BREAKING: Seth Towns to return to Ohio State for 2022-23 season
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Towns will don the scarlet and gray for one more season, hoping to finish his Ohio State career on a high note.

As the off-season drug on and Ohio State’s roster situation became less foggy, one player with eligibility remained pretty silent. E.J. Liddell is off to the NBA, Malaki Branham almost certainly is too. Justin Ahrens chose to be honored on Senior Day despite having eligibility left, so we knew his career was a Buckeye was finished even before he entered the transfer portal. Justice Sueing announced two weeks ago that he will return next season for one more year. Tanner Holden transferred in from Wright State after three exceptional seasons in the Horizon League.

But until today, we had not heard anything about Seth Towns’ basketball future. Well, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy, the Northland High School product will be returning to Ohio State for one final go-round this fall — his seventh season.


It will be Towns’ seventh year academically, but anyone who has followed the Buckeyes the past few seasons knows that Towns has been unbelievably unlucky when it comes to injuries and availability. He played two seasons at Harvard from 2016-2018, including winning Ivy League Player of the Year in 2018. Knee surgery cost him the entire 2018-2020 seasons. He then transferred to Ohio State in 2020 and played in 25 games for the Buckeyes — although he averaged just 10.8 minutes per game. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42.1% overall from the floor.

Heading into the 2021-2022 season Towns said that his knee felt the best it ever had, but then a back injury led to back surgery before the season, and he did not end up playing at all. So of Towns’ six seasons, three of them were spent on the bench rehabbing from injuries. At this point, 23-year-old Seth Towns has actually played fewer collegiate basketball games than 21-year-old E.J. Liddell in twice the time.

At his best, Towns is a three-level scorer and an old soul with a fundamentally sound offensive game. He’s a 40.7% three-point shooter in his career, but also loves to step back and use the glass on mid-range jumpers. In fact, he’s the only player I can think of right now who chooses to use the glass on his jumper. But hey, it works for him!


The obvious question is what will Ohio State actually get from Towns? When he had his back surgery last summer, the expectation was that he’d be back in December — which never happened. Are the Buckeyes using a scholarship for purely goodwill and nostalgia on a local product who will once again sit the bench for five months? Could the coaching staff have urged Towns to move on and use that scholarship on a safer option?

Or will Towns return in the fall, fully healthy for the first time since 2018? Coming off the bench, a healthy Seth Towns could be Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. Having a former Ivy League Player of the Year in your second rotation would be an asset few teams could match. If he’s ready to go and can play 15-20 minutes per night, Towns could be a key asset to an Ohio State team trying to make their first Sweet Sixteen in a decade.

Towns returns to a frontcourt that will also feature returnees Zed Key, Sueing, Kalen Etzler, and Gene Brown. Don’t be shocked if Ohio State adds another wing via the transfer portal in the coming weeks as well.

Welcome back, Seth!

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Buck Off Podcast: Remaining defensive questions, offensive expectations, Florida recruiting
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The guys are back to get into their questions for the Buckeyes after the Spring Game and they get into the recruiting the state of Florida

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On today’s episode of “Buck Off with Christopher Renne,” Chris and Jordan Williams discuss Ohio State’s Spring Game, and the questions they still have.

To start the show, they discuss their experiences at the game watching the Buckeyes for the first time in 2022. They then talk about the size of the stadium and how much different seeing everything happening live feels.

After that, they get into what the Spring Game means for the Buckeyes as they head into next season. They also talk about Jim Knowle’s defense, starting with the defensive backfield and then talking about the depth in the secondary and on the defensive line. Then Chris and Jordan get into some discussion about the expectations for a linebacker group and pass rush that they don’t yet know a lot about.

They also discuss Ryan Day’s offense and the answers we got on Saturday. They break down the talent in the backfield and how much is also present in the quarterback room. They next get into the Buckeyes figuring out the tight end room, why the receiver transition might not be seamless, and then close out the offensive conversation with the biggest question mark on that side of the ball: the offensive line.

