BY: AP via MiamiHerald.com -

Imagine how good the current Buckeyes might be if Evan Turner, the consensus national player of the year and the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft, had come back for his senior season.

“There’s not a lot of programs that have been hit with the early departures like we have,” Matta said. “But that’s part of it. I’m not making excuses, I’m OK with it.”

The ever-upbeat Matta does not countenance prima donnas or selfish players, either.

“He brings in a lot of guys with great character,” said Jon Diebler, Ohio’s leading schoolboy scorer who has developed into the Big Ten’s leading all-time leader 3-pointers. “He wants people who want to win. That’s the most important thing, guys who can kind of put their egos aside and do what’s best for the team.”

Hang around off the court and you become a cohesive unit off it: That’s the Matta Plan.

“Thad’s got them playing at a high level, and he’s got them playing together,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said earlier this season. “That’s why they’re ranked No. 1 in the country.”

Matta is as meticulous in preparation as any coach, and he knows premier players love to…..
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