Evan Turner remembers his first introduction to Kyle Madsen. Turner, a high school senior, was visiting the Ohio State campus. The 6-foot-9 Madsen was newly arrived from Vanderbilt, where during a redshirt season he had been transformed into a Peterbilt truck.
"They were saying he was on the team," Turner said, "and I was thinking, 'Why? This kid is huge. He can't even move.'"
When Turner enrolled the following summer, Madsen struck up a conversation and Turner didn't recognize him. He had to ask someone who he was. Told it was Madsen, Turner said, "You used to be big and fat, right?" And Madsen said, "Yeah."
The big boy from Dublin Coffman has been through a lot in four years on the Ohio State men's basketball team.
Madsen sat out a season after transferring and lost the 20 pounds Vanderbilt had packed on him. He saw only mop-up minutes in 12 games as a sophomore. Before last season, he had surgery to repair a deviated septum, which allowed him to increase his playing time without having to gasp for air.
This season, Madsen is the only player on a short bench who has played in every game for sixth-ranked Ohio State. He is averaging 12.3 minutes in relief of center Dallas Lauderdale and has made the most of his chances by shooting 58 percent from the field.
The threat of him making his baseline jumper after popping off a screen has stretched defenses and created driving room for Turner, David Lighty and William Buford.
"I'm extremely happy for Kyle just because of the work he's put in and what he's been through," junior Jon Diebler said. "This being his senior year, you couldn't be more excited for the guy."
Madsen will be among five seniors recognized tonight before the Buckeyes finish the regular season in Value City Arena against Illinois. A victory will clinch for them at least a share of the Big Ten championship.
"When you start doing this, you don't think it's ever going to end. You think it's just going to go on forever," Madsen said. "But I'm starting to feel the end coming up, and it will be tough, definitely."
Madsen said homesickness was one of the reasons he left Vanderbilt. He also didn't like seeing himself in the mirror.
"In high school, I was super skinny and more athletic. That's not what they wanted," Madsen said. "I put on like 30 pounds there. I was up to 252 when I got here."
He is 242 now but said it's "good weight" because his body fat is almost 10 percent less than it was.
After an off-season of burying 15-foot jump shots at a brisk clip, Madsen won coach Thad Matta's trust this season.
"Kyle's going to do what Kyle's supposed to do," Matta said.
Madsen's role is to keep his body between his man and the basket on defense, set screens for his teammates on offense and, when open, make shots. His ability to shoot from the perimeter forces defenses to deal with a dimension not presented by Lauderdale.
Madsen started school at Ohio State the same summer as Greg Oden. Recruits Lauderdale, Kosta Koufos and B.J. Mullens were lined up in the wings for 2007 and 2008.
"I never thought I was going to be the star," Madsen said, "but I always thought I would be a good role player and I would be able to get minutes. It's finally happening."
He was a member of a Big Ten title team that reached the NCAA championship game his first year, but because he was a transfer and ineligible to play in games, he said he was prevented by NCAA rules from receiving a Big Ten championship ring.
That's why a victory tonight would be a great cap to his career.
"It would be awesome to finish it like that," Madsen said.
bbaptist@dispatch.com