Ohio State basketball locker room ‘is fine,” captain Zed Key says
LINCOLN, Neb. – Trying to pinpoint what is holding the Ohio State men’s basketball team back right now is a constantly shifting target.
At times, the Buckeyes have lamented a lack of energy or connectedness when it comes to key stretches of games, particularly to open and close halves. For much of the season, it’s been a struggling defense that has hamstrung what was briefly the nation’s most efficient offense. Recently, that narrative has flipped, and suddenly nothing is easy for the Ohio State offense. Shots are contested and, when they aren’t, frequent point-blank misses are draining confidence across the roster.
Losers of five straight single-digit games, the season is taking on the feel of a free fall with an unknown bottom. The Buckeyes have had three one-possession losses, have had chances to win each of them in the final seconds of regulation and have come up short each time.
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As bigger questions loom about the season and where this could be headed, coach Chris Holtmann said he’s focused on his locker room and little else.
“I don’t really pay attention to anything (outside),” he said after Wednesday’s 63-60 loss at Nebraska. “When you’re in it, you understand what’s in front of you and the task at hand. I don’t really get my emotions stirred by whatever else is for media consumption. My focus is trying to do the best we can with this group right now and improve in some areas, and I think we’ve had some good play but we obviously have to get a lot better.”
Taken on their own, a few of these losses are almost excusable. A three-point home loss to No. 1 Purdue, a game in which starting center Zed Key went out with a shoulder injury in the opening minutes, is one. So is an overtime road loss to a Rutgers team that has a chance to challenge for a Big Ten title.
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But the losses to Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska are resume-damaging ones that can torpedo a season. Those three teams are a combined 4-15 in Big Ten play aside from their wins against the Buckeyes.
“This is just a tough stretch that we’re in right now,” said Key, one of the team’s three captains. “It all boils down to that. No one wants to lose this many games in a row or lose in general, but we’re just trying to stay positive. The locker room is fine. This is definitely tough.”
Holtmann said he hasn’t seen players not trying to do what they have been coached.
“I think we’ve got to do a better job in certain areas in terms of, we had some foolish plays in terms of fouling that are on me as the head coach that they’ve got to have a better understanding of that, but I think they’re trying to do what we ask,” he said. “We’re coaching them. We’re challenging them. Losing always falls on the head coach and the captains, and we’ve got to figure out a way here together to do things better.”
Ohio State basketball play on the court isn’t matching how Buckeyes have been practicing
Tanner Holden and Key said practices have been solid of late and that the game performances simply haven’t reflected that.
“I felt good ever since Purdue,” Holden said of the first game in the losing streak. “We all felt good (for) Minnesota. We all felt good going into Rutgers. We all felt good, smoothing out the details on the things we need to work on and finding those kinks in our offense and defense. We’re finding them; we’ve just got to put them together in a game. That’s the biggest thing.”
Key said ending this losing streak is less a matter of how to do it and simply going out and doing it.
“Our practices have been solid,” he said. “We’re working hard, working on defense a lot, offense. The coaches have definitely prepared us well. We’ve just got to get over that hump. All these games are coming down to the wire. Be poised and we’ll be fine.”
Defense has been improving for Ohio State basketball
The Buckeyes can hang their hats right now on better ball movement, Key said, noting that there’s still room for improvement but that he’s seen improvement there in recent games. Asked for his thoughts on the topic, Holden said they need to continue to dig in defensively. After bottoming out at No. 98 in adjusted defensive efficiency a week ago, Ohio State has climbed to the mid-70s according to KenPom.com.
Holtmann said it’s clear that some players are feeling the strain of the losing streak and that it’s affecting their play. It’s his job, along with captains Isaac Likekele, Justice Sueing and Key, to turn that around.
“That’s our responsibility and that’s our only focus right now,” the coach said. “There’s nothing else than that. I don’t get into any other, whatever, we’ve lost this or this schedule is ahead of us. We’re just trying to focus…
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