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Buckeye center welcomes her critiques of his play
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008
Psst! Don't tell Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta, but one of his star players is getting advice elsewhere.
When center Kosta Koufos hits the hardwood at Value City Arena, his eyes invariably look to the stands for his mother, Kathy, a guidance counselor at GlenOak High School.
''My mom tells me what I need to do to improve every game. It's great to have a parent like that to tell me straight up what I need to work on,'' Koufos said.
He also seeks out his mother after games so she can critique his performance, a practice she resisted at first, but eventually agreed to.
''He said: 'I don't want you
to do it as a mom, and I want to know what I need to work on. I want you to be critical,' '' Kathy Koufos said. ''And I told him: 'Sometimes you're not going to like what I have to say.' ''
Koufos has little problem taking in his mother's words of wisdom.
''It's kind of funny after every game, but I listen to her and it has helped me for my entire basketball career.''
His mother quickly points out, however, that her son, whose father died almost a decade ago, is his own man.
''He's good at making his own decisions, and I've been blessed that he has made really good decisions in his life,'' she said.
Apparently Kathy Koufos, who describes herself as a basketball novice, is doing something right, because her son, who is a freshman, is having a good first year with the Buckeyes. He is averaging 13.8 points, seven rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
The stats point to a rather quick adjustment to play in Division I college basketball.
''It's more competitive. I think I've done well for my freshman year in college,'' Koufos said. ''But there's always room for improvement. I feel like we're growing as a team, getting better as a team.''
That's not to say that there aren't distinct differences in how he has to approach the game at this level. He said the mental aspect of the game represented challenges for him after he arrived in Columbus.
''I have to come in more mentally prepared for each game and not get down on myself if I don't make plays,'' he said.
He also faced the unenviable task of replacing Greg Oden, a phenom at center who made a one-year stop on campus before fleeing for the riches of the NBA. Koufos is realistic when asked to compare himself with his predecessor.
He is more flexible offensively — sometimes freakishly so, with the ability to hit the outside shot, yet still post up and score around the hoop. Oden wasn't as versatile offensively, but with his defensive skills, including shot-blocking prowess, was a more complete player.
''There was no pressure at all for me. Greg is a tremendous player, but Greg and I are different types of players,'' Koufos said. '' He's more of a 5-man, back-to-the-basket-type player and I'm more of an in-and-out Euro-style player.''
The season hasn't been without its bumps, however. While Koufos excelled during the nonconference schedule, the Big Ten schedule proved a bit rocky initially, including one game against Michigan State in which he played 26 minutes and scored zero points. But Kathy Koufos said that his numbers don't matter when the team is winning.
''When the team is losing, he takes it personally,'' she said. ''If he has 40 points and the team is losing, it's meaningless to him.''
He said that adjusting to conference play was simply a matter of changing his attitude.
''I'm just playing hard every game. I think now they're pretty much the same,'' he said. ''I just have to take a veteran approach to the Big Ten Conference and I think I've done that''
The Buckeyes sit 17-10 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The team is on the bubble to make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
It hasn't helped that the Buckeyes have lost two in a row and 4-of-6 heading into tonight's game at Indiana.
Koufos said all the Buckeyes can do is concentrate on the rest of their schedule and continue to get better. He has sought out Matta to help him develop his game.
''He tells you straight out what he feels you need to improve on, which is what I love,'' Koufos said. ''He's a lot like a second father.''
And what is it that Matta tells him he needs to improve?
''Basically, everything my mother told me I need to improve on,'' Koufos said with a laugh.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/
Psst! Don't tell Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta, but one of his star players is getting advice elsewhere.
Get the full article here.
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