It's one thing for pundits to call a game a “must-win,” it's another for an actual member of a given team to say it.
That's how star shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr. referred to Ohio State's game against Penn State on Saturday in his meeting with the media Friday, and it makes sense given the Buckeyes' current three-game skid and tough looming conference schedule ahead.
Holtmann didn't go so far as to call the contest a must-win for his team but did review the strengths of a Penn State team that handed the Buckeyes their first conference loss of the year on Dec. 9 following an 18-point second-half comeback. Holtmann added that execution, finishing plays defensively, rebounding and getting to the free-throw line more will help Ohio State close games late.
Gayle is still in the midst of a cold stretch, shooting 14-of-53 (26.4%) with 13 turnovers and only five assists in his last four games, but both he and Holtmann felt he played a bit better against Michigan on Monday. The mental side of things is where Gayle feels he can take steps to fully break his slump.
Chris Holtmann
- Holtmann started with some opening remarks on Penn State: "A team that has played really well. ... Athletic team, excellent guard play but their interior guys are playing well right now. Good depth."
- On whether he agrees with Gayle that Saturday is a "must-win game:" "You're really focused on playing well. ... I'll let Roddy speak for himself, we're focused on playing well ... doing some things better than the last time we played (Penn State)."
- Penn State has some schematic differences from the last time they played Ohio State but not too much else has changed, Holtmann said. "I don't know that they look dramatically different. They're doing some things different, I don't want to bore you with the X and O details."
- On how Dale Bonner has handled on-court struggles off the court: "He's in a good place, he's just gotta keep working, keep putting good days together. ... We're really going to need him the second half of the season."
- On where the team is at mentally: "They're pretty resilient. They take losses hard. ... A&M is a good team, look at their league record right now. ... This group, as you want, takes losses hard. As coaches, it's your job to get them focused."
- On Gayle's recent struggles: "I thought he did a better job last game of playing to his strengths. ... He's gotta be able to take care of the ball better, he's gotta be able to make some plays for us."
- Ohio State will "have some turnovers tomorrow" due to Penn State's active defense, but Holtmann said that it's about preventing unforced mistakes.
- Holtmann said that the Buckeyes can't look ahead on their schedule searching for where their wins are going to come from. "I think that's the biggest challenge for coaches and for players is to stay present in the moment."
- Interior offense is something the team has looked at to get more production. "Our efficiency hasn't been great on post-ups right now, and I think that's where we need to get better. ... Felix has grown in his ability to not only catch lobs and finish ... but he's been able to make plays over a body with touch."
- On where Ohio State is coming up short late in games: "Better execution and finishing plays defensively would be No. 1 across the board, rebounding ... it's too simple to say shot-making, that's one. ... Then third thing is, we have to get to the free-throw line more."
- On the benefits of being back at home after another loss on the road: "We need a loud and energized crowd for tomorrow and we're excited to play in front of our crowd and our students."
Roddy Gayle Jr.
- As long as the team stays confident in the game plan and each other, Gayle believes that shots will start falling and wins will start coming. "We've just gotta keep trusting the process."
- Even when he's not scoring, Gayle feels he needs to do better in other areas. "Just finding different ways to be able to impact the game."
- Gayle isn't short-selling the importance of this game for Ohio State. "It'd be an amazing turnaround for us to get rolling a little bit. ... This is a must-win game for us. I feel like we had a great opportunity to beat them at their place ... I think it'd be a great opportunity for us to get what's rightfully ours."
- Leading the team's freshmen is about showing them how to respond when times get tough, Gayle said. "It's easy to lead by example ... it's been important for me to be able to lead by example.
- Gayle wants coaches to chew him out if they feel he's not where he should be in his approach, and said that much of a slump for any player is the mental side of things. "(It's) extremely mental. It's natural for somebody to get into their head when they're not making their shots, not making the right plays."
- On the importance of home court advantage: "Just hearing Buckeye Nation go loud, every time, it feels like we've got an extra player on the court. ... If we get some momentum going at home, I feel like it will travel with us to away games."
- Gayle sustained an ankle injury against Rutgers on Jan. 3 but credits Ohio State's training staff for rehabbing it well and strengthening to prevent further injury. "Right now I have no problems."
- On what he's been trying to do to get his offense back on track: "Some of my strength is getting to the free-throw line, being able to make plays off of two feet. ... Being able to get back to what I do best, driving gaps, getting to the free-throw line and allowing that to create other opportunities."
- Penn State has the top turnover margin in the Big Ten, and Gayle will be on the lookout for both Kanye Clary and Ace Baldwin Jr. in that regard. "(It's a) two-guard front that is really aggressive when it comes to creating steals."
- The Nittany Lions have made some scheme updates since they last met Ohio State, Gayle said. "Because of that Penn State game, I feel like we have the ability to close out games better. ... We've seen that they cut a lot more than what they were doing. ... That's the beauty in scout, is finding different things that they've implemented."
- On what he's seeing to feel like the team is better at closing games: "Just the experience that comes with being in those situations. ... You can understand things you could've done better or things we did good."
- On whether dealing with a cold stretch is different in college than in high school: "Absolutely, because the level of talent is tremendously different. ... Half the battle is mental, just keep trying to fight that out of my head is something I've been working on."
