Feb. 27, 2018 NoNo FreeFree PassesPasses OSU Expects Tough Road In B1G Tourney 2 BSB Quickly Feb. 27, 2018 Cover Story Buckeyes Preparing For B1G Tournament Run In NYC By Ryan McGlade a single-game school record in terms of percentage for a minimum of 10 attempts, One year after the Ohio State men’s besting its 76.5 clip (13 of 17) set at Iowa basketball team lost in the opening round in February 1996. In the rematch in Happy of the Big Ten tournament as the 11th Valley on Feb. 15, OSU was dominated seed to No. 14 Rutgers, this year’s squad by PSU, trailing by as many as 30 points Feb. 27, 2018 locked up the two-spot and a double bye. before losing 79-56. The Buckeyes head into postseason Regardless of whom the Buckeyes play, Publisher ........... Frank Moskowitz play fresh off a thrilling 80-78 double-over- Holtmann, now in his seventh year as a Asst. Publisher .....Becky Roberts time win at Indiana on Feb. 23 in the collegiate head coach, said his group can’t Editor ............................ Tim Moody regular-season finale (see page 15 for the wish for the less perilous path because recap). Ranked 13th in the country, Ohio that simply does not exist in the confer- State (24-7, 15-3 Big Ten) had a chance ence tournament. Staff Writers of claiming a share of the regular-season “Northwestern was a close game Ryan McGlade conference crown for the first time since there,” he said. “Obviously, Penn State Garrett Stepien 2011-12, but No. 2 Michigan State (28-3, beat us twice and really man-handled us 16-2) edged Wisconsin on the road, 68-63, the last time they played us. But this time Intern on Feb. 25 to take the title outright and of year, all of the games are going to be sew up the top seed in the league tourna- pretty close. You’re going to have to play Joe Dempsey ment, which begins Feb. 28 at Madison well to win and advance from this point Square Garden in New York City. on. I’ve been fortunate to have a bye a few Design With an eye pointed toward what lies times, but the team we’re going to play Tim Moody ahead, first-year Ohio State head coach has played and won a game and is going Chris Holtmann said that, despite coming to be playing with some confidence. So up just short, he was pleased with how his we’re going to need to play well to beat Photographers initial regular season in Columbus went. them and advance. There’s no easy routes Sonny Brockway “We had a wonderful regular season, in this thing, and there’s no easy routes in Kevin Dye and I know we’ve got some great challeng- the NCAA Tournament. If you’re hoping Josh Winslow es ahead of us here in tournament play,” for that, you’re probably not in the right he said. “We’re looking forward to the mind-set.” next couple weeks.” Editorial Office Though the Big Ten tournament begins Rest For The Weary Columbus Sports Publications on the last day of February, Holtmann’s The Big Ten must hold its conference 1350 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 30 club will not take the floor until the quar- tournament one week sooner than it nor- terfinal round on March 2. Ohio State mally does because MSG has hosted the P.O. Box 12453 will await the winner of the 7-10 matchup Big East tournament during the usual Columbus, Ohio 43212 between Penn State and Northwestern, league championship week since 1983. (614) 486-2202 • (800) 760-2862 with PSU being the higher seed. With that, all Big Ten teams had to wrap If it were up to the Buckeyes, they’d up their full slate by the last weekend of On The Cover: probably want to face Northwestern. In February instead of the first weekend of the lone meeting between the two this sea- March. OSU head coach Chris Holt- son, OSU won, 71-65, on Jan. 17 at Allstate In that win at Indiana, which took an mann guided his team to the Arena in Rosemont, Ill., the Wildcats’ extra 10 minutes to decide, Keita Bates- two-seed for the Big Ten tour- adopted home for the 2017-18 campaign Diop logged a career-best 45 minutes nament. (Photo by Kevin Dye) while Welsh-Ryan Arena is being reno- while Jae’Sean Tate put in just under 40 vated. for Ohio State. Bates-Diop, a fourth-year On the other hand, Ohio State was junior, led all players with 24 points and Check Out Our Premium Website swept by Penn State in the season series. 