Chris Holtmann needed to remind himself of what it means to take Ohio State to an NCAA Tournament: 358 teams, 68 spots.
And in his five years as the head coach of the Buckeyes, he’s been able to make it something that’s tied with a sense of normalcy.
But really, it’s crazy.
Including the 2020 tournament which it would have been a five or a six-seed for before it was canceled due to COVID-19, Ohio State is one of three teams in the Big Ten conference that can say it would have made five-straight NCAA Tournaments. Not Purdue, not Wisconsin, but Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan.
That’s it.
It’s Ohio State’s second-longest streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances since 1965, behind head coach Thad Matta who led the Buckeyes to seven-straight tournament appearances between 2009-15.
Ohio State is one of 12 teams to earn a bid in each of the last four tournaments.
Holtmann is making history with Ohio State, something he needed to take a step back and let soak in, especially after the last two weeks his program has had.
“I think it’s a benchmark for every program, whether you are a smaller school, a mid-major or a high-major,” Holtmann said Sunday night. “Certainly, for us and for many other programs, you’re working very hard to advance. There’s an appreciation for how hard it is.”
It’s a party Ohio State has had a standing invitation to for each of the past four tournaments, failing to make it out of the first weekend with first-round wins against South Dakota State and Iowa State before losses to Gonzaga and Houston, respectively, in addition to the first-round upset to Oral Roberts in 2021.
At this point, though, before the attention turns to 2022’s first-round assignment, Holtmann’s message to his players was to look back and realize what they had done together.
“‘Listen, you are not in this position if you didn't have really quality play and really quality wins throughout the season. You are not a seven seed without doing that,’” Holtmann remembered telling his players after Ohio State earned its NCAA Tournament bid. “”That’s the reality… It’s not a given. It’s never been a given, so you want you guys to appreciate that.’”
It’s something a few players on the roster have never experienced.
Along with freshman Malaki Branham, Friday afternoon’s matchup with Loyola Chicago will be the first NCAA Tournament appearance for both of Ohio State’s redshirt senior transfer guards: Cedric Russell and Jamari Wheeler, who each played in the NIT tournament in 2018 with Louisiana and Penn State, respectively.
“I’ve had our guys share, that have come from other schools, share experiences of what it’s like to be on spring break on Selection Sunday or back home with your family on Selection Sunday where you kind of avoid it because you know it’s out there and you have buddies that are playing in it, but you’re not in it,” Holtmann said. “It can be a miserable experience for kids.”
Ohio State’s season didn’t end how it had hoped it would.
The Buckeyes fell from contending for a shared Big Ten title to a six-seed in the Big Ten tournament and bouncing out in the first round against Penn State: their fourth loss in five games.
But to Holtmann, what the NCAA Tournament is is a chance to turn it all around. It’s a new season, one more opportunity to compete.
And the Ohio State head coach wants his players to know it’s an opportunity not every team gets, using that reality to fuel them for whatever run may be in store.
“It’s a party that not everyone gets an invitation to and we recognize that,” Holtmann said. “I’m happy for our guys that they get to play meaningful games here in March. They have certainly earned the right.”