The Buckeyes have built a steady pipeline from Florida to Columbus, so the pair also gets into why that has recently resurged and talks about the recruits that the Buckeyes have landed recently.

They also discuss the current state of the recruiting class and how this cycle might end up looking geographically. Lastly, they discuss if some teams are getting a little too confident heading to the offseason.


Connect with the Show:
Twitter: @BuckOffPod

Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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Column: Forget the one-and-done factories, Ohio State men’s basketball should strive to emulate Jay Wright’s version of Villanova
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Chris Holtmann has long been an admirer of the newly-retired coach. And while some OSU fans would prefer the hype that comes along with a roster full of 5-star freshmen, Wright proved that you can reach and remain at the top with consistent team-building and development.

I think it’s fair to say that most college basketball programs would love to replicate the 21st-century success of Villanova. I’m not breaking news here. Since 2001, the Wildcats have won 520 games. They have eight Big East regular-season championships, five Big East tournament championships, and two NCAA national titles — all since 2006. And over the last nine seasons, they lost double-digit games just once. The man largely responsible for their success is/was Jay Wright. By any measure of greatness, Wright should be regarded as one of the all-timers. His recent induction (2021) into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Game is evidence that most “basketball people” agree.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Wright will leave a lasting and impressive legacy among NCAA men’s basketball coaches

But Wright did simply walk into a ready-made situation like (some) other coaches do. For example: Duke’s Jon Scheyer is taking over the most prestigious program in the sport – as a first-time coach – at the age of 34. And North Carolina’s Hubert Davis made a championship run in his first season — with Roy Williams’ roster. I would argue that those men have a leg up in their future endeavors. Wright did not enjoy the same luxury back in 2001... Settle down, I know that both Scheyer and Davis were long-time assistants and very instrumental to their predecessors’ success. I am a huge Tar Heels fan, and I’ve rooted for Davis as both player and coach... I am simply pointing out another one of Wright’s many achievements. He propelled a solid program to the ranks of the elite, while building it the right way, and maintaining a high level of success until he decided to hang up the well-tailored suit.

Part of becoming an elite program and/or coach is winning in March, and that is another thing that set Villanova and Wright apart from the pretenders. Watered-down conference championships are great, and Final Four appearances are fun to talk about, but “almost” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Wright made it to the mountain top multiple times. One could say he “only” won two NCAA Championships, but that’s more than former peers such as Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo, and John Calipari can lay claim to. He is one of only 16 coaches (ever) to win more than one D1 men’s title. And he did all of this by recruiting the right players and developing his team, which seems to be a bit of a lost art in today’s world of college basketball.

Under Wright, Villanova largely avoided controversy. This is due, in part, to his ability to attract and retain high-character players. When there were missteps along the way, the coach took care of business. He once suspended 12 players (at the same time, in 2003) for making unauthorized phone calls. There were whispers of a few players pocketing a few dollars from agents or boosters in years past, but never anything that tied remotely to Wright.

Once in the program, most players were eager craft their all-around game — as opposed to searching for the fastest route to an NBA paycheck. They knew that an additional year or two under the tutelage of Wright could pay greater dividends in the future. This is not to say he lacked the ability to recruit high-end talent. Villanova was reeling in 4-stars on a regular basis. But Wright only signed 11 5-star recruits during his entire career, and only one of those players has gone on to enjoy sustained NBA success (Jalen Brunson). Instead, the Wildcats’ now-former coach focused on willing learners and team-first guys. When the team wins, each individual wins.

And Wright’s best individual players have excelled at the next level. Early Nova draftees under Wright included Kyle Lowry, Randy Foye, and Dante Cunningham — all of whom played at least 12 NBA seasons (more, and counting for Lowry). Recent Wildcats include Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Saddiq Bey — up-and-comers or borderline stars for their current NBA teams. The volume of Nova players making it into the league might not be comparable to that of Duke or Kentucky, but Wright definitely knew how to develop talent, while also dominating the Big East and winning NCAA Tournament games.

