CHICAGO — When coaches determine which players they are going to send to Big Ten media day, more often than not it’s a senior or high-profile player. Sometimes those players are both of those things.
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta was in a bit of a different boat this season, though. He has no seniors and, right now, he probably doesn’t know who his best player is.
So Matta opted to send junior forward Marc Loving — the Buckeyes’ oldest scholarship player on the roster — and sophomore forward Jae’Sean Tate, who is the team’s lone returning starter to Chicago this year for the league's annual event. Frankly, he didn't have many other options, as Ohio State is one of the most inexperienced teams not only in the Big Ten, but in all of college basketball.
That inexperience, though, has caused both Tate and Loving’s role on this year’s team to grow significantly. Matta is relying on both not only on the court, but off it as well.
“I think both guys have sort of changed their demeanor of who they are in terms of accepting a leadership role,” Matta said Thursday. “As I told them, it’s easy to lead when things are good, but we needs these guys to be there when things aren’t going well.
“Quite honestly, I’ve been very pleased with the adjustments they’ve made in terms of how they act, what they say, and what they do in practice.”
After losing a five-man senior class and D’Angelo Russell as an early entrant to the NBA Draft, Matta needs more from both Loving and Tate.
Loving averaged 9.4 points per game during his up-and-down sophomore season which saw him miss two weeks due to a suspension. He was one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters for the majority of the season, but his production dipped significantly after that suspension.
Tate, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise for Buckeye fans. At just 6-foot-4, he played with relentless effort at the power forward position and was named to the Big Ten’s all-freshman team at the end of a year which saw him average 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
But while Matta wants improved production on the floor from both, he also needs Loving and Tate to become the leaders of this young team.
Both say they have adapted quite nicely to their coach’s demands.
“Just because we have such a young team I feel like I’ve matured a lot,” Tate said. “The coaches have helped me, I have a great coaching staff that’s helped me. I took a few leadership classes and I just can’t wait to get the ball rolling.”
Added Loving: “Leadership at this type of level is something I’ve never experienced before. Just listening to what they have to say and trying to implement the different little tricks of the trade that they give me.”
There’s a ton of mystery surrounding this year’s Ohio State team. The Buckeyes could be in a rebuilding year — Matta admitted that’s a possibility Thursday. But he also says he like his team and doesn't mind there's not a ton of hype surrounding it.
The amount of success this Ohio State group will have this season largely hinges on the seven newcomers and how they perform. But another key part will be the development of the Buckeyes' four returners.
And, to take it one step further, it will depend on Loving and Tate and their ability to lead the team.
“I’ve always been a leader just because I’m so outspoken and just because of my style of play,” Tate said. “I’ve had to work on making sure that — I’m a very emotional player and I’ve had to work on that I’m always showing my emotions in a positive way. I’m working on that a lot this year.”
