Buckeyes Have Belief in Each Other, New Staff 2 BSB Quickly Jan
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Jan. 23, 2018 BuyingBuying InIn Buckeyes Have Belief In Each Other, New Staff 2 BSB Quickly Jan. 23, 2018 Cover Story OSU's Success Under Holtmann Triggered By Trust By Ryan McGlade “No one has an ego on the team,” junior forward Keita Bates-Diop said after the When Chris Holtmann was announced Nebraska game. “We all know our roles, as the Ohio State men’s basketball team’s we all accept our roles and we all trust head coach on June 9, he admitted he had each other in our roles. We just know all a steep hill to climb. He had just replaced of these things, and everyone does what Jan. 23, 2018 Thad Matta, who accrued a school-record they’re supposed to do.” 337 wins, nine NCAA Tournament appear- Senior forward Jae’Sean Tate, who also Publisher ........... Frank Moskowitz ances, including two trips to the Final Four trudged through the trials and tribula- Asst. Publisher .....Becky Roberts (2007, 2012), five regular-season Big Ten tions of last season, echoed Bates-Diop’s Editor ............................ Tim Moody titles and four league tournament crowns assessment. during his 13-year run in Columbus. “In my opinion, I’ve never been on a In addition to being the man to succeed team where so many people buy in,” Tate Staff Writers Matta, Holtmann took over a program said. “There’s no hidden agendas in that Ryan McGlade that had seven players leave in the off- locker room – none. You don’t see that a Garrett Stepien season for various reasons. Nevertheless, lot. You don’t see that on many teams at Holtmann, who also had to fill out his staff, all. Everybody is buying in, playing with Intern accomplished both tasks, despite having heart, effort, and we’re not afraid to call only five months to do so before the sea- each other out on it. We haven’t even had Joe Dempsey son started. to call each other out because at the end Less than a month into the schedule, of the day we trust each other.” Design the first-year coach appeared to be pro- Tim Miles, who is in his sixth season Tim Moody phetic about acknowledging how arduous as Nebraska’s head coach, said he can the 2017-18 campaign was going to be see the new culture Holtmann has infused for his new team. The Buckeyes fell at into the program as well. Photographers home to Clemson, 79-65, on Nov. 29 after “The buy-in is there,” Miles said. “They Sonny Brockway leading by 11 points early in the second have bought in, and they believe in what Kevin Dye half. That defeat came three days after a they’re doing. They are going to run their Josh Winslow 67-66 overtime loss to Butler, the team stuff this way, they are going to cut hard, Holtmann had coached the previous three they are going to defend and block out. seasons, in which Ohio State was ahead There is no individual agenda, and the Editorial Office by 15 with less than four minutes remain- body language is really good. I think Tate Columbus Sports Publications ing in regulation. did an interview after one of the games, 1350 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 30 Then the calendar turned to December, and the way he talked about the coaches and the Buckeyes – outside of a loss and where they’re going, you could see P.O. Box 12453 to defending national champion North how fired up they were. I think that is a Columbus, Ohio 43212 Carolina – have not looked back. They very good barometer for success.” (614) 486-2202 • (800) 760-2862 have won 13 of their last 14 games, includ- Five days prior to facing Nebraska, ing their first nine Big Ten contests, Ohio State gutted out a 71-65 win at On The Cover: and have risen up to No. 13 in the latest Northwestern. But as they are for every Associated Press poll. Sprinkled in this contest, the players were forewarned on Junior Keita Bates-Diop (33) winning tear was an 80-64 home victory how the meeting with the Wildcats would has led Ohio State to an unde- over then-No. 1 Michigan State on Jan. 7 transpire. feated 9-0 start in the Big Ten. where OSU led by as many as 25. “Coach Holtmann, I don’t know if he can (Photo by Kevin Dye) Ohio State’s most recent conference see the future, but every game we go into game, a 64-59 triumph over Nebraska on he knows exactly how the game is going