The Ohio State coach talks about the thrill of inking the nation's top recruiting class.
Thad Matta walked into the OhioState basketball interview room after practice today expecting to begin his media address with remarks about his current team and its upcoming game with James Madison.
Instead the questions went right to the more pressing maybe even more positive issue – the six-man recruiting class that the OSU coach just inked.
The class is loaded up and down with talent, including a pair of prep teammates from Columbus, four Ohioans in all and two highly rated out-of-state prospects. In fact, with early commitments Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas at the forefront with credentials as nationally elite players, the 2010 haul is considered by most recruiting services as tops in the country.
Joining the 6-9 Sullinger of Columbus Northland and the 6-7 Thomas of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers in the group are 6-6 forward J.D. Weatherspoon of Columbus Northland, 6-5 guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. of Zion (Ill.) Zion-Benton, 6-4 guard Jordan Sibert of Cincinnati Princeton and 6-2 point guard Aaron Craft of Findlay (Ohio) Liberty-Benton. (Click here for bios of these new Buckeyes as well as analysis of this class.)
“First and foremost we got six great kids and kids who truly understand what OhioState is about academically and athletically,” Matta said. “You’ve got two 4.0 students (Smith and Craft) in the class. The other thing I love about them is every guy has played for a state championship, three have won a state championship, four of them have won three straight national championships in AAU basketball. That, to me, is very, very exciting, and the character of the kids.
“I love the fact that they’ve got a good feel for each other, they’re very close, they’ve communicated for the last couple years in the process of the recruiting, and they are some really good basketball players as well.”
The reigning “Mr. Basketball” in Ohio, Sullinger is rated in most major recruiting publications as the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 1, 2 or 3 player overall nationally. His high school teammate, 6-6 small forward J.D. Weatherspoon, is ranked among the nation’s best at his position. They guided Northland to the school’s first-ever state title in boys basketball last season.
“Jared is one of the most unique players that I think I’ve recruited over the years from the standpoint of the number one thing about him is he wins,” Matta said. “He reminds me of a David West from the standpoint of he is going to get 25 points and 15 rebounds every time he takes the floor and he’s got just an intellect for how to play. He’s taking charges. He’s the type of guy that will shot-fake a guy, lean into him as he’s laying the ball in and (think) ‘That’s your third foul’ before the ball goes in. He knows what’s going on at all times.”
Thomas, meanwhile, is generally considered the No. 1 small forward in the country. A long lefty with range and tenacity around the hoop, Thomas has been unstoppable throughout his prep career and already is Indiana’s No. 11 scorer all-time. He averaged right around 30 points and 15 rebounds as a junior at Luers yet Matta believes he’s more well-rounded than for which he is often credited.
“I think the thing that really impressed me with DeShaun I saw last year just watching him play was his ability to pass the basketball as well,” he said. “He’s got pretty good savvy finding teammates and that sort of thing off the penetration. I’m excited to get him here.”
Smith is a consensus top-75 recruit while Sibert and Craft are standouts and have led their teams to state championship games. Sullinger, Weatherspoon, Sibert and Craft were all AAU teammates for All-Ohio Red the last three years and have won the vast majority of the tournaments in which they have played.
Even with their impressive basketball upbringing, the signees are in for another world, Matta said.
“The one thing I always try to do with recruits,” said the coach, “is once they’ve finished their high school senior year I sit down with them and just say, ‘All right, this is how it’s going to be. It’s going to be unlike anything you’ve ever been through before, it’s a completely different game, it’s a completely different level.’
“I think a lot depends on how, number one, they prepare in the offseason, how they do when they come in in June through the weight training and conditioning. The thing that I’m excited about is adding this class hopefully with what we’ll have coming back and you have a great mix of freshmen and upper classmen.”
Matta, though, knows he has a special group and said all six of them project to be eligible academically and enrolled this summer. When they do report it will be the continuation of a growing camaraderie.
“We had all six of these guys in for the USC game on the 12th of September and watching them interact with each other there is a synergy there,” Matta said.