14 rebounds for his 12th double-double www.BuckeyeSports.com The Nittany Lions won the first game, of the season. Tate, a senior, added 12 82-79, in Columbus on Jan. 25, shooting points, six assists and five boards. Bates- The next print edition of BSB 78.6 percent from the three-point line Diop paces OSU with 1,013 total minutes (March 10 cover date) will be (11 of 14), with the 11th make being played this season while Tate is third with Tony Carr’s banked-in triple at the buzzer. 936, two fewer minutes than junior point mailed March 6. Penn State’s barrage from distance set guard C.J. Jackson has played. Cover Story Feb. 27, 2018 BSB Quickly 3 KEVIN DYE R&R – Fifth-year senior guard Andrew Dakich (13) and OSU have a full week off ahead of the Big Ten tournament. When Holtmann was asked in his press off before preparing for Northwestern and Though success in league tourneys has conference following the Indiana contest Penn State the last two days leading up to largely been elusive for Holtmann so far, what he was looking to accomplish in the tournament. he said he devotes little time to fretting the upcoming week the team had off, he “Obviously, we do have some tired over such struggles. didn’t hesitate to answer. legs,” he said. “I think we all saw that a “I have not put a whole lot of stock into “Rest,” he said. “They are exhausted. little bit with some of our guys, but every- it honestly,” he said. “We’ve had some We rode some guys. I didn’t want to play body does this time of year. We certainly really close games, some tough match- Keita Bates-Diop 45 minutes, but I kept have a couple guys that have carried a ups and we’ve played in overtime maybe saying, ‘Do I want to win? He’s going to major load, so hopefully this week will be once or twice. When I was at Gardner- have a few days off here.’ So we just rode good for them. Webb in the conference tournament, we him because we needed to. He needs rest “I think all of the coaches in the league are got a bye, won a game and then ran into in the worst way. like us, trying to get your guys healthy and a really hot team (Liberty) that ended up “And J.T. (Tate) literally just could not get your team playing as well as it can play.” winning the league tournament in the function, which is why I had to use one of finals. We played really well last year in the timeouts. It was for him because he Tough Sledding the Big East tournament, Xavier was just couldn’t move.” Conference tournaments have not been really hot and made some more plays The team did not get back to Columbus Holtmann’s strong suit to this point in his down the stretch. until early the following morning and had coaching career. Prior to coming to Ohio “I really don’t put a whole lot of stock that day off, Holtmann said during his State last summer, Holtmann spent three into it. There’s been one year at Butler portion of the Big Ten coaches telecon- years at Gardner-Webb followed by three that I would say I was really disappointed ference on Feb. 26. After a light practice years at Butler. In those six seasons, he com- with how we played. The other two years on Feb. 25, Holtmann said the squad went piled a 1-6 record in conference tournament I thought we played well, we just didn’t full-go the following day and had Feb. 27 games (1-3 at Gardner-Webb, 0-3 at Butler). quite finish.” 4 BSB Quickly Feb. 27, 2018 Insider of BSB, which is set to be mailed out Now Coombs is joining his former play- March 6. ers in the NFL, but it won’t be without a heavy heart as he departs Columbus. Coombs ‘Very Sad’ “I can tell you this, I am really sad to To Leave OSU be leaving such wonderful people that are Despite taking a new job this offsea- doing so many great, great things at Ohio son to coach under former Buckeye and State, and I want to thank you all very, first-year Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, very much for the experience that we’ve Coombs opted to join Buckeye Nation for had the last six years,” Coombs said. the Buckeye Cruise, where he took part in a Chalk Talk session – along with defen- Coombs Tips Pryor sive line coach Larry Johnson, director To Start At Safety of player personnel Mark Pantonio and Since Coombs is off to the NFL, he was retired staffer Stan Jefferson – on Feb.