Senior Ohio State guard Tanner Holden (0) will look to bring experience to a young Ohio State team after transferring from Wright State. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
Over 100 miles away in Wheelersburg, Ohio, senior guard Tanner Holden felt the Buckeye culture his entire childhood.
The Wright State transfer said it’s surreal now wearing a Buckeye uniform after growing up a Marshall fan, as it was the alma mater of his parents, Rodney and Tammy Holden.
“I don’t think I really, like, soaked it in yet,” Tanner Holden said. “You know, just being able to practice, being able to wear the jersey today, it’s just awesome. It’s just such a big jump, but I’m super excited.”
Holden averaged 20.1 points on 49.7 percent from the field and ranked in the top 15 in Division I in total points, field goals and free throws made in his final season with the Raiders. He added an average of 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
Holden said he hopes to have a similar role with the Buckeyes as the Raiders but said the biggest difference he found was in physicality. He said his background as a former Mr. Football candidate in Ohio — receiving a football offer from Ohio State — helped him become more aggressive.
“Sometimes you get hit a little harder than you’d expect,” Holden said. “I think, you know, the Big Ten is definitely a step up physically from the Horizon League last year.”
Holden said although he hadn’t thought about transferring during his time at Wright State, his 37-point performance against Bryant in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament in March put his name “on the map.”
Holden said Columbus is close enough to home where his friends and family could see him play.
“I just had to go home after the tournament loss to Arizona to talk to my family, friends, girlfriend,” Holden said. “You know, we just felt that was the best decision for me.”
Holden said he seamlessly transitioned to Buckeye basketball because he did not feel much pressure as a new team member.
“We all just kind of bonded — it’s kind of crazy, this is one of the most tight-knit groups I’ve ever been a part of,” Holden said. “We do a lot of things together, you know, when we’re in the locker rooms, talking after practice, working out together, so I feel like, you know, we just kind of bonded cohesively.”
Holden said he has become especially close to redshirt freshman forward Kalen Etzler because he played with Javin Etzler — Kalen Etzler’s older brother — in high school.
“[Kalen Etzler’s] a funny guy,” Holden said. “He’s very light-hearted, a very hard worker. He pushes me, I push him, you know, we have a great bond like that.”
Kalen Etzler said he was both happy and shocked to see Holden commit to Ohio State and noted Holden’s great work ethic.
“He’s a super hard worker and his motor’s insane; like, he never gets tired,” Kalen Etzler said. “If you watch any of his game film from Wright State, you can see that, like, he’s playing 40 minutes a game, not getting tired. He’s always cutting hard and doing what he needs to do on defense.”
Junior forward Zed Key said Holden, as one of the older players, shows leadership through his hard work and communication since arriving from Wright State.
“People, even the freshmen, look up to him,” Key said. “He’s been playing college basketball, so you know he’s definitely a leader in his own way.”
Head coach Chris Holtmann said Holden is growing into a leadership role and is beloved by his teammates.
“He’s an everyday guy,” Holtmann said. “He’s been, again, one of our most consistent workers. You know, guys don’t respect guys that don’t work. And he’s really respected within our locker room because he works. And I think that’s going to allow him to have a voice in the locker room, you know, whatever that looks like as a new player.”
Holtmann also said Holden is a very good athlete and a “terrific cutter” but will have to expand his game to shoot more 3-pointers. Moreover, Holtmann called Holden a “really good rebounding guard and wing.”
Holden said he’s excited to start the season and to make an NCAA Tournament run with a new team.
“You know, just athletically they’re always a top-15 team in the country,” Holden said. “They make tournament runs. You know, that’s definitely one of the big keys. I wanted to be in the tournament, I wanted to win games in the tournament. And you know, they get guys in the NBA Draft. That’s definitely a huge key, you know, they had all the boxes checked out.”
