Jan. 1 return, OSU's big men face a daunting nonconference schedule against centers like Player of the Year candidates Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina and Joakim Noah of Florida.
"This, hopefully, will be a great year for Matt," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "I think he's looking and saying, 'Hey, I've got a great opportunity ahead of me here.' "
Terwilliger, Harris, Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis are the only returners from last year's 26-6 team. The Buckeyes won the league. They made the NCAA tourney but fell to Georgetown at UD Arena.
Freshmen Oden, Daequan Cook, David Lighty, Mike Conley and Hunter ? dubbed the Thad Five ? must play early. The team starts 2006-07 with nine healthy eligible players.
"I told the young guys we've got four guys in there that have a Big Ten championship ring," Matta said. "They know what it takes and hopefully, they'll teach you and you need to have your eyes and ears open to pick up on what we're doing."

[osugrad21]

BN $

11/1

From Kyle Lamb, a good read about Matt's willingness to play the four or five.