Ohio State Basketball: Coach of unlikely No. 2 seed deserves award

Expectations for the Ohio State basketball team were low for most before the season began, but obviously not for head coach Chris Holtmann.

Michigan State wrapped up the Big Ten regular season title with a 69-63 win over Purdue on Sunday to finish 16-2 in the conference. Even though the Ohio State basketball team finished one game back in the standings, that doesn’t diminish what Chris Holtmann’s squad accomplished this season.

It was certainly unlikely the Buckeyes would have any chance of entering the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed before the season began. The predictions were that Ohio State would finish near the bottom of the conference, not one of the top four teams with a double bye. And that is why Chris Holtmann was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

It has been an amazing season when you consider the situation of the team when Holtmann took over the head coaching job and compare it to what would transpire. First, let’s look at those things he knew about the players he had, and the predicament he was in needing even more when he was hired last June.

Jae’Sean Tate: A high energy guy and strong in the paint for a 6 ft. 4 in. guy. He averaged 14.3 points and 6.4 rebounds the previous season.

Keita Bates-Diop: A talented player who only averaged 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in the nine games he played during the 2016-17 season.

Kam Williams: A very good shooter in spurts but a liability on defense at times.

C.J. Jackson: A fine combo guard at Eastern Florida State College, Jackson had yet to prove that to be the case on the big stage in his one year at Ohio State.

Coach Holtmann only had one incoming freshman (Kaleb Wesson) so he didn’t have enough scholarship players to hold a five on five scrimmage.

Here is what happened after coach Holtmann took over. He began by addressing the last situation immediately.

The Buckeye head coach brought in Kyle Young, a recruit of his at Butler who was released from his scholarship. Musa Jallow reclassified his recruiting status and joined the Buckeyes in the 2017 class. And coach Holtmann offered a scholarship to a graduate transfer from Michigan (Andrew Dakich} who saw little playing time for the team up north.

Not only did the three give the Ohio State basketball team enough players to scrimmage, every player contributed off the bench. Dakich surprised everybody this season, not only with his play on the court but the leadership he brought to the team.

When you add sophomores Micah Potter and Andre Wesson to this group, coach Holtmann developed a very good bench. They may not have always been terrific stat-stuffers, but each contributed to the team in some way.

Now for a look at the players coach Holtmann knew had to produce. The four returning players made significant strides and the freshman was pretty good too.

Keita Bates-Diop: His 19.2 ppg and 8.9 rpg only tell part of the story of what the Big Ten Player of the Year brought to the Ohio State basketball team. He was just as good on the defensive end, a total team player and a leader. He was also clutch when the Buckeyes needed a score.

Jae’Sean Tate: While his stats slipped some, Tate became a better overall player. He moved out front at times to give a guard a break, and upped his intensity on the defensive end with Bates-Diop carrying much of the scoring load. Tate’s leadership skills were outstanding as his tenacity and team first attitude made every player want to follow his lead.

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Kam Williams: His defense improved and he also played the point at times. His 43.8 percent shooting loosened up opposing defenses as well.

C.J. Jackson: The combo guard upped his game for sure. Jackson averaged 12.4 ppg and 3.8 assists. He also came up big in important situations like the game winning shot against Indiana the last game of the season.

Kaleb Wesson: This young guy was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team after averaging 11 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

It was an amazing turnaround for the Buckeyes during the 2017-18 season. Especially with the situation coach Holtmann found himself in when he took the job. Somehow he found a way to make it work.

He did so by galvanizing a group of players to become a real team. When you watch the Buckeyes play it’s obvious how the players care for one another, regardless if the other guy is a starter or a reserve.

Next: Keita Bates-Diop, Chris Holtmann earn Big Ten Honors

It’s hard to say how far Ohio State will advance in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, but it will have been a successful season even if the Buckeyes bow out early. The simple fact that the team gelled like they did, and brought energy back to the Ohio State basketball program, was quite an achievement. And that’s why Chris Holtmann winning Big Ten Coach of the Year was a well deserved honor.

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