DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — For Thad Matta, Kentucky's blue must be too close to Michigan's.

The Ohio State coach interrupted a question Tuesday when he noticed a reporter wearing a Kentucky T-shirt.

"My first question, did you lose a bet today? With the shirt?" Matta asked.

The newspaper guy responded, "I just wanted to remind you that we're looking for a coach."

Matta laughed and his face turned red, before asking, "Are you an alum from there?"

When the answer was yes, Matta said: "I'll use real small words in this answer."

Seemingly relaxed by reaching his profession's penultimate peak, Matta opened up about many subjects, including his Final Four memories.

He also quickly said sorry to Wildcat fans — some who might want to lure Matta to UK.

"That one's probably going to kill me," Matta said. "I apologize to the University of Kentucky. Let me get that out right now. I do apologize. I always say that one about the school up north when people tell me they're from there."

1996 Final Four

"When I was at Western Carolina, (OSU associate head coach) John Groce was a high school coach," Matta said. "We went down to watch UMass — through (John) Calipari — beat Georgetown in the Georgia Dome to go the Final Four. I remember sitting there watching them cut down the nets, saying, 'Man, I'd love to be there.'"

Matta's team just went past Calipari's Memphis team to get to the Georgia Dome, where it plays Georgetown.

1999 Final Four

During Ohio State's last appearance — wiped from the NCAA books — Matta recalled his National Association of Basketball Coaches' hotel room.

"I remember I was in some hotel where the doors opened up to the outside. That was where the NABC stuck me," he said. "My family had gone to (Sanibel Island). I did not go the games. I did not know a whole lot about Ohio State at the time. I was going back to the beach."

Set shots

• Matta told freshman center Greg Oden on Monday that the 7-footer was named an All-American. "Somebody just told me as I walked down the stairs, you were named a first-team All-American. Congratulations,' " Matta said he told Oden. "And he goes, 'Huh.' That's Greg."

• Ivan Harris had an ice bag wrapped around his right knee. Harris' knee is still sore from when Oden fell on it during the Tennessee game. Harris should be ready to play Saturday.

• CBS' Lesley Visser posed for pictures with Oden and Mike Conley Jr. during a photo shoot, presumably for the network's Final Four coverage.