Tanner Holden enters transfer portal after one season with Buckeyes
COLUMBUS — Ohio State senior Tanner Holden entered the transfer portal Wednesday after playing just one season with the Buckeyes. The Wheelersburg, Ohio, native spent the first three years of his career at Wright State.
Holden arrived in Columbus last year after leading Wright State to the NCAA Tournament in 2021-22 while averaging a team and career-best 20.1 points per game. The 6-foot-6 guard also averaged north of seven rebounds for the second season in a row. Plus, he attempted 13.6 shots per game, not to mention 7.8 free throws per game.
A drop in minutes was expected for Holden at Ohio State, but not such a significant drop that he’d be left out of the Buckeyes’ rotation late in the season. Holden was a “DNP” in eight games last season. As head coach Chris Holtmann’s rotation shrunk, versatile wing Eugene Brown III got the edge, and Holden played in just six games from Feb. 2 to March 11.
After averaging 13.5 minutes and 3.6 points per game for the Buckeyes, Holden is looking elsewhere for his final season of eligibility.
His buzzer-beater 3-pointer against Rutgers in Ohio State’s Big Ten opener — which technically shouldn’t have counted — was a nice moment, except it wasn’t a sign of things to come.
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Although Holden shot 47.8% from the field, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc, his defense didn’t get to where he needed it to be. As a result, Holden’s minutes were limited in Big Ten competition, hence his plummet in scoring production.
Holtmann explained early last season that the transition to Big Ten competition would be a process for not only his contributing freshmen but also Holden. Except, while the Buckeyes freshmen saw their roles increase as the season wore on, Holden’s minutes dwindled down the stretch.
Holden is the second Ohio State player to enter the transfer portal this offseason. Brown, who committed to Georgia Southern Tuesday, was the first.
