The Ohio State Men’s Basketball team comes together during the second half during the Ohio State-Kent State game on Nov. 25. Ohio State won 71-52. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State will begin its 2020-21 campaign Wednesday with a lot of unknowns.
The No. 23 Buckeyes enter a season with uncertain conditions in multiple facets, including how many games will be played and a lack of scrimmages against other programs. With Ohio State’s season opener against Illinois State just two days away, head coach Chris Holtmann said there are some unknowns in terms of scouting the Redbirds.
“They have a lot of different personnel,” Holtmann said Monday in a conference call. “I think some of those unknowns present an interesting challenge. I think we’ll have to make some adjustments as we learn more about their personnel over the course of the game.”
Along with some personnel changes, Holtmann said the unfamilitarilty surrounding Illinois State’s personnel and strategy has caused some anxiety in the coaching staff.
The Redbirds come off a disappointing 10-21 season and will have to fill the void left by their top two scorers after they left the program due to a transfer and an opt out. Sophomore guard DJ Horne returns the highest scoring production, averaging 8.7 points per game last season.
Although the Redbirds’ 2019-20 record was below average, Holtmann praised the level that Illinois State plays in the Missouri Valley Conference and its play against other high-caliber teams in past seasons.
“I think it’s gonna be a game that is gonna be a really challenging opener,” Holtmann said. “It’s a program that comes from one of the best leagues in the country.”
The Buckeyes will have the struggles of adjusting to playing without former big man Kaleb Wesson — who led the team in scoring last season with 14 points per game.
Wesson also served as an anchor on the defensive end. With the loss of him and his brother, Andre Wesson, Holtmann said he has concerns with Ohio State’s defense as the season approaches.
“We diagnosed that early on as something that we’re gonna be challenged with this year,” Holtmann said. “I think the loss of those two guys presents a significant challenge for us.”
Holtmann said that with the lessened offseason, he also has some anxiety in terms of the Buckeyes depth in the backcourt.
With the loss of guard Abel Porter — who sustained a career-ending illness — and new faces joining the backcourt in transfer guard Jimmy Sotos and freshman guard Eugene Brown III, Holtmann said he’s still unsure of how things will shake out in that area of the court.
“I’m anxious to see what our guard depth looks like,” Holtmann said. “I’m looking forward [to it], we’ve seen some good things in practice but, again, it’s been against each other.”
While the Buckeyes have turned their attention to their opponents on the court, they haven’t become shortsighted about what’s happening off the court.
In terms of getting to tipoff, Holtmann said the team will be tested the morning prior to the game. He said that Ohio State’s training staff is in contact with Illinois State in order to convey testing information that will be critical to the likelihood of playing the game.
When it comes to the amount of positive cases that could occur for the game to be played, Holtmann said there is no margin for error.
“Both teams need to have clean tests these next couple of days,” Holtmann said. “My understanding is if there’s a positive test, the game will not happen.”
Holtmann said foregoing games after one positive that will be the standard for nonconference opponents Ohio State plays.
Beyond the safety protocols, the two rosters that will take the floor Wednesday will provide plenty of unknowns.
Only having participated in 29 practices as of Monday, Holtmann said that there is an anticipation in seeing his team take the court for the first time.
“I’m excited for our group. I’m excited that it’s a game that’s gonna really challenge us in a lot of ways,” Holtmann said. “I think you’re anxious to see in this environment how your team responds — without fans, all the stuff that’s going on. And then you’re anxious to see how we respond to playing a really good team.”