So, what does all of this have to do with Ohio State and/or Chris Holtmann? Did I just heap 600 words of praise on a retired Big East coach for fun? Well, not exactly. Holtmann spent three years coaching against Wright while the former was at Butler. And Prior to the two meeting up in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, Holtmann was effusive in praise of the Villanova leader. He clearly respects the heck out of his former league rival... So while I’m not sure if Wright is a mentor – or anything more than an acquaintance – of Holtmann’s, I would say that if the current Buckeye coach were to try and emulate the career of one recently-retired coach, it should be that of his former Big East foe.

I’m sure Chris Holtmann would love to win five national titles, coach on a court named after him, and have a documentary made about his life and/or last season.... It’s just not in the cards. We live in a different era — with AAU, NIL money, player mobility, you name it. Dynasties are a thing of the past. But coaches can still impact lives, find success on the court (or field, ice, whatever), and stick around for a really long time... if they win, and do it the right way. The way Jay Wright did it. He did not re-invent the wheel. He just did his job better than most of his peers. His blueprint was not exclusive to Villanova, and it is one that I think Holtmann already gravitates toward using.

Here are the basics:


Don’t “sell your soul” — Run your program the right way, and don’t let winning become more important than coaching and developing players.

Recruit good basketball players who are equally good off the court — Kyle Young and E.J. Liddell types are always good to have on the roster.

Find players who want to use college as a means to improve, not a personal showcase — I place these individuals into something I like to call the Ben Simmons category.

Build a college team, not an AAU team — Nothing against AAU, but those teams acquire talent. Good college teams acquire pieces that fit together.

Peak in March — Columbus, we have a problem.


While Holtmann has done seemingly everything else right, he has not been successful during the most important stretch of the season. The Buckeyes have won 20 games in each of his first four seasons, but a total of just three in the NCAA Tournament. This is despite, oddly enough, performing pretty damn well in neutral-site games and notching some big victories over non-conference opponents. The month of March is the hole in Holtmann’s game — much like my inability to go left.

IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports
Beware the Ides of March... basketball

Twenty wins per season only gets you so far with fans. March means everything. And winning when it mattered most was something that Wright excelled at... but it took time. He barely had a .500 record after three seasons at Villanova, and the team made zero NCAA appearances. Not comparing apples to apples here, but Ohio State was not in a much better position than Nova was (in 2001) when Holtmann took over in 2017. The two coaches were also at different stages of their career when they took over the respective gigs, but there are at least some parallels. Holtmann just has a much shorter leash, at least according to some fans. And we are absolutely part of the problem!

I’m including myself when I say that it seems like we expect Sweet 16’s on a regular basis. Imagine if Jay Wright had been driven out of the Philadelphia area after three seasons. Villanova made a Sweet 16 and Elite Eight appearance in his next two. And then they won a billion games after that! Chris Holtmann has had four postseason opportunities in Columbus — AKA one more than three. I’m not saying we should be happy about March missteps, but we could certainly do a hell of a lot worse than 20 wins on a yearly basis.

Holtmann needs to win tournament games. He knows that. And he’s doing what he can to make it happen. Ohio State has a top-5 recruiting class coming in (which sort of goes against my argument), and the transfer rumors are swirling. My point being, the man brings in talent — the right talent. Guys you want on your team. Now he needs to make a run with said team, because another quiet exit in March could spell... something. But we should at least appreciate the program he’s trying to build, because the man who ended OSU’s most recent season used a similar blueprint to find massive success.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for April 22, 2022
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


Ryan Day, Jim Knowles ‘very pleased’ with Ohio State cornerback play
- Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

2022 NFL Draft profiles: Chris Olave defied expectations in four-year OSU career
- Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

What Ohio State football’s Chris Olave brings to the NFL: Buckeye draft preview
- Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com

Terry McLaurin, Cameron Heyward Finalists For Good Guy Award
- Andrew Lind, Sports Illustrated

Hopping on the Jack Sawyer hype train for the 2022 season.


