When Thad Matta was fired in early June, former Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell apparently didn't take it well.
"I don't think I'll ever go back" to Ohio State, Russell said in July following Matta's firing and the subsequent hire of Chris Holtmann.
At Brooklyn Nets media day, Russell was seen donning an Ohio State baseball hat, which hinted at the fact that perhaps Russell had changed his mind on the matter.
His former Ohio State teammate and current Buckeye senior Jae'Sean Tate said Wednesday at OSU's on-campus media day that Russell's comments were blown out of proportion.
"I actually ran into him in New York a couple months ago and we actually discussed it," Tate said. "At the time, he was just a little hurt and then the media blew it up. Of course he would love to come back. He actually texted me the other day talking about when he could come see a couple games if he is able with his schedule."
In his lone season as a Buckeye, Russell averaged 19.3 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Tate, Keita Bates-Diop and Kam Williams are the lone remaining Ohio State teammates that Russell played with in Columbus, and Tate said that played into Russell's comments.
"At the time, he just felt that with everybody being gone, there was no one (here) that he knew anymore other than me and Keita," Tate said. "In the NBA, they blow it up. The media took it and ran with it, but it wasn't anything to make a big deal over."
Since taking the job in June, Holtmann has made it a point to welcome Ohio State alumni back to campus. Over the summer, Ohio State's alumni team Scarlet and Gray practiced for The Basketball Tournament at the Schottenstein Center's practice gyms.
Tate said that bringing the alumni around helps boost morale around the program and provides the current Buckeyes with a target to strive for once they move forward in their own basketball careers.
"It's motivation. A lot of those guys are making a lot of money doing what they love and what I love. But also, just using them as mentors," Tate said. "Picking their brain, seeing what I need to work on to get to the next level. At open gym, they will see something I am doing, and they will chip in on it to try and help me improve."
Should Russell return to campus, he could provide some of those pointers to current Ohio State athletes. In his first two seasons in the NBA, Russell averaged 14.3 points per game with the Los Angeles Lakers before be was traded to Brooklyn on June 22.
