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Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes should not be okay with being mediocre

By Jacob Rhymer

Feb 9, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) drives past Northwestern Wildcats guard Ty Berry (3) during the first half of the NCAA men’s basketball game at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchBasketball Ceb Mbk Northwestern Northwestern At Ohio State
Feb 9, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) drives past Northwestern Wildcats guard Ty Berry (3) during the first half of the NCAA men’s basketball game at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchBasketball Ceb Mbk Northwestern Northwestern At Ohio State /
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The Ohio State basketball program is at an all-time low as the team suffered their fifth loss in as many games, and their tenth loss in the last eleven games Thursday night against Northwestern. A once proud college basketball program is now rapidly going in the wrong direction.

At the beginning of January, the Buckeye basketball team was sitting at 10-3 and one defensive stop away from upsetting number-one Purdue to improve to 11-3. That now feels like an eternity ago.

Now the Ohio State basketball team sits at 11-13 overall, 3-10 in Big Ten play, with no chance at making the NCAA Tournament, and might not even get invited to the NIT. It’s truly disappointing because this is a very talented team, they just aren’t being used the right way.

The Buckeyes are among a list of just eight teams that have made it to ten or more Final Fours. Michigan State joins Ohio State as the only other Big Ten team on the list, along with North Carolina, UCLA, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, and Louisville.

For the Ohio State basketball team to be a part of a list of Final Four appearances with the Blue Bloods of college basketball, mediocre play should be unacceptable. We shouldn’t be giving praise for just making the NCAA Tournament and getting bounced before the second weekend.

From 2005 to 2017, Ohio State had three 30+ win seasons, nine Big Ten titles, and five appearances in the Sweet 16. Since Holtmann took over in 2018, there hasn’t been one 30+ win season, Ohio State has participated in one Big Ten Championship game, and they’ve yet to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

There comes a time when the same results continuously occur a change needs to be made. Ohio State has a great history in college basketball, the expectations should be high. Hanging banners for just making the NCAA Tournament should not be the mindset.

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The Ohio State basketball team looks to prevent a sixth straight loss on Sunday when they host Michigan State. According to ESPN, the Buckeyes somehow have almost a 75% chance to beat the Spartans.

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