After a 17-15 season capped by a listless loss to lowly Rutgers in the B1G tournament, Ohio State's hoops season was mercifully euthanized as neither the NCAA or NIT tournaments saw the Buckeyes worthy of inclusion.
Missing the 2017 Dance came on the heels of failing to qualify for the 2016 edition and combined with the 2007-08 season in which the Buckeyes ended up cutting down the NIT nets, and the 2004-05 season that saw Ohio State go 20-12 in Thad's first year before self-imposed sanctions from the Jim O'Brien era kept the team out of any postseason action, Matta's program has stayed home to watch the NCAA tourney four times in 13 seasons.