Just one starter returns from last season’s record-setting NCAA team for fourth-year head coach Thad Matta. Coach Matta has been in this situation before at Ohio State and won big.

That starter is a good one: senior Jamar Butler, who has been a part of three Big Ten championship squads including the undisputed ’06 and ’07 Big Ten championship teams. As a sophomore in 2005-06, Butler was the point guard on an Ohio State team that also won a league title. Butler is among the top returning guards in the Big Ten. In 102 games as a Buckeye, Butler owns 360 career assists and is on pace to become a 1,000-point scorer.

Three veterans will be on hand to support Butler, as will another outstanding class of newcomers. Returning after making significant contributions for the Buckeyes during last season’s magical run to the NCAA title game are these returning letterwinners: seniors Matt Terwilliger, Othello Hunter and sophomore David Lighty.

Terwilliger has played in support roles as a back-up for the past three seasons. First for two seasons alongside Terence Dials and then last year behind fabulous freshman Greg Oden. Needless to say, Terwilliger is the most experienced post player on the roster.

Hunter, who transferred into Ohio State last year as a junior, will be counted on to perform as a seasoned veteran. He started eight games a year ago and averaged 17 minutes as a backup to Oden.

Lighty was on the floor last year as a true freshman due to his defense. This year, he’ll be looked upon as a scorer as well, and he is ready for the assignment. He was a member of the United States Under-19 team this summer and spent considerable time working on his offensive game.

New to the team is another newsworthy freshmen class – not the Thad Five like last year’s was named, but certainly a quality group. A fifth newcomer is 6’10” Vanderbilt transfer Kyle Madsen, who is eligible to compete this season after sitting out last year. Another newcomer, junior college transfer P.J. Hill, also will have three seasons to play as a Buckeye.

The freshmen include: Jon Diebler, a 6’6” shooting guard; Kosta Koufos, a 7’, 265- pound three-point shooting center; Dallas Lauderdale, a 6’8”, 260-pound forward; Evan Turner, a 6-6 guard/forward; and Eric Wallace, a 6’5” guard/forward.

Matta has guided the Buckeyes to an 81-22 record and he has never failed to reach 20 wins in a season in seven years as a collegiate coach. He has averaged 26 wins over his career. The Buckeyes, even with just one starter returning, are in good hands.

The 2007-08 regular season gets underway Nov. 12-13 in the opening rounds of the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Preseason Tip- Off.

The Big Ten Network will carry 64 of the conference’s 99 regular season men’s basketball games this season, including seven Ohio State games, plus three Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament games from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis next March.