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Buckeyes add transfer guard Tanner Holden from Wright State

Spencer-Holbrookby:Spencer Holbrook•04/02/22•

SpencerHolbrook

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Tanner Holden committed to Ohio State. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

COLUMBUS — The reconstruction of the Ohio State basketball roster is officially underway.

Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes earned a pledge from Wright State transfer guard Tanner Holden on Saturday afternoon.

Holden, an All-Horizon League guard at Wright State, led the Raiders to their first NCAA Tournament win in program history this March after lifting them to a conference title. He averaged 20.1 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, and he gives the Buckeyes an immediate boost in the back court.

Ohio State needs to find ways to replace both forward E.J. Liddell and guard Malaki Branham, who both declared for the NBA Draft after impressive seasons in the Big Ten.

And Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann knows he needs to build his roster like some of his competitors’ in order to compete.

“I think there are some things that I take from a lot of programs that I really respect and certainly Villanova is one of them,” Holtmann said. “In terms of how they play and they build their roster and in terms of their — he plays about seven or eight guys and that’s kind of consistently how he’s done it. I wouldn’t necessarily get into those specifics and be nailed down on that, but certainly there’s some things that I have taken and will take.”

The Buckeyes are working to build their program to compete for championships and win in March, and that’s just what they have in mind with the addition of Tanner Holden. With Holden in the fold, the Buckeyes are officially reconstructing their roster.

Buckeyes also hire new coach Saturday

Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes hired former Miami (Ohio) head coach Jack Owens to the bench on Saturday. Owens will take over for Tony Skinn, who departed the Buckeyes program after just one season to take an assistant job at Maryland.

Owens served as an assistant on the staffs at Howard, Eastern Illinois, Southern Illinois and Big Ten powerhouse Purdue before taking over at Miami (Ohio), where he went 70-83 in his five seasons. While at Purdue, Owens was an assistant for three seasons and the associate head coach for Matt Painter for six seasons. His Big Ten connections made him an attractive candidate for the Buckeyes.

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