Well before the season started, coach Thad Matta told Evan Turner that he wanted the junior to make the switch from small forward to point guard.
The choice to put the ball in Turner’s hands proved to be a monumental decision, as the Buckeyes became Big Ten regular season champions and Turner and Matta both took home postseason honors.
In the first of what will likely be many awards for the Ohio State junior, both the media and coaches selected Turner as the Big Ten Player of the Year Monday.
“I think it’s a really big deal,” Turner said Monday night on a teleconference. “Most of my awards are state-wide but this is across the Midwest and is against some of the best talent in the country.”
Matta was honored by the media as the conference Coach of the Year. Purdue’s Matt Painter earned the honor from the coaches.
“We all love playing for [Matta},” Turner said. “He’s a player’s coach and we all have trust and faith in him.”
Turner leads the conference with averages of 19.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. His 5.8 assists per game rank second in the Big Ten.
The Chicago native started the season with a bang, recording just the second triple double in OSU history, with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100-60 victory over Alcorn State.
Two weeks later, he stuffed another stat sheet, notching 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in an 84-64 win over Lipscomb.
But the success came to an abrupt — albeit temporary — end. On a breakaway dunk in the early stages of a blowout victory Dec. 5 against Eastern Michigan, Turner fell to the floor, breaking a pair of vertebrae in his back.
Doctors initially predicted that the injury would cost Turner eight weeks, but the resilient junior returned to the court after just five weeks of recovery.
During his absence, the Buckeyes fell into the Big Ten cellar. OSU went 3-3 with Turner sidelined, plagued by an ineffective offense.
But once the do-it-all guard returned to action, the Buckeyes surged through the home stretch of the season, winning 13 of their last 15 regular season games.
With a 73-57 win Mar. 2 over Illinois, the Bucks clinched a share of the Big Ten title.
Matta and Turner look to each other for the reasons behind the team’s success this year.
“We’re really close. I really look at him for guidance,” Turner said. “He’s coached some great players and he’s taught me how to be a great player. He’s helped me grow up in a number of ways, and I’ll forever appreciate him for that.”
Turner is the fifth player in OSU history to win the award. Jim Jackson took home the honor twice.
Sophomore William Buford was named Third-Team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. Junior David Lighty was selected as a Third-Team All-Big Ten choice by the media and junior Dallas Lauderdale was named to the First-Team All-Big Ten Defensive Team by both the coaches and media.
Ohio State earned the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and will play the winner of the Michigan-Iowa game at noon Friday in Indianapolis.
