Thad Matta hadn’t been head coach at Ohio State for more than 24 hours when he made his first official recruiting visit. It was July 8, 2004, and he had three players to check out: Greg Oden, Michael Conley and Daequan Cook.
The Buckeyes were facing inherited postseason sanctions for Matta’s first season, but that didn’t stop him from going after Oden, the nation’s top center prospect. And now, nearly 12 years later, Oden and Matta have been officially reunited as the former No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft has joined the program as a student manager for the time being.