Quick hitters from Chris Holtmann UCLA preview press conference

COLUMBUS — After a disappointing loss at Penn State in its first Big Ten road game of the year, Ohio State (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) is looking to bounce back against UCLA (5-3) Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic.

Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann met with reporters Thursday to preview the matchup and answer final questions about last weekend’s defeat in Happy Valley.

Lettermen Row has the rundown of what Holtmann said.

What Holtmann said…

+ On the injury front, Holtmann said Roddy Gayle Jr. and Scotty Middleton are making “good progress” and it’s “encouraging” for Saturday. Middleton turned his left ankle late against Penn State last weekend. Gayle has been dealing with an ankle issue of his own. Taison Chatman is “questionable” for Saturday, but he’s dealing with something not related to his knee injury from the offseason.

+ UCLA is big, the Bruins rebound the ball well and are probably as good of a defensive team Ohio State will play all year. Holtmann shouted out big man Adem Bona, who he said is as physical as any frontcourt player Ohio State will face this season. It’s a well-coached team by Mick Cronin, and they are excited about the opportunity this weekend.

+ Holtmann said Penn State’s hot shooting in the second half was a lot them just making shots. There were certainly some defensive errors, but you have to give Penn State some credit. The bigger concern is the Buckeyes’ defensive rebounding. He said they’ve had pockets where they’ve been good on the defensive glass — they just need to get more consistency there.

+ Holtmann said having a week to move on from Penn State and get ready for UCLA is a break from a hectic stretch of games (three in seven days). He said they needed a bit of time off after that run.

+ Holtmann said there’s a “lot of great stuff” Ohio State gets out of the CBS Sports Classic. There’s great value in Ohio State being matched together with Kentucky, UCLA and UNC — all basketball blue bloods — in this event. Most of the time you’re going to be playing teams that are NCAA Tournament teams. With it taking place in Atlanta this year, star point guard Bruce Thornton will be able to go back to his home city, which Holtmann said is a really cool thing for Thornton and his family.

+ Holtmann said there’s some value in these neutral site games (the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta and the West Virginia game in Cleveland on Dec. 30). The environment invites great competition.

+ Holtmann said the second-half lead at Penn State got cut from 18 to 11 and then seven in an instant. He said the biggest challenge for his group is focusing for long stretches of time, regardless of what the score is. Teams are going to make runs, especially when they’re at home. It’s college basketball, Holtmann said. He said they can be more on point with their focus and effort in those situations.

+ Holtmann said Penn State’s matchup zone was different than what they had seen in earlier games this season. They’re going to see that zone-to-man concept. Need to attack it with more urgency. Need to get into their actions quicker, he said.

+ Holtmann said he loves his team’s approach and the way they’ve responded since the Penn State game. They’ve had good film sessions and work this week, Holtmann emphasized. He said his guys have had a good start to the season. Now the question is, how do they continue to get better and respond to a frustrating loss. So far, so good, and Holtmann noted, “I’ve got full confidence in this group.”

+ Holtmann, when asked about being able to ease his freshmen into things this season versus last year where he had to play all four of them significant minutes almost from the jump: “I think it’s been good. I think it’s gonna allow those guys to come along maybe at their own pace. And I think the biggest thing is right now if we feel like they help our team get better, and if our team’s better when they’re out there, and if they’re playing their role at their highest level, then there’ll be opportunities for them to play.”

+ Holtmann said UCLA is a relatively new group. The good thing is, there’s some film on them (they’ve played eight games). But there’s so much change in pretty much every roster you look at nowadays.

+ Holtmann said Sebastian Mack is really talented. From what he understands, UCLA has high expectations for him, so they’re going to be challenged by the first-year guard, who is averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game.

+ Holtmann said Ohio State needs to be better defensively with the lead, particularly in the second half. Really, they need to be better in the second half in general, he explained.

+ When asked about where center Zed Key fits into the offense, Holtmann said that Key can finish better but that he’s done a good job with his angles. The offense is centered around whatever best shot presents itself, though — whether that comes from the backcourt or the frontcourt.

+ When asked how Ohio State will respond, Thornton said after the Penn State game that this Buckeyes team is player led. Holtmann was asked what that means to him. “Those are the best led teams,” Holtmann said. “It’s music to my ears.”