Friday marks 10 years since the defining moment of Thad Matta’s first season in charge of Ohio State men’s basketball. The Buckeyes were hosting unbeaten, top-ranked Illinois, and looking for their signature win of their 2004-05 season.

OSU had self-imposed a postseason ban after a violation committed by previous head coach John O’Brien, although the team did play in the Big Ten Tournament. In their first year under Matta, the Buckeyes started well, going 11-3 in non-conference play, but struggled against league opponents. Prior to the home game against the Illini, Ohio State had lost three straight, and needed the upset just to finish .500 in Big Ten play.

After trailing by 11 at halftime, the Buckeyes came back in the second half, setting up this memorable finish.

As you may have heard in the video, it marked the second straight season where the #1 team in the country lost to a Thad Matta-coached squad; Xavier upset St. Joseph’s in the 2004 Atlantic 10 Tournament. Matta would then take the Musketeers to the Elite Eight, before arriving in Columbus.

It’s always interesting to wonder what would’ve happened if just one, or neither, of those upsets had taken place. Had the Buckeyes lost to Illinois in 2005, would they have come back to win consecutive regular-season conference titles the following years? Would they have landed the outstanding recruiting class headlined by Greg Oden and Mike Conley? Maybe Matta would’ve pulled both off anyway, but the Illinois game served as a sort of announcement that Ohio State could be considered a legitimate basketball power in the Big Ten.

This marks Matta’s 11th season with the Buckeyes, who under him have made eight trips to the NCAA Tournament, and are highly expected to go this year as well. Fans are more than eager to witness how this second decade unfolds in Columbus.