Ohio State's basketball team recently wrapped up what many considered the most important summer of the Thad Matta era. Players are now back home for some time off before the university's autumn semester begins Aug. 23 and the coaching staff has a bit of downtime before returning to plan out the fall schedule.
Before that mini-vacation begins, however, Matta met with the media Tuesday to discuss a variety of topics — the main being the state of his program after a disappointing 21-14 season that resulted in Ohio State's first missed NCAA tournament since 2008.
Matta addressed that issue at the conclusion of the season, but now that the summer is all but finished, he discussed it again and was asked whether or not he saw what he needed to in order for the Buckeyes to return to where they were previously under his guidance.
"I'm very excited with where we are at this particular juncture of the season," he said. "I think from what we set out to do in terms of starting back on June 7 or whatever it was, it was just really trying to reestablish the culture in our own program.
"I think from the standpoint of getting back to basics in terms of how we do things on a daily basis and guys being completely accountable for everything they have to do on and off the court."
Matta also discussed the status of arguably the Buckeyes' most important player: junior forward Jae'Sean Tate.
Tate's sophomore season ended in February when he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. But he also had minor offseason surgery on his right ankle to remove a piece of loose cartilage. Tate met with the media in early July to discuss his rehab and he said then he was on track to be full-go by August.
On Tuesday, Matta confirmed just that. Tate is fully cleared for basketball-related activities.
"He is cleared; everything is good," Matta said. "The good thing is we won't do anything for the next two-and-a-half weeks, whatever it is, but when we get back he'll be 100 percent full contact. He's shooting, he can shoot and run and do all those things now."
"He's kind of been like living in a cage and has been released and he's ready to run a marathon and we're just like, 'Hey, slow down here.'"
Additional Matta notes:
- Matta said the team worked to reshape its offense this summer. Ohio State ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten last season in offensive efficiency and it was a big part of the reason why Chris Jent was brought back to the program. Said Matta: "I think the first thing we wanted to do on the court was build our offensive concepts and teaching guys how to play basketball."
- On the re-hiring of Alan Major as the team's director of recruiting and player development, Matta said, "I've known Alan forever. There was an opportunity to not only help us but help him, kind of get him back into it. ... His job will be, obviously he can't coach, but primarily help our guys be better people, to have a better understanding of perception and reality off the basketball court.”
- Matta said in the 2017 recruiting class Ohio State is still targeting a backcourt player as well as a wing. On the current state of recruiting in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 classes, Matta said, "I love the position we’re recruiting in terms of the future, the guys that we’re recruiting, the guys that we have committed, those types of things."
- On the four new players on Ohio State's roster: Derek Funderburk, Micah Potter, Andre Wesson and C.J. Jackson, Matta said, "I love these four guys we have in here. I’ve been very, very — I don’t want to say surprised because we know what kind of guys we have here — but very pleased with the progress they’re making both on the court and off the court. I think you’ve got a group of guys that are definitely here for the right reason and have an understanding and appreciation – with that said I’ve got great confidence that those guys are going to be contributors this year.”
