Steve Silverman

Great college basketball coaches must be versatile. Face it. If one had a team featuring Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, it would be easy to win nine out of 10 games no matter who was coaching.

But how does a coach adjust with a freshman-laden team? How does he do when it is senior laden? Can he win with one? Can he win with both? Can he win at all?

Those are the questions that Thad Matta has faced since replacing Jim O’Brien as Ohio State’s coach before the 2004-05 season — and he’s answered them brilliantly.

Matta’s Buckeyes won the Big Ten title last year with senior-laden team that was known for its teamwork, not its superstars. Ohio State was 26-6 and won the conference regular-season title and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

That team had Big Ten player of the year in Terrence Dials and key guards Je’Kel Foster and J.J. Sullinger, all of whom have moved on. Dials led that group with a 15.3 ppg mark and also had a team-leading 8.0 rebounds per game and often had the ball in clutch situation. But the Buckeyes played team basketball with defense first and a group looked for the best shot rather than just funnel it in to their best player.

This year’s team (26-3, 14-1 in the Big Ten) is nearly the opposite. Led by center Greg Oden, this freshman-oriented team is loaded with star power and is sitting at the top of the Big Ten and expected to go deep in the NCAA tournament. And this is with only three key returnees in guards Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler and forward Ivan Harris.

The group of five newcomers — freshmen Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook and David Lighty, along with Othello Hunter — even have a catchy nickname in “The Thad Five.” This group has a chance replicate the same kind of success that the 1991-92 Michigan “Fab Five” gained as it roared through its schedule with the likes of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson and reached the NCAA finals in each of its two seasons together.

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Matta does not like the nickname and wishes his name wasn’t involved. It smacks of elitism to him, but catchphrases and iconic status comes with the territory when a team has a chance to earn a place in the history books.

Even though the names have changed from last year, but the Buckeyes have not completely changed their game. Even with a superstud like Oden, it is not about one man dominating.

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