The Thad Matta vs. Tom Izzo match-ups have blessed Buckeye and Spartans fans alike with some of the best, most thrilling basketball games in recent memory.
With another clash on the horizon, we took a look back at Matta's most memorable wins over Izzo.
(Warning: The list is quite Crafty)
5. Aaron Craft's First Sparty Victory – 2/15/11
It didn't take long for Aaron Craft to make an impression on Tom Izzo. In his first game against the Spartans during his freshman season, Craft made a play Izzo distinctly remembered even four years later.
Michigan State tried to save a ball from going out of bounds and tossed a pass into the backcourt. Craft saw it, outran everyone to catch it before it went out of bounds, scored a layup and drew a foul.
"He outran nine guys, picked the ball up and laid it in," Thad Matta said. "I'd never seen anything like it."
Craft finished the game with only seven points, but as usual he made most of his contributions on the other end of the court, notching four steals to help give the Buckeyes a 71-61 victory.
4. Aaron Craft's Career Night – 2/24/13
Aaron Craft was never really known for his scoring ability, but he seemed to turn it on whenever the Buckeyes took on Michigan State.
One game in particular, the rosy-cheeked guard put up a career-high 21 points to help the No. 18 Ohio State past the No. 4 Spartans. In typical Craft fashion, he did it without even making a three-pointer, scoring nearly exclusively on gliding layups.
Craft's scoring was mostly out of necessity – the Buckeyes didn't have a reliable scorer outside of Deshaun Thomas, and nothing was falling for Thomas in the first half. Thomas did come alive in the second, scoring 12 of his 14 points after intermission, and Ohio State pulled off a 68-60 upset over No. 4 Michigan State.
You can enjoy the game highlights here.
3. Big Ten Tournament – 3/16/13
Less than a month after Aaron Craft dropped a career-high 21 points on Michigan State, Craft proved it was no fluke by scoring 20 against the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament with all but two of them coming in the second half.
Craft's points were not his only contribution; he also had nine assists and four steals on the game and Ohio State won a close game, 61-58.
"I hate Aaron Craft"– Tom Izzo
As usual that season, Deshaun Thomas was also huge for the Buckeyes. He played all 40 minutes, scoring 16 points and pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
With the win, the Buckeyes advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game for the fifth consecutive season where Ohio State would beat Wisconsin 50-43 for the Big Ten Tournament Title.
2. Senior Day – 3/9/14
Aaron Craft's senior day could not have been scripted any better – the gritty guard spearheaded a Buckeye defense that held Michigan State scoreless for the final 4:30. Craft sealed the game with a late free-throw, a diving rebound and a steal, giving Ohio State a 69-67 upset over No. 22 Michigan State.
Craft's four steals in the game made him the Big Ten's all-time steals leader.
"Probably the poetic justice way to end the game was the way he did it," Tom Izzo said after the game. "I give him a lot of credit for that."
While Craft bolstered the defense, LaQuintin Ross handled things on the offensive end, scoring a team-high 22 points on a 9-for-15 shooting performance. Lenzelle Smith Jr. also had a memorable senior day, pulling down a game-high eight rebounds and adding nine points.
You can relive the game by watching the highlights here.
1. William Buford Game Winner – 3/4/12
The Buckeyes entered East Lansing needing a win over No. 5 Michigan State to clinch a share of its fifth Big Ten regular-season title in seven years – they got their win, and in thrilling fashion.
Playing in his final regular season game, Ohio State's lone-senior, William Buford, had a monster game. Buford scored a game-high 25 points on an 8-for-14 performance from the field – and he saved the best for last. With the game tied at 70, Buford nailed a high-arcing two-point jumper to put the Buckeyes on top, 72-70 with less than a second on the clock.
"I just came in with a different mindset," Buford said after the game. "During that last play, I wasn't going to miss."
The win put the Ohio State in a three-way tie with Michigan State and Michigan for first-place in the Big Ten, and sent Draymond Green home with a loss on senior day.
The Buckeyes went on to make the NCAA Tournament Final Four where they fell to Kansas 64-62.
Ohio State and Michigan State tip off at 1:30 p.m. in Value City Arena, adding another chapter to the Matta—Izzo saga.
