The Ohio State basketball team needed a win against Georgia in the Schott to keep their season alive. They hosted the Bulldogs in the third round of the NIT in what ended up being a great game to watch. It was a close game throughout and it was a game of multiple runs from both teams.
Jamison Battle did all he could to keep the Buckeyes in the game. He had 22 points and 8 rebounds. He also knocked down 4-9 from the three-point line. I know he wishes he would have hit the last one though. Battle’s game-winning three at the buzzer fell just short and the Buckeyes fell to the Bulldogs 79-77.
The Ohio State basketball team still takes momentum into next season
While the Buckeyes would love to still be playing in the NIT, they still have a lot that they can take from what happened late in the year. Jake Diebler turned this team around and it earned him the full-time gig. Now that he will have an entire year to make changes, it’ll be interesting to see just how good this team can be when that happens.
Now that the season is over, there will be a lot to do. Diebler will finish filling out his staff, almost certainly hiring his brother in the process. He will also have to navigate the transfer portal. I wouldn’t be shocked to see some Buckeyes enter the portal as soon as tomorrow. I’m not sure yet which players will stay and which will go.
Diebler will also look at who is already in the portal to help improve the roster for next season. The Ohio State basketball team only brings in two freshmen next season, so the portal is going to be the fastest way to improve the team. Although as we saw at the end of the year, perhaps the best way to improve it is to simply remove Chris Holtmann.
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