Progress Report: Evaluating Ohio State quarterbacks after spring camp ($$)
- Austin Ward, Lettermen Row

Ross Fulton’s 6 Takeaways From The Ohio State Spring Game
- Tom Orr, Buckeye Scoop

Post-Spring projection of Ohio State’s 2022 depth chart
- Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

College football rankings: Updated Way-Too-Early Top 25
- Mark Schlabach, ESPN

On the Hardwood


Several 2022 Ohio State Basketball Signees Among Final SI99 Rankings
- Andrew Lind, Sports Illustrated

Columbus’ own Jim Cleamons ready to coach Ohio team in HBCU all-star game
- Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Villanova men’s basketball coach Jay Wright announces retirement
- Des Bieler, Washington Post

Outside the Shoe and Schott


TBDBITL making SportsCenter even in the offseason.


Ohio State’s Emily Hummer wins B1G Co-Golfer of the Week.


Men’s Lacrosse: No. 13 Ohio State hosts rival Michigan in regular season finale
- Matt Goldman, The Lantern

Softball: Buckeyes gear up for rivalry meeting against Michigan
- Megan Husslein, The Lantern

Wrestling: Gallagher ready to compete after redshirt year
- Mick Walker, The Lantern

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Amped24 said:

Anyone have a link to the spring game?

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finally found one

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OK, what have you done to celebrate National Vagina Appreciation Day today?

chornii said:

done and done

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Appreciate it guys

Dryden said:

Masters in 4-1/2 years...

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BACK LIKE HE NEVER LEFT. Stephen Collier never even attempted a pass in an Ohio State football game, but the fact that most people reading this remember him fondly proves that he didn't need to start to become a proper Buckeye legend.

He reached legend status in my mind when he learned Oregon's prolific offense in a couple of days to be able to simulate Marcus Mariotta and run that high-speed offense in practice, getting plays off every 16 seconds.

You know how prepared the Ohio State defense looked in that game? You have him to thank for that.

And after his playing days, he went on to get himself a bachelor's degree from Ohio State, a master's degree from Ohio State, and now he's going to finish off the trifecta with a law degree from Ohio State.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...rin-and-cam-heyward-are-media-darlings-and-ej

twister55 said:

i'll keep these seeded for while..again ty for ur help

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you're welcome

Hey at least John Daly sr is getting paid for doing what he normally does! Wonder if those two beauties are the Daly's caddys?

A beautiful tractor and trailer it is. Driven by OSU alumnus and early 1980s fullback Ken Blair. Great people.

fwbuck said:

NIL coming through? If you’re a 21 year old and can pull in a seven figure income either way, would you rather do that on a college campus or playing an NBA schedule?

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OK, since you asked......

If you are a first round draft pick with a guaranteed multi year 7 figure income (and not to fond of attending classes anyway): NBA

If you are a 2nd round pick with nothing guaranteed: Toss Up. However, if I thought I could improve my draft position to the 1st round with another year in college (and had a $1M NIL offer in the bag)....College Campus.

If you don't get drafted and probably end up in the G league for something like $35,000 per season: College Campus

Dang, really happy to see Greg gets to go to his first home Indianapolis. He’s looked so happy and healthy lately. Hope he continues on that path.

Bulldogs will be a fun group to cheer at least from the coaching staff Thad is building.

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Paid you approx $50M and gave you the opportunity to play professional basketball for a living.

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ScriptOhio said:

I'm guessing that going from Orgeron to Kelly is "real culture shock"; hence, a lot of players are jumping ship.

