Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann claps in affirmation in the first half of the game against Purdue University Fort Wayne on Nov. 22. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Former Managing Editor for Multimedia
Although fall sports have already seen their demise, Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Chris Holtmann provided an updated look at how the basketball season may shake out.
In an Aug. 20 appearance on “The Buckeye Show,” Holtmann shared other Big Ten coaches’ feelings toward the season and updates on the Buckeyes’ summer and plans for the potential upcoming season. Holtmann said that the coaches across the conference have agreed to a season plan that would likely occur once students leave after Thanksgiving; however, they would have to wait for approval from the Big Ten and NCAA.
“We meet every Thursday at 9 a.m. in a Zoom with the Big Ten head coaches and someone from the Big Ten office,” Holtmann said in the interview. “We would all support and very much be in favor of using that window of when the students return [home for Thanksgiving].”
Holtmann said that the plan does not only have momentum among coaches, but players and administrators are also on board with the plan.
Holtmann’s willingness to play has been shared around the conference as both Illinois coach Brad Underwood and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo called for a season to start after Thanksgiving and keep players in a natural bubble in an Aug. 20 interview with the Chicago Tribune.
“Mid-November to mid-January, let’s have the bubble,” Izzo said.
In regard to playing in a bubble style, where athletes are required to stay within a certain area with little-to-no ingress and egress with the outside world, Holtmann questioned the possibility of how it could operate with college student-athletes as opposed to professionals.
“If it’s going to be a bubble, you’re gonna have to really define what that looks like,” Holtmann said. “Does that mean you have to quarantine everybody for a certain number of days, 10-14 days, and is that even doable?”
Although there may be many questions, Holtmann said that the NCAA has played with the idea of having bubble style preseason tournaments, either in one spot or spread across the country.
In terms of the environment surrounding campus, Holtmann echoed the sentiments of many other Ohio State coaches and players in that he said he felt safe on campus.
“It’s been phenomenal. Grade A, top notch, whatever you want to call it, five-star. It’s been that,” Holtmann said.
Holtmann said that players and staff were tested at least two times a week but said the tests were uncomfortable.
“I’m going on about 12 times having that thing shoved up my nose,” Holtmann said.
After seven weeks of summer practice, Holtmann said he sent the players home to unwind before the start of classes. With the players returning to campus this past weekend, Holtmann said that the team is still figuring out how to approach practices and upcoming preseason camp.
“I’ve had conversations with Gene [Smith] as recently as this week and we’ve talked about things being like they would in a normal September, late August start, with the number of hours we get to work with them in the weight room and on the court,” Holtmann said. “There will still be limitations in terms of our locker room.”
Holtmann said he was proud of how the team approached the summer and pointed to junior forward Justin Ahrens as a player who had a breakout summer.
Holtmann also pointed to sophomore forward E.J. Liddell and redshirt senior guard CJ Walker as other guys who made strides this summer.
Holtmann said that the team’s two incoming freshmen, forward Zed Key and guard Eugene Brown III, also had solid summer campaigns.
The Buckeyes also received some good news Tuesday as redshirt forward Justice Sueing was cleared to return to workouts following a foot injury that sidelined him all of last season.
While the basketball coaches work to have their sport avoid the same fate as football, Holtmann said that Walker had just one thing on his mind regarding playing.
“I was talking to CJ Walker two days ago. He’s back home for a couple of days and we’re just chatting and talking and I’m giving him the run-down. ‘CJ, we could do this and then it could be this,’” Holtmann said. “He basically cut me off and said, ‘Coach, I don’t care, I just wanna play, coach.’”
