2022-2023 Ohio State Men's Basketball

[Jake]

This is definitely a make or break season for Holtmann

Keep trying to talk it into existence.

I hope he cuts down the nets, but it's not like he's getting fired if he doesn't. I've already explained why several times, so I'll stop here.

 

[NFBuck]

I like Holtmann but was thinking all the same things this afternoon. He is in the unenviable position of following arguably the best basketball coach OSU has ever had. A lot of our fans have football perspective and simply don't understand why OSU can't win the conference and make Final Fours semi-regularly. They say "well if Thad can do it," like there's nothing all that special about what Thad did. And even in Thad's peak years I remember a lot of the same personalities complaining about how Thad didn't beat blue-blood enough or how he'd probably never get us a National Championship or how he underachieved with the talent he got as if we were just swimming in 5-stars all the time.

Obviously we all want higher highs for the program than what we've gotten to enjoy in the past decade or so. I do think it starts with the fact that Holtmann's OSU has rarely had a distinct talent advantage in most high major match-ups, and I'm hoping the 2022 and 2023 recruiting is a start to that shifting a little bit upwards in the future.

Oh, people were all over Matta whenever he would lose a game. I remember people saying he “underachieved” all of the time. But you nail it with expectations. They see a yearly NC contender in the football program and think the BB program should be the same. We just are not an elite basketball program and it’s hard to build that when fan interest is…tepid…at best, even when they’re doing well.

 

[Onebuckfan]

Which is better nationally Big 10 football or Big 10 basketball?

 

[osubartender23]

Him coming back would be enormous. But, yeah, I'd say the chances are extremely remote.

I think it depends on NIL. If a business can step up and offer him a few good endorsements, he may be able to pull off late 1st round money staying around another year.

 

[Onebuckfan]

Oh, people were all over Matta whenever he would lose a game. I remember people saying he “underachieved” all of the time. But you nail it with expectations. They see a yearly NC contender in the football program and think the BB program should be the same. We just are not an elite basketball program and it’s hard to build that when fan interest is…tepid…at best, even when they’re doing well.

Predict the year of the next NC in football or basketball..which is easier?

 

[OHSportsFan]

This is definitely a make or break season for Holtmann

Agree with this. If next year’s talent doesn’t pan out, you look for an upgrade.

 

[nomatta]

This is definitely a make or break season for Holtmann

As in if Holtmann doesn't win the B1G or make the S16, he's out?

To me it's 2023-2024. 2022 class with a season under their belts, add in GW3. Close to the end of Holtmann's contract. Doubt Gene blows it all up any sooner than that unless we really stink next season and some A+ candidate pops up.

 

[nomatta]

Agree with this. If next year’s talent doesn’t pan out, you look for an upgrade.

My only issue there is these 2022 guys aren't necessarily one-and-done, instant impact guys. But they could be really good as sophomores and beyond. And if we fire Holtmann after their freshmen season, pretty likely they will be really good not-freshmen at other schools.

So hopefully we'd be hiring a coach worth the cost.

 

[nomatta]

Oh, people were all over Matta whenever he would lose a game. I remember people saying he “underachieved” all of the time. But you nail it with expectations. They see a yearly NC contender in the football program and think the BB program should be the same. We just are not an elite basketball program and it’s hard to build that when fan interest is…tepid…at best, even when they’re doing well.

Beyond that, so many of our fans can't seem to grasp the concept of modern basketball parity. Even the elite basketball programs aren't as remotely dominant as the elite football programs.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Predict the year of the next NC in football or basketball..which is easier?

Football is infinitely easier. We'll be seeing another one of those maybe as soon as this year. Basketball has so many variables the best team often gets upset along the way.

 

[DZ83CK]

Oh, people were all over Matta whenever he would lose a game. I remember people saying he “underachieved” all of the time. But you nail it with expectations. They see a yearly NC contender in the football program and think the BB program should be the same. We just are not an elite basketball program and it’s hard to build that when fan interest is…tepid…at best, even when they’re doing well.

How about ever having a contender? You really think it's a job well done when OSU goes 5 years without a B1G title or Sweet 16 appearance, while losing 11 games a year on average? I see the apologists are out in force to use the broad brush to argue in bad faith. I never once said anything about football. I wonder why you pay a guy millions to turn in an average performance, and I know it can't last forever because with great pay comes great expectations. Matta accomplished a ton more and even he got let go after a few bad years. I'm not saying be great every season by any means. College basketball is cyclical, especially for a program like OSU. And the Buckeyes are long overdue for the upcycle. The program hasn't won anything or gone deep in March for a long time, and that's neither natural nor satisfactory. Hopefully this season will end a lot of lackluster streaks.

 

[Onebuckfan]

How about ever having a contender? You really think it's a job well done when OSU goes 5 years without a B1G title or Sweet 16 appearance, while losing 11 games a year on average? I see the apologists are out in force to use the broad brush to argue in bad faith. I never once said anything about football. I wonder why you pay a guy millions to turn in an average performance, and I know it can't last forever because with great pay comes great expectations. Matta accomplished a ton more and even he got let go after a few bad years. I'm not saying be great every season by any means. College basketball is cyclical, especially for a program like OSU. And the Buckeyes are long overdue for the upcycle. The program hasn't won anything or gone deep in March for a long time, and that's neither natural nor satisfactory. Hopefully this season will end a lot of lackluster streaks.

Guess what football can also have a “down” cycle and when it finally comes.. first their will be “howls” , then ‘hope’ and finally acceptance of 3 loss seasons and an occasional conference title. Just like expectations ratchet down in basketball every year.

 

[Steve19]

Guess what football can also have a “down” cycle and when it finally comes.. first their will be “howls” , then ‘hope’ and finally acceptance of 3 loss seasons and an occasional conference title. Just like expectations ratchet down in basketball every year.

You wash your mouth out right now...

 

[Don Muenz]

Yeah, and to hell with the soap, just use a heaping handful of the pumice, vigorously applied.

 

[nomatta]

How about ever having a contender? You really think it's a job well done when OSU goes 5 years without a B1G title or Sweet 16 appearance, while losing 11 games a year on average? I see the apologists are out in force to use the broad brush to argue in bad faith. I never once said anything about football. I wonder why you pay a guy millions to turn in an average performance, and I know it can't last forever because with great pay comes great expectations. Matta accomplished a ton more and even he got let go after a few bad years. I'm not saying be great every season by any means. College basketball is cyclical, especially for a program like OSU. And the Buckeyes are long overdue for the upcycle. The program hasn't won anything or gone deep in March for a long time, and that's neither natural nor satisfactory. Hopefully this season will end a lot of lackluster streaks.

Sorry, I wasn't referring to you earlier, I was talking about the expectations of a core of the fanbase who think it should be easy to replicate Thad's best years or don't understand why OSU basketball can't be as dominant as OSU football.

It's fine to have higher expectations. Holtmann has had bum luck with injuries the past couple seasons otherwise I really think we would have seen the needle moving upwards. That said, he needs to push harder with the recruiting and roster building so that when adversity happens it doesn't impact as hard as it has. When Kyle went out in the Nova game so, too, did our chance for the upset.

This is why with the 2022 and 2023 guys I want to give Holtmann until 2023-2024. Well that and because it's also not super clear who we'd replace Holtmann with that would be a strong bet upgrade.