Chris Holtmann may not add another player to the current Ohio State roster

"It's tempting to reach," Holtmann said Friday. "But I've been counseled by enough guys who've done this, who've reached and regretted it."

– Bill Landis’ story on Chris Holtmann, and how reaching to fill roster spots may cause more harm than good. (cleveland.com)

Ohio State basketball has just 10 scholarship spots filled going into this season. While getting a more experienced basketballer, one that might be on the move from junior college or elsewhere, is an option, it doesn’t seem like a viable one for Holtmann.

In an article written by Bill Landis of cleveland.com, Holtmann knows the temptation to reach for a player that could help make the team better, but there is also a risk involved with doing that. Holtmann said he wanted “Ohio State guys” on the team, and by making a reach for another player, that ideology could be breached – with the potential for disfunction.

Currently on the team are two point guards with approximately one year of combined Division 1 experience, according to Landis. This seems like a problem, but Holtmann mentioned that Jae’Sean Tate might see some time at the PG position. The PG dilemma occurred when JaQuan Lyle reportedly quit the team back in April. In the Landis article, Holtmann mentioned that he hasn’t talked to Lyle – so it seems like Lyle’s career at OSU is over.

The fanbase around Ohio State basketball is eager to see the team rise to prominence once again. With Holtmann now in charge, he’s beginning to take the steps necessary to get the Buckeyes back to being competitive. Time will tell, but this season is shaping up to be a work in progress.

“Ohio State has also exponentially ramped up its creative department. This allows the program not only to produce a bulk of content — they do 500 graphics or videos a week — but to put out the right graphics.”

– Zach Barnett on how Ohio State has become one of the elite recruiting programs, (Footballscoop.com)

Since taking over as head coach of the football program, Urban Meyer has brought the Buckeyes to the top of the recruiting rankings. The 2017 group finished with the No. 2 rating in the country; the 2018 class is currently sitting on top of the mountain at No. 1.

How does a program get to that level of recruiting? Zach Barnett of footballscoop.com wrote up a piece on just that, and looked into Ari Wasserman’s Cleveland Plain-Dealer profile of the recruiting department at OSU. The answer to why the Buckeyes are elite recruiters is simply one word: investment.

Investment of resources and time is how Ohio State was able to climb up the recruiting mountain – and now they stand as a Goliath. Mark Pantoni is the point-man in the recruiting department, and takes the time to review the recruit’s film and any information that’s available. Additionally, the social media graphics that get generated are personalized, and connect with the recruits.

Between Pantoni and the whole recruiting department, it’s no wonder that OSU has become the cream of the crop when it comes to recruiting.

2018 NBA Mock Draft

– NBADraft.net

The 2017 NBA Draft has come and gone, and there wasn’t a basketball Buckeye drafted. One way-early NBA Draft preview for 2018 came out, and there is some belief that a Buckeye will hear their named called.

NBADraft.net were the ones to make their 2018 mock draft, and they have Keita Bates-Diop going at the No. 60 spot to Golden State. Eight freshman are projected to go in the first 10 picks of the draft, with Michael Porter, a Missouri Tiger, going as the overall No. 1 pick.

Granted, this is the way-to-early deep dive into next season, but if Bates-Diop is poking around the draft projections, that should make Buckeye fans feel good about this year.

Stick to Sports

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• Looking at the health care bill.