Happy Monday!

Coming out of the second round of the NCAA Tournament without a Sweet 16 berth, Ohio State’s basketball season is complete, while spring practice ramps back up after a week off for spring break. There’s still a lot of things to get into heading into this week of Ohio State sports.

Let’s start with what transpired in Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon.

In short, yes. Here’s why:

“We have been searching for that third and fourth guy,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said after the Buckeyes’ loss to Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “It's been Kyle (Young) a lot, other guys at times but it's been Kyle when we have been at full strength, sometimes Zed (Key). I thought he gave us a good lift on the glass, he missed a couple of baskets but I thought he gave us a great lift on the glass. We have been kind of searching for that and we have missed that third, fourth and sometimes fifth option.”

Justice Sueing would have been that third option.

The 6-foot-7 wing forward brings consistent offense when healthy, shooting 49.1% from the field in 28.3 minutes per game for the Buckeyes in 2020-21, averaging 10.7 points per game. Instead, he was sidelined with an abdominal issue that kept the redshirt senior sidelined for all but two games this season, scoring 12 points making five of his 13 attempts from the field in 31 total minutes against Niagara and Akron.

But against Villanova in the NCAA Tournament, while Sueing’s offense was missed, his versatility was missed even more.

Something both Sueing and redshirt senior forward Seth Towns, who was out for the season recovering from back surgery, brought was athleticism in a bigger body, following in the tradition of a player like Kyle Young, who was able to switch onto whatever forward, center or guard that came his way at any given time.

It’s something that would have helped the Buckeyes against Villanova tremendously, facing a team without much size on paper, but with bigger and more athletic guards that can post up and play physically inside at any moment.

But really, the loss of Towns and Sueing for the season gave Holtmann less options. He didn’t have the tools he thought he would be able to work with. The responsibility, in turn, was given to a freshman wing and a rotating cast of characters, which worked, sometimes, but not as consistently as someone like Sueing would have been.

How different would things have been in 2021-22? Who knows, maybe? Honestly, probably better.

But one thing is for sure: Holtmann would have felt a lot more comfortable.

First, let’s take a minute to take in and understand the progress Malaki Branham has made over the course of a season....

Head to The Horseshoe Lounge to read the rest of the column.