The call went out this year the same as it has multiple times before. From Columbus to Texas to Italy to Greece and back, it was answered without hesitation.

On Friday, it all came together. When former Ohio State men’s basketball coach Thad Matta returned to his house, he was surprised to see nearly three dozen former players, assistants and coaches awaiting his arrival for a surprise retirement party.

“We had guys that came in from Florida and North Carolina and Texas, and this was an email two weeks prior,” said Matt Terwilliger, a Columbus-area resident who helped make the event happen. “I think when we started setting it up, Aaron (Craft) was still playing in Italy, Shannon (Scott) may have still been in Greece. It felt good because I felt like everyone feels the way our core group here in Columbus feels, having an appreciation for what coach Matta has done.”

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After Matta’s firing was announced June 5, group messages with former players sprung to life wondering what could be done to show their support. Barb Matta, Thad’s wife, started putting together the logistics while Terwilliger sent out a group email. What had been an every-other-year event became something more.

The result was captured in a group photo posted to social media. Je’Kel Foster was back in town from Texas for the first time in eight years. David Lighty and Craft, teammates in Italy, were there, as was Scott. University of Akron coach John Groce was there, as were the likes of Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Evan Turner, Jon Diebler, William Buford, Othello Hunter and even former walk-ons Mark Titus and Jake Lorbach.

“Our main thing was letting him know we appreciate what he means to us,” Lighty said. “Even though he’s low-key and under the radar sometimes, we know what he’s done for that program is pretty much unmatched. That legacy will be around for a long time.”

It was a celebratory mood, multiple attendees told The Dispatch. Reporters were not allowed entry so as not to disturb the locker room feel, which featured a spirited debate about which team would win in a head-to-head game: the 2006 team against the 2010 Buckeyes.

The emotional part of the night came when Matta offered a toast, which was followed up by Groce.

“(Thad) thanked us for blessing his family, for being around us,” Evan Ravenel said. “We wouldn’t have had the success that we’ve had in our careers without him. He was more than thankful and giving us praise for everything, the experiences he’s had because of us.”

Matta posed for photos with all the rings he earned at Ohio State — nine in all. Attendees wore shirts made by former player Brandon Fuss-Cheatham’s Lamp Apparel clothing company reading, “Thad’s Boys/We All Matta”

“It always feels good to be a part of something bigger than yourself,” J.J. Sullinger said. “That feeling comes back tenfold when you get a group of guys like Thad’s Boys. We might not have played together, but we have a bond that can never be broken because we did play for Thad at Ohio State.”

The event stretched into the early hours of July, with members from Matta’s first teams departing sometime around last call.

“One of the greatest nights of my life,” Matta told The Dispatch. “Better than any win we ever had. It was a group of guys that had a bond that was far greater than basketball. It was a bond of love and respect for each other.

“If a fly could have been on the wall, the stories were absolutely incredible.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy