On ESPN Radio this morning, ESPN basketball analyst Bill Walton bashed Ohio State coach Thad Matta, saying Matta had access to one of the most talented big men the game has ever seen -- Greg Oden -- and that he let that talent go to waste."I'm seeing Oden out there sort of standing around," Walton said. "You win in basketball when you attack."
Walton added that he was "wholly disappointed" that Matta often ran a slow-down offense and a zone defense, which Walton said did not adequately use Oden's skills. Walton called Oden "the most under-utilized talent that I have ever seen in the college ranks."
Walton knows far more than I do about how to use a talented big man, but I have to disagree with him here. Oden was great in the tournament except when he got into foul trouble. If Matta had told Oden to play a more aggressive game, wouldn't he have been more likely to foul out?
On the other hand, I like the fact that Walton isn't shy about expressing his opinions. I think too many analysts are timid when it comes to questioning coaches' strategic decisions. No one can say that about Walton.
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