The Thad Matta era at Ohio State has strangely intertwined with Tennessee, from on-court battles to recruiting – and related NCAA violations.
One of the most memorable games in the Buckeyes' run to the 2007 Final Four was a Sweet 16 matchup against the Volunteers. In that game, OSU overcame a 17-point halftime deficit and sealed a win with a last-second Greg Oden block.
Three years later, Tennessee derailed National Player of the Year Evan Turner and a hot Ohio State squad with a close victory in the Sweet 16. That was among the more painful losses during Matta's time with the Buckeyes.
Both schools connected on the trail, as well, during the recruitment of Aaron Craft. Bruce Pearl's violations and subsequent lying to NCAA investigators led to the end of his tenure with the Volunteers.
A lot has changed since then, but the two schools are hooking up again. This time, Braxton Blackwell is at the center of it.
Ohio State is encroaching on Tennessee and Vanderbilt territory by going after the Nashville native. Blackwell is a composite four-star recruit in the 2016 class and would also be a good fit for the culture Matta has built. According to his high school coach, Nashville C.P.A.'s Drew Maddux, Blackwell is tremendously poised for his age.
"That's the first thing every single coach always speaks about him," Maddux told Eleven Warriors, via e-mail. "He will change the locker room he enters, he'll change the program that he enters, he'll certainly leave the program better having played there just because of the type of young man he is."
The Buckeyes' history with Blackwell dates back to April, when Matta and assistant coach Jeff Boals watched him work out. They recently attempted to watch another open gym, but, reportedly, the Ohio State private jet couldn't land due to weather conditions.
By that point, they already offered him – he added an OSU offer in August, putting the school on a list that includes Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Indiana and Kansas.
"He's gonna be recruited by everyone in the country," Maddux said. "Name a school tied to a successful program and they've been in our gymnasium and they've watched him play."
On the court, Blackwell is stereotyped by height and listed as a small forward. However, he has a smooth, all-around game and is an effective distributor.
"He's really unique because of his ability to handle the basketball as well as he does," Maddux said. "His high basketball IQ, his court awareness and vision plays to being an excellent passer – he can really put the ball through a small window to a teammate."
Blackwell's height is advantageous when trying to find passing lanes. Combining it with the ability to hit three-pointers makes him even more difficult to defend.
"To be successful catching the ball, rising up and making a perimeter jump shot really sets up other aspects of his game," Maddux said. "He's terrific in the post, as well. He's such a strong young man, so we could exploit that matchup or we can exploit him using a ball-screen because he's so crafty coming off ball-screens and making the right read."
If Ohio State continues to recruit Blackwell and he eventually ends up in Columbus, he would be the first Tennessee native to commit to Matta.
