Buckeyes show off new look at open practice
There are new lights inside Value City Arena, and they have a purpose. This year, when Ohio State takes the hardwood, the lighting will be prominently focused on the court, illuminating the playing surface and putting the rafters in deep shadows.
It's an effort to try and coax a little more home-court advantage and atmosphere out of a building that needs capacity crowds in order to match its Big Ten brethren in terms of environment. Monday night, it was first put to the test in a dress rehearsal that was an open practice. For roughly an hour and a half, the Buckeyes showed off their 2022-23 team – nine of them new to the program – through a series of drills and then a question-and-answer session led by alumnus Ron Stokes.
“The good thing is that we're not the only one,” Holtmann told a crowd of a few hundred tucked into a four-section segment of the lower bowl. “A lot of programs are going through this new age of the transfer portal. You have to adjust. It certainly has some challenges. You probably see that we have a learning curve, for sure, and some of that is we don't know what we don't know. I don't know if you fully understand that until the lights go on.”
They were on Monday night. They'll be switched on for the first game that counts four weeks from that date. Here's what this open practice told us about where the Buckeyes sit 10 practices into the season:
Okpara’s block party
Listed at 6 feet 11 and 220 pounds, freshman center Felix Okpara provides a physical set of skills unlike any Buckeye in recent memory. Strong defensively but a work in progress offensively, Okpara made his presence felt in the paint on multiple battles with third-year center Zed Key.
During a scrimmage segment where teams played five-on-five for 58 seconds, the 6-8, 255-pound Key twice had his attempts at the rim soundly rejected by the freshman. Key wasn't the only victim of Okpara's abilities: during a fullon scrimmage later in the practice, Okpara violently swatted Gene Brown on an attempted drive to the basket.
It wasn't all clean. Okpara was whistled for a goaltending call later in practice, and Key exacted some revenge when he stole a Tanner Holden pass intended for Okpara, turned upcourt, kept the freshman on his hip and threw down a right-handed slam dunk.
During his question-and-answer session, Holtmann was asked if Key and Okpara could play together.
“That's something we could get to,” he said. “I don't know if we'll get to it this year. I do think we'll definitely get to it next year. Both those guys have some growth in their game that they need probably for that to happen, but I do see that as something happening in the future.”
Practicing with pace
The majority of practice conducted with fans in the stands was played with an emphasis on tempo, another sign that the Buckeyes could look different this season offensively.
Without the luxury of an E.J. Liddell or Malaki Branham to consistently get tough buckets against half-court defenses, Ohio State is planning on trying to play at a faster pace this season despite having to rely heavily on four freshmen including a true point guard in Thornton.
The 58-second scrimmages seemed designed to force the Buckeyes to get multiple possessions in a short period of time. At other points, Ohio State scrimmaged with only 22 seconds on the shot clock. At all times, the assistant coaches were imploring guys to sprint up and down the court.
“Sprint!” associate coach Jake Diebler yelled at Roddy Gayle, a freshman, as he headed up the court while guarded by Sean Mcneil. “Ain't got time for your jogging!” After Justice Sueing didn't quickly inbound the ball after a made basket, Holtmann singled out the sixth-year player for not moving faster.
Sueing enjoys the moment
After missing all but the first two games of last season with a groin injury that lingered from the end of the 2020-21 season, Sueing seemed to be soaking in the moment as a fully healthy member of the team.
During practice, his presence was noticeable. He drained multiple 3-pointers, frequently matched up with (and shut down) freshman Brice Sensabaugh and generally showed off the explosive athleticism that had him poised for a significant role last season prior to the injury.
For a stretch, Sueing handled the point in a lineup where Isaac Likekele played as a small-ball center and matched up with Key (and even took a charge at one point).
Holtmann was asked by a fan if the Buckeyes could utilize a lineup with Sueing, Likekele and Bruce Thornton all playing together.