Scarlet Sunrise: Chris Holtmann emphasizes his 'high-level belief' in Buckeyes to grow

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Chris Holtmann emphasizes his ‘high-level belief’ in Buckeyes to grow

The Ohio State postgame press conference began Wednesday night in the Schottenstein Center with veteran wing Jamison Battle fielding questions from reporters while head coach Chris Holtmann surveyed the stat sheet meticulously.

There was no underlying trend in the 71-60 loss to No. 15 Wisconsin. The game was closer than the score suggested: Ohio State actually outrebounded the Badgers by two, the Buckeyes turned the ball over only eight times and Wisconsin outscored Holtmann’s group in the paint by just four points.

Granted the Buckeyes (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) were a mere 4-of-10 from the free throw line and 6-of-18 from the 3-point line, but it’s not like Wisconsin was shooting the lights out, either.

Even a game like Wednesday’s, where one team found a way to win and the other — in this case, Ohio State — didn’t, Holtmann’s confidence didn’t waver.

“I have a high-level belief in this team,” the seventh-year Buckeyes coach said. “I really do. I’m being completely honest. I have a high-level belief in this team and what we’re doing and the fact that we’re going to grow. Last year is last year. This is a different group. The leadership is different.”

During the 2022-23 season, Ohio State lost 13-of-14 games between Jan. 5 and Feb. 23. That spiral flung the Buckeyes out of NCAA Tournament contention. Although they ended the year on a high note with a four-game Big Ten Tournament run, they still finished with the program’s first losing season since 2003-04.

Ohio State has now lost two games in a row and three of its last four in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes have had second-half leads in all three of those defeats: They were up by 18 at Penn State, they were up by nine at Indiana and they took a four-point lead with 6:14 remaining against Wisconsin.

Each time, the Buckeyes let the game slip away. It’s important to note that Ohio State has won close games this year. Over the last month alone, they did so in a rock fight against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, again in overtime versus West Virginia in the Legends of Basketball Showcase and once more versus Rutgers at the beginning of January.

But those games are in the past, just as Ohio State wants to leave this two-game skid in the past — while still learning from its mistakes in this stretch.

“It’s early in the season. I think that the challenge for us right now is to take this and learn from it and grow,” Holtmann said. “We have to be tougher in certain areas. We’ve got to be able to finish plays, but I’ve really got a high-level belief in this group. And I can’t emphasize that enough.”

Holtmann continued: “That doesn’t mean we’re not going to have some struggles. But I really do think the challenge for us now as coaches and players is to learn from this, take some of the positives that were real in this right now. And feel the disappointment and have that challenge us to be better in the areas that that we need to be better in.”

Holtmann then outlined where the Buckeyes need to be better. They need to make their free throws, have more confidence on open looks and play better defense down the stretch, he said.

“I’m confident in all those things, and I’m really confident in this group,” Holtmann added.

RELATED

• Ohio State makes second-half run but falls short to No. 15 Wisconsin

Will they stay or will they go: Tracking 2024 plans for draft-eligible Buckeyes

Three more draft-eligible Ohio State players announced they are returning for the 2024 season Wednesday: cornerback Denzel Burke, cornerback Jordan Hancock and left guard Donovan Jackson.

All three were part of the Buckeyes’ 2021 recruiting class that clocked out second nationally three years ago but has no wins over Michigan or Big Ten titles to show for it. That’s a big factor in those guys returning, and the same is true for defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and defensive end Jack Sawyer running things back as well.

Stay up to date with Lettermen Row to track who is coming back next season and who is leaving for the NFL Draft.

Ohio State lets one coach go, adds another

More staff changes took place at Ohio State Wednesday.

The Buckeyes parted ways with special teams coordinator Parker Fleming and hired Matt Guerrieri as their new safeties coach.

Fleming held the special teams coordinator role for three years before being relieved of his duties. Guerrieri was last with the program in 2022 as a senior analyst and advisor to the Buckeyes’ defense. He first worked under Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Duke, where he ultimately became co-DC and safeties coach after Knowles went to Oklahoma State. Guerrieri was most recently the co-DC and safeties coach at Indiana under Tom Allen this season.

For more on Ohio State letting go of Fleming, go here.

For more on the hiring of Guerrieri, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 233 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 324 days

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