After suffering a concussion in the March 1 loss to Nebraska – his third concussion in the last year – Ohio State fifth-year senior forward Kyle Young wasn’t sure if he’d be able to suit up again for the Buckeyes.
He couldn’t even sit on the bench during the Big Ten Tournament loss to Penn State last week because the crowd noise bothered him, let alone make an impact on the court as the team limped into the NCAA Tournament, losing four of its final five games.
But with Ohio State having more than a week between games, Young was able to get healthy and back into the starting lineup for the Buckeyes’ 54-41 win over Loyola Chicago on Friday afternoon.
“Just putting on my jersey today, just taking a moment to reflect on it because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to come back or not,” Young said during his postgame press conference. “Just being able to put the jersey on today meant a lot to me, being able to go to war with these guys, I definitely took a moment to reflect on it and be very appreciative of being able to be out there.”
As mentioned, Young suffered a pair of concussions last season that kept him out of the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Oral Roberts. And while the similarities between this year and last are numerous, particularly in how Ohio State finished the regular season, he wasn’t going to let history repeat itself and rob him of playing in what could have been his last game with the Scarlet and Gray.
“I spent this last week just trying to get my conditioning back up a little bit, having been out some of the previous games, to be able to be back on the floor and play with them,” Young said. “It was a tough process getting back into the swing of things in terms of conditioning, stuff like that, but it just feels amazing to be back out there with these guys and being able to play again.”
Young finished the game with nine points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes. He also put his body on the line by diving for several loose balls that helped the Buckeyes maintain or steal possession from the Ramblers.
“That’s part of my game, getting on the floor, so that was going to help me impact the game,” Young said. “I had to do what I had to do tonight.”
There’s no denying Ohio State is a different team when Young is on the court, rather than on the sidelines. And while junior forward E.J. Liddell and freshman guard Malaki Branham get all of the headlines, he’s clearly the heart and soul of the team.
“He just provides so much on both ends,” head coach Chris Holtmann said after the game. “I’ve been saying it for two years now, and it’s evident in a game like this. I think it elevates the confidence of the group.”
The Buckeyes are now hoping that Young and sophomore forward Zed Key, who came off the bench after missing three of the last four games with an ankle injury, can have the same kind of impact in Sunday’s second-round matchup against No. 2 seed and Big East Tournament champion Villanova on Sunday afternoon.
“Having Kyle back is great, as well as Zed,” Liddell said. “I felt like everybody who stepped on the floor tonight was determined, was ready and had a mentality that we can’t be beat and won’t be beat. I feel like if we keep that same mindset, we’ll be good to go.”
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