Even though junior forward Duane Washington Jr. drove through the right side of the paint and laid in the game's first two points Thursday from the right block, it foreshadowed the dunking barrage the Buckeyes would soon run.
Washington threw the first dunk down himself just over three minutes later, and senior forward Kyle Young followed with one of his own on his next possession. Redshirt-junior forward Justice Sueing forcefully threw down a two-handed jam with 4:14 left in the first half, and No. 9 Ohio State ultimately scored 14 of their points during its second-round win over 13th-seeded Minnesota.
Ohio State showed congeniality Thursday, something of which appeared to be lacking over its four-game losing streak. With the win, the Buckeyes are set to complete a trilogy against fourth-seeded and No. 20 Purdue with vengeance on their minds.
“Just stayed focused and stay locked in and stick together," redshirt-senior guard C.J. Walker said. "I feel like a big thing for our team is being connected, so I feel like that’s what we have to do. Purdue’s a really good team - we lost to them twice this year - so we want to go out there, that revenge kind of thing and get them back."
Perhaps the idea of revenge was always on the minds of the Buckeyes regardless of opponent. They brought an ugly four-game losing streak into the Big Ten Tournament, so getting that off of their backs can reset the tone for the next round.
Ohio State has been working to reset the tone for a bit of time. Holtmann said he didn't sense his team were sulking in their losing skid during practice and preparation.
“The spirit of our guys has been really good,” Holtmann said. “I think they recognized this is a new opportunity, and they also recognized they had some really good stretches of play. I do think that gave us some life and some energy just the way our guys opened the game. They’ve had a great mindset going into it.”
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It certainly was a positive that every Buckeye who played more than two minutes scored at least two points. Production from more than just a cast of players, unlike the road loss Feb. 25 at Michigan State when six Buckeyes scored, will allow for opportunities to build on team morale.
“I’m more proud of my guys being able to stick together, especially losing our last couple games of the season,” Sueing said. “Just sticking together, being able to carry out this win, it means a lot.”
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Sueing added the emphasis for Thursday's game was to be the aggressors in throwing the first several punches, and that the dunks were evidence the Buckeyes were able to "get our juices flowing."
The focus, now, turns to the Boilermakers.
Purdue handed Ohio State its first loss of the season Dec. 16 with a 67-60 decision in West Lafayette, then the Boilermakers battled back from an 11-point deficit on Jan. 19 when freshman guard Jaden Ivey called game on a game-winning 3-pointer with five seconds to go.
Walker already used the word 'revenge,' and although Holtmann didn't use similar vernacular, he's aware of the task at hand Friday upon contesting a team that defeated Ohio State in both contests this season.
“I think you’re always aware of it," Holtmann said. "It was a couple close games, particularly the one at our place where their freshman Ivey made a great play. It’s gonna be a physical game as it always is. Trevion’s [Williams] a tremendous player as is their big fellow. Should be a great challenge for us."
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Holtmann was proud of the way the Buckeyes carried themselves Thursday with their combination of excitement to play tournament basketball and poise to get the job done.
Both levels of energy must repeat on Friday as Purdue closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak, shooting 48.7% in that time.
The atmosphere surrounding March Madness rubs the way of a 'survive and advance' mentality, meaning each game means more than the last. But Ohio State's matchup Friday with Purdue, well, the players will showcase that for themselves.
“They swept us in the regular season, so this game means a little bit more," Sueing said. "We want to definitely make another statement and survive and advance. More importantly, just to continue in Big Ten Tournament play. It’s definitely going to be a good game; Purdue’s a good team, so it’s gonna be a game.
"We got to come ready to play."
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