Ohio State Basketball: More buzz than since Aaron left the building

Effort not an issue with this year’s Ohio State basketball team.

There hasn’t been a ton of excitement surrounding the Ohio State men’s basketball program since a point guard named Craft was creating havoc to opposing teams. But with the way the Buckeyes have played so far this season, there is more buzz than at any time since Aaron left the building.

Unfortunately, during the last three seasons Ohio State basketball was hard to watch. The effort on the court was often lacking.

It wasn’t unusual for players on the floor to act as though they wished they were somewhere else. Therefore Buckeye fans sometimes were.

So it has been some time since there has been excitement surrounding the Ohio State basketball program. The last time was when Aaron Craft roamed the floor.

But this season is different. In fact, the effort the players have given first year head coach Chris Holtmann is the reason the Buckeyes are 17-4 and 8-0 in the Big Ten.

The veterans are leading the way for the younger Buckeyes. Senior Jae’Sean Tate, who always has been an effort guy, has continued to fly all over the court. Keita Bates-Diop, the best player in the Big Ten, works as hard on the defensive end as he does when he has the ball in his hands. Because of the effort these two players give every night, along with guard Kam Williams, younger players like C.J. Jackson and Kaleb Wesson follow their lead.

The reserves, led by graduate transfer Andrew Dakich, always lay it on the floor when they come into the game. The rotation with the bench players is still a work in progress but the effort is always there.

I knew there was something special with this team in the 80-67 non-conference win over Appalachian State. With about four minutes left, Ohio State was up by 15 points and at least two Buckeyes hit the floor after a loose ball which turned into a fast break opportunity. And at least one of the players diving for the ball was a starter who was obviously playing hard until the end.

The latest win over Minnesota was a perfect example of the effort this team brings every game. After falling behind 20-10, the Buckeyes outscored the Gophers by 28 points the rest of the way even though they didn’t shoot the ball well, just 40.9 percent from the field and 20 percent from behind the arc.

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Ohio State held Minnesota to just 38.3 percent shooting for the game and without a field goal during a nine minute stretch late in the second half. And even though the Buckeyes aren’t usually strong on the offensive boards, they held a 12-6 advantage in that department. It definitely was an effort win.

It’s hard to say how far this Buckeye team will advance in the NCAA tournament, but they will be dancing. If they can pull off a win at Purdue February 7th, it’s possible Ohio State could win the regular season Big Ten title as well.

I can tell by the feedback I have received there is a buzz around the Ohio State basketball program once again. Buckeye fans will follow a team even if they don’t win a title as long as they lay everything they have on the court, or ball field, and show they appreciate the fact they are wearing Scarlet and Gray.

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This year’s Ohio State basketball team has done exactly that so far, and with the great group of young men Chris Holtmann has I don’t see that changing. If they continue to do whatever it takes to win, I imagine a certain former Buckeye point guard will be proud of that. After all, that’s how Aaron Craft made his mark on the Ohio State basketball program.

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