Matta has never been a head coach without Groce, 36, by his side, first at Butler, then at Xavier and for the last four years at Ohio State. Heavily involved in the recruitment of players like Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr., Groce on the sideline served as something close to Matta's offensive coordinator, writing out plays on a wipeboard and directing traffic while Matta concentrated more of his energies on defense.
Possessing a feel for how Matta wanted to attack opposing defenses, Groce became particularly valuable this season as Matta was forced to be less active on the sideline while continuing a long and sometimes painful recovery from back surgery.
"We laugh, because I can start a sentence and he finishes it and vice versa," Matta told the Plain Dealer during OSU's Final Four run two seasons ago. "He knows what I'm thinking and I know what he's thinking. We just have a few differences every now and then."
After designing one play on the fly during a win at Michigan State two years ago, which led to a dunk for Greg Oden, the former Buckeye center called Groce a genius.
