Ohio State adjusting with 'no real timetable' on Isaac Likekele's return

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said he learned starting guard Isaac “Ice” Likekele would be returning home to Arlington, Texas, to attend to a “family matter” Wednesday afternoon, a bit more than 24 hours before the No. 25 Buckeyes’ Big Ten opener against Rutgers.

“Our thoughts are with Isaac and his family,” Holtmann said, following Ohio State’s dramatic, 67-66 win over the Scarlet Knights. “It’s a very personal situation to him. He’s went through some really difficult things with people he really cares about. So there’s no real timetable on his return.”

It was a quick turnaround for Holtmann and the Buckeyes staff to adjust to Likekele’s absence. The Oklahoma State grad transfer does all the little things that often go unnoticed in the box score.

Likekele started the first eight games of the season, averaging 4.5 points, 3.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds per contest. Again, those numbers don’t necessarily jump out at you. But, along with freshman point guard Bruce Thornton, Likekele has been one of the Buckeyes’ primary ball handlers. Hence, why Thornton had to play a season-high 39 minutes Thursday night against Rutgers.

Additionally, Likekele is one of Ohio State’s best defenders, which was perhaps best exemplified in the Maui Invitational when he held Cincinnati’s Landers Nolley II — who erupted for nine 3-pointers and 33 points against now-No. 10 Arizona — to just two points.

Likekele, a two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 nominee before making the move to Columbus, piled up 160 steals at Oklahoma State, eighth most in program history.

“Ice is an intangibles guy,” third-year five man Zed Key said. “Plays really hard defense. … he’s going to rebound. We definitely missed him out there. But the other guys stepped up and made big plays. So it just shows the depth on this team and guys staying ready.”

Holtmann pointed out that Rutgers senior guard Paul Mulcahy, who stands 6-foot-7 and 213 pounds, is a load to handle. Likekele would have helped there, Holtmann implied. As a whole, Rutgers — sixth in defensive adjusted efficiency and 20th in offensive rebounding percentage, per KenPom — is one of the more physical teams in the Big Ten, if not the country.

“Passing, decision making and then his ability to guard the bigger guards,” Holtmann said postgame Thursday, when explaining what Likekele brings.

“I think there’s certain teams in the league [you face] where you’re like, ‘Hey, we need to have this guy.’ I can think of like three teams right now. This was one of them.”

Likekele has started 118 of the 122 games he’s played in his career, and this is the first season he’s under 2.0 turnovers per game. Likekele is averaging only 1.3 per contest with Ohio State. He’s given the Buckeyes a veteran presence on the court, which is always helpful for a back court.

Without him, Thornton might have to play more, like he did against Rutgers. He was the only player on the court who was in for all 20 minutes of the first half. It wasn’t until midway through the second period that he was subbed out for the first time. He was on the bench for just 90 seconds of game time.

But Holtmann said, as long as Likekele is unavailable, another freshman guard — Roddy Gayle Jr. — will have to step up, too. Gayle chipped in 10 minutes against Rutgers and helped come up with a critical defensive rebound in the final minute.

Gayle, whose defense has been ahead of his offense so far this season, elevated between Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi and reigning Big Ten Defender of the Year Caleb McConnell and got his hands on the ball. After he wrestled it down to the hardwood, it squirted out, and Thornton dove on it before calling a timeout.

Another adjustment Holtmann had to make was preparing sixth-year forward Justice Sueing to back up the point. Mistakes were almost inevitable, as evidenced by Sueing’s team-high four turnovers.

“We just weren’t as clean as we needed to be with some of those play busts,” Holtmann said. “We tried to simplify it, but even some of our simple things — it was just hard.”

Even so, the Buckeyes prevailed, thanks to Tanner Holden‘s heroics, and started Big Ten competition with a win.

Ohio State doesn’t play again until Dec. 17 when it takes on a now-unranked North Carolina team in Madison Square Garden for a CBS Sports Classic matchup.

The Buckeyes’ next Big Ten game isn’t until New Year’s Day at Northwestern. So they have some time.

But, as Holtmann said, there’s “no real timetable” for Likekele’s return right now.