Ohio State lost its last game of the 2024-2025 regular season late Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes fell to the Hoosiers 66-60 in Bloomington, Indiana. The loss very likely bursts the bubble of Ohio State's NCAA Tournament hopes. Ohio State will need to win at least two, if not three, of their games in the Big Ten Tournament this week to resuscitate those hopes.
The Buckeyes' defeat to the Hoosiers was a reflection of the same problems that have troubled them all year. The biggest was the Bucks' lack of an inside game. Ohio State was once again struggling and being outplayed in the battle for rebounds and points in the paint. Indiana outrebounded Ohio State 40 to 31 and outscored them in the paint 28 to 20. That may not seem like much but in a six-point game, it was decisive.
Some other weaknesses that existed throughout the 2024-2025 season manifested themselves again against Indiana. The first is that Ohio State gets very little help from its bench. Ohio State got only nine points from four players who came off the bench against Indiana, and with three of their starters finishing the game with four or more fouls, it was a big factor—just as it has been all season.
The Buckeyes have struggled in these areas all season long, and the proof is in their national rankings. Coming into this game, the Bucks were 245th in the nation (out of 355) in points per game from the bench, averaging just a sliver more than 18 a game.
They were 261st in rebounds per game, with just under 34 a game. These are the same problems that caused the Chris Holtmann era to end with his firing. They’re the same problems that, until they are overcome, will keep Ohio State basketball as a team that barely wins more games than it loses.