Ohio State Basketball: Tonight about setting pace and answering questions
By Willie Lutz
Though Ohio State faces a less-than-enthralling opponent tonight, game one may provide a glance at what the Chris Holtmann era will be like.
Basketball is back in the Schottenstein Center tonight when the Robert Morris Colonials takes on the Ohio State. With new head coach Chris Holtmann in his first game, there are several questions for the Buckeyes to go with few answers at the moment.
The slate is fresh, wiping away last year’s underwhelming 17-15 record, replaced with a fresh 0-0. Thad Matta is no longer the head coach and there is no apparent superstar, and nobody seems to have a defined set of expectations for the young team.
According to Bill Landis of Cleveland.com, tonight’s starters feature no new names; G CJ Jackson, G Cameron Williams, F Keita Bates-Diop, F JaeSean Tate, and C Micah Potter own those roles.
The only pieces really missing from last year are Trevor Thompson and Marc Loving. Many of Holtmann’s players are ones he inherited from coach Matta and it’s important to see progress from them in the 2017-2018 season.
JaeSean Tate returns as the team’s leading scorer from 2016-2017, averaging 14.3 points per contest. Tate is the team’s senior leader and will be counted on continually for buckets, tonight and as the season progresses.
Though it’s nice to have returning pieces, Holtmann needs to infuse youth
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Buckeye fans should look for excitement from the guys who may play fewer minutes tonight as they may mean more to Chris Holtmann’s career at Ohio State. Those players are a collection of freshmen, including F Kyle Young, F Musa Jallow, and C Kaleb Wesson.
The trio gives Ohio State the Big Ten’s top recruiting class, as well as the No. 23 recruiting class in college basketball (according to 247 Sports). Unfortunately, no one cares how good your recruiting class is until they actually step on the floor.
In the team’s 88-63 exhibition victory against Wooster, the three looked up to speed. Jallow played 21 minutes and Young played 16. Each scored six points which is encouraging. However, though Young grabbed 5 rebounds Jallow laid a goose egg on the boards.
Coach Holtmann can make a statement tonight by working in Kaleb Wesson, who posted great numbers in the exhibition contest. In 15 minutes of play, Wesson shot 5-of-8 from the floor, scoring 16 points on 7 rebounds (4 on the offensive end).
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Getting these young kids minutes early on is essential for a program that is rebuilding. Look for coach Holtmann to mix-in some youth against the Colonials.