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Former No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Greg Oden is joining Thad Matta’s staff at Butler, according to The Indianapolis Star’s David Woods. Jon Diebler is also joining the staff. Both played college basketball at Ohio State under Matta.
The Bulldogs announced Matta’s hiring earlier this month and the veteran coach is looking to some familiar faces while building his staff. He coached the Buckeyes from 2004 to ‘17 before stepping down due to health reasons. His first head coaching job was at Butler during the 2000 to ‘01 season, but he left after just one year to join Xavier.
Oden was a star for Ohio State and was selected with the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers, even ahead of Texas’ Kevin Durant. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career and he was out of the NBA by 2015.
This is a bit of a homecoming for Oden, who went to high school in Indianapolis. Just last season he was a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes under Chris Holtmann, the former Butler coach. Oden’s specific role on the Butler staff is unclear at this time.
