It's never too early to start looking towards the future. At least that seems to be Ohio State basketball Coach Thad Matta's approach. Matta recently registered interest in LeBron James Jr., the son of NBA superstar LeBron James.

Normally, taking interest in the son of the best basketball player on Earth's ball-playing future would make sense. But James Jr. is still just nine years old. He won't be attending college for just under a decade.

However, it is a pretty safe bet to assume James Jr. will be able to play at higher levels. It is in his genes, after all.

Matta's Buckeyes went 25-10 last season including a 10-8 record in the Big Ten Conference. They lost to Dayton in the second round of the NCAA tournament last season. Matta has been the Buckeyes coach snce 2004 and is 377-114 overall in his 24 years as a head coach.