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Why Thad Matta didn't know what to expect in first meeting with Butler basketball players

scott horner, indianapolis star
·2 min read
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Butler announced that Thad Matta would be men's basketball coach Sunday, April 3. His first order of business was meeting the remaining players.

He had little idea what to expect, Matta said on the Field of 68 podcast.

"I remember I was coming to meet with the team on a Sunday morning, and I told my wife, I could walk in and there could be nobody left in the room," Matta said.

Turns out almost everybody showed up. Top returning players Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor and Simas Lukosius are staying. Big man Bryce Golden transferred to Loyola

"We're really young with the guys we got coming back in. That's a great thing, but also we don't have a ton of experience," Matta said. "We've got to get these guys to continue to grow at a rapid pace."

Doyel: Thad Matta's first 30 days on the job has us excited about Butler

Matta has also added experience with transfers Eric Hunter Jr. (from Purdue), Manny Bates (North Carolina State), Jalen Thomas (Georgia State) and Ali Ali (Akron).

"We filled some needs," Matta said. "Recruiting is still recruiting. You're trying to build relationships, whether it's a transfer or a young man coming out of high school."

The Bulldogs get a break in blending the newcomers, returning players and new staff with a summer European trip. That includes 10 practices before departure.

Matta, who played at Butler and got his head coaching start with the Bulldogs in 2000-01, was most recently a head coach at Ohio State in 2016-17. He spent last season as a special assistant to Mike Woodson at Indiana.

He's not overly concerned about his time away from the head chair on the bench. He acknowledged offense has changed in recent seasons with increased ball screens, dribble handoffs and 3-point shooting, but he will start with defense.

"Being a juggernaut on defense, having five guys connected," he said.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball coach Thad Matta discusses first month on the job