Jan. 22, was its closest margin of victory to go,” Tate said. “It’s crazy. He knew Check Out Our Premium Website this season. The result gave the Buckeyes Northwestern was going to be a grind-it- www.BuckeyeSports.com their 18th win of the season, one better out game, and he knew (Nebraska) was than last year’s win total, and pushed their going to be a crazy grind-it-out game. The next print edition of BSB league mark to 9-0. I think he just has done a great job of (Feb. 3 cover date) will be So given all of the turnover on both the preparing us of the mind-set we need to coaching staff and roster, what’s keyed have going into certain games, what we’re mailed Jan. 30. this rapid turnaround? going to face from opposing teams.” Cover Story Jan. 23, 2018 BSB Quickly 3 Holtmann, who began his college bas- when we had some rough patches they pened everywhere. My time at Butler, it ketball head coaching career in 2010 at might have questioned a little bit early happened pretty quickly. But I had been Gardner-Webb before going to Butler what we were doing, but they embraced there a year as an assistant so it was eas- three years later as an assistant, said he’s how we wanted to do things. It’s a credit ier. I did not expect this group to be as surprised that he and his staff have such to them.” connected to us so quickly.” a strong pulse of this Ohio State club after Along with the players buying into Holtmann is the first coach to start his being with it for only seven-plus months. what the coaches are implementing, Big Ten tenure with nine straight wins He gave all of the credit to the players for Holtmann noted that how everything since Sam Barry went 11-0 in 1923 at Iowa. accepting the new staff’s approach. unfolded last season, which ended with a And while Holtmann has constantly been “I do think there’s a connection loss to Rutgers in the first round of the Big preaching to his team the importance of between this group and our coaching Ten tournament, has fueled this squad in staying in the moment this winter, he real- staff that’s happened a whole lot quicker 2017-18. izes the rarity of being undefeated halfway than I expected,” Holtmann said. “All of “It’s hard to put your finger on the through the league schedule. that speaks to their ability to be open value in having a hungry group quanti- “I don’t want to take this for granted,” to what we’re trying to do. If J.T. (Tate) tatively, but I think we’ve got a hungry he said. “I’ve never been a part of anything was a knucklehead, we wouldn’t be the group,” Holtmann said. “I think some like this, and I don’t know if I ever will same. Not only is he a really good player, of what happened last year has allowed again. You don’t just start 9-0 in confer- he’s been so receptive – Keita as well. this group to be even hungrier, so we as ence play, and I don’t want to take that The winning has helped in terms of just a coaching staff have probably benefited for granted. It’s been an amazing run, and embracing, but I always felt like even from that to some degree. It’s not hap- hopefully we continue it.” KEVIN DYE HISTORIC RUN – Chris Holtmann is the first coach to start 9-0 in his first Big Ten season since Iowa's Sam Berry in 1923. 4 BSB Quickly Jan. 23, 2018 Insider INSIDER Bosa Excited For Future Of OSU D-Line In 2017, Ohio State tallied 45 sacks as JOSH WINSLOW a team. Out of those 45 sacks, 21½ were PASS RUSHER – Nick Bosa (97) led Ohio State with 81/2 sacks as a sophomore in 2017 recorded by players who won’t be on the to go along with 16 tackles for loss. roster in 2018. Even with those departures in mind, boost from the return of defensive tackle State football program, I want to con- rising junior defensive end Nick Bosa Dre’Mont Jones. Even though Jones had gratulate J.T. on this tremendous honor doesn’t expect a drop in production just one sack last year, he’s expecting to of being named the East-West Shrine from the Buckeyes. In fact, he thinks be a force as a pass rusher given more Game’s Pat Tillman Award winner.” the Rushmen could be even better next opportunity as a likely member of the new- The award adds to a laundry list of season. look Rushmen package for the Buckeyes. accomplishments for Barrett, who was the “I think we could be the best pass-rush- “I’m very excited about it,” Jones said.