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Program in turmoil (maybe not)

Oh8ch

Cognoscente of Omphaloskepsis
Staff member
I have been waiting for this thread but didn't want to be the one to start it.

Love Thad Matta. Always will.

So let's look at the program, without talking about the coach.

Win-Loss record for the past six season:
34-3
31-8
29-8
25-10
24-11
21-14

Conference finish:
first
first
second
fifth
sixth (with a senior-laden team and a lottery pick)
seventh

Pretty simple trend line.

And very slim prospects that this will change next season.

Add a quote from a lottery pick stating that his teammates at OSU aren't putting in the work.

Two straight years watching a team that, IMO, clearly has an attitude problem.

A string of highly rated recruits who have not developed to their potential.

A string of Ohio kids who have left the state and been successful.

And now FOUR players who have at least stated an interest in leaving the program in the past four months, with a fifth if the Harris rumors prove true.

If someone has comparable statements that they feel would describe a healthy program I am anxious to read your post.
 
I have been waiting for this thread but didn't want to be the one to start it.

Love Thad Matta. Always will.

So let's look at the program, without talking about the coach.

Win-Loss record for the past six season:
34-3
31-8
29-8
25-10
24-11
21-14

Conference finish:
first
first
second
fifth
sixth (with a senior-laden team and a lottery pick)
seventh

Pretty simple trend line.

And very slim prospects that this will change next season.

Add a quote from a lottery pick stating that his teammates at OSU aren't putting in the work.

Two straight years watching a team that, IMO, clearly has an attitude problem.

A string of highly rated recruits who have not developed to their potential.

A string of Ohio kids who have left the state and been successful.

And now FOUR players who have at least stated an interest in leaving the program in the past four months, with a fifth if the Harris rumors prove true.

If someone has comparable statements that they feel would describe a healthy program I am anxious to read your post.
So what is your solution?

This is not a basketball school. A great coach or recruiter can have good success here but it's far from a given, and getting either of those to coach at osu is difficult.

Fire Thad and I'd put your chances right around 2-3% of getting back to that first record in your pattern. I'd put the odds around 10-15% of consistently matching that second year total . I'd feel extremely confident betting that his replacement would closely resemble the end of that pattern.

What Thad did here was astonishing. Not only did he recruit and win big, but he was there step for step with Izzo in b1g play for nearly a decade. That was a spectacular accomplishment.

This program came unraveled with the amir class. That was a decorated class that badly underachieved and worst of all lingered for years. That class coat them a title run and later much more.

Obviously there are a lot of flaws. Be very, very careful what you wish for in your emotional responses, particularly with replacing Thad.

I think the assistants have left a lot to be desired and that was a common criticism before the talent level and discipline dropped. Fix that and see what happens.
 
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So what is your solution?

... Be very, very careful what you wish for in your emotional responses, particularly with replacing Thad.

I didn't read anything in Oh8ch's post suggesting Thad be replaced. I sure don't suggest that myself. But I think it's appropriate to expect the problems to be addressed, and preferably to be discussed publicly with the fan base.
 
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Thad wins with talent and defense.

Gidden has the latter but can be found again. He has also shown the ability to recruit big men with far more talent.

Harris is fun to watch and plays hard but was going to be a career backup and not the energizer that Kam can be off the bench. I don't want to see turmoil but I think Thad can recruit much better. All of the criticisms of him as a recruit proved to be true.

And there's no need to discuss Mickey. That was very good for both sides.


Not one of these guys would be a loss for a top basketball program or even some of Thad's squads that lingered on the fringe of that realm. The only reason it's painful is because there aren't any quick fixes coming in behind them.

Now can we engage in histrionics and emotional guessing about the locker room and other things? Sure, but those are guesses. Things were hideous a year after the nc run with a petulant villain. They turned that around big time (no pun intended). Evan bought in and they signed much better talent.

If you want osu to get better, more of the same is not going to fix it. You need to get back to what made them special and that is recruiting. They now have a lot more scholarships to work with long term.
 
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None of these departures surprise me .. This was not a TEAM this year IMHO. Clash of personalities or agendas whatever? Reset and move on Matta still gets a mulligan with me. I remember the endof the Taylor era but I don't think we are their yet. Maybe Thad will chose to move on but I don't see it.
 
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I didn't read anything in Oh8ch's post suggesting Thad be replaced. I sure don't suggest that myself. But I think it's appropriate to expect the problems to be addressed, and preferably to be discussed publicly with the fan base.
OK, then let's hear how you'd like for gene to address it, and how well opponents can use that tough love to negatively recruit that Thad is going to be fired.

I'm fine discussing the trend, though I think it's a bit obvious to rehash just how bad things have become. Most of us aren't Henry and have been suffering through this with eyes wide open .

I just want to hear something concrete suggested.
 
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OK, then let's hear how you'd like for gene to address it, and how well opponents can use that tough love to negatively recruit that Thad is going to be fired.

I'm fine discussing the trend, though I think it's a bit obvious to rehash just how bad things have become. Most of us aren't Henry and have been suffering through this with eyes wide open .

I just want to hear something concrete suggested.[/QUOTE]



its simple. Give thad 1 more year to get to the S16, if he fails he's done. i would rather bring in a new coach and watch him struggle then have the same coach on an extremely high salary at that, continue to force the program to regress . He's earned one more year, but that one more year has to bring in great results.
 
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