Chris Holtmann shares excitement over Felix Okpara's future

Felix Okpara shined with a career-high 12 points during Wednesday’s 73-62 upset of No. 21 Maryland. The Ohio State freshman was one of six Buckeyes to score in double figures on the night.

After the game, OSU head coach Chris Holtmann praised Okpara’s standout performance and how it showed off his improvements throughout the season.

“Well, he got in foul trouble last time, so he couldn’t get in a rhythm. That limited him a little bit, but he’s just a better player than he was at their place. I think all of our freshmen are better than they were at that time,” Holtmann said. “He understands more of what we’re trying to do. He’s a better player. They played Reese a lot in this game, so we needed some size against him.”

The win over Maryland was just the sixth start of the season for the 6-foot-11 freshman. He has appeared in every game for the Buckeyes this ear, but is only the third time he’s scored in double figures since the season began and the first time since Ohio State defeated Maine 95-61 back on Dec. 21.

A former four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Okpara was the No. 69-rated player in the 2022 class out of Lagos, Nigeria by way of Link Year Prep in Missouri. He was ranked the No. 9 center in the class as well.

His time will come, but for now he’s averaging 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while averaging just under 14 minutes on the court. Some may say he’s underutilized, but Holtmann expects him to blossom as the Buckeyes starting big man in the near future.

With Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament well in the rear view, the Buckeyes will close out their regular season on the road at Michigan State before looking to make a run in the Big 10 Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for Noon ET live on ESPN.