Land-grant Holy Land: For Ohio State Buckeyes Fans

On Wednesday, March 16 Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media to preview seven-seed Ohio State’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with 10-seed Loyola-Chicago in Pittsburgh. He gave an update (kind of) on Zed Key and Kyle Young’s health, and went into detail about what make’s Loyola’s defense so effective, especially against the pass. He praised Loyola guard Lucas Williamson, saying he is “Without a doubt an NBA player.” He also gave insight into how much last season’s first-round loss weighs on the team heading into this game, and the differences between last season and this season. Finally, the Ohio State head coach talked about Malaki Branham, and how much weight has been put on the Big Ten Freshman of the Year’s shoulders. He conceded that sometimes his slenderness/slight frame makes it difficult for him to guard bigger, physical guards, “He’s an 18 year old kid, and sometimes the size and strength is a problem. He’s 18, there’s not a ton he can do to fix that right this second.” Connec