Even though Ohio State reached double digit losses this season faster than any of its previous 11 under Thad Matta, the Buckeye head coach quietly has his team with an outside chance at an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Buckeyes sit pretty far on the outside looking in as they head into their second to last week of the regular season, but Ohio State now has at least 10 conference victories for the 11th straight year under Matta. The Buckeyes are 18-10 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten and look to extend their four-game winning streak when they host Michigan State (22-5, 9-5) Tuesday at 9 p.m. Ohio State won at Nebraska in overtime 65-62 Saturday night.
Matta joined Paul Keels and Ron Stokes on 97.1 The Fan Monday evening for his weekly radio show.
- Matta said he was pleased with how his team responded to coaching at halftime Saturday night at Nebraska. The Buckeyes led 22-21 at the break, but extended their lead to as many as 11 in the second half.
- The Huskers shot 9-of-35 from beyond the arc Saturday: "I thought our guys once again did a pretty good job challenging. We lost guys a couple times, but for the most part I thought our perimeter defense was pretty good."
- Matta was not pleased with his team's effort on the glass Saturday. The Huskers recorded 19 offensive rebounds.
- Having someone who can shoot from deep like Kam Williams helps Ohio State be able to stretch the floor, a big advantage on offense Matta said.
- Matta joked the postseason "is all we talk about" now that Ohio State is on a four-game winning streak and sits fourth in the Big Ten standings. He was kidding: "With this team, we have to take it day by day."
- Matta said a big theme of this season with his players is "recovery time for mistakes." He said Ohio State is getting better about letting go of things that happen against them during games, but there is still room for improvement.
- On the Nebraska win, Matta said his players did "a great job" executing down the stretch when the team absolutely needed it: "That was a big step for us."
- Jae'Sean Tate is "the heart and soul" of the team, Matta said. You always know the effort you're going to get from him going into the game even though he always affects a game in different ways.
- Tate left Saturday's game briefly with a shoulder, but it is different than the one he hurt in high school: "We’re taking a look at it, but hopefully he’s going to be fine because we need him out there."
- Matta credited Ohio State's offseason conditioning — and what it does during season — was crucial down the stretch to get past Nebraska.
- "He's gotta get dialed in." — Matta on freshman point guard JaQuan Lyle's slow starts.
- More on Lyle, Matta said the two spoke at halftime Saturday with the brunt of the conversation being about him stepping up: "He missed his first two shots of the second half, but stuck with it, which was good to see." Lyle scored all his game-high 19 points in the second half and overtime.
- Even though it is nearing the end of the season, Matta said Ohio State is "in pretty good shape" medically, aside from Tate's shoulder: "This is the time of season where guys fight to get into the cold tub."
- Matta called Denzel Valentine "one of the best guards in the country." Michigan State's star guard leads the league in scoring with 19.7 points per game. He also averages 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
- Michigan State's transition game and outside shooting are what he mentioned as what makes it such a strong team, Matta said.
- On Michigan State coach Tom Izzo: "Just from a standpoint of being at a place for 19 years, he's got his system in check and you know what you're going to get ... He really puts those guys in position to be successful." Izzo and Matta are the two longest tenured coaches in the Big Ten.
- Matta said he "absolutely" felt the affect of having a mostly full Schottenstein Center Tuesday against Michigan. He hopes it happens against Michigan State as well, and mentioned how loud Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena got Saturday.
- Only four Buckeyes scored against the Cornhuskers: "It was an odd game in terms of that where only four guys scored. Fortunately, that was enough," Matta said.
- On the mass amount of fouls Saturday, Matta said the majority of them were "cheap ones." The teams combined for 46 fouls.
- Matta said he thought Mickey Mitchell's 3/4-court heave at the end of the regulation was going to go in Saturday: "I thought for a second, 'Finally. We're going to get lucky.'"
- More on Mitchell, Matta said the staff has been pleased with his effort recently particularly with his extra effort plays.
- Mitchell gives Ohio State options to go small with he and Tate in the post, as it did late in the game Saturday with both Daniel Giddens and Trevor Thompson on the bench.
- Mitchell always knows where Kam Williams is when the two are in the game together: "He likes those assists," Matta said.
- Marc Loving's had "a great way about him recently," Matta said.
- Matta was pleased with how Thompson stuck with his game and gathered 10 rebounds Saturday, but knows how important it is to his team for him to get points from the post: "He'll get tested (Tuesday)." Michigan State's Matt Costello averages 10.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
