Ohio State Coach Chris Holtmann Talks Purdue Loss, Starting Freshman, Losing Streak

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann met with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes on 97.1 The Fan Monday.

Coming off an 82-55 loss to the then-No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers Sunday at Mackey Arena, Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann held his weekly radio show with Paul Keels and Ron Stokes Monday.

Here's everything you need to know from what Holtmann had to say.

Environment at Mackey, Matt Painter as a coach

Holtmann had a quick question for director of professional development and former Buckeyes basketball player Terence Dials when the two walked onto the floor at Mackey Arena Sunday.

"I asked him if the atmosphere was the same when he played," Holtmann said. "He goes, 'Well coach, it was always a good atmosphere even though the teams weren't as good.'" 

Holtmann said Dials told him Purdue is "a school that kind of celebrates their hoops."

The Buckeyes' skipper said the vertical design of the renovated arena always provides "tremendous energy" and a "pretty good atmosphere."

But Holtmann didn't only have praise to lay for the gym Purdue plays in, but also for their head coach.

He said rebounding is the biggest thing a Matt Painter-led Boilermakers squad is known for.

"During the COVID year, Matt was not going to make the NCAA Tournament that year. That was the one year they weren't a good rebounding team," Holtmann said. "What you've seen now with his good teams early in his tenure and his really good teams here that had a chance to go to the Final Four a couple years is great rebounding and tremendous size."

How did the Buckeyes approach the challenge of playing Purdue?

Despite the outcome, don't lose sight that the Buckeyes held a 5-0 advantage through the first 1:20 and went toe-to-toe with the Boilermakers until the 10:02 mark in the first half.

Holtmann said he thought the Buckeyes showed "tremendous fight" for the first 30 minutes of the game.

"I thought our guys competed," Holtmann said. "We were active. We were physical when we needed to be, probably fouled too much.

Holtmann said the Buckeyes' press helped turn Purdue over, but there was one ultimate miscue that led to the game getting out of hand.

"We just had too much trouble scoring in probably the last 10 minutes of the half and that's where it got away from us," Holtmann said.

Has Holtmann ever started four freshmen?

There's been times this season where Ohio State has rolled out a starting lineup with three true freshmen.

But Sunday was a different story, as all four started with Zed Key still dealing with a shoulder injury.

Has Holtmann ever started four freshmen before in his career?

"No. Never," Holtmann said. "I don't even know how much that's been done, to be honest with you, in college basketball."

Holtmann said it was "unfair" to put them all out there to begin the game despite the "excellent start."

"We're throwing them against the third team in the country on the road after they've had two losses," Holtmann said.

Zed Key, Roddy Gayle injury updates

Holtmann said forward Zed Key was evaluated Monday and moving forward, it'll be a "decision between him and his family in terms of what's the next direction to go in."

Holtmann said this will provide an opportunity for center Felix Okpara "to grow."

Guard Roddy Gayle Jr., despite starting and playing 22 minutes, has been dealing with an ankle injury that he turned "a couple weeks ago" and reaggravated against the Iowa Hawkeyes Thursday, Holtmann said.

"He battled and had some really good moments," Holtmann said.

Incoming recruiting class 'really fits' with current freshmen

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo told Buckeye Nation to be "patient," pointing to the impressive recruiting classes Holtmann had secured in and 2022 and 2023 as one of the reasons why.

Next season, Ohio State will welcome guard Taison Chatman, forwards Devin Royal and Scotty Middleton and center Austin Parks to Columbus.

That's not to mention returning the group of current freshmen this season that was the No. 8 recruiting class of 2022, according to 247Sports.

"The way that we played these freshman this year, they're not going to feel as much like sophomores next year," Holtmann said. "The number of minutes they played, they're going to be an older group."

He then bestowed a miniature scouting report on each player coming in next season.

"Scotty Middleton, who is a tremendous defensive player right now at 6-7," Holtmann said. "Great length, great defensive versatility, has an alpha presence to him as a defender."

He said Royal is "a multi-dimensional forward." 

"People in Columbus and in our state know Devin Royal, what he can be and how exciting he is," Holtmann said.

Parks provides the Buckeyes with "offensive versatility, high skill level, big body" at 6-11, 260 pounds, Holtmann said.

Chatman has "real high upside."

"He's going to need to continue to grow and get stronger," Holtmann said. "But a tremendous combo guard, great size."

Holtmann thinks the class of 2023 "really fits" with its predecessor, the Buckeyes' current freshmen.

What's it been like to try and stay positive during rough patch?

Holtmann has acknowledged the struggles of this season, but thinks he hasn't "fully disclosed everything."

He said it's been a "real challenge" and it's "frustrating," but the focus now is on the players.

"Focus on the work and moving forward, and how do we use this to help us moving forward?" Holtmann said. "We are working extremely hard to make sure that we compete in a way that we need to and we continue to grow through the stretch and use it as a real benefit moving forward as brutally hard as it's been."

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