The Buckeyes finished their home slate with a dub #GoBucks
The final home game for the Ohio State basketball team was a successful one, defeating Maryland 73-62, getting an upset over a ranked team and sending the seniors off as winners.
Head coach [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] ends the home portion of this season with a record many wouldn’t have expected coming into 2023. The two-game win streak, regardless of how modest, shows that no one on this team threw the towel in late.
There was a lot to like about what the Buckeyes did against the Terrapins tonight. Here are my thoughts on the win that improves Ohio State’s record to 13-17 with one regular season game remaining.
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann affirmed that he is absolutely committed to his future at Ohio State after the win over Illinois.
As this very disappointing Ohio State basketball season has spun its way into our television sets and streaming devices, some very vocal fans and media members have wanted to turn the page on head coach Chris Holtmann.
There’s no way around it. This is one of the worst Buckeye basketball seasons in the history of the program and folks are fed up. Through it all, nobody has asked the man that’s surely taken his bumps and bruises this year about how it has landed on him and whether he’s fully committed to Ohio State. After all, despite the wet noodle of a season we’ve seen this year, his name has surfaced for job openings recently.
After the victory over Illinois on Sunday, Hotlmann was not only asked about this season and what a win means for him, the players, and the future, but he was also asked about his commitment level to the Ohio State program. His answer was honest and rather straightforward without a mincing of words or beating around the bush.
“Yes, absolutely. I love it here.” Holtmann responded. “I love it here, and (athletic director) Gene (Smith) and I have been very open about our plan in terms of moving forward, and what our plan was after last year with somewhat of a rebuild roster. What that was gonna look like, how young we’re gonna be, our commitment to playing young guys — to backing it up with another young class.
“It’s a little bit hard to do sometimes when you’re going into Year 6, and you’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re gonna philosophically look at how we want to build this thing to give us maybe our greatest potential as a program. But I think we have played our young guys. We have another class coming, and there is some real excitement in that amid the tremendous disappointment with how some things have gone.”
Asked for clarification on whether that was a firm commitment, Holtmann, without hesitation responded emphatically with, “absolutely.”
Now, some Ohio State fans probably aren’t too thrilled to hear that a coach they probably want to be shown the door is reaffirming his love and dedication to remaining the head coach at OSU, but it’s still good to know that Holtmann is in it for the long haul despite going through such a horrendous and challenging season in the eyes of many.
Feb. 12, 2023; Columbus; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann yells to the team during their game against Michigan State Spartans at Value City Arena. Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch
Remember, Gene Smith already provided a vote of confidence, saying that Holtmann would be Ohio State’s “coach of the future,” so it sure feels and sounds like all parties are on the same page and looking toward better days on the banks of the Olentangy.
Or, at least for now.
One thing is certain though; another year anything like what we’ve all witnessed this season will likely change a lot of that, especially with another very talented freshman class getting ready to arrive on campus. Reinforcements are coming, and the victories better follow.
Chris Holtmann was in a much better mood after the win vs. Illinois on Sunday. #GoBucks
In case you missed it on Sunday, the Ohio State basketball team got back in the win column after losing nine straight by beating a solid Illinois basketball team on Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State basketball head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media after the game to discuss the win and it was a much different tone than what we’ve seen from him during the recent disappointing stretch. If you missed anything he said, we have the complete press conference thanks to video from the Columbus Dispatch.
Watch and listen to Holtmann discuss how much getting another win means, the play of Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thorton, the future of the program, and more.
Ohio State will next be in action on Wednesday when it welcomes the Maryland Terrapins to town.
What were your thoughts on this long awaited Buckeye win? #GoBucks
The slide is over as Ohio State stopped their 9-game losing streak, defeating Illinois at home 72-60. The young Buckeye squad showed has shown marked improvement since four freshmen have been inserted into the starting lineup and it finally resulted in a win.
Head coach [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] should be able to breathe a big sigh of relief, even though making any postseason tournament most likely isn’t in the future for this team.
There was plenty to like about what Ohio State did today, as I’m sure it felt great to finally get their fourth win in conference play. Here are my thoughts about OSU’s 12th win of the season, against 17 losses.
