Ohio State is undefeated without its starting senior point guard.

Though that 2-0 record certainly seems like a testament to the Buckeyes’ malleability and willingness to adapt, Chris Holtmann doesn’t want the ever-present importance of C.J. Walker to go unappreciated.

The fifth-year guard has translated his normal, on-court leadership to a spot on the Ohio State bench during wins over Northwestern and Illinois.

“Well, he can put these wins on his resume when he gets into coaching,” Holtmann said following an 87-81 victory over Illinois. “Right now, he’s 2-0 as an assistant coach, for sure.”

Walker is constantly engaged, whether it's talking to teammates on the sideline, barking at players from the bench, or joining huddles during timeouts.

After he was ruled out indefinitely with torn ligaments in his hand, major questions arose about Ohio State’s ability to handle the ball and keep itself together in big moments.

So far, so good-- for the most part.

Both Northwestern and Illinois put together decent-sized comebacks late in the second half against the Buckeyes, who struggled to find an offensive rhythm against physical, full-court pressure.

For a team committing turnovers at one of the lowest rates in the country, 25 combined giveaways in the past two games have been a brutal reminder of the stability and confidence Walker normally provides.

“We’ve felt C.J.’s absence in our press attack, late in games, as much as anything,” Holtmann said. “His ability to calm us down, make the right play, get fouled, make free throws, handle the ball. I also think it’s hurt us a little bit trying to initiate some offense against Illinois, against their pressure.”

In the end, all that matters to Holtmann and his team is racking up wins in a conference where they never come easy.

Walker has tallied 81 collegiate victories in four seasons on the court (101 if you count his redshirt season at Ohio State).

All the senior cares about is contributing to winning basketball in any way he can.

There is little doubt that the Indianapolis native will one day find his way into coaching. He has certainly looked the part on the sideline, donning an all-black Ohio State sweatsuit and pacing the sideline for 40 consecutive minutes, doling out high-fives and pointers.

“He has coached the guys up. He’s been extremely vocal. I’ll gladly give him these two wins so he can put them on his resume,” Holtmann said. “He was really vocal; led the way in talking. Certainly, I think we missed his ball-handling and his ability to get to certain spots.”

It’s not just his coach who notices. Every player asked about Walker knows how valuable he is to Ohio State, on and off the court.

Battling through consistent discomfort all season long, Walker lead the Buckeyes in minutes (31.5 per game), assists (4.2), and free throw shooting (42-for-43!) by a significant margin before his hand issues worsened.

Looking beyond the counting numbers, Walker has every intangible. He’s tough, he plays through mistakes, and he makes his teammates better.

All of those things have translated to this team in his absence.

So yes, Ohio State is 2-0 without its point guard.

But his impact is still evident.

“C.J.'s a huge part of our team, and we can’t wait to get him back. Honestly, shout-out to him-- he’s doing a really good job,” graduate forward Seth Towns said. “These are the things that players don’t get much credit for, but he’s like a coach on the sidelines.

“He’s still finding ways to contribute to this team.”