Welcome back to “The Villain”
He heard thunderous applause when his name was announced in the starting lineup tonight, and most of the cheers came from the OSU student sections on either end of Value City Arena. They might be kids, but they recognize something special when they see it, especially from a peer. Evan Turner’s return to the Buckeye starting lineup Wednesday night can only be described as stunning. When he was originally hurt December 5th against Eastern Michigan, doctors told him he could miss up to 8 weeks as the bones in his back would take ample time to heal. Turner said repeatedly he would be back well ahead of schedule… possibly by the 3rd week in January. Thad Matta admired his determination and said “This explains why Evan will be a great coach someday—-he’s as determined as anyone I’ve ever coached.“
So January 6 rolls around… yes that’s one month and one day, 4 and a half weeks since falling from nearly 7 feet in the air flat on his back. And here comes Evan, not just strolling onto the court, but sprinting up and down, chasing down loose balls, leaping for rebounds. How… why? I dunno… Pain tolerance must be amazing, and the OSU doctors must’ve given Turner full medical clearance to try and play. And this is why Turner will become a Buckeye hero now. With the NBA future he has, Turner opted to hustle back to his Buckeye teammates on the double (especially after OSU looked lost without him, going 0-2 to start Big Ten play). Ohio State matters to Evan. It matters big! And now with Turner even still healing, the Buckeyes return to their status as a contender.
BTW—-why is he called “The Villain”? Teammate and super benchwarmer Mark Titus gave him the name because he’s the most hated man by every other team.