It was the same old song and dance for the [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] basketball team. They battled visiting Penn State, but couldn’t do enough late to come away with a win, losing 75-71.
Head coach [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] saw his team lose their ninth game in a row and 13 of the last 14. The team has won just two games since entering 2023, on the road at Northwestern and Iowa at home.
This outcome could have been expected, after starting center Zed Key was shut down with the should injury that had been bothering him since losing to Purdue in early January.
Find out my thoughts on yet another Ohio State basketball loss, to put its season record at 11-17, below.
For the majority of the first half, [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] was right there with host Iowa. The Hawkeyes closed out the first twenty minutes on a 12-0 run and the Buckeyes could never recover, losing 92-75.
It was another disappointing loss in a very forgettable season for [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] and his program. For the most part, this was a loss that many should have seen coming, especially given the struggles of Ohio State since the turn of the calendar.
There was mostly bad to come out of the game, but there was one bright spot in another disaster. Find out below what we learned after this loss puts the Buckeyes season record at 11-15.
The Buckeyes are looking to add size to the roster #GoBucks
One of the biggest glaring issues with the current [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] basketball roster is the lack of size.
Junior [autotag]Zed Key[/autotag] is a solid player, but has been bitten by the injury bug this season. Freshman [autotag]Felix Okpara[/autotag] will be a good player, but is still very raw and could have used this season to get stronger and learn the system.
Due to numbers and Key’s injuries, Okpara was forced into duty and there is pretty much no depth behind those two. Freshman Okpara is the tallest player on the roster, at 6-foot, 11-inches, but no other rotational player is taller than Key at 6-foot, 8-inches.
Head coach [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] has realized that the lack of size has hurt this year’s squad and an effort to correct that is being made. The start of that was an offer to 2025 Pennsylvania center [autotag]Alier Maluk[/autotag].
Maluk was recently in Columbus for an unofficial visit, a very good sign regarding his recruitment. Although he is a bit slight at 180 pounds, his 6-foot, 10-inch frame is exactly the kind of length the Buckeye basketball team needs going forward.
Ranked as the nation’s No. 2 center and 15th overall player by the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Maluk would be a fantastic addition to the Ohio State roster.
Spartans head coach Tom Izzo met with the media after the game in the Schott to discuss what he saw from his team, and also provided some thoughts on what he thinks of Ohio State’s team. In case you missed any of what Izzo said, you can get his entire comments here thanks to video supplied by the Columbus Dispatch.
Watch, and hear Izzo defend what Holtmann and Ohio State are going through a little bit, talk about how his team kept its composure on the road, the maturity of his team, and more. He spends a significant amount of time talking about all that coaches have to deal with in today’s game.
It’s not back to the drawing board for Ohio State, but perhaps purchasing a new drawing board at this point to start from beyond starting from scratch. OSU will be back at it on the road vs. Iowa on Thursday.
What do you think about what Chris Holtmann had to say after the loss to Michigan State? #GoBucks
It was another game in the loss column for the Ohio State basketball team when it took on Michigan State Sunday. It was a blowout 62-41 loss at home. The team, coaches, and fans are reeling after the Buckeyes have now dropped 11 of their last 12 games to freefall to almost the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
Head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media after the game as he always does to discuss what he saw from the game and where he sees his team. After such a rough stretch, he seemed to be lost for answers as he was peppered with questions from reporters.
In case you missed anything that was said, we have the press conference in its entirety thanks to our friends from the Columbus Dispatch. Watch and listen to the below video and hear Holtmann reflect on the offensive woes, how the team is doing mentally, what’s next for the team, and more.
Ohio State will be in action again on the road vs. Iowa on Thursday. We’ll have the postgame coverage and reaction as always.
Almost like this was the expected outcome. Did you see this results at home? #GoBucks
Another [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] basketball game, another loss to a Big Ten opponent, this time at the hands of Michigan State, 62-41.
Once again the offense was horrendous, as they couldn’t find the bottom of the basket for long stretches of the game and couldn’t get enough stops when they got within five points midway through the second half.
Buckeye head coach [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] is enduring his worst season at Ohio State, one where many are questioning the future of the program.
These wasn’t much good to come from this loss as most of my thoughts are negative, but is what stood out in my mind after the latest Ohio State basketball loss.
