Chris Holtmann says Owen Spencer is 'very deserving' of scholarship

Ohio State forward Owen Spencer was awarded a scholarship following the Buckeye’s 93-77 win over Iowa Saturday afternoon. OSU head coach Chris Holtmann discussed his reasoning for giving the now-former walk-on the scholarship halfway through his first season in Columbus.

“Owen has been great for us. We had a scholarship available after Seth [Towns’] medical issues.,” Holtmann said Monday. “We anticipated it all along. We thought potentially we could hang on to it, but he’s very deserving of it. He’s 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, he provides us with a scout team center that can also play in a pinch if we need him. Great attitude, great kid, we were really happy to provide that moment for him.”

Spencer transferred from The Citadel to Ohio State and joined the program as a walk-on after spending the first two seasons of his career in Charleston.

The 6-foot-9 native of Cincinnati has appeared in five games for the Buckeyes this season, amassing a total of three points and seven rebounds in 12-and-a-half minutes of play. But his impact extends far beyond the season game log, hince the late scholarship offer.

After the win, Ohio State posted a video on social media capturing the moment he learned he had been put on scholarship. The whole locker room erupted in celebration for their teammate.

Feels good to be singing again 🎵

Celebrating a win AND a scholarship for @owenspencer23, pretty good! pic.twitter.com/fDzANscrvh

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 21, 2023

Not only did the win over the Hawkeyes see Spencer earn his scholarship, the Buckeyes also ended a five-game skid spanning most of January. After being ranked No. 24 heading into the losing streak, Ohio State sits at 3-5 in conference play and are third to last in the current standings.

They’ll look to keep the momentum from the Iowa game going when they travel to Illinois Tuesday night. Tip-off between the Buckeyes and Illini is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN.