There hasn't been much cause for celebration at the Schottenstien Center as of late. Not for the Ohio State men's basketball program, anyway.
Chris Holtmann and company have now lost 11 of their last 12 games, with Sunday's 62-41 defeat representing Ohio State's most lopsided loss of the season. The Buckeyes are on a six-game losing streak, which is OSU's longest since the 1997-98 campaign.
Holtmann opened up on the anguish he's felt as of late during a press conference at the Schott on Monday, but said he's trying to remain positive throughout the hardships.
“It's a dark time when you're struggling. I think you have to be able to approach each day with the optimism that we're going to grow and get better," Holtmann said. "I was in the office very early Sunday morning just prepping for our group with excitement about what was coming, and I think that’s the approach that’s required. It certainly can be challenging. You feel these things in a way that’s just, it’s hard to understand. You eat differently, you sleep differently, you just live differently when you lose a game."
Holtmann said "it's our responsibility to have an awareness and an openness" about his players' mental health, and acknowledged that he's not the only one struggling with Ohio State's tumultuous stretch.
"I think we have to be mindful of that with our players, because there are some things we can look at and say let’s just improve here for longer stretches and we’ll see the dividends," Holtmann said.
Ohio State returns to action on the road at Iowa at 9 p.m. Thursday, and you can watch everything Holtmann said about the forthcoming matchup in the interview above.
