For the first time since Chris Holtmann's debut 2017-18 season in Columbus when the Buckeyes went 15-3 to finish in the Big Ten conference's regular season standings, Ohio State enters the month of February as a threat to challenge for a Big Ten regular season crown following six wins in eight tries during the month of January.
The impressive month saw the Buckeyes beat three teams ranked in the top-15 – all on the road – vaulting all the way up from No. 13 to No. 7 in the latest AP Poll. A chance to justify that lofty ranking comes later tonight as Holtmann's squad takes on Luka Garza and No. 8 Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
At 14-4 overall and 8-4 in league play, Ohio State trails a currently Covid-sidelined Michigan squad (8-1) by three in the loss column with eight Big Ten opponents left on the regular season slate.
No matter what happens over the next five weeks of league action, the January run is notable for ensuring February brings a chance to threaten for a regular season Big Ten title and further enhance an NCAA tournament resume. The Buckeyes were a No. 2 seed in Joe Lunardi's Tuesday edition of Bracketology.
Ohio State entered the new year with an 8-2 record, featuring a 12-point win over then-No. 11 Rutgers but stood just 2-2 in early league play.
The first game in January quelled some optimism as Minnesota ran Ohio State out The Barn (blow that place up, seriously), 77-60, with the Buckeyes really not even looking competitive. A date with Penn State three days later would be canceled due to Covid-19 issues within the Nittany Lions' program and the following day, Holtmann announced starting point guard CJ Walker would be out indefinitely with torn ligaments in his non-shooting hand.
Forced to shuffle the point guard responsibilities between reserve Jimmy Sotos, Duane Washington Jr. and Justice Sueing, with a dash of Meechie Johnson mixed in, Ohio State caught fire winning six of its next seven via two separate three-game win streaks.
Holtmann is well aware of the January collapses from the previous two seasons but isn't turning cartwheels considering there's a long way to go in the Big Ten season and hopefully the postseason.
"I think much has been made of that, but I also didn't make a whole lot of us I think almost going undefeated our first year in January. I think some of it is how you're playing certainly, some of it is the schedule, some of it is the rhythm that you're in or an injury or two," Holtmann told the media last week before beating Penn State in the reschedule matchup from early January.
I can understand Holtmann wanting to downplay the turnaround within a particular month compared to the previous seasons, particularly considering roster turnover. That said, ripping off a 6-2 month including three wins on the road against then top-15 teams in Rutgers, Illinois and Wisconsin shouldn't be ignored either.
Last season, a 2-5 January provided sobriety to an 11-2 start as the Buckeyes lost three of the five January matchups by double digits.
Before the month was out, five-star freshman point guard DJ Carton left the team for personal reasons before officially entering the transfer portal at season's end. The onset of the pandemic ultimately cut short what was a 21-10 season including an 11-9 record in Big Ten action, good enough for fifth place in the conference standings.
Two season ago, a 1-6 January torpedoed expectations following a 12-1 start. Holtmann's squad lost five straight to start the month, three by double digits, with the lone win coming against a Nebraska team that finished 6-14 in league play. To its credit, the team rebounded to make the NCAA tournament with a middling 20-15 record including an 8-12 mark in Big Ten play, beating Iowa State in the opening round of the Dance before No. 3 seed Houston rolled the Bucks by 15.
This most recent January saw Holtmann rely on a deep bench and hot shooting to gain increased notoriety at the national level. The Buckeyes shot 50% or better in five of the six wins including all three road wins. On the strength of January's production, Ohio State ranks No. 5 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency.
For all of the angst (rightfully so) over Washington Jr.'s shot selection and decision making, he or sophomore forward E.J. Liddell led the Buckeyes in scoring during all eight games with Liddell going for 20 or more in four of eight games and Washington Jr. turning the trick three times. One of those two has led Ohio State in scoring in 15 of 18 games so far this season.
Sueing averaged 10.8 points and 6.5 boards during the month, showing valuable versatility and an ability to finish in traffic or get to the stripe. The Cal transfer shot 81% from the line, scoring over a third of his points at the stripe during the month.
Beyond the team's top-three scorers, role players have stepped up masse with Holtmann typically playing 9-11 guys on any given night.
Junior Justin Ahrens had carved out a role as the team's three-point specialist even before January but the sharpshooter entered the starting lineup during Walker's absence and has made the most of his increased minutes, burying at least two triples in each of the last six games while shooting a combined 18-of-35 from distance, good for 51%.
Seth Towns' continued assimilation into the rotation as his health permits saw him log double-digit minutes in each of the last five games of the month, giving the Buckeyes another strong outside shooter for defenses to respect.
The biggest surprise of all however was the continued invaluable minutes logged by freshman pivot Zed Key. The 6-foot-8, 245-pound freshman brings more than infectious energy. He's been a tenacious rebounder and has proven adept at using his wide frame, solid footwork and basketball IQ to finish around the basket.
He truly looks wise beyond his years, gaining position on the low block and creating windows to receive entry passes. Heavily reliant on spinning to his right in the early going, Key lately has shown an ability to spin to the left and even finish with his off hand in a Big Ten conference not short on talented post players.
Sprinkle in Kyle Young's veteran savvy and tireless effort, Walker's ability to close out games from the free throw line and smaller yet developmental contributions from Johnson Jr. and Eugene Brown and it was January to build on for Holtmann's squad.
Of course, we're still a long way off from March and if Ohio State wants to stay near the top of the Big Ten standings and further enhance its NCAA tournament resume, building off January's strong performance is a must. Four of the last eight regular season games come against current top-12 teams starting tonight in Iowa City.
