Aaron Craft last week was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, joining Greg Oden and Ken Johnson as the only Ohio State players who have won the award.

"Growing up it's something I always enjoyed doing and took great pride in and it was something I could do well in any game regardless of how well offensively everyone else was doing," Craft said.

Thad Matta isn’t sure how Craft became a great defender.

"I don't think we've ever had the discussion of what did you do as a kid (to make yourself a great defender). To me he has a unique body. It's probably his Hawaiian ancestry that does it," Matta joked. "I don't know, but he's got a gift for it. He's got quick feet and great strength, and No. 1 he's got a great mind for it."

Craft, a pre-med student, is known to pore over scouting reports like a text book. During the regular season finale at Michigan State, which Ohio State won 72-70 to earn a share of the Big Ten championship, Keith Appling hit a 3-pointer on Craft who in turn had a message for the bench as he brought the ball up the court seconds later.

"He turns and mentions that was not in the scouting report," Matta said. "He knows. That's one of the beauties of having him out there."