Not many people, including head coach Chris Holtmann, knew what to expect entering the 2017-18 basketball season in Columbus.
Ohio State was surely heading for a third straight year without an NCAA Tournament appearance, as the Buckeyes were picked 11th in the preseason conference polls.
With just three players on the roster holding tournament experience of any significance, all Ohio State did was rattle off a 25-9 season that saw the Buckeyes get to and win an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in three years, giving the program a much-needed shot of momentum heading into Holtmann's second season.
After entering the season with low expectations, Ohio State's younger players now know what it feels like to play in and win a tournament game, an experience Holtmann said he believes is invaluable moving forward.
"We didn’t know what to expect coming into this year, but to have those guys that now have a taste of this, and know that you play college basketball, this is really what you want and you want to stay in it as long as you can stay in it, and continue to advance," Holtmann said Monday on his radio show. "Because you’ll have those memories with you for the rest of your life. So it was great to have those guys experience that.”
It was critical for players like C.J. Jackson to get that experience, especially since Ohio State is set to lose four veterans in Jae'Sean Tate, Kam Williams, Andrew Dakich and Keita Bates-Diop, assuming he decides to leave for the 2018 NBA Draft.
Holtmann said Ohio State's competition for a leadership role in 2018-19 is "wide open," but with the tournament experience, the Buckeyes could be better equipped to have more than one player lead the team next season.
Jackson will be the lone senior with significant playing experience on Ohio State's roster next season, while Micah Potter and Andre Wesson will enter the season as the lone juniors on the roster. That said, it was critical for those players to get tournament experience under their belt as they become more crucial to the Buckeyes' success moving forward.
A starter for most of the season, Kaleb Wesson also got his first tournament experience, as did reserve guard Musa Jallow. After the 90-84 loss to Gonzaga in the second round, Holtmann said that while he didn't play in either tournament game, the experience was also crucial for Kyle Young, who he expects to play a significant role in 2018-19.
Young averaged 1.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 8.6 minutes per game as a freshman after transferring to Ohio State from Butler in order to play for Holtmann. He played in 25 of 34 games off the bench.
"We did want that. Kyle is going to be a really big part of what we are doing moving forward. With J.T. and Keita, it was hard to get him minutes, but he is going to be a big part of what we're doing," Holtmann said. "If you're a competitor in college basketball, this is what you're dying to be a part of. I wanted those young guys to have a shot at it."
