By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -

INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State coach Thad Matta kicked open the door of the gym during a 6 a.m. practice and told Evan Turner: “You either grow up or you go home. I don’t care which one it is. Here’s the door. It’s open, you can leave.”

Telling the story Friday, one from Turner’s freshman season, Matta’s ending was obvious. Seated at the head table near Oscar Robertson, accepting a college basketball national player of the year award named for the Hall of Famer, Turner didn’t walk out that door three years ago.

“Thank God,” Matta said, drawing laughs from the crowd at the breakfast for one of the two national honors Turner accepted Friday morning. He then turned to face Turner. “I really appreciate you staying.”

Matta may not be saying that again after this weekend, since Turner reiterated that he may have his decision about the NBA finalized by Monday.

But if these are Turner’s final days as a Buckeye, he’s going out celebrating. The Buckeye junior accepted two honors Friday, the Robertson Trophy followed by the Associated Press player of the year award, as he earned 54 of 65 first-place votes and accepted that honor in a different hotel ballroom in front of his family, Matta and the Ohio State staff. And teammates David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale, at Turner’s request, made the drive from Columbus in time for that 11 a.m. presentation.

“When he wins an award, it’s like all of us win,” said Lighty, who videotaped Turner’s acceptance speech like a proud uncle.

Lighty and Lauderdale both remembered the day of the door kick, everyone, including Turner, knowing that walking through the door was at least momentarily considered, though Lighty remembers mumbling to Turner that he’d better give the right answer and stay.

For the second award, Matta told a story about Turner asking if Matta was playing other guys ahead of him, specifically Jon Diebler, because they were from Ohio and he was from Illinois. Matta reminded Turner that he was from Illinois, too……..

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE PAGE AT THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER BY CLICKING HERE.

Related posts:

1. Ohio State’s Evan Turner leaves Buckeyes for the NBA
2. Naismith winner: Evan Turner named college basketball’s best player
3. Turner named AP Player of the Year
4. Thad Matta’s advice to Butler’s Brad Stevens: ‘Get out of the ticket business early’
5. It’s all Ohio State in Buckeyes 11-1 win over Northwestern