Chris Holtmann shares how Ohio State can come out on top in close games

Chris Holtmann and Ohio State fell to 12-6 with a 73-65 loss to Michigan Monday, putting the Buckeyes’ losing streak at three games.

It was another close loss as the Buckeyes couldn’t quite get past their rival. Holtmann was asked postgame what it would take to close out those types of games.

It’s not simple, but perhaps Ohio State needs more of a defensive effort right now.

“Yeah, I think we’ve got to rely on our defense when we’re not making shots,” Holtmann said. “We had the ball a couple of possessions right where we wanted it … Confidence in those guys to make plays. We’ll look and look at the tape and see if there’s something better we could have ran.” 

Basically, as Holtmann put it, Ohio State has to be able to adjust on the fly in a tough league.

“Well, you’re always figuring out how … you’re evaluating the quality of looks we got late,” Holtmann said. “But yeah, I mean, I think we’ve got young guys that are closing games. You know, for pretty much the first time and I think there’s a process to that. But you know, I’ve shared all this. This is league play in good leagues, and I think the second deepest league in the country, then what are ways that we can play better and coach better?”

When Ohio State’s offense falls flat as it did against Michigan, it’s tough to beat anyone let alone your rival.

“It’s a make or miss league for this league,” Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton said of the Big Ten before noting, “it’s a make-or-miss league for a lot of Power Five and mid-major leagues. Because if you make shots, the whole [tenor] of the game is different.

“But I feel like, at the end of day, we still gotta lean our hat on the defensive side. I felt like we got good stops, but a lot of second-chance points really killed us.”

All is not lost for Holtmann and Ohio State though. The players still believe.

“Right now, we’re go through a little adversity,” Felix Okpara said. “The coaching staff and the players, we trust. We trust what the coach is telling us. We practice hard every day, and we know what we’re capable of. We can’t let this little three-game adversity set us back.”

Holtmann’s crew is back in action Saturday when Ohio State hosts Penn State.