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True, but regarding Kiner, I think they still have 5-6 RBs on the roster. And more importantly, I think losing his RB coach who recruited him mattered the most. He should look good back home

There's an old gas station not far from my house. It is currently being rebuilt. I wonder if they will be putting in any charging stations, a bigger convenience store, or just keep the same concept of a few pumps and a small store. The future of gas stations will be interesting to watch.

Relegated to the practice squad. Damn.

Dryden said:

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More on Dick LeBeau:

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“I'm so proud when people ask me, ‘Where did you go to school?’” LeBeau said. “I grew up in the great state of Ohio, some of the greatest football in the country, and I went to the finest university in the nation, Ohio State University.”

MALIK BARROW, STILL PLAYING FOOTBALL. I freely admit that sometimes, when a player leaves Ohio State, I simply lose track of their existence on this floating rock we call home.

For example, I learned yesterday that former Ohio State defensive lineman Malik Barrow is *still* playing college football for what appears to be his fourth fifth different team. This is particularly perplexing given that he medically retired from football back in 2018.

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Barrow signed with Ohio State (1) out of high school back in 2016. He then retired from football back in 2018, but it switched and he actually transferred to UCF (2) in 2019 and continued playing football. Following one season at UCF, he transferred to Rutgers (3) in 2020. I have no idea how long he stayed at Rutgers, but eventually, he ended up at Alabama A&M (4). And now he apparently plays for Davenport (5).

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...uggles-will-be-back-and-malik-barrow-is-still

Good get for Dabo.

On to the next.

Bestbuck36 said:

A lot of stars leaving BiG for next year. Good

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Yeah and a couple are from Ohio State...BAD

leroyjenkins said:

China is so weird

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How many billion people live there? Meat is meat.

I was flipping around channels waiting for the Masters to start and ran into a channel called the Stadium Channel (on WOW it was on 139). The East Orange Renegades were playing the Old Bridge Hawks:



The American 7s Football League (A7FL) is a semi-professional traveling league in the United States which plays a seven-man version of Gridiron football it calls American 7s Football. Launched in 2015, its games are played without football helmets or other protective equipment.

It's kind of like: what if the guys from machine shop, warehouse, and/or local bar that played in an adult softball league on Friday night decided to play football.

About A7FL

About American 7s Football League
The American 7s Football League® (A7FL) has pioneered a familiar yet completely new format for America’s most popular sport: 7-on-7 football without helmets or hard shell pads. A7FL’s unique gameplay retains the toughness that fans crave while focusing on action-filled performances by its athletes. American 7s’ thrilling highlights and compelling content attract fans of all ages and drive a new younger audience of consumers while generating tens of millions of views. Founded in 2014 by CEO Sener Korkusuz and President Ryan DePaul, the Spring league (April-July) recently added UFC® Co-Founder David Isaacs to its ranks and has grown to 32 teams in 4 divisions with over 600K social media followers and partnerships with Eleven Sports, Facebook Watch, Twitch and WAVE.tv.

Athletes generally range from 18 to 30 years of age, must be 18 to play, and must sign an injury waiver. The A7FL field size is 100 x 37 yards and does not utilize the field goal posts. The narrower field width increases the pace of the action with fewer men on the field making for vicious hits while the 100-yard length maintains the grind. The quarterback has 4 eligible targets with 2 down linemen. Offenses can run bone or pistol, and there are no blitz restrictions for the defense.

History
The idea for an organized no helmets no pads football league popped into A7FL co-founder Ryan DePaul’s head late in 2002. His high School football days were over – he had to quit college football due to concussions – and he just wanted to keep playing the game he loved but in a safer format so he was playing pickup games of tackle football anywhere he could find them. In late 2005 he began to develop the format and rules for 7 on 7 no pads no helmets full contact football.

Entire article: https://www.a7fl.com/about-a7fl/

Apparently it has been going on for several years now:

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Seven on seven tackle football, with no helmets or pads. Well, it's interesting; however, don't think I could be a regular fan. Is anyone on Buckeye Planet actually a fan and follows this this league?