Chris Holtmann and Ohio State basketball face a large adjustment this season.

The Buckeyes lose junior center Kaleb Wesson, the centerpiece of Holtmann's offensive game plan. Wesson used 26.3 percent of Ohio State possessions last season, by far the highest figure on the team.

Holtmann and his big man were together from the beginning- their tenures in Columbus both began in 2017. Last year made two straight seasons for Holtmann designing an offense that played at a similar pace to the 6-foot-9, 270-pound Wesson.

To be blunt, Ohio State plays slow under Holtmann.

It has finished No. 274 and 280 in Division I in adjusted tempo the past two seasons, respectively, per Ken Pomeroy. The Buckeyes' 2019-20 tempo was the fourth-slowest in an already slow Big Ten.

Games were often halted to a crawl, with plenty of post possessions for Wesson and a tortoise-like tempo.

That could all change when the upcoming season rolls around. Wesson has been replaced by a plethora of springy wing players and two undersized but overly-athletic big men.

The Buckeyes will certainly adjust to the new personnel. But Holtmann won’t change the core of his offense: patience and control in the fastbreak mixed with immediate action once the offense settles into the half court.

Behind senior point guard C.J. Walker, who controlled the pace of the offense last season, Ohio State will attack when given the opportunity while maintaining its conservative tempo filled with off-ball movement.

Let’s break down how the fourth-year head coach controls the flow of the game through his offensive scheme.

Per Pomeroy, Wesson was No. 35 in the country last season in defensive rebounding percentage, snatching 26 percent of misses in his time on the court. As a team, Ohio State was near the Big Ten’s best in rebounding.

Even with its strong work on the boards, the Buckeyes’ pace was near the basement of Division I. It averaged 18.1 seconds per possession, good for a bottom-100 spot in the nation.

Yet the Ohio State offensive efficiency was a program high going back to 2013. This glacial team with an outdated post focus managed to hit over eight three-pointers per game on a top-25 clip in Division I.

The offense finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten behind its inside-outside threat and patience.

A big part of that threat came from Wesson- that is a fact that can’t be denied. However, the big man was afforded his opportunities by the composed Ohio State offense that took advantage of the over-frenetic pace at which college basketball is often played.

In the clip above, freshman guard D.J. Carton ignores an open availability to drive into a congested lane and waits a few beats, just enough to give himself two options: Wesson sealing his defender in the lane and Duane Washington Jr. trailing the play for a look from deep.

This is the crux of the fastbreak philosophy Holtmann instills. Instead of a head-down drive into three defenders, two efficient opportunities emerge because of Carton’s willingness to wait.

The trailer was one of Ohio State’s most effective weapons last season. Washington and Wesson both excelled running a secondary fastbreak and directly into a catch-and-shoot three.

Walker is excellent at holding the ball just long enough to find trailing teammates. The point guard's control over the offensive flow cannot be understated. He finds a balance between pushing for himself and finding the hot hand.

Early in games it was clear that Holtmann wanted his point guard to find shots for himself before falling back into a pass-first mentality. Any scoring punch from Walker is a pleasant addition to the Buckeye offense; he is great at surprising opponents with a slithering, change-of-pace drive to the basket or pull-up.

Walker is the exact point guard for Holtmann’s version of capitalizing on opportunities. He picks his spots to score and the team’s spots to run the break.

Nothing Walker does is spectacular, but the rhythm of most Ohio State games is defined by him. For a coach like Holtmann, having that control over pace is crucial.

In very specific spots against certain opponents, Holtmann lets his team run free after made baskets.

When Ohio State is in a rock fight against a slow-tempo team, a quick push ahead after a dead ball situation or made shot often kicks the offense into gear.

In the clip above, Carton catches the defense out of position after a made layup and uses a nimble brush screen by Kyle Young to dart towards the basket. This was a rare moment; Carton and Walker were hesitant to push any action forward with a set defense awaiting them.

However, without Wesson as the focal point of the offense and two big men who live to run the court, Ohio State can (and should) push more after made baskets, utilizing those brush and step-up screens to initiate quicker offense.

Young and sophomore E.J. Liddell both sprint to the paint after makes and misses alike, and with the collection of athletic wings it has, Ohio State can implement a sideline push similar to that of Roy Williams and North Carolina. Both wings sprint to the sidelines and the big men run to the rim, giving the point guard options for a quick pass ahead.

Even if this action doesn’t directly lead to a basket, it places more pressure on a defense than walking the ball up the court.

Ohio State only scored 44 percent of its points on two-pointers, a rate in the bottom-30 nationally. The injection of athletic wings to this season's roster gives the offense the ability to get to the basket quickly and fill in the holes that Wesson left in the scoring department.

A big part of that ability to get to the hoop is based on Ohio State's ability to space the floor quickly. Holtmann ensures that the floor is balanced as soon as players get down the court.

On both makes and misses, the Ohio State offense is always in motion quickly.

With a trailing big man running behind the action on nearly every miss, Ohio State uses early pick-and-pops and trailer screens to create surprisingly quick movement.

Walker receives the patented starting ball screen from Wesson, but the Nebraska defense is already set and the junior guard pulls it out. Notice the offensive spacing already set, and movement into an off-ball screen is underway in the first seven seconds of the shot clock.

There are no dead spots. Even when a fastbreak opportunity appears killed, an offensive set is normally in motion with no less than 20 seconds on the shot clock.

Using a quick Young screen to transition into under-basket cross action is the perfect example of Ohio State's aggressively slow transition game. The Buckeyes are under control, but still playing with enough pace that the Kentucky defense isn’t set up and has to foul just over 10 seconds into the possession.

This ability to catch teams off guard will be crucial come this season.

Ohio State transfer Justice Sueing had a top-150 free throw rate in the country in his final season at Cal. Using his ability to get to the basket and draw contact early in the offense provides a fresh look for Holtmann’s offense, all while maintaining a similar tempo.

Another effective way Ohio State creates space in the first seconds of the shot clock is with a series of pin-down screens for a shooter like Washington. Off-ball movement opens gaps and free throw attempts that wouldn't exist otherwise.

With the talent surrounding Walker on the perimeter this year, creating mismatches will be crucial to early offense.

As a unit, the Ohio State offense will take on a different form in the upcoming season, but Holtmann will continue to dictate the tempo of games like he has during his entire tenure in Columbus.