Ohio State basketball: Chris Holtmann on a razor’s edge

This Ohio State basketball team might be one of the most maddening teams in recent memory for me. They have a ton of experience, players who have played in big games, and yet they play very hot-and-cold. Sometimes they’re great and other times they suck.

What makes things even more maddening is the fact that the Buckeyes have some really good wins. They’ve beaten Duke, Seton Hall, and Wisconsin. Those are some really good teams. Chris Holtmann is sitting on a razor’s edge because they also have some tough losses.

Holtmann could possibly lead his team to a Big Ten title. Or he could lead this team to another disappointing NCAA Tournament finish. This season is extremely tedious. I’ve been on record saying that Holtmann needs to perform better in the postseason if he wants to keep this job long-term.

And yet, I don’t think Holtmann is a bad coach. I think he gets a lot out of his guys and his guys play hard for him. I don’t remember a single team under his watch that has had poor effort. He gets his guys to buy into his system and their defined roles.

That’s what makes this season so confounding. This team looks good now, but failures of the past make me question what this will ultimately lead to. I know it’s not necessarily fair to hold past teams’ failures against this year’s squad, but a lot of those same players are still here.

E.J. Liddell, Kyle Young, Eugene Brown, Justice Sueing, Zed Key, and Jimmy Sotos were all on last year’s team that got upset by a 15-seed. All of those guys (minus Sueing) are better this year, but I still have doubts as to what a team with those guys can do when it matters most.

Liddell could carry this team to a Big Ten Championship. If he does, Holtmann’s job is secure for years to come. Or he could lose in the first round again and Holtmann would be on the hot seat. Neither of these outcomes would surprise me.