COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thad Matta was having a conversation last week with SMU coach Larry Brown and it brought him back to 2004.
Though SMU is currently 17-0 and ranked in the top 10, Brown's team is banned from the NCAA Tournament. Matta's memory clicked.
"My first year here in early December when we announced that we were banned from postseason play, Matt Sylvester said, 'This ought to be fun, no pressure on us this year. We can just play,' " Matta said.
It's not that Matta would ever long for a season in which his team can't compete for the biggest prize, but as he looks at his young Ohio State roster this year, he would like to create that "no pressure" mantra.