COLUMBUS – Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media following Ohio State’s 77-44 win against Morehead State on Wednesday.
Kyle Young and E.J. Liddell also answered questions from reporters.
Here’s a summary of what was said.
Chris Holtmann
+ He thought this was an improvement from the game over the weekend. They played more connected on both ends. Good win, most importantly some improvement.
+ In general they shared the ball, moved the ball better, played through the paint and the post better, but they still wasted a lot of possessions offensively. He thought they were good in transition, and the seniors led well. Overall they were more connected. They were better at attacking the Zone defense.
+ C.J. Walker is a good player. He is active defensively, he sets the tone, he plays with pace on offense, he’s tough, has good communication. That has to continue to define him.
+ This team is a work in progress, more than any of his four years here. Gradual progress will define this group. They are not as far along as they were at this point last year, some of that is health related and having new players.
+ He thinks they will have different leading scorers often throughout the season. A lot of players can be consistent double-figure guys. He is totally ok with that, it’s who they are as a group.
+ On Kyle Young, Holtmann said his 3 point shooting has improved and he is confident in his ability to make 3s. He will make 3s for them and is consistently able to do that.
+ On dealing with protocols, Holtmann said they had 6:30 AM testing on Sunday for a Noon tip, then went directly from testing which takes 45 minutes to an hour to walkthrough, to film, to a pre-game meal. He gets word as soon as they are clear and the other team is clear. If it’s a phone call, it’s not good news in the morning.
+ On E.J. Liddell, he thought he was playing with force. He has been really proud of the steps he has taken in that area. He is doing a lot of good things.