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Ohio State basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 first-look preview

By Brendon Kleen

COLUMBUS, OHIO - FEBRUARY 23: Kaleb Wesson #34 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action in the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Value City Arena on February 23, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - FEBRUARY 23: Kaleb Wesson #34 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action in the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Value City Arena on February 23, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Ohio State basketball had a fairly rocky 2019-20 season and any hope for next year comes from Chris Holtmann and his track record for great internal development.

In Chris Holtmann’s third season at the helm of the Ohio State men’s basketball program, inconsistency defined the team. The Buckeyes finished fifth in the Big Ten after an 11-9 record in conference play, which took the wind out of the team’s sails after a strong non-conference performance. T

hough Holtmann’s job certainly does not appear to be in jeopardy and the program could bring just about every core contributor outside wing Andre Wesson, the Buckeyes will need to think about what the missing piece has been for sustained excellence in the conference.

After a bit of a transition season in 2018-19 that landed them an 11-seed in the NCAA tournament, the upperclassmen performed well this season. A modern offensive structure, with athletic wings like Andre Wesson, a smart, efficient point guard in D.J. Carton and a stretch big man in Kaleb Wesson, gave the Buckeyes the infrastructure of effectively a top-50 unit on both sides of the ball.

Big wins over North Carolina and Kentucky in the fall seemed to solidify Ohio State as a major contender this season, and maybe they would have been, come tourney time. Carton scored 15 points on six shot attempts in a six-point win over Kentucky, while the Buckeyes’ defense kept the Tar Heels to just 49 points in early December.

It’s not hard to imagine that with steady guard play from Carton and junior C.J. Walker, as well as chemistry and consistency at all five positions, the Buckeyes could have been a dark horse in March. Great coaching along with an older team with efficient guards is a recipe that has worked well in the past. Heck, even Ohio State has made a surprise run or two with great individual talent and good coaching. What’s promising is they could do the same in 2020-21.