Homecoming king: Thad Matta has No. 1 rolling

Matta wins, of course. In his seventh season, he has the highest winning percentage (.764) of any Ohio State basketball coach who spent at least three seasons on the sidelines. He took the 2007 team, led by Greg Oden, to the NCAA title game.

"They love him," radio analyst Ron Stokes, a former Ohio State player, said of the community's embrace. "They love the fact we have him as a head coach."

Tony Bleill