COLUMBUS, Ohio — For two straight seasons Ohio State men’s basketball has overachieved under head coach Chris Holtmann. The Buckeyes combined for a 45-24 record — 23-15 in the Big Ten — and two trips to the second round of the NCAA tournament. He and his coaching staff did this despite playing with a depleted 2019 senior class and the leftovers of Thad Matta’s final years. Ohio State was not one of the better teams in the Big Ten last season, finishing 8-12. The surprising success of 2017-18 gave fans unrealistic expectations for Year 2. But it’s 2019-20 that should be considered the foundation for what this program’s potential. In 2007, Ohio State lost to Florida in the National Championship behind future top-five NBA draft picks Greg Oden and Michael Conley. That team went 35-4, the most single-season wins by any Matta-coached team. That year the Buckeyes had the fifth-ranked…
Continue Reading: How Ohio State basketball’s 2019 recruiting class is on pace with its 2007 class
