Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Thad Matta says star center Greg Oden has been fantastic on the floor during his first season in Columbus, but that the grizzled freshman is having troubles fitting in with his teammates off the court.

            “Greg is like a man among boys on the court and it’s the same way off it, too. In fact, I probably have more in common with him than any of the players,” said Matta, 39. “We really enjoy talking about our favorite ‘All In The Family’ episodes or debating which Doobie Brothers album is the best.”

            Buckeyes guard Mike Conley said that the team likes Oden well enough, but that there is a certain awkwardness when they all hang out together.

            “It’s kind of like hanging out with your uncle or something,” said Conley. “In fact, it’s almost exactly like that because my uncle graduated from the same high school with Greg back in 1981. Wait ... could that be right? 1981? Hmm.”

            But while most of the distance between Oden and his teammates is due to their different interests, guard Daequan Cook admits there is another reason, too.

            “A lot of our moms and grandmothers find Greg attractive and that’s kind of weird for us,” said Cook. “I guess they think his salt and pepper hair makes him look distinguished. Little do they know that he has a nasty old man smell of liniment and medicine.”

            Oden says he hopes to bridge the generation gap between himself and his teammates before the end of the year.

            “I’ve been around long enough to know some things and I know it’s important for a team to have great chemistry if they want to win a championship,” said Oden. “That’s why I’m going to have the guys over to my place for a party soon. We’re going to have fondue and everything. It’s going to be far out.”