Friday’s first-round matchup with Loyola might have been Kyle Young’s last game in a Buckeye uniform. Just a day before tip-off in Pittsburgh, it was still unclear if the fifth-year forward would even play in it.
Upon finally getting clearance after missing the past three games with his third concussion in the past year, the oft-injured fan favorite Buckeye took time to contemplate his long college career when he donned the scarlet and gray for what could have been the final time.
“Just even putting on my jersey today, taking a moment to reflect on it. Because after the last time when I was out recently, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to come back or not,” Young said. “And just being able to put the jersey on today meant a lot to me, being able to go to war with these guys. So definitely took a moment to reflect on it and be very appreciative of being able to be out there.”
Young was not on the court when the Buckeyes were bounced from the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season, dropping to No. 15 seed Oral Roberts while Young dealt with concussion issues last March. But Young got the chance to influence matters directly on Friday, and his impact was vital in allowing the Buckeyes to extend their season – and Young’s career – for at least one more game.
The Canton, Ohio, native started for just the third time all season against the Ramblers, logged more minutes than any Buckeye besides E.J. Liddell and scored nine points as Ohio State’s third-leading scorer in the win. Young also pulled down seven boards and corralled a number of loose balls, giving the Buckeyes the intangible presence that has become his trademark over the years.
“We've said it every game he's been out. Versatility,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said. “Without Justice (Sueing) in particular, and Kyle, we lacked versatility. And Gene (Brown) has done a good job helping with that. He just provides a bunch, so much on both ends. And a lot of it's versatility. And been saying it for really two years now. So it's evident in a game like this.”
Young suffered a blow to the head against Nebraska on March 1 and did not play in any of the Buckeyes’ final three games leading up to the NCAA Tournament. Both Young and Ohio State center Zed Key, who has been dealing with an ankle injury, remained limited during the Buckeyes’ open practice session on Thursday, standing off on the sideline while the rest of the roster got up and down the floor during an outlet drill.
Both players were officially announced as available around 90 minutes before tip-off at PPG Paints Arena, but even then, one was left to wonder how much workload either would be able to handle having missed so much time.
Young said it was difficult getting back in playing shape in short order, but still played 35 minutes against Loyola.
“I spent last week 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 floor and play with them,” Young said. “That's part of my game, getting on the floor. So that was going to help me impact the game. I had to do what I had to do tonight.”
Ohio State made no bones about its goal to be the more physical team against a Loyola group that Holtmann and the Buckeye coaching staff likened to a Big Ten opponent. With Young on the floor providing his patented brand of toughness, Ohio State achieved its objective. The Buckeyes gave up just 41 points in the contest, outrebounded Loyola by 10 and outscored the Ramblers 26-14 in the paint.
“For us, that's our mentality going into every game. We try to hang our hat on being the more physical team, setting the rules,” Young said. “So when you have a team coming in that's going to do the same thing, it's just that much more of a challenge. So we love that type of challenge, and we just have to respond. So it was just about who is going to play more physical and tougher with 50/50 balls and things like that.”
Holtmann called Ohio State’s defensive effort its best in “a couple years,” and the tone the Buckeyes set to start the game was key in allowing them to do so. Ohio State forced Loyola to shoot just 23.3 percent from the floor in the first half, and the Ramblers managed to score just 18 points. Loyola missed eight of its first 10 shots, and the Buckeye were able to capitalize thereafter.
“I'm not surprised,” Liddell said. “I feel like when we start out, the first four minutes, that determines the game. We set the rules. And I felt like we came out here and did a great job on defensive end, great communication. And we played with an edge tonight. Played like the underdogs. We gotta keep playing like that because people have been counting us out big time. We've got to have that same mindset next game.”
With Ohio State being healthier than it’s been in weeks, the Buckeyes looked like a different team on Friday. Young was key in that, and his teammates were happy to have him back on the floor. With No. 2 seed Villanova now on the horizon, Ohio State appears to be imbued with a new sense of confidence following a poor end to the regular season, but it will need to carry that over against a significantly tougher opponent in the second round.
“Having Kyle back is great. I felt like everybody who stepped foot on the floor was determined, ready, had a mentality that we can't be beat and won't be beat,” Liddell said. “So I feel like we keep that same mindset, we'll be good to go.”
