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Men's Basketball
Turner On the Mend
By Brandon Castel

As Evan Turner sauntered slowly in to the interview room Tuesday, all eyes were on the star junior to see how quickly, and more importantly how frequently, he would burst into a coughing fit.

If he was anything like his head coach, who could barely get through one answer without turning his head away from the microphone, the interview session to preview Wednesday’s game against Penn State was about to turn into a lesson for reporters on why not to put the recorder so close to the athlete.

Instead, the 6-foot-7 point guard sat peacefully at the podium while Ohio State Head Coach Thad Matta answered questions about Turner’s health and that of his own.

“I think he’s hopefully on the downhill side of it,” Matta said of the illness that nearly kept Turner out of Sunday’s game at Michigan State.

“He looked good today and he’s says he feels good. Hopefully he’s beat it quicker than I did.”

Although Turner was the one not eating or sleeping prior to the Buckeyes’ 74-67 win over the Spartans, Matta has been the one taking it easy in practice this week.

“I’m getting better,” he said between coughs.

“Once I get going though, I can’t stop (coughing).”

While Matta and Turner have been hit the hardest by the flu bug this winter, they aren’t the only ones. Living, eating and practicing in such close proximity has made it hard for players to steer clear once something is going around.

“It’s hit us all,” said Matta, who thinks the illnesses should be winding down as the Buckeyes prepare for postseason play next month.

“It’s been two weeks, I hope so.”

No Ohio State players or coaches have missed games as of yet because of illness, although William Buford has had a few close calls. None of them closer than Turner’s over the weekend. Matta was starting to prepare for the idea of playing in the Breslin Center without his National Player of the Year candidate, but Turner said it was never a question in his mind.

“I knew I was going to play, it was just about being able to get through 40 minutes,” he said.

“Coach Matta said ‘don’t show any weakness.’ I knew it was a big atmosphere and I was going to have to come in and help my team win and lead my team, but my teammates started off doing most of the work. I just wanted to chip in and help out the best I could.”

He couldn’t do much early on, as his jumper simply wasn’t falling in the first half. He went 1-for-6 from the floor in the first 20 minutes, but must have changed in a phone booth at halftime as he came out and scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half. He also grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory.

“I knew the better I played and the harder I played, the more we could gain control and the quicker I could get home and get to sleep,” Turner said with a smile.

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