Relative to his previous five years at Ohio State, and even the three at Butler before that, the 2022-23 season was an outlier for Chris Holtmann. For the first time since his second year as a head coach back at Gardner-Webb in 2011-12, Holtmann’s team won fewer than 20 games and finished with a losing record. And for the first time in 10 years, he missed the NCAA Tournament. Beyond that, but perhaps directly related to it, Holtmann had to rely on heavy contributions from true freshmen more than ever before. When the Buckeyes started four freshmen on the road against Purdue on Feb. 19, it was the first time Holtmann had ever done so. In fact, he scarcely started three freshmen in the same game before that, and never before 2022-23. One could argue Malaki Branham finished his 2021-22 freshman campaign as Ohio State’s best player, but his breakout success…
Continue Reading: Ohio State May Require Significant Contributions From “Really Exciting” Freshman Class in 2023-24
